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1. Coronavirus
Today, a year ago, the first cases of a mysterious virus known as Covid-19 were reported in Wuhan, China. Since then, 1.8 million people worldwide have lost their lives in the ensuing pandemic. The United States yesterday set another daily Covid-19 death toll and, according to some estimates, another 80,000 people could die in the next three weeks as the consequences of travel and holiday meetings were set. Other countries such as Germany also report record deaths are considering a state of emergency to counter the rising number of cases. In the United States, vaccine launches lag behind other countries, causing frustration and confusion in places like Florida, where unclear policies have sparked a fight for limited doses.
2. Transition to the White House
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley says he will formally oppose the results of the 2020 presidential election when Congress meets early next week to count the votes of the Electoral College. He is the first senator to announce plans to oppose the results, along with Republican Rep. Mo Brooks. Their combined efforts will force the House and Senate to formally debate the issue, providing a platform for President Trump’s baseless conspiracy theories that claim he was robbed of the election. To be clear, the debate and subsequent voting will not change the outcome of the election. But it will delay results and create an ugly scene for Republicans who should decide how long they will tacitly entertain Trump’s false allegations of election fraud.
3. Stimulus
After rejecting a measure that would increase coronavirus stimulus payments from $ 600 to $ 2,000, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attacked the House-approved bill and said it has “no realistic path. to pass the Senate quickly “. As part of the political maneuvers, Sen. Bernie Sanders vowed to delay a vote to overturn Trump’s veto on the military funding bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act until the issue is addressed. of larger stimulus payments. It seems increasingly likely that this session of Congress will end without any movement to increase payments. Meanwhile, there are already $ 600 stimulus checks in the direction of some Americans. Oh, and the Census Bureau will miss today’s deadline to produce the final population count for 2020. The agency said it will deliver the final results soon.
4. Brexi
Speaking of deadlines, British lawmakers voted to support the UK’s trade deal with the European Union after Brexit just before the end of the Brexit transition period. The agreement preserves Britain’s free access to tariffs and quotas to EU consumers and allows the UK to narrowly avoid the economic disaster that would have come if it had left the transition period without an agreement. The UK may enjoy a brief economic boost from new security, but leaving the EU will still be detrimental, economists say. While the new agreement covers trade in goods, it does not so thoroughly cover other industries that are fundamental to the UK economy, such as finance.
5. Yemen
At least 22 people were killed when a series of explosions hit Yemen’s Aden airport. The attack came when members of a new power-sharing government arrived from Saudi Arabia. It is unclear whether the explosions were caused by missiles, but Saudi Arabia has blamed the attack on Houthi rebels backed by Iran. A Saudi-backed coalition spokesman in Yemen said the coalition intercepted and shot down a Houthi drone loaded with explosives aimed at the presidential palace in the city of Aden. Yemen has been hit by a civil war for years and newly arrived members of the government are part of a new cabinet formed to end the power struggle between a Yemeni separatist group and its current Saudi-backed government. .
EXPLORE BREAKFAST
The fascinating story behind the falling ball in Times Square
Did you know? The design of the ball was based on a “ball of time,” a nautical device that helped sailors synchronize their onboard instruments.
Watch Boston Dynamics robots dance for “Do You Love Me”
No, no, we can’t think of robots as beautiful and charming. This is part of your master plan!
Apple and TikTok remove the app used to host parties during Covid-19
Don’t party (in real life) !!!
Mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn leads Anderson Cooper in meditation
Let Anderson take you peacefully into the new year.
2020 was the year of terrifying insects and 2021 will be even worse
Say it to me again, for the last time: NO MORE BUGS SCARY 2020!
TODAY’S ISSUE
$ 10 million
That’s how much Ticketmaster will have to pay in fines after the company admitted to illegally accessing its competitor’s computers.
TODAY’S BUDGET
“We know that a life has been cut tonight and that trust between communities of color and law enforcement is fragile. Rebuilding that trust will depend on total transparency.”
Mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey, heading for a deadly police shooting Wednesday night. The city police chief says images from the body camera will be released today. The shooting scene is about a mile from where George Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police in late May. His death, which was recorded in a video, sparked national demonstrations demanding racial justice and police accountability.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check out the local forecast here >>>
AND FINALLY
In case you forget an acquaintance
You know the song. But really, do you know what that means? Have a happy new year to everyone! (Click here to see it.)