Your Daily Roundup for February 2nd

Good morning. As the COVID-19 pandemic takes a toll on life in America, our team at Future Majority is tracking the latest updates: 

Where are 20 million vaccine doses?

The Biden Administration is looking for 20 million vaccine doses that were distributed -- but not accounted for -- by the previous administration. The current administration has accused the former, which had been well documented for a haphazard vaccine rollout that relied almost entirely on state infrastructure, of not tracking the entire route of all vaccines, including the 20 million that are not accounted for.

COVID-19 cases are trending down, but challenges remain: 

1200,000 new infections of COVID-19 were reported Monday -- a downtick from the post-holiday surge last month. But the U.S. still faces numerous challenges, including the continued winter months which push people indoors, where the virus is more likely to spread. Moreover, 39 states are in the “red zone” of infection rates as levels remain high, just lower than the astronomical levels of a few weeks ago. Congress is currently debating President Biden’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue plan, which would provide funding for the vaccine rollout, among many other initiatives. 

President Biden’s approval rating remains high:

While new presidents often benefit from a “honeymoon” phase in which their job approval remains high in their first few weeks in office, President Biden is outpacing his predecessor in these politically polarized times. Former President Trump’s approval rating never surpassed 50%, while Biden enjoys a 54% approval rating, according to a recent Monmouth poll, including a net 17-point approval among Independents.