The Department of Justice said on Tuesday it would not bring charges against two officers in 2014 fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, and that it was closing its federal investigation into the shooting.
Why it matters: The killing of Rice triggered large protests against police brutality and galvanized support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Reacting to Tuesday's announcement, Rice's family lawyer said the Justice Department’s “process was tainted," per AP.
President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday criticized the Trump administration for "falling behind" on distributing coronavirus vaccines, saying that with "only a few days left in December, we've only vaccinated a few million so far."
The big picture: Biden also pleaded with Americans to wear a mask and take other steps to contain the spread of the coronavirus, reiterating his warning that "things will get worse before they get better."
The Department of Labor said Tuesday that it does not expect people claiming certain federal unemployment benefits to experience a lapse in payments, despite President Trump's delay in signing the program extensions into law, Bloomberg reports.
Why it matters:It was previously expected that because Trump signed the legislation the day after benefits expired, the estimated 14 million people collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits would miss a week of payments.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday blocked Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) request to hold a vote on a House standalone measure that would boost the size of stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000 per person.
Why it matters: President Trump has demanded that the payments be increased, creating a rift between him and Senate GOP leadership ahead of a crucial runoff election in Georgia that will determine control of the chamber. He tweeted on Tuesday afternoon: "Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do, they must approve the $2000 payments ASAP. "
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris received her first dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine in D.C. Tuesday morning.
Why it matters: Although the FDA has found the vaccine to be safe and effective, the 56-year-old Harris wanted to get the shot live on television as a way of bolstering public confidence in the vaccine.
Sens. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and David Perdue (R-Ga.) on Tuesday both came out in favor of increasing direct payments in the coronavirus relief package from $600 to $2,000 per person.
Why it matters: The two Republican senators are on the ballot in a pair of runoffs in Georgia next week that will determine control of the Senate.
The Wall Street Journal published an editorial on Monday effectively accusing President Trump of sabotaging Republicans' chances of winning the Georgia Senate runoffs with his push for $2,000 stimulus checks, calling it an "in-kind contribution to Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden."
Why it matters: It's another sharp criticism from a newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch — co-chair of Fox Corp. and executive chair of News Corp — that comes one day after the New York Post said Trump is "cheering for an undemocratic coup" with his efforts to overturn the election he lost.
A couple of days ago,it looked impossible that $2,000 COVID relief checks — up from the $600 checks for individuals in the package President Trump signed Sunday — could pass the Senate. That has changed with Trump's final-hours advocacy for bigger checks, Republican sources tell Axios.
The state of play: It's still an uphill battle. But Republican senators are feeling more pressure from constituents — pumped by Trump — to do more.
President-elect Biden, who has vowed to be clear-eyed and straight about the pandemic, plans a renewed warning in remarks on COVID-19 in Wilmington today, a transition official tells Axios.
Driving the news: Echoing a CDC forecast from last week, Biden is expected to say that, tragically, the infection rates and the number of deaths are expected to increase in the coming weeks.
A federal judge on Monday blocked two Georgia counties' attempts to remove over 4,000 voters from electoral rolls ahead of the Jan. 5 runoffs that'll determine the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
Why it matters: Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner, the sister of former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, found the attempts by Muscogee and Ben Hill counties would likely violate the National Voter Registration Act and deny voters their constitutional right to vote.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) plans to filibuster the Senate’s veto override of the bipartisan defense bill unless the chamber holds a vote on the $2,000 stimulus payments included in the COVID relief bill, Politico reported Monday.
Why it matters: Though it's unlikely Sanders will stop the vote on the veto override, delaying it until New Year's Day could create new hurdles for the Republican Party.
The police officer who shot and killed Andre Hill, an unarmed Black man, in Columbus, Ohio, last week has been fired, the city's police chief said Monday.
Driving the news: Adam Coy, a 19-year veteran with the police force, did not attempt to deescalate the situation before shooting Hill, according to Public Safety Director Ned Pettus Jr., who said Monday that the "known facts do not establish that this use of deadly force was objectively reasonable," per ABC News.
President-elect Joe Biden said Monday that his team has "encountered obstruction" and "roadblocks" from political leadership at the Defense Department and Office of Management and Budget that could undermine national security during the transition.
Why it matters: Biden warned that foreign adversaries could gain advantage if his team is cut out of vital information sharing with the outgoing Trump administration. Before Christmas, the Pentagon abruptly halted meetings with transition officials.
The House of Representatives voted 322-87 on Monday to override President Trump's veto of the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Why it matters: With a Senate vote expected this week, Congress is one step closer to handing Trump the first veto override of his presidency — an overwhelming and bipartisan rebuke that comes just weeks ahead of Joe Biden's inauguration.
