THE NOTE: Pres. Biden and Dr. Fauci are confronting defiance—though the more problematic enemy may be weariness.
are surging in the U.S., largely due to the spread of the delta variant. Earlier this summer, an average of 11,000-15,000 cases per day were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but that average is now surpassing 60,000 per day. The federal government and some states have started taking measures to try to increase vaccination rates, particularly among public employees and health care workers.
A recent Hill-HarrisX poll showed that a solid majority of voters would support the reinstatement of mask mandates in their area if COVID-19 cases started to spike, but overall, Americans are split on what to do about the rise in cases. In this installment of the FiveThirtyEight Politics podcast, the crew talks about where Americans stand on mitigation efforts, how politicians are responding and what public health experts are saying about the current state of the pandemic.