What we’re reading: Walgreens changes dose timeline, lawsuits piling up from Texas’ winter storm

By Bailey Mitchell

Published Apr 6, 2021

Gov. Greg Gianforte receives a shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from pharmacist Drew Garton at a Walgreen’s pharmacy, Thursday, April 1, 2021, in Helena, Mont. “I just got my first shot and I feel great,” Gianforte said to members of the press after. “I would encourage all other Montanans to go out and get theirs. It’s the only path forward.” (Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP)

Walgreens to administer second dose of Pfizer vaccine earlier

Walgreens has changed its timeline for the administration of the Pfizer vaccine’s second dose, according to USA Today.

After the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked the drugstore to adhere to its guidelines, Walgreens will now be administering the second dose of the Pfizer Vaccine a week earlier than they had been previously.

Walgreens had been scheduling patient’s second dose 28 days after their first. A spokesperson shared that they will now be operating on a three-week timeline.

The CDC acknowledged that the extra time is not expected to cause a problem and that the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine can be administered up to 6 weeks after patients receive their first.

Lawsuits against power companies piling up in Texas

In this Feb. 18, 2021, file photo, an Oncor Electric Delivery lineman crew works on repairing a utility pole that was damaged by the winter storm that passed through Odessa, Texas. Texas officials on Thursday, March, 25, 2021 raised the death toll from February’s winter storm and blackouts to at least 111 people — nearly doubling the state’s initial tally following one of the worst power outages in U.S. history. (Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP, File)

At least 30 lawsuits have been filed related to natural gas contracts since the winter storm that caused power outages across the state of Texas in February.

A majority of the lawsuits have been filed in Texas state courts. Exxon Mobil Corp. and BP PLC are among the companies involved, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Meanwhile, suppliers like ConocoPhillips are suing utilities and others due to unpaid bills. As enormous financial pressure mounts as a result of the storm, more lawsuits are expected in the future.

Arkansas Gov. vetoes anti-transgender bill

In this July 20, 2020 file photo, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson removes his mask before a briefing at the state capitol in Little Rock. Gov. Hutchinson on Monday, April 5, 2021 vetoed legislation that would have made his state the first to ban gender confirming treatments or surgery for transgender youth. (Staci Vandagriff/The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via AP, File)

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson vetoed an anti-transgender health care bill that would’ve prohibited gender-affirming surgeries for transgender people under the age of 18, according to CNN.

Gov. Hutchinson, a Republican, said that the bill was “a vast government overreach.” He also stated that it would’ve created “new standards of legislative interference with physicians and parents as they deal with some of the most complex and sensitive matters involving young people.”

The bill named the Arkansas Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) was passed through the state Senate of Arkansas in March, with a vote of 28-7. The bill passed through the House with a vote of 70-22.

Footage of Chicago 13-year-old’s shooting to be released

The footage of the shooting of 13-year-old, Adam Toledo, will be released according to The New York Times.

The announcement comes from The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, an independent agency that oversees investigations involving the Chicago Police Department.

Toledo was killed by a police officer that chased him into an alley in Chicago on the morning on March 29.

This announcement comes after pressure from the victim’s family, activists, the city and police officials pushed for the release of the footage.