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1. Coronavirus
One year ago today, the first cases of the mysterious virus to be 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 set another daily Covid-19 death toll yesterday and estimates that another 80,000 people could die in the next three weeks as the consequences of travel and holiday gatherings occur. Other countries, such as Germany, are also reporting record deaths, and Japan is considering a state of emergency to counter the growing number of cases. In the US, the launch of the vaccine lags behind other countries, leading to frustration and confusion in places like Florida, where unclear policies have led to a fight for limited doses.
2. The transition of the White House
GOP Senator Josh Hawley says he will formally object to 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 object to the results, along with Rep. Republican Mo Brooks. Their combined efforts will force the House and Senate to formally debate this issue, providing a platform for President Trump’s baseless conspiracy theories, which he claimed were stolen. To be clear, the debate and the vote after will not change the outcome of the elections. But it will delay results and create an ugly stage for Republicans who should decide how long they will tacitly entertain Trump’s false allegations of electoral fraud.
3. Stimulus
After rejecting a measure that would increase payments for coronavirus stimulation from $ 600 to $ 2,000, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attacked the House bill and said he had “no realistic way to go.” quickly the Senate ”. As part of the political maneuvers, Senator Bernie Sanders promised to delay the vote to remove Trump’s veto on the military funding bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act until the issue of higher incentive payments is resolved. It seems increasingly likely that this session of Congress will end without any move to increase payments. Meanwhile, $ 600 incentive checks are already under way for some Americans. Oh, and the Census Bureau will miss today’s deadline to achieve its final population for 2020. The agency said it will provide the final results soon.
4. Brexi
Speaking of deadlines, British MPs voted to support the UK’s post-Brexit trade agreement with the European Union just before the end of the Brexit transition period. The agreement maintains British access to EU-free tariffs and quotas and allows the UK to avoid the narrow economic disaster that would have come if it had left the transition period without an agreement. Britain may enjoy a brief economic boost from the new security, but leaving the EU will continue to be detrimental, economists say. While the new agreement covers trade in goods, it does not cover other industries that are key 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 as members of a new power-sharing government arrived from Saudi Arabia. It is unclear whether the explosions were caused by rockets, but Saudi Arabia blamed the attack on Houthi rebels, backed by Iran. A spokesman for the Saudi-backed coalition in Yemen said the coalition had intercepted and shot down a Houthi drone loaded with explosives targeting the country of the presidential palace in Aden. Yemen has been plagued by a civil war for years, and new members of the government are part of a new cabinet formed to end a power struggle between a Yemeni separatist group and its current Saudi-backed government.
ANSWER TO BREAKFAST
The fascinating story behind Times Square
Did you know? The design of the ball is based on a “time ball”, a nautical device that helps sailors to synchronize their instruments on board.
Watch Boston Dynamics robots dance in “Do You Love Me”
No, no, we can’t think of robots as cute and charming! This is part of their master plan!
Apple and TikTok remove the app used to arrange parties during Covid-19
You have no parties (in real life) !!!
Mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn leads Anderson Cooper in meditation
Let Anderson lead you peacefully into the new year.
2020 was the year of scary bugs, and 2021 will be even worse
Say it to me again, for the last time: NO MORE FEARFUL JOY 2020!
TODAY’S NUMBER
$ 10 million
That’s all Ticketmaster will have to pay in fines after the company admitted to illegally accessing its competitor’s computers.
TODAY’S PRESENT
“We know that life has been cut short tonight and that trust between communities of color and law enforcement is fragile. Rebuilding that trust will depend on full transparency.”
The mayor of Minneapolis Jacob Frey, addressing a fatal police attack on Wednesday night. The city police chief says the footage of the cameras will be released today. The scene of the filming is about a mile from the place where George Floyd died at the hands of the Minneapolis police at the end of May. His death, which was captured on video, sparked national demonstrations demanding racial justice and police accountability.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check the local forecast here >>>
AND FINALLY
An acquaintance should be forgotten
You know the song. But do you really know what that means? Have a safe and happy New Year’s holiday, everyone! (Click here to view.)