promoearn: A new vaccine in US, a new strain in UK

Sunday, December 20

Boxes containing the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are moved to the loading dock for shipping at the McKesson distribution center in Olive Branch, Miss., Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020.

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine started rolling out. A new coronavirus strain sparked restrictions in the U.K. It's the weekend's biggest news.

Lawmakers agree on $900 billion COVID-19 relief deal

Congressional leaders said Sunday they've reached a deal on a nearly $900 billion COVID-19 relief package that includes individual checks, loans to small businesses and benefits to the unemployed struggling with the fallout of the pandemic. "Moments ago, the four leaders of the Senate and the House finalized an agreement. It will be another major rescue package for the American people," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced on the Senate floor. McConnell said the bill next had to be finalized as text, avoid any "last-minute obstacles," and be passed through both the House and Senate before President Donald Trump could sign it into law. Lawmakers could pass the bill as soon as Sunday evening.

•	Lawmakers reach 'bipartisan breakthrough,' announce $900 billion COVID-19 relief package as deal heads to a vote.

Another vaccine hits the road

A second vaccine has begun to roll out in the U.S. less than two days after it earned emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. The vaccine, developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, began the distribution process Sunday as it was shipped out of a Memphis-area distribution center. First shots of the Moderna vaccine are expected to be given Monday, one week after the first inoculations of Pfizer's vaccine. The first wave of Pfizer and Moderna shots are nearly all going to health care workers and residents of long-term care homes.

Police, firefighters, teachers and grocery workers will be among those next in line for a COVID-19 vaccine , a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel decided Sunday. The committee voted 13 to 1 to make the recommendations to have Phase 1b include people 75 and older and front-line essential workers, a phase that could begin in February after the first wave of vaccinations are given to health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities.

•	States were left scrambling after finding out they'd get 20-40% less vaccine than they expected. Here's why.

Fast-moving new coronavirus strain prompts UK restrictions

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a fast-moving new variant of the coronavirus is driving spread in parts of England, prompting him to announce strict new restrictions ahead of the holidays. The rapid spread of the strain is concerning, but it doesn't appear to make people more sick . Additionally, vaccine makers routinely take mutations into account. "These changes in the viral composition are expected," said Melissa Nolan, an infectious disease expert and professor at the University of South Carolina. "At the moment we have not seen any dramatic genetic shifts of concern."

•	Will Pfizer, Moderna vaccines' effectiveness be suppressed by new coronavirus strain?

Real quick:

•	Judge dismisses GOP lawsuit alleging out-of-staters voting in Georgia runoff; 2nd suit attacks voting process.
•	Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp draws anger and mockery after attending White House Christmas party amid Trump attacks.
•	Ariana Grande is engaged to real estate agent Dalton Gomez: 'forever n then some'
•	Holiday rush begins: More than 2 million travelers have passed through TSA checkpoints.
•	Buffalo Bills crush Denver Broncos to win AFC East for first division title in 25 years.
•	Will San Francisco, New York and other big cities recover from COVID-19? What a post-vaccine city could look like.

Trump downplays severity of recent cybersecurity attack linked to Russia

While many analysts and national security officials have raised caution, the Trump administration has sent mixed messages after multiple federal agencies and "critical infrastructure" were compromised in a recent cybersecurity attack linked to Russia. President Donald Trump on Saturday downplayed the severity of the incident and claimed, without evidence and in contradiction to the general consensus, that the news media was reflexively blaming Russia and not exploring whether China may have been involved. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo previously said U.S. officials are "still unpacking" the cyber intrusion, but he publicly blamed the Kremlin, claiming "we can say pretty clearly that it was the Russians that engaged in this activity." Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, raised concerns on Sunday about the cyberbreach, saying it was typical of a president who "doesn't want to recognize Russia for the problem that they are." While institutions are now scrambling to patch up their networks, federal officials warn the full scope of the attack is not yet known, and an untold number of local government and private sector systems remain at "grave risk."

•	"They potentially have the capacity to cripple us": Romney raises alarm about cyberattack tied to Russia.

College Football Playoff field is set

Four familiar faces fill out the College Football Playoff field: Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Notre Dame. The Irish, coming off a loss to Clemson on Saturday, captured the fourth seed and will play No. 1 Alabama in a national semifinal Jan. 1 in Arlington Texas, a game that was moved from the Rose Bowl because of COVID-19 restrictions in California. The other semifinal will have No. 2 Clemson against No. 3 Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. These aren't uncharted waters for any of these programs: the top three seeds have 16 combined selections in the seven seasons of the playoff, while Notre Dame is making its second appearance.