Incoming surgeon general: Vaccine may mot be available to all until fall . . . Dr. Vivek Murthy said expects a vaccine to be available for the public closer to the third quarter of 2021, rather than in the spring when other federal officials have suggested. "If everything goes well, then we may see a circumstance whereby late spring, you know, people who are lower risk category can get this vaccine, but that would really require everything to go exactly on schedule," Murthy said. "My guess is that it's more realistic that it may be closer to mid-summer or early fall when this vaccine makes its way to the general population." Washington Examiner

 

Warp speed chief says British virus mutation unlike to resist vaccine . . . Dr. Moncef Slaoui expressed hopeful news about the coronavirus vaccine's strength, even against the new variant spreading in southern England. Slaoui, head of Operation Warp Speed's coronavirus vaccine program said. "As of now, I don’t think there has been a single variant that would be resistant to the vaccine," Slaoui said. "We can’t exclude it, but it’s not there now. This particular variant in the U.K., I think, is very unlikely to have escaped the vaccine immunity." Washington Examiner

 

Birx went to Delaware with family on Thanksgiving despite travel warnings . . . As COVID-19 cases skyrocketed before the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, warned Americans to “be vigilant” and limit celebrations to “your immediate household.” For many Americans that guidance has been difficult to abide, including for Birx herself. The day after Thanksgiving, she traveled to one of her vacation properties on Fenwick Island in Delaware. She was accompanied by three generations of her family from two households. Birx, her husband Paige Reffe, a daughter, son-in-law and two young grandchildren were present. Associated Press

 

CDC says frontline workers and those over 75 should get the vaccine next . . . Frontline essential workers and people age 75 and older should be next in line for the COVID-19 vaccine, a panel of medical experts advising the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Sunday. The group of essential workers next in line for the vaccine includes 30 million people, such as firefighters, police officers, teachers and grocery-store employees, as well as corrections officers and food and agriculture, manufacturing, US Postal Service and public transit workers. New York Post

 

Muslims worry about Halal status of Covid vaccine . . . Pork-derived gelatin has been widely used as a stabilizer to ensure vaccines remain safe and effective during storage and transport. Some companies have worked for years to develop pork-free vaccines: Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis has produced a pork-free meningitis vaccine, while Saudi- and Malaysia-based AJ Pharma is currently working on one of their own. But demand, existing supply chains, cost and the shorter shelf life of vaccines not containing porcine gelatin means the ingredient is likely to continue to be used in a majority of vaccines for years, said Dr. Salman Waqar, general secretary of the British Islamic Medical Association. Fox News

 

Republicans desperate to avoid floor fight over Electoral College vote . . . National Republicans are desperate to avoid a floor fight in Congress over the certification of the Electoral College vote next month, believing it would be horrible politics to continue waging what most recognize to be a hopeless battle to overturn the outcome of the election. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has intervened, asking his members not to join Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) or any other House members looking to object to the results on Jan. 6, when Congress meets to certify the Electoral College count. The Hill

 

 

Trump denies he is considering martial law . . . President Trump in an early morning tweet dismissed a New York Times report that he had entertained a proposal from former national security adviser Michael Flynn to declare martial law. “Martial law = Fake News. Just more knowingly bad reporting!” Trump tweeted Sunday. The Hill

 

Sidney Powell at White House pitching plan to seize voting machines . . . Multiple journalists tweeted they confirmed that Powell was pitching an executive order to seize voting machines for inspections, though it appears she didn't actually get face time with the president. The executive order was reportedly suggested in an Oval Office meeting on Friday during which Trump also discussed appointing Powell, who was in attendance, as a special counsel to investigate voter fraud. The ideas being floated were strongly opposed by White House counsel Pat Cipollone and chief of staff Mark Meadows, according to the New York Times. Washington Examiner

 

Trump says he will return to Georgia to campaign . . . President Trump said he will return to Georgia to rally for two Republican Senate candidates on the eve of a runoff election next month that will determine which party controls the chamber. “As badly as we were treated in Georgia by the ‘Republican’ Governor and ‘Republican’ Secretary of State, we must have a massive victory for two great people, @KLoeffler & @sendavidperdue, on January 5th. I will be having a big Rally for them on Monday night, January 4th. WIN!,” he tweeted. New York Post

 

Psaki says AG candidate won't be asked about Huter Biden . . . President-elect Joe Biden will not discuss with attorney general candidates a federal investigation into his son Hunter Biden, incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday. “He will not be discussing an investigation of his son with any attorney general candidates. … he will not be discussing it with anyone he is considering for the role and he will not be discussing it with a future attorney general,” Psaki said. New York Post

 

 

Biden niece won't get jail time after DUI plea . . . Joe Biden’s niece Caroline Biden pleaded guilty to DUI on Dec. 3 — and was sentenced to 20 days to six months of “confinement,” Pennsylvania court records said. But the small print shows Biden, 33, won’t see a day behind bars after she negotiated a plea deal with the Montgomery County district attorney. Instead of jail, she got five-plus months of probation, with 20 days of rehab in January counted toward her sentence. New York Post

 

 

 

UK cut off from Europe . . . The United Kingdom stood shut off from the rest of Europe on Monday after allies cut transport ties over fears of a new coronavirus strain, sowing chaos for families, truckers and supermarkets just days before the Brexit cliff edge. France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Belgium, Israel and Canada were among those that shut off travel ties after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a highly infectious new strain of the virus was a danger to the country. Reuters

 

Australia detects new UK strain . . . Australia said on Monday it had detected cases of the new fast-spreading coronavirus strain identified in the United Kingdom, while Hong Kong and India said they would suspend flights from Britain. Two travelers from the United Kingdom to Australia’s New South Wales state were found carrying the mutated variant of the virus that Britain has said could be up to 70% more infectious. Both are in hotel quarantine, and the recent spike in infections in Sydney is not linked to this, authorities said. Reuters

 

Big Tech is pushing for big roles in the Biden administration . . . Silicon Valley is working behind the scenes to secure senior roles for tech allies in lesser-known but still vital parts of president-elect Joe Biden’s administration, even as the pushback against Big Tech from progressive groups and regulators grows. The Biden transition team has already stacked its agency review teams with more tech executives than tech critics. Now, executives and employees at tech companies such as Alphabet Inc-owned Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft are pushing to place candidates in senior roles at government agencies, according to four sources with knowledge of the matter. Reuters

 

 

Archaeologists recreate tiles of temple where Jesus walked . . . When Jesus strode through the ancient Jewish temple in Jerusalem, his feet met hewn-stone, earth-tone tiles that were geometric in design and cool, dappled and scuffed to the touch. Such is the understanding of Israeli archaeologists and masons who, drawing on relics and historical texts, have recreated the sacred flooring so it can be experienced today. “We even made the scratches and all kind of marks that created the same appearance as it used to look like at the time,” archaeologist Assaf Avraham said. Reuters

 

Dr. Fauci claims to have vaccinated Santa Claus . . . "Will Santa still be able to visit me in coronavirus's season?" asked 6-year-old Paxton from Geneva, Ill., during a CNN-Sesame Street town hall Saturday. "What if he can't go to anyone's house, or near his reindeer?" Luckily for children everywhere, the nation's top infectious disease specialist is on the case. "I took care of that for you, because I was worried that you'd all be upset," Dr. Anthony Fauci responded. "So what I did a little while ago: I took a trip up there to the North Pole, I went there and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself. "I measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go," Fauci added. "He can come down the chimney, he can leave the presents, he can leave, and you have nothing to worry about." NPR