Biden team seeks Covid backchannels as transition blocked; New daily cases skyrocket to 153K; Hospitalizations hit record 67K; White House: Two Covid vaccines may be authorized by end of year; Trump speaks for first time since election loss to Biden;

Biden to take "deliberative" approach to filling cabinet; SF halts all indoor dining, NY closes bars & restaurants at 10pm in effort to curb spread; Influential model predicts 439K deaths in U.S. by March 1; Two Covid vaccines, two therapeutics may be granted emergency use authorization before end of this year; Study: New mutant Covid strain could spread more easily; Trump touts vaccine & economy; says no more lockdowns;

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