Spiegel Stuff: The Hill's 12:30 Report : Fauci receives Moderna vaccine | Congress passes government funding, COVID-19 relief | Extends unemployment benefits | Sends $600 checks to Americans | White House says Trump will sign the bill | Biden delivers holiday remarks at 2:30 p.m. | Simple explainer of how the COVID-19 vaccine works |

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

The Hill's 12:30 Report : Fauci receives Moderna vaccine | Congress passes government funding, COVID-19 relief | Extends unemployment benefits | Sends $600 checks to Americans | White House says Trump will sign the bill | Biden delivers holiday remarks at 2:30 p.m. | Simple explainer of how the COVID-19 vaccine works |

NEWS OF THE MORNING

There’s a lawmaker-shaped hole in the exit — peace out!:

Via The Hill’s Jordain Carney, The House and Senate passed the long-awaited deal to fund the government through Oct. 1 and provide economic relief amid the coronavirus pandemic. https://bit.ly/3mKjZ42

Now what?: The bill heads to President Trump’s desk where he has until Dec. 28 to sign it. Btw: The White House has said Trump will sign it.

That’s a doozy: the bill totaled 5,593 pages (!)

THE SHORT VERSION OF WHAT’S IN THE BILL:

The gist of the coronavirus relief aid: “The coronavirus relief portion of the bill doesn’t include the biggest priorities for Republicans and Democrats — liability protections and more money for state and local governments, respectively. But it does include $284 billion for another round of small business aid … a $300-per-week federal unemployment boost for 11 weeks, a round of $600 stimulus checks for those making up to $75,000, more money for schools and hospitals, and an extension of an eviction moratorium.”

The gist of the government funding: “The government funding portion includes $1.375 billion for 56 miles for Trump’s border wall, $5 million to create a database to track police misconduct, $153 million for programs to improve community relations with police, and a 3 percent pay raise for the military and a 1 percent pay raise for the civilian federal workforce.”

SOME INDUSTRIES ARE HAPPY WITH THIS BILL. OTHERS ARE NOT:

Via The Hill’s Alex Gangitano: https://bit.ly/34zaRsO

THE BILL’S PASSAGE SETS OFF A SCRAMBLE TO DECLARE VICTORY AND ASSIGN BLAME:

Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton: https://bit.ly/3ay5Moz

WHAT’S NEXT — DEMOCRATS ARE ALREADY EYEING ANOTHER COVID-19 RELIEF BILL:

Via The Hill’s Naomi Jagoda, “Democrats are arguing that more coronavirus relief legislation will need to be enacted early in the incoming Biden administration.” https://bit.ly/2KQ3p5r

Happy Tuesday. Christmas is three days away! Eeek! I can already smell the gingerbread and hot cocoa. I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and photos of your pets in cute holiday outfits (!) to cmartel@thehill.com — and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook.

Did someone forward this to you? Want your own copy? Sign up here to receive The Hill's 12:30 Report in your inbox daily: http://bit.ly/2kjMNnn

PROGRAMMING NOTE: The Hill’s 12:30 Report will not publish tomorrow through New Year’s Day. Enjoy the holidays and stay safe, my friends! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

IN THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE

Tidbit — What will happen to Trump’s tweets when he leaves office:

LATEST WITH THE CORONAVIRUS

A number of lawmakers don’t want to cut the line:

Via The Hill’s Cristina Marcos, “A small but growing number of lawmakers are declining early access to a COVID-19 vaccine that’s being offered to them under continuity of government policies.”

Who: Reps. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Jefferson Van Drew (R-N.J.), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and incoming Rep.-elect Nancy Mace (R-S.C.)

Why: They want health care workers and seniors to be vaccinated first.

THE LATEST NUMBERS:

Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 18,057,172

U.S. death toll: 319,827

Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y

NOTABLE TWEETS:

My mannnn, Tony!:

Here is video of Anthony Fauci, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins receiving the Moderna vaccine: https://bit.ly/38ucR6O

ON TAP:

The House and Senate are out. President Trump is at the White House. Vice President Pence is in West Palm Beach, Fla. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are in Wilmington, Del.

President Trump has no events scheduled.

Today: President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris receive the President’s Daily Brief and meet with advisers.

9:15 a.m. EST: Vice President Pence left for West Palm Beach, Fla.

3:50 p.m. EST: Vice President Pence returns to Washington, D.C.

WHAT TO WATCH:

Noon: Vice President Pence delivered remarks at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit in West Palm Beach. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3aCYpfs

2:30 p.m. EST: President-elect Biden delivers remarks from Wilmington. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3nLr2uS

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...:

Today is National Date Nut Bread Day.

And because I won’t be publishing the newsletter over the holidays, here are a few highlights of upcoming national food days:

Dec. 24 is National Eggnog Day. Dec. 25 is National Pumpkin Pie Day. Dec. 26 is National Candy Cane Day. Dec. 30 is National Bacon Day (!) And finally, *drumroll please*, Dec. 31 is National Champagne Day!

A super simple explanation of how the COVID-19 vaccine works:

Here’s a Twitter thread explaining how the vaccine works in layman’s terms. Just a heads up: this explanation uses a little profanity. OK, a lot of profanity. How the vaccine actually works: https://bit.ly/38rk1Zt

And to get your holiday off to the right start, here are dogs having a grand old time playing with a balloon: https://bit.ly/34CD2ah