‘What happens ... if every American has one test?’
| 'What happens ... if every American has one test?'  Testing, testing …1, 2, 3.
There was a rather discordant moment at a White House briefing this week when press secretary Jen Psaki responded to a question about the paucity of at-home Covid-19 testing with the apparently rhetorical retort: "Should we just send one to every American?" It's worth considering. As the reporter pointed out, some foreign countries have done far more than the US to facilitate at-home testing. The UK has done a lot wrong in the pandemic, but Britons can now just show up at a pharmacy (chemist shop) and get a box of takeaway lateral flow tests for free. Many now routinely test themselves before or after big family occasions, visits to friends' houses or after venturing into big crowds. So why isn't that happening more in the US? Quick-testing kits on the US market sell out fast at pharmacies and big stores like Target. Psaki appeared to suggest that giving out free tests would be prohibitively expensive. "What happens if you — if every American has one test? How much does that cost, and then what happens after that?" she asked. She also raised questions over whether unspecified foreign regulators were as stringent in ensuring the quality control of testing as those in the US. President Joe Biden recently rolled out a plan to require insurers to pay for at-home tests, but the change could take weeks to implement. And it's not clear whether a necessary volume of at-home tests is actually available in the US. Psaki explained in a subsequent briefing that US health officials believed the most effective way to provide testing was at community sites, pharmacies, physicians' office or at schools and in workplaces. It's not always as simple as that, however. In some areas, getting a test appointment at a pharmacy can take several days — even for quick-returning lateral flow tests — which means Covid-like symptoms result in lost school and work days. The world and America A scandal over parties at Downing Street is boiling up in London.
 Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert seems determined to win GOP's internal race to cause the most offense. Just days after a lethal school shooting in Michigan, fellow GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky stirred outrage by releasing a photo of his family holding guns in front of a Christmas tree. Not to be outdone, Boebert on Tuesday published a photo of her own kids wielding firearms. Taxation and represention The New York City Council on Thursday is set to approve a measure that will allow noncitizens who are legal residents to vote in city elections, reports CNN's Kelly Mena.
Under the bill, individuals who have lived in the city for at least 30 days and are legal permanent residents in the US -- including green card holders, individuals with workers permits and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals holders -- will be allowed to vote for mayor, public advocate, borough president and city council, among other positions.
Council member Ydanis Rodriguez, the prime sponsor of the legislation and an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, told CNN the bill is about championing the issue of "no taxation without representation" -- an idea that dates back to America's Colonial days and revolutionary roots.
"If they pay their taxes, they should be able to elect their leaders," said Rodriguez, who added that his own background as a green card holder from 1983 to 2000 inspired his push for passage of the bill.
The bill would expand voting rights to nearly 800,000 residents, according to Rodriguez's office. If passed, it would take effect on January 1 and make New York the largest jurisdiction in the country to expand voting rights to noncitizens.  'An unusual manatee mortality event' Hundreds of manatees are starving off the coast of Florida, according to the state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has termed the phenomenon "an unusual manatee mortality event." At least 1,038 manatees have died all around Florida in 2021, up from 637 in 2020, according to statistics provided by commission. Though it's unclear exactly how many died of starvation, the agency says disappearing seagrass due to "poor water quality" will be a major driver in the continuing die-off. Thanks for reading.
On Thursday, Biden delivers opening remarks at the White House Summit for Democracy. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be tested for Covid-19 after an exposure earlier this week. Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades visits Spain. View in browser | All CNN Newsletters
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