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No pressure. We’re just here watching. Not eager. Just watching. Take your time.: |
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© FDA A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee is meeting publicly today to discuss an emergency authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Time: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST Watch for yourself — here’s the livestream: https://bit.ly/3qDS8po And Stat is posting live updates from the meeting: https://bit.ly/372FWa4 The FDA posted an agenda, meeting materials and information for today: https://bit.ly/39XfX5A |
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| WHAT TO WATCH WHEN YOU TUNE IN: |
| The Washington Post’s health and medical reporter Laurie McGinley explained: “The most important part of the meeting will come at the very end … this will be when the FDA actually asks the committee for its advice.” What do we think will happen?: “The signs are at this point that the committee is going to say yes.” Short video explaining today’s process: https://wapo.st/3lZd9aE |
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| It’s Thursday — Hannukah begins tonight and Christmas Eve is two weeks from today! I’m Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar 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 |
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| THE TALK OF SOCIAL MEDIA THIS MORNING | |
More good news to come out of this year!: |
| Taylor Swift announced this morning that she is releasing a new album tonight at midnight! Her Twitter announcement: 
© Twitter Swift also posed a short description of the album and the writing process: https://bit.ly/2JR5z4R Sir, you may see yourself out: Time’s Alex Fitzpatrick tweeted, “another album already??? well that's swift” https://bit.ly/2LpaI4B |
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Added to the team’s roster this morning: Denis McDonough and Susan Rice.
Welcome, Denis and Susan!: |
| President-elect Biden has named Denis McDonough to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs and Susan Rice to lead his Domestic Policy Council. https://bit.ly/3lZRUFC How you know McDonough: McDonough served as former President Obama’s longtime chief of staff. How you know Rice: She served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013 and Obama’s national security adviser from 2013 to 2017. |
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| FOR REFERENCE — HERE’S A LIST OF JOE BIDEN’S CABINET SO FAR: |
| Via New York Magazine: https://nym.ag/2W7U0sl |
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Casual. No big deal.: |
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© Twitter Video of the fox prancing around the White House grounds: https://bit.ly/2W4BIrW |
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The Supreme Court throwing out truth bombs: |
| “The Supreme Court on Tuesday dealt a reality check to President Trump’s far-fetched bid to overturn his election loss through the courts, just hours after he implored the justices to clear a path toward his second term despite having lost the race by more than 7 million votes.” https://bit.ly/2KgdM2w Was this decision a surprise?: Not to court watchers ^But Trump may disagree: “For Trump, however, the justices’ defiance of his plea prompted a now-familiar refrain amid his series of disappointing post-election court fights, with Trump downplaying the significance of the loss while reassuring supporters that his increasingly desperate legal campaign would ultimately secure his reelection.” |
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| MEANWHILE IN THE TRUMP EFFORTS TO OVERTURN THE ELECTION RESULTS: |
| President Trump’s team filed a motion to intervene in the Texas lawsuit. https://bit.ly/3gxchJ8 Then: 18 states joined Texas in the suit to stop battleground presidential electors to cast their votes for President-elect Joe Biden. https://bit.ly/2W3nCqQ Keep in mind: The Electoral College will finalize Biden’s win on Monday when they cast their ballots. |
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This a.m. — Rudy is out of the hospital: |
| President Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani has been released from the hospital after being admitted for COVID-19. https://fxn.ws/3nc157u Giuliani tweeted: “My treatment by the nurses and staff at Georgetown Med Star Hospital was miraculous. I walked in with serious symptoms. I walked out better than ever.” He also thanked his doctors by name. The full tweet: https://bit.ly/3gy5MG1 |
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| LATEST WITH THE CORONAVIRUS RELIEF NEGOTIATIONS | |
One step forward so — you guessed it — two steps back!: |
| Via The Hill’s Alexander Bolton and Naomi Jagoda, “Momentum appeared to stall Wednesday on a COVID-19 relief bill amid differences not only between the parties, but between Senate Republicans and the White House over what should be included in the legislation.” https://bit.ly/3qKJt4M Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on the Senate floor: “At every turn they’ve delayed, deflected, moved the goalpost and made the huge number of places where Congress agrees into a hostage ... for the few places where we do not agree.” Why this is a bummer: Negotiations appeared to be picking up steam. |
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| HOW THE RELIEF TALKS ARE SHOWING DIVISIONS WITHIN THE GOP: |
| “Some GOP lawmakers on Wednesday expressed frustration that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has stepped in with a $916 billion offer to Democrats after it was decided that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would take the lead in talks with Democrats.” The divisions: https://bit.ly/2LowDZI |
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Time’s Person of the Year is down to the finalists: |
| NBC’s “Today” announced the four finalists this morning for Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. The finalists: President-elect Biden President Trump Frontline Health Care Workers and Anthony Fauci Movement for Racial Justice Short explanations for each: https://bit.ly/3oDancQ When the winner will be announced: “The Person of the Year will be announced Thursday night during the first-ever TIME Person of the Year broadcast special on NBC at 10 p.m. ET.” https://bit.ly/3oDancQ |
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Jobless claims are on the rise: |
| Via The Hill’s Sylvan Lane, “The number of new applications for unemployment insurance surged last week to 853,000, a jump of more than 100,000 from the previous week, amid record-high coronavirus cases that are slowing economic growth.” https://bit.ly/33ZNKHv |
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| LATEST WITH THE CORONAVIRUS | |
We lost more Americans yesterday than we did on 9/11: |
| More than 3,000 Americans died from the coronavirus yesterday, topping the number of Americans who died during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. https://bit.ly/3nj3jC5 |
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| BALTIMORE JUST SHUT DOWN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR DINING: |
| Baltimore's new mayor, Brandon Scott (D), just issued an order to close all indoor and outdoor dining to stop the rise of COVID-19 infections. When the order will be in effect: Friday afternoon. Details from The Baltimore Sun: https://bit.ly/2W3lMpW |
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| THE NUMBERS: |
| Coronavirus cases in the U.S.: 15,413,913 U.S. death toll: 289,970 Breakdown of the numbers: https://cnn.it/2UAgW3y For context — six months ago today: 1,980,965 Americans had tested positive for the coronavirus and 112,052 had died. https://bit.ly/33JqRZB |
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I will consider this a botched campaign event if Will Ferrell doesn’t make voter phone calls as 'Buddy the elf' asking, 'What’s your favorite color? Blue or red?’: |
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© Twitter |
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| The House and Senate are in. President Trump is at the White House. Vice President Pence is in South Carolina and Georgia today. President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris are in Wilmington, Del. The Senate’s full agenda today: https://bit.ly/2VXyFSC Today: President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris receive the President’s Daily Brief and meet with transition advisers. 9:35 a.m. EST: Vice President Pence left for South Carolina. 10:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. EST: First and last votes in the House. The House’s full agenda today: https://bit.ly/3gAh6S3 11:35 a.m. EST: Vice President Pence led a roundtable discussion on the COVID-19 vaccine and distribution. 12:45 p.m. EST: President Trump has lunch with state attorneys general. 1:25 p.m. EST: Vice President Pence left for Georgia. 2:25 p.m. EST: Vice President Pence speaks at a “Defend the Majority” rally in August, Ga. 5:05 p.m. EST: Vice President Pence returns to Washington, D.C. 8:15 p.m. EST: President Trump speaks at a closed press Congressional Ball. Dec. 15: President-elect Biden campaigns for the Democratic Senate runoff candidates in Georgia. The announcement: https://bit.ly/39YnXTT |
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| 10 a.m. EST: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testified on the COVID-19 relief bill that was passed earlier this year. Livestream: https://bit.ly/379dcN3 10:45 a.m. EST: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) held a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3mdtIzT 11:30 a.m. EST: House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) held a press briefing. Livestream: https://bit.ly/3gwGCHX |
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| NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...: | |
| Today is National Lager Day. |
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Santa in a snow globe. Not ideal, but pretty clever!: |
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© Twitter |
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| And because you made it this far, here’s tiny puppy in the holiday spirit: https://bit.ly/3qN2bZc |
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