1 Amid Pipeline Worries, Drivers Fill Up, Pumps Are Running Dry
Several states are reporting gas shortages as drivers fuel up over fears that a pipeline problem will limit supplies. Drivers in the South and on the East Coast are starting to scramble after the shutdown of the Colonial pipeline. In areas where stations aren’t empty? There are long lines – and GasBuddy reports stations in North Carolina and Florida are the shortest on supplies. Colonial pipeline expects to have its 55-hundred mile system back online this week after Friday's cyberattack. The White House says it’s monitoring supply shortages. During a White House briefing, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm noted that the Pipeline has never been shut down before. She said the Pipeline should be substantially functional by week's end. She also warned about price gouging and said it will not be tolerated.
2 CDC Updates Congress On Covid Fight
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is citing ongoing progress in reducing new cases of the coronavirus, along with hospitalizations and deaths. Dr. Walensky testified in a Senate hearing and said vaccines represent the path back to normalcy in America. However, she warned the U.S. must remain diligent and noted the explosion of the virus in other parts of the world, notably India. Walensky also said the U.S. should take steps to be better prepared for what may come next. Dr. Anthony Fauci was also pressed about the situation in India. He said India thought they were through the worst surge and started re-opening prematurely. The day wasn’t without fireworks, however. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul accused the United States of is "fooling with mother nature and allowing super-viruses to be created." Paul blasted Fauci for what he said was ongoing research in the U.S. where deadly viruses are not only created for pandemic research – but sharing research with the Chinese.
3 If Liz Cheney Is Going Down, She’s Going Down Swinging
Embattled Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney is standing up for herself, for democracy and against the Trump train amid the effort to oust her from the party leadership. Speaking on the House floor, the Wyoming Rep blamed former President Trump for provoking the January attack on the U.S. Capitol and continuing to push the idea that the election was stolen. She called it a threat that America “has never seen before.” Cheney is expected to be removed today as the GOP Conference Chair, the third highest member of House leadership. And that vote? It’s expected to be done in secret. Meanwhile, Senator Lindsey Graham is making the case to keep former President Trump the centerpiece of the Republican Party. As Graham sees it, the GOP can't go forward if Trump isn't part of it. Graham argues "half the people will leave" the party if others try to drive him out. He also thinks Cheney has lost "the confidence of the people" she's leading (though there’s been no indication of that).