Welcome to vaccine day in the U.S.:
• 45 sites across all states are expected to receive Covid-19 vaccine shots today
• 425 sites will get their shipments tomorrow
• the remaining 66 will receive their doses on Wednesday politico.com/newsletters/po…
A critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center became the first New Yorker to receive a Covid-19 vaccine this morning politico.com/states/new-yor…
Sandra Lindsay's injection was carried live on several news channels as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo monitored the proceedings remotely.
"I feel hopeful today. Relieved,” she said. “I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time." politi.co/2WdzAhN
📷 AP
The first vaccination at a pharmacy, which will be a key access point for vaccines as they become more readily available, is expected be carried out at 3 p.m. today at a Walgreens in Fenton, Michigan politico.com/news/2020/12/1…
Health experts believe that a vaccination rate of 75 to 80 percent of Americans could potentially achieve herd immunity in the U.S. by the fall and bring the pandemic to a close by year's end politico.com/news/2020/12/1…
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recognized Joe Biden as the president-elect of the United States for the first time this morning politico.com/news/2020/12/1…
"Our country has officially a president-elect and a vice-president elect," Mitch McConnell said this morning.
The recognition comes 38 days after the race was called and a day after the Electoral College officially clinched Biden's win. politico.com/news/2020/12/1…
"Many millions of us had hoped the presidential election would yield a different result. But our system of government has processes to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20," McConnell said politi.co/38a3V6m
Electors in all 50 states and D.C. are meeting today to cast their votes in the constitutional process to formally elect Joe Biden. politico.com/news/2020/12/1…
The constitutionally mandated ritual rarely draws much notice, but the electors are meeting this year against an unusual backdrop: President Trump is contesting the results and urging supporters to mobilize and "stop the steal." politi.co/3oQnxDi
📷Getty
That’s why electors are watching warily for last-ditch protests by Trump or his allies. In Michigan, the state capitol formally closed legislative offices, with law enforcement citing "credible threats of violence." politi.co/3oQnxDi
Joe Biden has chosen Rep. Marcia Fudge to serve in his Cabinet as HUD secretary. But elevating her from the House gives Democrats a 220-seat majority — just a five-seat edge over the GOP, and a two-vote cushion to get bills through the chamber. politi.co/3n4LCG3
📷 AP
That vote margin is incredibly tight. In fact, it's the smallest Democratic majority our @playbookplus authors could find since 1893. The 220 is also the smallest majority since the GOP had a slight dominance in 2001. politico.com/newsletters/pl…
Yes, there will be a special election to fill Fudge's seat. And with Rep. Cedric Richmond resigning to head Biden's Office of Public Engagement, there will be a special election there too. And the majority will grow again. But special elections take time. politico.com/newsletters/pl…
Blinken is a longtime Biden aide and a key member of his 2020 campaign team. He's well regarded by foreign diplomats and can pass muster with Republicans in the Senate, where he will have to seek confirmation politi.co/3gt28gp
Secretary of Homeland Security: Alejandro Mayorkas
Mayorkas, who served as the DHS deputy secretary during the Obama administration, would be the first Latino secretary in the department’s nearly 18-year history if confirmed politi.co/39T5yYT
British health authorities rolled out the first doses of a Covid-19 vaccine today.
The first shot was given to Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, at University Hospital Coventry.
"I say go for it," Keenan said. "If I can do it, so can you." politi.co/39Pmboc
And yes, in British fashion, the second second injection went to a man named William Shakespeare. He's an 81-year-old who hails from Warwickshire, the county where the bard was born. (He goes by Bill.) politi.co/39Pmboc
📷 AP
The U.K. is the first Western country to start a mass vaccination program after regulators authorized the use of a Pfizer/BioNTech injection last week. U.S. and E.U. regulators may approve the vaccine in coming days, fueling a global immunization effort. politi.co/39Pmboc
The closing days of the 116th Congress will essentially be 2020 in a nutshell. Here's a break down 👇politico.com/newsletters/hu…
Government funding expires at midnight on Friday. Congress will likely need to pass a short-term funding bill in order to give lawmakers more time to finalize an omnibus. It’s unclear if the extra week will be enough time to get a deal done this year. politico.com/newsletters/hu…
Lawmakers are also still trying to hammer out a last-minute Covid relief deal. The bipartisan group of lawmakers behind a $908B stimulus proposal held a “multi-hour” call yesterday. But there’s still a lot of work to be done toward a final deal. politico.com/newsletters/hu…