Trump orders troop drawdown during final days in office; Biden meets with top intelligence & defense experts in lieu of security briefing being blocked by Trump; GA Secy of State says Sen. Lindsey Graham asked him to “look hard” for ballots to throw out; States announce new restrictions amid surging pandemic;

Acting Defense Secy announces troop drawdown in Afghanistan, Iraq; Biden: Top job as President is “protecting the American people”; Biden announces senior White House staff; Biden: U.S. “been through a lot of damage in the last 4 years; President Trump shares praise of campaign lawyer who pushes deranged conspiracy theories; Sources: President Trump in “dark mood”; Trump’s 10th day since election without any public events; Advisers split on strategy as Trump legal challenges fail; Another loss: PA Supreme Court rules against Trump administration; New poll: More Americans now willing to get COVID-19 vaccine; Pfizer reaches safety milestone for vaccine, prepares to file for emergency use authorization; Hospitalizations climb to all-time high of 73,000+; GOP governors in IA, UT, OH, WV & ND issue mask mandates; Ohio Gov imposes three-week curfew as Covid cases rise; FDA sets meeting for vaccine advisory committee, sets review process into motion; Graham claims call with GA election official was about toughening voter ID laws, not tossing out legal ballots; Dems slam Sen Graham over claims he encouraged GA election official to throw out legal votes; GOP Senators appear to congratulate VP-Elect Harris; Election official: Georgia on track to finish recount tomorrow and affirm Biden’s win; Iowa Governor: Covid hospitalizations doubled since November 1st;

To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices