Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations are at new peaks, cities and states are weighing second lockdowns, and flu season is upon us — but we're all looking the other way.

Why it matters: Pandemic fatigue has set in and the nation has collectively stopped caring just in time for the holiday season. This Thanksgiving could be catastrophic for public health.

America's defense contractors aren't celebrating Joe Biden's victory. They haven't accepted defeat yet, but they are digging in for budgetary battles.

Why it matters: The biggest companies in the military-industrial complex tend to see increasing revenues only under Republican presidents.

Plenty of garbage startups have been funded over the past decade, including a couple of outright frauds — and tech innovation doesn't always move as linearly as we'd like, or replicate the future as imagined by TV scriptwriters.

Yes, but: While startups and their investors were being bashed on social media, at least a few of them were laying the building blocks for technologies that could help let humanity recover its ability to work, play and spend time with loved ones.

Growing amounts of cash are pouring into electric vehicle development that is underway via startups and legacy players.

What's new: A report out this morning indicates GM will be announcing an expanded strategy to take on Tesla, plus the U.K. electric van and bus company Arrival announced it is going public.

Pfizer said on Wednesday that its coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective and has no serious side effects.

The state of play: The company said they have enough safety data now and plan to request an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration "within days."

The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday cleared Boeing's 737 MAX to fly again in the U.S. — 20 months after the plane’s worldwide grounding.

Why it matters: A pair of fatal plane crashes laid bare the gross oversight and safety lapses on the part of Boeing and the FAA. The fallout led to the resignation of top executives — including Boeing's CEO — a criminal investigation, and the company’s biggest financial hit in its centurylong history.

The cash value of President-elect Biden's normality will be tested next year with a bookstore battle among Washington journalists who are competing to capture 46's backstory, inside skinny and cast of characters.

What's new: Axios has learned that Ben Schreckinger, a long-form writer who works the "Biden Inc." beat at Politico, has signed a deal with prestige publisher Twelve to write a Biden family book aimed for the second half of 2021.

Democrats and Republicans both want to rein in perceived abuses by Silicon Valley, but a Tuesday Senate hearing to grill Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey showed the two parties operating in mirror universes.

Why it matters: The distance between the parties' diagnoses of the tech industry's trespasses makes it harder than ever to imagine how they might find common ground to pass the meaningful new tech legislation they both say they want.

Apple announced a new program Wednesday under which it will take a smaller 15% cut from App Store sales for businesses earning less than $1 million selling their apps, rather than the standard 30% cut.

Why it matters: Apple is under fire from some critics over its rigid App Store policies that require developers to use Apple payment systems for both app sales and in-app payments in exchange for a cut of sales.

In the past two weeks, 83% of U.S. counties have seen their coronavirus cases increase, by an average of 156%.

Why it matters: This county-level map shows a more granular level of detail than our weekly state map, and makes clear that infections are soaring in almost every pocket of every state, in every region.

Americans‘ trust in Joe Biden to provide accurate information about the coronavirus has grown across the board since his election win, according to the latest installment of the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Between the lines: It's the first time Biden won the trust of more than 50% of Americans since the poll started asking the question in August. But with the exception of Democrats, who are with him already, he still has room to grow.

The Israeli Air Force conducted air strikes Tuesday night on Syrian army and Iranian Quds Force targets near Damascus — hours after several improvised explosive devices were discovered on the Israeli side of the border in the Golan Heights.

Why it matters: Tuesday marked the second time in three months that explosive devices were discovered on the Israeli side of the border. Israel claims Iran's Quds Force is using pro-Iranian militias and local Syrian operatives to open a front with Israel in the Golan and engage in attacks on Israeli forces.

The Food and Drug Administration announced in a post Tuesday night that it has issued an emergency use authorization for the first COVID-19 test for self-testing at home — and it returns rapid results.

Why it matters: Coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths from the virus are accelerating across the U.S. This rapid home test could help reduce testing delays.

President Trump announced on Twitter Tuesday night that Christopher Krebs, the head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, had been fired effective immediately.

Why it matters: Krebs, who is responsible for securing voting technology, has drawn bipartisan praise for his handling of the election and debunking of misinformation. Reuters recently reported he expected to be fired after he pushed back against false claims that Democrats "rigged" the election, a claim that Trump has heavily promoted.

The Wayne County Board of Canvassers struck a last-minute compromise on Tuesday night to certify local election results, backpedaling on a tactic that could have delayed official approval statewide.

Why it matters: The board's Republican members voted earlier Tuesday to block certification, in a move that President Trump celebrated on Twitter. The reversal is a blow to Trump and his GOP allies who have sought to delay or block President-elect Biden's victories in a number of jurisdictions, mostly through failed legal action.