Some of our elected officials just don’t seem to understand the optics game in the least bit, as though they are somehow shielded from certain types of criticisms altogether.  The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to expose these sorts of issues in a very big way, as well, with any number of politicians who think that their own COVID rules don’t apply to them. In Washington DC, the weekend provided us with yet another example of such hypocrisy. Fewer than 24 hours after Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser celebrated her 49th birthday with a DJ and comedian Dave Chappelle, she officiated a wedding at The Line DC, a four-star hotel in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of the city. Despite the mayor’s order, the wedding reception featured hundreds of unmasked guests served by dozens of wait staff, including a conspicuously unmasked Bowser. Bowser, who was not sitting at the table designated for her during wedding toasts, did not wear a mask despite not actively eating or drinking. When approached by the Washington Examiner to explain why she was maskless at an event now legally obligated to enforce mask compliance, security blockaded the free press. The incident was reminiscent of a moral catastrophe committed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi some months ago, after the Democratic Congresswoman was seen galavanting around mask-less inside of a hair salon in The Golden State, despite the fact that local ordinances prohibited both mask-less and indoor styling appointments.  

As it stands today, the number of Americans who don’t want a COVID-19 vaccine is roughly equal to the number of Americans who don’t have a COVID-19 vaccine, and that is troublesome for the Biden administration. The President had publicly set a number of lofty goals as it pertains to the coronavirus vaccine, namely hoping to have around 70% of the population at least partially-vaccinated by July 4th.  As we enter August, that number is much closer to 50%, and this isn’t nearly enough to ensure herd immunity. Now, in an effort to convince more Americans to get on board with the inoculation, the FDA is going to expedite the transition from “emergency use authorization” to “approved” for the vaccines themselves. FDA spokesperson Abby Capobianco said the agency is working on “identifying additional resources such as personnel and technological resources from across the agency and opportunities to reprioritize other activities, in order to complete our review to help combat this pandemic surge.” The agency has deployed an “all hands on deck” strategy for this endeavor, Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in an interview. The Pfizer vaccine has so far been distributed under FDA emergency-use authorization it received in December. The company applied for full approval on May 7. “We recognize that for some, the FDA approval of Covid-19 vaccines may bring additional confidence and encourage them to get vaccinated,” Capobianco said in a statement. “FDA staff will conduct a thorough review process, while balancing the incredible sense of urgency necessary, both of which are needed to ensure that any vaccine that is authorized or approved meets our rigorous standards for safety, effectiveness, and quality.” Of course, many Americans are already of the impression that the speed at which the vaccines were developed could lend itself…