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Ed White and David Eggert Associated Press

Former Michigan Gov. Rick Sny-der, his health director and other ex-of-ficials have been told they’re being charged after a new investigation of the Flint water scandal, which devastated the majority Black city with lead-con-taminated water and was blamed for a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ dis-ease in 2014-15, The Associated Press has learned.

Two people with knowledge of the planned prosecution told the AP on Tues-day that the attorney general’s office has informed defense lawyers about indict-ments in Flint and told them to expect initial court appearances soon. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonym-ity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The AP could not determine the nature of the charges against Snyder, former health department director Nick Lyon and others who were in the Snyder administration. The attorney general’s office declined to comment on details of the ongoing investigation. Spokeswoman Courtney Covington Watkins said inves-tigators were “working diligently” and “will share more as soon as we’re in a position to do so.”

Snyder’s attorney didn’t return calls seeking comment.

Snyder, a Republican who has been out of office for two years, was governor when state-appointed managers in Flint

FLINT WATER CRISIS

State plans to charge Snyder in investigationSources say ex-governor and others have been told

Taylor DesOrmeau tdesorme@mlive.com

Some jobless Michiganders have started getting an extra $300 per week in federal benefits, state officials said Mon-day. But 500,000 residents on unemploy-ment still are getting nothing.

The $300 is going to people on state unemployment or extended benefits. But others covered by the extension of federal pandemic relief, including self-employed and gig workers, are experiencing a gap. They have missed payments for three weeks, since Dec. 27.

Delays by Congress and President Donald Trump in enacting an extension to pandemic relief last month, allowed benefits to expire, interrupted the flow of money and left states scrambling to reprogram payment systems.

Michigan has not yet finished the required updates, after finally receiv-ing the final guidance from Washington, Unemployment Insurance Agency acting director Liza Estlund Olson said.

She said $300 payments were starting for 360,000 recipients, and the remain-ing workers will receive back benefits. The agency said claimants do not need to take any action.

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Wait for jobless payments hits third week

Michigan native gets second shot at Super Bowl run. B1

Trump blames Dems as Congress mulls his fate. A4

Malachi Barrett mbarret1@mlive.com

L A N S I NG — Michigan State Police have raised their visible profile at the state Cap-itol, based on intelligence that armed pro-tests are being organized across the coun-try ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

“We are aware of online promotion of a march on state Capitols on January 17,” MSP public affairs director Shannon Ban-ner said in a written statement. “Security enhancements that can be put in place include both seen and unseen measures.”

The move came as the FBI issued a bul-letin warning of plans for armed protests by extremists and supporters of President Donald Trump at state capitols and Wash-ington.

A Dec. 29 FBI memo from the Minneap-olis office outlining the threat said there was evidence that a Michigan member

of the militant boogaloo movement sug-gested setting a fire as a distraction while members stormed the Capitol.

The MSP move also coincided with Monday’s vote by the state Capitol Com-mission to ban open carrying of firearms inside the statehouse, following a months-long study about implementing limits.

Other states also beefed up security with National Guard units, SWAT teams and extra police officers in the wake of last week’s violence at the U.S. Capitol.

Banner said Michigan troopers would hold their profile for “the next couple of weeks.”

Firearms have long been allowed inside the Capitol in Lansing, but starting last year, supporters of a total ban gained trac-tion with the Capitol Commission, which

THE RIOT AFTERMATH

State Police beef up Capitol security

Health department worker Penny Cracas administers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to emergency medical technician Christian Ventura last month at the Chester County Government Services Center in West Chester, just outside Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Though the first vaccinations against coronavirus are in full swing, the process has been slow. Matt Slocum, AP

Samantha Masunaga Los Angeles Times

To truly control the pandemic, most people around the world need to be vacci-nated against COVID-19. That’s a tall order involving billions of shots.

At the end of last year, only about 70 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech and from Mod-erna and the National Institutes of Health were expected to be shipped out world-wide. This year, however, Pfizer alone plans to boost its output to 2 billion. Other companies are also working on vaccines, but some populations still might not gain access until 2024.

In the meantime, the death toll contin-ues to rise.

So why can’t doses be pumped out and distributed faster?

Considering that vaccines can take years just to create — and that Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines went from concept to testing to deployment in less than a year — the pace is already swift.

Then there’s the issue of how many peo-ple need it: an amount unprecedented in the pharmaceutical industry.

“We’ve never distributed vaccines on this scale before,” said Lois Privor-Dumm, director of adult vaccines at the Inter-national Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Pub-lic Health. “We’re talking about trying to reach the whole planet, essentially.”

On the manufacturing side, there’s a hustle to expand production to more facto-ries, which need to be fitted with special-ized equipment, and to train workers. And once made, Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines must be kept at freezing temperatures, so they can’t be distributed in just any vehicle or stored in just any warehouse.

“It’s not like making widgets,” said Nancy Pire-Smerkanich, assistant profes-sor of regulatory and quality sciences at the USC School of Pharmacy.

Instead of spending the time and money to build new factories to expand their capacity, pharmaceutical firms — includ-ing Pfizer and Moderna — are largely turn-ing to contractors that specialize in vac-cine manufacturing.

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Why aren’t more vaccines available?

Armed men stand on the steps Wednes-day at the state Capitol after a rally in support of President Donald Trump in Lansing. Paul Sancya, AP

Despite a swift production pace, some populations might not gain access for years

829,000Doses of the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna that have been distributed in Michigan.

233,085Doses (first or second) that have been administered.

For more numbers from the state Health Department, visit bit.ly/VaxxTally

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