Biden: “I’m gonna tell it to you straight” on COVID crisis; Fauci gets Moderna vaccine on tv as vote of confidence; Anxiety at pentagon over Trump’s unpredictable next move; First Latino senator to represent California as Gov. Newsom picks Alex Padilla to fill Harris’ seat;

Biden: recent cyberattack is “grave risk”, no evidence situation is under control; Biden: Trump’s failure on Russia “will land on my doorstep”; Biden: $900B COVID bill on a “down payment” on what’s needed; Biden: Congress must , there will be no “honeymoon”; WH officials: “it’s scary,” “no one is sure where this is heading”; Televangelist Pat Robertson: Trump is erratic, in an “alternate reality” and should “move on”;

Fauci: it’s possible new COVID strain is already in U.S.; Pfizer, Moderna testing their vaccines against COVID strain; Record high pandemic travel numbers despite CDC’s warning; Dr. Deborah Birx announces she plans to retire; 44 countries ban or restrict travel from U.K. over new strain; WH considering proof of negative COVID test for U.K. travelers; CDC: U.K. COVID variant not identified in U.S., but may be undetected; U.S. COVID hospitalizations at record 115K ahead of Christmas;

Military officer to CNN: “we don’t know what he might do” as anxiety over Trump grows inside Pentagon; Sources: senior military officials steering clear of WH as Trump makes baseless claims of rigged election;

1.6M ballots cast in Georgia senate runoff races, rivaling state’s voter turnout for presidential race; $900B stimulus bill becomes line of attack in GA senate race; Dem senate candidate Ossoff: I would’ve voted for stimulus bill, “but $600 is a joke”; Ad spending in Georgia runoffs soars to $482 million; Dem senate candidate Ossoff pressures GOP Purdue to weigh in on possible electoral college challenge;

NY nurse who had COVID, lost father to virus among first in nation to get Moderna vaccine; 614,00+ COVID vaccines administered in U.S. so far; Pandemic of 20 years dies after month-long battle with COVID;

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