
Standoff emerges between White House and Michigan governor as state's Covid situation deteriorates
CNN
A standoff has emerged between the White House and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as federal health officials have rejected the governor's repeated requests for additional vaccine doses as her state experiences a surge in cases driven by the B.1.1.7 variant of Covid-19.
Although President Joe Biden and Whitmer are close allies, the two now find themselves in the middle of an awkward impasse that's complicated by a global pandemic and national clamor for vaccines. Whitmer has made several appeals to the White House for more vaccine doses to combat the surge, including a direct one to Biden during a call that lasted between 20 and 30 minutes last week. But Whitmer, a strong supporter of Biden's who was once under consideration to be his vice president, seems unlikely to succeed in her quest for more doses, something Biden's top health advisers made clear Monday, as one warned they aren't going to play "whack-a-mole" with vaccines.More Related News