Covid-19 Live Updates: Trump Officials Passed When Pfizer Offered to Sell More Vaccine Doses in Late Summer  —  Britain is readying a mass vaccination drive.  New York City reopened elementary schools.  —  Here's what you need to know:  —  Trump administration officials passed …

Biden picks retired general Lloyd Austin to run Pentagon  —  President-elect Joe Biden has selected Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to serve as secretary of defense, according to three people with knowledge of the decision.  If confirmed, Austin would be the first Black person to lead the Pentagon.

Agents raid home of fired Florida data scientist who built COVID-19 dashboard  —  State police brandishing firearms raided the home of Rebekah Jones, the former Department of Health employee who built the state's much-praised COVID-19 dashboard before being fired over what she said was refusing to manipulate data.

Former Israeli space security chief says aliens exist, humanity not ready  —  This “Galactic Federation” has supposedly been in contact with Israel and the US for years, but are keeping themselves a secret to prevent hysteria until humanity is ready.  —  Has the State of Israel made contact with aliens?

Trump asks Pennsylvania House speaker for help overturning election results, personally intervening in a third state  —  President Trump called the speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives twice during the past week to make the extraordinary request for help reversing his loss in the state …

Ivanka & Jared buy $30M lot on high-security Miami island  —  Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have splashed out on a $30 million-plus dollar lot of land on Miami's uber-swanky and high-security Indian Creek Island — known as the “Billionaire's Bunker” — Page Six can exclusively reveal.

Lou Dobbs Snaps at Stephen Miller Over White House Not Doing More on Trump Legal Fight: 'Why Don't You Answer Me?!'  —  Fox Business' Lou Dobbs snapped at White House advisor Stephen Miller as he raged over why Republicans and the White House aren't doing more on the president's legal fight in multiple states.

MSNBC to Name Rashida Jones President, Succeeding Phil Griffin  —  Mr. Griffin, who has been with the cable news network for 25 years, will leave after the end of January  —  MSNBC is expected to name Rashida Jones as the network's president, people familiar with the matter said …

‘This Must Be Your First’  —  On the evening of September 11, 1980, my mom was approached by a neighbor who held rank in the Turkish military.  He told her to stock up on bread and rice.  “Oh, another coup,” she immediately groaned.  The neighbor was aghast—he wasn't supposed to tell anyone what was coming.

CREW obtains receipts for Pompeo's notorious “Madison Dinners” … Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spent more than $40,000 in taxpayer money on a series of “Madison Dinners” attended by major donors and figures in the Republican party, according to documents obtained by CREW.

Former Alabama senator dies of Covid at age 78, and in his last words warns, ‘We messed up’ … A former Alabama state senator died of Covid-19 last week at age 78, officials said.  —  Former Sen. Larry Dixon, a Republican who also served as the executive director of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners …

McConnell says Senate will pass defense bill despite veto threat  —  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Monday that the Senate will take up and pass a mammoth defense bill despite a looming veto showdown with President Trump.  —  McConnell mentioned the National Defense …

Republicans Make Clear Their Georgia Senate Strategy: Attack Warnock  —  For the crucial Senate runoffs, the G.O.P. is focusing its attacks on the Rev. Raphael Warnock, portraying him as radical, a claim he has rejected but one that worked for Republicans in down-ballot races last month.

‘The people have spoken’: Michigan judge rejects lawsuit from disavowed Trump attorney  —  A Michigan federal judge has ruled against a sweeping legal bid to overturn election results in the state, determining the lawsuit brought by an ally of President Donald Trump was riddled with “theories …

Aides speculate if Trump will travel to Mar-a-Lago for holidays and never return  —  (CNN)Where President Donald Trump decides to spend the final weeks of his presidency has become a matter of internal speculation as aides wonder whether he'll leave the White House for the holidays — and never return.

The Man Who Found Forrest Fenn's Treasure  —  The decade-long hunt captured the world's attention, but when it finally ended in June, everyone still wanted to know: Who had solved the mystery?  This week, as legal proceedings threaten his anonymity, a 32-year-old medical student is ready to go on the record.

House conservatives urge Trump not to concede and press for floor fight over election loss  —  What Republicans are saying privately about the election  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump's staunchest defenders on Capitol Hill are urging him not to concede even after President-elect Joe Biden wins …

NFL investigation of Washington Football Team uncovers confidential settlement  —  The NFL's investigation into allegations of workplace sexual harassment at the Washington Football Team has uncovered a confidential settlement from a decade ago, court records show, and an emergency motion filed Monday …

We Had the Vaccine the Whole Time  —  You may be surprised to learn that of the trio of long-awaited coronavirus vaccines, the most promising, Moderna's mRNA-1273, which reported a 94.5 percent efficacy rate on November 16, had been designed by January 13.  This was just two days …

Elevating Fringe Theories, Ron Johnson Questions Virus Science  —  The Wisconsin Republican has transformed his Senate panel into a forum for amplifying dubious theories and questionable treatments pushed by President Trump.  —  WASHINGTON — In choosing a slate of doctors to testify …

Cornell offers ‘person of color’ exemption for flu vaccine requirement  —  Students at Cornell University can use their status as a “person of color” to be exempt from the university's flu vaccine requirement.  —  “Students who identify as Black, Indigenous, or as a Person of Color (BIPOC) …

Millions of Americans are heading into the holidays unemployed and over $5,000 behind on rent  —  Economists warn many unemployed families won't be able to pay rent and utilities without more stimulus aid from Congress  —  Millions of Americans who lost their jobs during the pandemic …

ER doctor who criticized Trump's actions to be removed from Walter Reed schedule  —  Dr. James Phillips, the emergency room physician who publicly criticized President Trump's decision to drive with Secret Service agents to greet supporters while he was hospitalized with COVID-19 in October …

What Joe Biden reads and watches  —  With help from Renuka Rayasam and Myah Ward  —  HOW THE PRESIDENT-ELECT GETS HIS NEWS — In the Biden administration, the foreign policy establishment is expected to return to its usual position of influence for the occupant of the Oval Office.

COVID-19 Reported Patient Impact and Hospital Capacity by Facility  —  The following dataset provides facility-level data for hospital utilization aggregated on a weekly basis (Friday to Thursday).  These are derived from reports with facility-level granularity across two main sources: (1) …

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals  —  On November 14, 2020, Judge Nicholas George Garaufis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York issued an opinion regarding the July 28, 2020 memorandum signed by Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf.  On December 4, 2020 …