The US hits 10 million COVID-19 cases. Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine candidate shown to be 90% effective in early findings. It's Monday's news.
While everyone collectively comes down from post-election week highs/lows, the nation is turning its attention once again to COVID-19.
It's Ashley, and I'm so ready to kick off a week that's not entirely focused on politics. OK, there's some politics in here. But whatever, let's talk news.
But first, what is 'courage, grace and strength'? Beloved "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek died Sunday at 80. Celebrities, from the quiz show's champion Ken Jennings to Peter Frampton, expressed their condolences and shared their best memories.
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US hits 10 million COVID-19 cases
We've hit another dark milestone in our struggle with the coronavirus pandemic. More than 10 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins data. The news comes as all but one state had more cases last week than the week before (South Dakota was the lone state with fewer COVID-19 cases). Meanwhile, worldwide infections surpassed 50 million.
The silver lining: Promising news on the vaccine front
In a major boost to vaccine development, Pfizer announced Monday that early data shows its vaccine candidate is more than 90% effective. Pfizer is the first drug company to release data from a large, Phase 3 trial as it and several other companies are working to produce a COVID-19 vaccine that is safe and effective. So when can we get one? Even if all goes well, it will be well into 2021 before most Americans can get a vaccine, experts say.
16-year-old Katelyn Evans gets the first of two shots as part of a trial testing Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in minors.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Ben Carson tests positive for COVID-19
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has tested positive for COVID-19, his office announced Monday. Carson was one of multiple Trump administration officials who attended an Election Day watch party at the White House and subsequently tested positive. Carson "is in good spirits and feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery," the secretary's chief of staff said. The news of Carson's positive test comes just days after White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who also attended the White House event Tuesday, tested positive.
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson adds to the running list of people who tested positive for COVID-19 since the president's diagnosis.
USA TODAY
What everyone's talking about
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Alex Trebek, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and 47,000 others will have died from pancreatic cancer this year. Why is it so deadly?
Vice President Mike Pence tweeted Monday that he is firmly behind efforts to keep counting "legal" votes as President Donald Trump's campaign tries to find a way to undo Joe Biden's victory, which has been declared by media networks and recognized by a growing number of prominent Republicans and world leaders. "Told @VP Team Today: 'It ain't over til it's over .. And this AIN'T over.!' @RealDonaldTrump has never stopped fighting for us and we're gonna Keep Fighting until every LGEAL vote is counted," the vice president wrote in a tweet. Trump's legal team has argued that several states – notably Pennsylvania – have counted ballots it shouldn't have and prematurely awarded Biden the victory.
Trump has not yet conceded to President-elect Biden. "The simple fact is this election is far from over," Trump said in a statement Saturday. If Trump refuses to deliver a public concession speech, experts say it would undermine the election results and exacerbate the nation's political tensions, already laid bare by a bitter campaign and the extended, contested vote count.
In other election news:
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The U.S. General Services Administration holds the keys to the Trump-to-Biden transition buthasn't started the process yet. Here's what you need to know.
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Joe Biden plans to cut taxes, boost health care and reduce college debt during his first term.
President Trump at the State of the Union address, with VP Mike Pence in the background.
Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen
Tropical Storm Eta has landed in the Florida Keys
Florida's feeling the wrath of the 2020 hurricane season. Tropical Storm Eta made landfall in the Florida Keys at Lower Matecumbe Key on Sunday night with winds estimated at 65 mph. The storm hit Florida just days after hitting Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane, leaving scores of people dead and over 100 missing in Mexico and Central America. Eta is the 12th named storm to hit U.S. shores this year, an all-time record for landfalls, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach. It's also the first landfalling tropical storm in Florida in November since Mitch in 1998, he said.
A man crosses the street during heavy rain and wind as tropical storm Eta approaches south of Florida, in Miami, Florida on November 8, 2020. - Tropical storm Eta brought strong winds and torrential rain to Cuba on Sunday after having cut a destructive and deadly path through parts of Central America and southern Mexico.
Trump fires Defense Secretary Esper after contentious tenure
Trump terminated Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday , days after his election loss and following a series of clashes between Esper and Trump over the withdrawal of U.S. forces from key bases abroad, using active-duty troops to quell domestic protests and banning Confederate emblems from military installations. Trump made the announcement on Twitter: "Mark Esper has been terminated," Trump tweeted. "I would like to thank him for his service." He named Christopher Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center as acting defense secretary.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper, with President Donald Trump, speaks on vaccine development on May 15, 2020, in the Rose Garden of the White House.
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