Covax, a humanitarian project that intends to deliver coronavirus vaccines to the world’s poorest people by the end of 2021, faces potential shortages of money, cargo planes, refrigeration and even vaccine supplies. This has generated skepticism from some of the countries it intends to help most.

Several wealthy countries have locked up most of the world’s potential vaccine supply through 2021 by negotiating directly with drug companies. The U.S. and others, including China and Russia, have refused to join the project.

Covax is led by multiple groups, including the World Health Organization. It aims to buy two billion doses by the end of 2021, though it isn’t yet clear whether the successful vaccine will require one dose or two.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday tried to walk back his refusal to outright condemn a far right fascist group during his debate Tuesday with Democrat and former Vice President Joe Biden. The inflammatory moment was far from the first time the president has failed to denounce white supremacists or has advanced racist ideas.

Trump’s refusal to criticize the Proud Boys and comment that the group should “stand back and stand by” drew fierce blowback before Trump altered his message in a day-later effort to quell the firestorm.

The new flare up over Trump’s messaging on race was playing out just weeks before the election, leaving the President to play defense on yet another issue when he already faces criticism of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and is under new scrutiny over his taxes.

Campus a cappella groups Cadenza and the Summit Singers are beginning their season through auditions and call-backs amid COVID-19 challenges.

Both groups held preliminary auditions over Zoom and held in-person call backs once university regulations allowed.

Despite being online, senior and Summit Singers President Matthew Farho said that preliminary auditions went as well as could be expected.

Leila Weah can be reached at leila.weah@stthomas.edu.