In his most forceful pandemic actions to date, President Biden ordered sweeping new federal vaccine requirements for as many as 100 million Americans in an all-out effort to combat COVID-19.

But the mere mention of mandates was met with sharp cries of government overreach by the president’s political opposition. Meanwhile, at the United Nations, the Secretary-General called for an immediate global vaccination plan to at least double production in an effort to reach seventy percent of the world’s population in the first half of next year.

To discuss the latest on the coronavirus pandemic: 

• Chris Smith is a Consultant Clinical Virologist at the University of Cambridge and the co-presenter of the “Naked Scientists” podcast.
• Einar Tangen is a political and economic affairs commentator. 
• William Haseltine is the chair and president of Access Health International.
• Joseph Williams joins us. He’s the senior news editor at U.S. News and World Report.

For more: 

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a dire warning that the world is moving in the wrong direction and faces "a pivotal moment" because of "enormous stress" caused by the virus pandemic, climate change, poverty and other factors. https://t.co/OaJfs9ffuW

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 11, 2021

https://twitter.com/cgtnamerica/status/1437897510622728203

A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics says Covid-19 infections in US children have jumped about 240% since July https://t.co/yv9ZZuWMOG

— CNN International (@cnni) September 14, 2021