Axios Re:Cap

After the U.S. administered nearly 7 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC and FDA this morning issued a recommendation to pause using that particular vaccine after six women developed blood clots following their vaccinations.  Dan discusses how this recommendation was likely made, why and how to understand it with Julie Morita, executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who has served on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, as commissioner for the Chicago Department of Public Health, and on the Biden Covid-19 advisory board. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. secured so many COVID-19 vaccine doses through its Operation Warp Speed contracts that we may soon be sitting on a surplus, even if booster shots are needed. Dan and Vanity Fair contributing editor Katherine Eban discuss her recent reporting, which revealed exactly how those contracts were structured and how the U.S. ended up with a stockpile it cannot distribute abroad. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan includes spending on child care facilities and elder care — and now members of his administration and allies on the hill are arguing to expand the definition of infrastructure so that it encompasses more than roads and bridges.  Dan speaks with Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), who supports Biden’s plans, but calls the decision to split up family policies and jobs “a big mistake.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nearly one in five American adults is hesitant to get a COVID-19 vaccine, which could make it harder for the country to reach herd immunity. Meanwhile, the virus continues to mutate, with the CDC announcing today that the British variant is dominant in the U.S. Dan talks with Dr. Atul Gawande, author and advisor to the Biden administration, about what vaccine hesitancy means for the U.S. and the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As U.S.-based companies have spoken out against Georgia’s new voting law, some politicians on the right have pointed out that these same companies have stayed quiet on human rights violations in China — and they are alleging hypocrisy. Dan is joined by Axios China author Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian to discuss what’s happening in China, what U.S. corporations have and haven’t said, and what to make of these allegations and the expectations they set. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Georgia businesses have come under boycott pressure from both sides of the aisle, following last week's passage of a controversial new voting bill. Atlanta also lost Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, which now will take place in Denver. Dan and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms dig into the consequences of this law for Georgia voters and locally based businesses and what other states can learn from the situation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The White House has pitched its $2 trillion infrastructure plan, and Republicans have taken a stance against using corporate tax increases to pay for it — leaving corporate America caught in the middle, especially titans of the energy industry. Dan digs into this dynamic with Barbara Humpton, president and CEO of Siemens USA, to get her thoughts on Biden’s proposal and what will come of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Federal Reserve, over the past year, has been credited and criticized for the massive run up in asset values like housing and stocks — basically for how stocks could be going up if the economy has so many problems. Dan is joined by Courtenay Brown and Felix Salmon to discuss the Fed's mission and why it has become so central to America's economic recovery as part of a special Axios Deep Dive on America's central bank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are more than 18,000 unaccompanied minors in government custody, according to the latest figures. And over the past week, between 5,000 and 6,000 of them have been in border patrol facilities unfit for minors — a challenge further complicated by COVID-19. Dan is joined by Janet Napolitano, DHS secretary under Obama and former Arizona governor, to discuss the Biden administration’s response. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UnitedMasters, a music distribution platform that feels a little like Substack for singers, yesterday raised $50 million from investors like Apple — which almost never invests in startups. Dan talks with UnitedMasters CEO Steve Stoute, known for producing albums by artists like Nas and Mariah Carey, about his company, the uncertain future of record labels and why it's important for musicians to own their own music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden on Wednesday proposed a $2 trillion infrastructure package that could transform America's physical and economic landscape. Axios Re:Cap speaks with White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein about the plan and the politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This fall, the Inspiration4 mission, chartered from SpaceX, will take four people into space who are not trained astronauts — and as of today, the full crew has been announced.  Producer Naomi Shavin and author of Axios Space Miriam Kramer discuss this unusual mission, which will carry the hopes of the entire space industry with it when it takes off in September. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dominion Voting Systems on Friday filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, its fourth following similar lawsuits filed against Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell. Dan discusses this latest lawsuit, Powell’s recent response in her lawsuit, and possible future suits with attorney for Dominion Voting Systems Tom Clare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have been mixing business and activism almost as long as Heath Bar and vanilla ice cream — more than 30 years. Now they're watching other companies follow their blueprint.  Dan asks Ben and Jerry about their legacy, the rise of corporate social activism and its recent evolutions, and, of course, their favorite flavors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The House of Representatives is holding its first Big Tech hearing of 2021 on Thursday with witnesses to include Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. Dan is joined by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), who represents part of Silicon Valley, to discuss what she hopes to learn and why she's more interested in algorithms than moderators. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices