HealthYahoo NewsCan employers require workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine before full approval?
Under EUA, Americans can start receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, but the initial supplies of it will be reserved for vulnerable groups like health care workers and nursing home residents before it becomes more widely available in the U.S. But recent polls have shown Americans have mixed feelings about getting a coronavirus vaccine. A recent AP-NORC poll conducted Dec. 3-7 found that only about half of American adults plan to get the vaccine, while a Gallup poll released Dec. 8 found that 63 percent of Americans say they are willing to be inoculated against the disease, up from 50 percent in September.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderAttorney General Barr reportedly instructed prosecutors not to reveal the Hunter Biden tax probes before the election to keep the DOJ out of politics
Attorney General William Barr went to great lengths to prevent prosecutors and senior Justice Department officials from revealing the existence of federal tax investigations into Hunter Biden before the election, The Wall Street Journal reported. The report includes new details of Barr's efforts to keep the investigations under wraps. Monday's report adds to a growing list of frustrations President Donald Trump has with Barr and may catalyze the president's efforts to fire the attorney general weeks before he leaves office.
WorldAssociated Press'External source' causes oil tanker blast off Saudi Arabia
An oil tanker off Saudi Arabia's port city of Jiddah suffered an explosion early Monday after being hit by “an external source,” a shipping company said, suggesting another vessel has come under attack off the kingdom amid its yearslong war in Yemen. The attack on the Singapore-flagged BW Rhine, which had been contracted by the trading arm of the kingdom's massive Saudi Arabian Oil Co., marks the fourth assault targeting Saudi energy infrastructure in a month. It also apparently shut down Jiddah port, the most important shipping point for the kingdom, which later said a bomb-laden boat like the remote-controlled ones used by Yemen's Houthi rebels caused the explosion.
WorldReutersChina urges EU to stop 'irresponsible remarks' after statement on Bloomberg employee
BEIJING (Reuters) -China said on Monday the European Union should stop making "irresponsible remarks" after it called for the release of all those arrested for reporting in China in a statement on a detained Chinese national working for Bloomberg News. China's foreign ministry said on Friday authorities had detained Haze Fan, who works for the Bloomberg bureau in Beijing, on suspicion of endangering national security. The European Union called for authorities to grant Fan "medical assistance if needed, prompt access to a lawyer of her choice, and contacts with her family."
PoliticsThe WeekJerry Falwell Jr. spent heavily on Trump, GOP causes with funds from nonprofit Liberty University
Jerry Falwell Jr. resigned as president of Liberty University in August after a series of scandals involving sexual indiscretions and questionable use of university funds on friends and family, but Liberty's board is still split on the partisan direction Falwell steered the private evangelical Christian school founded by his father, Jerry Falwell Sr. Especially divisive, Politico reports, is the question of whether Liberty should continue funding the Falkirk Center, a conservative "think tank" named after Falwell and GOP activist Charlie Kirk that "has produced no peer-reviewed academic work and bears little relation to study centers at other universities," but did run "pro-Trump ads, hired Trump allies including former adviser Sebastian Gorka and current Trump attorney Jenna Ellis to serve as fellows, and, in recent weeks, has aggressively promoted [President] Trump's baseless claims of election fraud."
WorldAssociated PressItaly surpasses UK for worst COVID-19 death toll in Europe
Italy on Sunday eclipsed Britain to become the nation with the worst official coronavirus death toll in Europe. Italy, where the continent's pandemic began, registered 484 COVID-19 deaths in one day, one of its lowest one-day death counts in about a month. Counting criteria differ in the two countries, and many coronavirus deaths, especially early in the pandemic, are believed to have gone undetected, including those of elderly people in nursing homes who were not tested for COVID-19.
WorldReutersRouhani says Iran can move beyond row with Turkey over Erdogan poem
Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday Tehran could move past a diplomatic quarrel with Turkey over a poem recited by President Tayyip Erdogan during a visit to Azerbaijan, which Tehran had called a threat to its territorial integrity. Iran summoned Turkey's envoy last week after Erdogan recited an Azeri-Iranian poem lamenting the 19th century division of Azerbaijan's territory between Russia and Iran. Tehran appeared concerned his remarks questioned Iran's territorial integrity and could fan separatist tendencies among its Azeri minority.
PoliticsThe WeekWill Georgia show Democrats ran the wrong campaign against Trump?
"It's time for [Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler] to answer for this pattern of self-dealing and corruption," Democratic Senate candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock demanded Saturday, along with a clip of his opponent dissembling in their recent debate. The double runoff in Georgia to determine control of the United States Senate is a rare election where a significant change in campaign message can be truly tested in the same cycle. Did the Biden campaign, and the Democratic Party as whole, make a mistake by not focusing aggressively on Donald Trump and other top Republicans?
PoliticsBusiness InsiderWall Street Journal op-ed telling Jill Biden to drop her 'Dr.' title condemned as 'patronizing drivel.' The paper's higher-education reporter was among the critics.
An op-ed article published by The Wall Street Journal on Friday sparked criticism after it suggested that the incoming first lady, Jill Biden, should drop her "Dr." title because she does not hold a doctorate in medicine. The essayist Joseph Epstein urged Biden to "drop the doc" in her name, saying it "sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic." A representative for Biden called the article a "disgusting and sexist attack," with many public figures, including Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' husband, Douglas Emhoff, tweeting in support.
HealthAssociated PressAfter 110K virus deaths, nursing homes face vaccine fears
After 110,000 deaths ravaged the nation's nursing homes and pushed them to the front of the vaccine line, they now face a vexing problem: Skeptical residents and workers balking at getting the shots. “You go get that first and let me know how you feel,” said Denise Schwartz, whose 84-year-old mother lives at an assisted living facility in East Northport, New York, and plans to decline the vaccine. Everyone from members of the military to former presidents have announced their intentions to get the shots, echoing the refrains of others who say the drugs are the product of rigorous review, firm data and independent experts.
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Pennsylvania sheriff explains why he changed his political affiliation to Republican
Fayette County Sheriff James Custer tells 'Fox & Friends' he switched to the Republican Party because of the 'shift in ideals of the Democratic Party at the national level,' including a 'socialist agenda.
U.S.ReutersTwo Sacklers behind OxyContin maker to appear before U.S. House panel
Two Sackler family members who previously served on OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP's board have agreed under pressure to testify this week before a U.S. House of Representatives panel examining the nationwide opioid epidemic, avoiding subpoenas threatened by the committee's chairwoman. David and Kathe Sackler reached an agreement in recent days with the House Oversight Committee to appear at a hearing set for Thursday, according to a Monday memo from Democratic Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney to members of the panel. The two are among the Sackler family members who own Purdue.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderA voting technology company at the center of election conspiracy theories demanded a retraction from Fox News, accusing them of 'a concerted disinformation campaign'
Smartmatic, a voting technology company, sent cease and desist letters on Monday to Fox News, One America News, and Newsmax, demanding retractions. The company has become the subject of conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election, and accused the media organizations of spreading them. In a letter to Fox News obtained by Insider, Smartmatic says Fox News hosts Lou Dobbs, Jesse Watters, and Maria Bartiromo have been instrumental in spreading the conspiracy theories, which first gained widespread currency with lawsuits from ex-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell.
ScienceAssociated PressChinese capsule with moon rocks begins return to Earth
A Chinese space capsule bringing back the first moon rocks in more than four decades started its three-day return to Earth on Sunday. The Chang'e 5 lunar probe, which had been orbiting the moon for about a week, fired up four engines for about 22 minutes to move out of the moon's orbit, the China National Space Administration said in a social media post. The craft's lander touched down on the moon earlier this month close to a formation called the Mons Rumker, an area believed to have been the site of ancient volcanic activity.
U.S.USA TODAYA small town dragged its feet on COVID-19 mask mandates. Now residents are paying the price.
In the midst of a worsening pandemic, as coronavirus cases climbed, elected leaders in a former frontier town famous for its gunfights faced a choice. The five commissioners of Dodge City, Kansas, a politically red cattle community of some 27,000 people, had resisted such measures all summer and into fall. Like other parts of rural and small-city America, Dodge City had mostly returned to normal after shaking off the pandemic's first wave.
WorldReutersMalaysian PM Muhyuddin may face showdown in final budget vote
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin may face another challenge to his leadership on Tuesday, if the opposition in parliament seeks to block a third and final vote to pass the government's 2021 budget. Muhyiddin's government plans to spend a record 322.5 billion ringgit ($79.61 billion) next year, up 2.5% from this year as it seeks to spur activity in an economy badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Opposition lawmakers led by veteran leader Anwar Ibrahim backed down from a plan to vote down the budget at the end of the policy stage debate last month, avoiding a potential political crisis as Muhyiddin faced the first real test of his wafer-thin majority in the 222-seat parliament.
PoliticsBusiness InsiderAlan Dershowitz says Texas lawsuit tossed by Supreme Court should tell Trump's allies they 'can't count on the judiciary' to invalidate the election results
Alan Dershowitz on Sunday said the Supreme Court's decision to toss the Texas election lawsuit signaled to President Donald Trump's camp that they "can't count on the judiciary" to invalidate the election results, according to The Hill. Dershowitz said Trump's campaign would need a "perfect storm" to invalidate the election results, with courts, governors, and state election officials aiding his cause. "I suspect on Monday we will see the electors ... elect Joe Biden," he said.
BusinessThe IndependentPfizer CEO says executives will not ‘cut the queue’ to be vaccinated
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla has said that company executives will not “cut the line” for vaccination but said that he may take the shot soon to help “build confidence in the company”. In an interview with CNBC on Monday Mr Bourla said that he had not yet received the vaccine due to ethical reasons, given that there are very strict allocation rules. "On the other hand, our company ran a lot of polls to see what would take people to believe it, and one of the highest-ranking, even higher than if Joe Biden takes it, even higher than if the other President takes it, it is if the CEO of the company takes it," he said.
WorldReutersWild winds, huge seas and rain batter Australian tourist spots
Cyclonic conditions along Australia's northeast coast generated huge seas washing away beaches at popular tourist spots and destructive winds and rain causing widespread flooding, authorities said on Monday. Main Beach at Byron Bay, a popular tourist destination in northern New South Wales state and home to Hollywood A-listers such as Chris Hemsworth, has all but disappeared, Byron Mayor Simon Richardson told media on Monday. Television news footage showed a concrete walkway along the beach collapsing into the sea.
PoliticsAssociated PressThe Latest: Biden says election workers showed courage
Biden noted during a speech Monday in Wilmington, Delaware, that Trump called his 2016 tally of 306 electoral votes a “landslide." Biden says if that constituted a clear victory then, he wanted to “respectfully suggest” that Trump now accept Biden's victory this year. Trump has refused to concede defeat in the presidential vote, making repeated and unfounded allegations of widespread fraud.
HealthBusiness InsiderOperation Warp Speed's top scientist says Moderna vaccine will 'likely' be approved by end of week
In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Moncef Slaoui, the head of the federal vaccine initiative Operation Warp Speed, said Moderna's vaccine would "likely would be approved by Friday." Slaoui repeated his prediction that he hoped 100 million people would be immunized by the first quarter of next year, and said he expected around 14 million vaccine doses to be distributed before the end of 2020. Slaoui said the US plan for a vaccine works with "a portfolio of products," and there would "most likely" be no reason for concerns for a shortage of supply in the vaccine in the spring.
PoliticsAssociated PressCensus numbers-crunching documents at center of latest fight
A federal judge has rejected an emergency request from the Trump administration that would stop it from being immediately forced to release documents showing how the 2020 census numbers have been crunched in the weeks since the U.S. head count ended in October. U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh said in her ruling late Sunday that “time is of the essence" in dismissing the claims of government attorneys who said they have no way of meeting her court-ordered deadline without releasing all 88,000 documents a search has produced, with no time to review and redact confidential information. The judge, however, gave the government attorneys some breathing room by allowing them to present documents they think are confidential before a panel of magistrate judges, who will rule over the next week on whether they can be released.
EntertainmentBusiness Insider'Cyberpunk 2077' runs so terribly on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One that its creator is offering refunds
Players on the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 have expressed discontent with the game, encountering bugs, glitches, and poor graphics. CD Projekt Red, the game studio behind "Cyberpunk 2077," is now offering refunds to players on those consoles. "We should have paid more attention to making it play better on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One," CD Projekt Red said Monday.
EntertainmentThe Daily BeastPrince Andrew Misled BBC When He Said He Didn’t Stay at Epstein’s Home in 2001: Report
Prince Andrew's relationship with dead pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was back under the microscope Sunday evening after British newspaper the Daily Mail revealed that Andrew was misleading when he told the BBC he did not stay at Epstein's house when he was in New York in April 2001. He was questioned on camera by Emily Maitlis of the BBC about his movements during the three-day trip because one Epstein victim, Johanna Sjoberg, had previously accused Andrew of a bizarre groping incident at Epstein's home involving a Spitting Image puppet on the trip. Another Epstein victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, claims that it was after the groping incident that she was ordered to have sex with “Andy.
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AstraZeneca shares dip after $39 bln Alexion deal
Shares in AstraZeneca fell around 6% early on Monday morning (Dec 14). That as investors reacted to news from the firm over the weekend. The British drugmaker on Saturday (December 12) announced it is buying Alexion Pharmaceuticals for $39 billion in cash and stock.
“The prospect of a 2024 run is politically significant. It’s also a complete fiction.”
“His flirtation with a 2024 bid ensures he’ll remain the dominant force in the Republican Party.”
“He shouldn’t run for president again. There’s a better job and life for him on the horizon.”
“Trump is in for years of scandals and humiliations…He’ll have to devote much of his energy to trying to stay out of prison.”
“If Trump himself passes on the opportunity, his two very political children could also potentially pick up the mantle.”