White House is moving to reassure Americans that a CDC notification to the states, to prepare for a coronavirus vaccine to be ready to distribute by Nov. 1, is not politically motivated. Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany labeled questions about the notification a "bizarre theory," spun by media organizations. "No one is pressuring the FDA to do anything," she insisted. The timeline raised concern among public health experts about an "October surprise" — a vaccine approval driven by political considerations ahead of a presidential election, rather than science. In a letter to governors dated Aug. 27, Robert Redfield, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said states "in the near future" will receive permit applications from McKesson Corp., which has contracted with CDC to distribute vaccines to places including state and local health departments and hospitals. During Thursday's White House briefing, McEnany said the Trump administration was "deeply troubled" by the poisoning of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny. "We're working with our allies and the international community to hold those in Russia accountable wherever the evidence leads and restrict funds for their malign activities," she said. Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2TwO8Gm QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL: Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake Subscribe to our newsletter: https://bit.ly/2FJ0oQZ Email us at [email protected] QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.