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Rudy Giuliani called Ken Cuccinelli, second in command at the Department of Homeland Security, on Thursday night and asked him whether DHS could seize voting machines, a source familiar with the call confirmed to Axios.

The state of play: Cuccinelli responded that DHS does not have that authority, the source said.

President-elect Joe Biden and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador discussed in a phone call Saturday working together on a "new approach" to migration that "offers alternatives to undertaking the dangerous journey" to the U.S.

Why it matters: The statement from Biden's transition team on the call details represents a key part of the president-elect's plans to overhaul President Trump's aggressive border policy.

1. Health: Nearly 1 in 200 Americans was diagnosed with COVID in the last week — Latina activist laments CDC's guidance for Spanish speakers.
2. Vaccine: CDC panel recommends Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine — General apologizes for "miscommunication" over vaccine shipments — Airports advised to beef up security to protect COVID-19 vaccine shipments.
3. Education: Teachers brace for tense, stressful 2021 — College students wrap up a stress-filled COVID fall semester.
4. World: How China manipulates truth — at scale — Austria and Switzerland to impose new COVID-19 restrictions.

Senior Trump administration officials are increasingly alarmed that President Trump might unleash — and abuse — the power of government in an effort to overturn the clear result of the election.

Why it matters: These officials tell me that Trump is spending too much time with people they consider crackpots or conspiracy theorists and flirting with blatant abuses of power.

Joe Biden implored Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to accept a job heading the Small Business Administration earlier this week, a lesser position she rejected after he characterized it as “only the first step” for her during his presidency, according to people familiar with the discussion.

Why it matters: Biden has pledged to build a Cabinet reflecting America's diversity, but as the number of marquee slots has dwindled — and various constituencies keep clamoring for their own representatives — he is having trouble threading the political needle.

The U.S. government, and America’s largest companies, are scrambling to understand and protect against the "grave risk" to American security from a massive hack that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo now says was a Kremlin op. President Trump's public response: Mostly silence.

Why it matters: People across the government say we've seen the mere tip of this international intrusion — a stunning, dangerous breach that requires infliction of real pain on the perpetrator, now confirmed as Russia.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed a full lockdown on London, saying Saturday that Christmas celebrations cannot move forward and non-essential retailers must temporarily shutter amid a rapidly rising coronavirus infection rate.

The state of play: London, southeast and eastern England, which are currently in Tier 3, will impose Tier 4 restrictions starting Sunday. Johnson said an expected Christmas Day reprieve — a planned postponement of restrictions that would permit up to three households to convene in “Christmas bubbles” — will be canceled for Tier 4 zones.

President Trump responded to the massive cyberattack on U.S. government departments and agencies and private companies on Twitter Saturday, claiming the "Fake News Media" is exaggerating the extent of the hack.

Why it matters: Trump, who had been silent on the attack until now, claimed that China may be responsible, contradicting Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and other governmental officials who have said that the breach was carried out by Russia.

A new tool lets voters in Georgia sign up for automatic notifications of any sudden changes to their voting status that could prevent them from casting ballots in the pivotal Jan. 5 runoffs that will determine party control of the Senate.

Driving the news: VoteFlare.org, a site created by Harvard University's Public Interest Tech Lab, went live Friday.

The making of food is getting an overhaul with promising new technologies.

Why it matters: What we eat and how we make it has enormous implications for the health of humanity and the planet we live on. Meat and fish grown from cells could make for a more sustainable food supply, but they still face scientific, regulatory and consumer challenges.

President Trump late Friday night signed the continuing resolution that will fund the federal government through Dec. 21 and temporarily avert a partial shutdown.

Why it matters: The 48-hour stopgap will also give lawmakers the weekend to resolve outstanding issues with a $900 billion coronavirus relief package and $1.4 trillion long-term spending deal.

The New York Times on Friday said it would return its 2018 Peabody Award for its "Caliphate" podcast, hours after the paper conceded that large parts of the audio series didn't meet its editorial standards.

Why it matters: It's an embarrassing error for The Times, which invested significant resources in the project since 2018. It's also a grim reminder to the journalism industry that even big, well-funded institutions can make costly mistakes.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, one day after it was endorsed by a panel of independent experts.

Why it matters: The authorization of a second coronavirus vaccine, coming exactly one week after the FDA cleared Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine for emergency use, increases vaccine access for millions of Americans and marks another milestone on the country’s path to curbing the pandemic.