Coronavirus vaccine, November jobs report, marijuana legalization bill: 5 things to know Friday

Editors, USA TODAY
·4 min read

Coronavirus: States face deadline for doses of Pfizer vaccine

Several states face a deadline Friday to submit requests for doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine and specify where they should be shipped, according to The Associated Press. Many states appear to be heeding nonbinding guidelines adopted this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to put health care workers and nursing home patients first. The nation's one-day toll of coronavirus deaths surpassed 3,000 for the first time Wednesday and on Thursday the U.S. recorded its 14 millionth COVID-19 case, milestones showing the pandemic continues to race out of control.

Prefer to listen? Check out the 5 things podcast below and subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts:

November jobs report offers insight into COVID-19's latest economic punch

U.S. employers added a disappointing 245,000 jobs in November amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and more state business constraints as well as the looming halt of extended jobless benefits and other federal lifelines for millions of Americans. The unemployment rate fell from 6.9% to 6.7%, the Labor Department said Friday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had estimated that 486,000 jobs were added last month. About a dozen states have reinstated business restrictions — such as banning indoor dining and bar service — or suspended plans to ease them.

House of Representatives to vote on marijuana legalization bill

The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is set to vote on marijuana legalization at the federal level Friday, the first time either chamber of Congress has voted on the matter. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Jerry Nadler, would remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances and expunge some marijuana-related criminal records. A planned vote on the legislation was shelved in October following a backlash from moderate Democrats, who had expressed concern about the effort to pass the marijuana legalization bill before the election, amid the impasse on COVID-19 stimulus negotiations. The bill is likely to pass the chamber, but the Republican-controlled Senate is unlikely to take up the legislation in the last two weeks Congress is in session this year.

Retailers lure holiday shoppers with new sales, reduced shipping fees

Black Friday was "the quietest in 20 years" as real-life foot traffic plummeted due to coronavirus pandemic fears. Online sales, though, soared during the traditional make-or-break shopping period and on Cyber Monday. And stores are trying to keep that trend going. Some well-loved products from the big shopping weekend are still up for grabs at a steal. Stores, like Macy's, are introducing new sales, while Walmart, starting Friday, is luring customers by reducing the minimum to qualify for free shipping. Overall, retailers expect a robust holiday shopping season this year, buoyed by a strong housing market and increased savings, but COVID-19 remains a wild card.

Macho Time! Showtime film chronicles turbulent life of Hector Camacho

"Macho: The Hector Camacho Story," a film about the boxing legend's turbulent career, life and death will debut on Showtime on Friday at 9 p.m. ET. The flamboyant boxer from Puerto Rico was known for his outrageous pre-fight outfits, and won titles as a super featherweight, lightweight and junior welterweight. In the documentary, former CBS sportscaster Tim Ryan tells the story of how Camacho was "completely out of his mind drug-wise" on the eve of his 1983 lightweight bout against John Montes in Alaska. In 2012, Camacho was shot while sitting in his parked car and declared dead four days later at the age of 50.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID-19 vaccine, marijuana legalization bill: 5 things to know Friday