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Tuesday, November 24, 2020

The AM Rundown: GSA OKs Biden Transition Process




General Services Administration Administrator Emily Murphy yesterday ascertained that President-elect Joe Biden is the, quote, "apparent winner" of the presidential election, clearing the way for the start of the official transition, which allows Biden's team to coordinate with federal agencies and frees up federal funds allocated for the process. Murphy had refused to acknowledge Biden as the "apparent winner" until yesterday, nearly three weeks since the election and more than two weeks since Biden's victory was called by AP and all the news networks, and she'd been under increasing bipartisan pressure to do so. President Trump tweeted yesterday around the same time that he's directed his administration to cooperate in the transition, but vowed to continue his fight challenging the election results. Yesterday's developments came after Michigan certified Biden's victory in the state earlier in the day, despite effects by attorneys for Trump to prevent it, the latest failed effort in their legal challenges. Murphy said in a letter to Biden about her ascertainment, "Please know that I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts. I was never directly or indirectly pressured by any Executive Branch official . . . "

Philadelphia Inquirer 11/24/20



Biden Cabinet Picks: Biden revealed some Cabinet picks yesterday, including: former deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser Antony Blinken as secretary of state; Cuban-American Alejandro Mayorkas as homeland security secretary; Linda Thomas-Greenfield as ambassador to the United Nations; Jake Sullivan as national security adviser; and Avril Haines, a former deputy director of the CIA as director of national intelligence, the first woman in that position. Former Secretary of State and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry will be given the administration's lead role in fighting climate change, and former Federal Reserve Chairman Janet Yellen will reportedly be named treasury secretary.

➤THIRD VACCINE TRIALS SHOW EXCELLENT RESULTS: Late-stage trials for a third coronavirus vaccine have now shown excellent results, with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca saying its vaccine was shown to be up to 90 percent effective. In comparison to other vaccine candidates, including the ones from Pfizer and Moderna that in the last couple of weeks said their late-stage trials showed effectiveness results of some 95 percent, AstraZeneca's vaccine is both cheaper and easier to distribute.
 

But vaccines are likely to not be widely available in the U.S. until the spring, and the nationwide fall surge is continuing across the country, leading state and local officials to impose new restrictions, with worries about hospitals being overwhelmed. Many people are also traveling ahead of Thanksgiving, despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urging Americans to avoid holiday travel and not spend Thanksgiving with anyone from outside their household. Some 83,000 people are now hospitalized with the coronavirus in the U.S., according to The Covid Tracking Project, leading to a shortage of hospital beds and health care workers. Deaths have also been spiking, with the U.S. now averaging more than 1,500 coronavirus deaths per day, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, up from less than 1,000 two weeks ago.

➤SUSPECT ARRESTED IN CALIFORNIA CHURCH STABBING THAT KILLED TWO: Police said yesterday that they'd arrested a suspect in the stabbings the night before at a church in San Jose, California, that was being used as a homeless shelter in which two people were killed and others wounded, including three who were hospitalized. No services were taking place at Grace Baptist Church at the time of the stabbings. Police described the suspect as an adult male, but had not yet released his identity.

➤ONLINE SALES, SPREAD-OUT DEALS EXPECTED FOR ATYPICAL BLACK FRIDAY: Black Friday isn’t going to be like traditional Black Fridays of the past this year. Since COVID-19 cases spiked recently, some state and local leaders have put fresh lockdowns in place, and/ or limited indoor capacities for non-essential businesses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that Americans shop “online rather than in person” on Black Friday and the following Monday. It lists shopping in “crowded” stores just before, on, or after Thanksgiving as a “higher-risk” activity.” The annual ShopperTrack report predicts that Americans will spread out their shopping this year instead of going into stores on business weekends or sales days, such as Black Friday. Following suit retailers have adjusted Black Friday deals to last for weeks, as opposed to just days. 

➤AL ROKER RETURNS: Al Roker returned to the Today Show Monday, two weeks after undergoing prostate cancer surgery. “I’m back! I’m so excited to see all of you,” the 66-year-old meteorologist wrote on Instagram. During the first hour, he said that he’s feeling better and “trying to exercise,” adding, “Great medical care and the love of friends and family, it goes a long way.”


➤MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z ARE OVER THE WORKPLACE ROMANCE :   Office romances are dead, and it’s not just the fault of Millennials—but also Gen Zers. The Wall Street Journal reports that several societal shifts in the past decade have basically killed office romances. Krithika Varagur writes, “With the job market so precarious and workplace harassment under the microscope, many young people see dating a colleague…as a bad idea.” Research backs this up, with a Stanford University study finding the percentage of couples who reported meeting through work dropping from 19 percent to 11 percent between 1995 and 2017. Part of this drop could be attributed to online dating, but the #metoo movement likely contributes as well. And we can’t forget the pandemic, which has forced many into working from home, meaning they’re not stuck staring at their co-workers all day long catching feelings.


🏈RAMS TOP BUCCANEERS 27-24: The Los Angeles Rams topped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-24 in Monday Night Football last night (November 23rd) in Florida. Rams quarterback Jared Goff threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns, and Matt Gay kicked in the winning points on a 40-yard field goal with 2:36 left. 

Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady was under pressure all night from the Rams' defense, which sealed the win with Jordan Fuller's interception with 1:49 remaining, the safety's second of the night.

🏈BENGALS QB BURROW DONE FOR SEASON WITH INJURED KNEE: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow tore the ACL and MCL and suffered other structural injuries in his left knee Sunday, ESPN reported Monday (November 23rd), and head coach Zac Taylor said the rookie is out for the rest of the season. An MRI showed the extent of the injuries, which were worse than had been anticipated, and Burrow, who was this year's top overall draft pick in April, is expected to have to undergo surgery. It's unclear if he'll be ready at the start of next season. Burrow suffered the injury in the third quarter of the Bengals' 20-9 loss to Washington when he was hit by two defenders at once.

🏈BILLS SWEENEY DEVELOPS COVID-RELATED HEART ISSUE: Buffalo Bills tight end Tommy Sweeney has developed myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, related to his Covid-19 illness last month, and will miss the rest of the season, head coach Sean McDermott said Monday (November 23rd). Myocarditis, which is known as a potential development from Covid-19, can lead to heart failure, heart attack, stroke, or even sudden cardiac death. Sweeney's is the NFL's first known case, but Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez was diagnosed with myocarditis after several months of battling Covid-19.

🏈BROWNS STAR GARRETT TO MISS SECOND GAME WITH COVID: Cleveland Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett will miss a second game this weekend as he continues to recover from Covid-19. Garrett tested positive Friday and missed Cleveland's 22-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday. The Browns will play the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday. Head coach Kevin Stefanski didn't give any details on Garrett’s condition Monday, only saying they were following the NFL's protocols.

🏈NFL REQUIRING PLAYERS TO WEAR MASKS ON SIDELINES: The NFL issued new coronavirus requirements Monday (November 23rd), which include that players will now have to wear face masks on the sidelines unless they have their helmet on and are readying to enter the game. Positive coronavirus cases have been rising in the league as they've been surging across the country. There have been a total of 108 positives among players and staff in the past two testing periods, compared to 146 cases in the previous 11 periods.

🏀COUSINS AGREES TO ONE-YEAR DEAL WITH ROCKETS: DeMarcus Cousins told Marc Spears of ESPN's The Undefeated that he's agreed to a one-year deal with the Houston Rockets. The 30-year-old four-time All-Star missed all of last season with a torn ACL in his knee that he suffered after signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
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