House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) received their first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine from the attending physician of Congress on Friday.
The latest: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) received the first dose of the vaccine on Saturday, saying afterwards, "[a]s the vaccine is being distributed, we must all continue wearing masks and engage in social distancing. That is how we will beat this virus and end this terrible pandemic.”
Army Gen. Gustave Perna, the member of Operation Warp Speed responsible for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, apologized on Saturday for the "miscommunication" with states over the number of doses they will receive next week, AP reports.
Why it matters: The general's apology comes after multiple governors said they were told that their states would receive between 25%-40% fewer vaccine doses than originally projected.
Airports Council International (ACI) has advised airports worldwide to step up their security to protect COVID-19 vaccine shipments, Reuters reports.
Driving the news: INTERPOL issued a global alert earlier this month, warning law enforcement agencies to prepare for organized crime networks that may target COVID-19 vaccines, both physically and online.
China quickly, systematically and relentlessly suppressed the truth about the coronavirus from its citizens and the world, according to a detailed investigation by The New York Times and Pro Publica.
Why it matters: China is America's chief rival for world dominance — and routinely uses government-directed propaganda, lies and heavy-handed silencing to get an edge over its people and rivals.
Austria and Switzerland have both announced they will impose lockdown measures as novel coronavirus cases climb in each country.
By the numbers: Austria has more than 337,000 confirmed cases and over 5,200 deaths to date, while Switzerland has seen nearly 404,000 confirmed cases and over 6,500 deaths, per data from Johns Hopkins University.
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.
Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced Friday that he has ordered a national lockdown for the Christmas and New Year's holidays as the country continues to see a surge in cases and deaths.
Why it matters: Italy has been one of the hardest-hit Western countries, with 67,894coronavirus-related deaths as of Friday — the most in Europe.
A perfect storm of quarantines, layoffs, retirements and resignations has public schools scrambling to get enough bodies to keep school afloat next semester.
Why it matters: Districts are desperate to keep classes going and are stretched thin by the sometimes competing needs of in-person and distance learning.
Mexico City and the neighboring State of Mexico will ban nonessential activities in an effort to curb a spike in COVID-19 cases that has overwhelmed hospitals, officials announced Friday.
Driving the news: Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said hospital capacity is at about 75%, but the federal government put the number at 80%, per AP. Families have reported searching for hours to find open hospital beds in the capital.
President-elect Joe Biden and Jill Biden will receive their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine in public on Monday in order "to send a clear message to the public, that it's safe and consistent with security and medical protocols," incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Friday.
Why it matters: Biden is 78 years old, meaning he is at-risk for severe coronavirus infection. Dozens of White House staff and members of President Trump's inner circle have tested positive for COVID-19 over the past few months of the pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to release coronavirus guidance for Spanish speakers when the pandemic started in the spring, said League of United Latin American Citizens CEO Sindy Benavides at an Axios virtual event on Friday.
Vice President Mike Pence, second lady Karen Pence and Surgeon General Jerome Adams received Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine live on television Friday.
Why it matters: The vice president is the highest-ranking U.S. official to be vaccinated — a move intended to boost public confidence about the vaccine's safety. He must still receive the second dose of the vaccine in order for it to be fully effective.
Hospitals around the country have been thrown into confusion after the Trump administration informed state after state that they'll be getting 25%-40% fewer COVID vaccine doses next week than they'd been expecting.
Why it matters: The snafu reveals communication gaps between the Trump administration and Pfizer, and between the administration and the states.
Seven out of 10 college students have experienced anxiety, 53% have experienced depression and 29% have considered dropping out since the pandemic began, according to a new Generation Lab/Axios poll.
The big picture: The end is in sight, but students are still in for a cold, isolated second semester.
In the last week alone, nearly 1 out of every 200 Americans was diagnosed with the coronavirus — an astronomically large portion of the population to be sick at the same time.
Why it matters: This will translate into large numbers of hospitalizations — and eventually deaths — in the coming weeks. It also means the rest of us have a decent chance of interacting with someone who is infected, anywhere we go.
Officials in several states have said the federal government told them to expect fewer doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine next week than originally anticipated.
The big picture: Some2.9 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were shipped this week as the U.S. started it's largest vaccination campaign in the nation's history. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said Wednesday that 2 million more doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 5.9 million doses of the Moderna vaccine could be allocated next week, per CNBC.
The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to block Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s executive order halting in-person instruction at most K-12 schools, including religious schools, through the end of the year, noting that the order "effectively expires this week or shortly thereafter."
Why it matters: The decision follows several cases that examined whether state coronavirus restrictions affecting religious institutions, including places of worship violate, the First Amendment.
