November 2020: Month of the vaccine
A third vaccine shows promise in the fight against COVID-19. Michigan's election results have (finally) been certified. And President-elect Joe Biden makes historic picks for his Cabinet.
It's Lindsay filling in for Ashley, who is enjoying some well-deserved time off. How's everyone doing? Let's talk news.
But first, be a holiday hero: In a season of both celebration and suffering, here are some unexpected ways to help those in need.
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Another vaccine candidate shows promise 🙌
Something to give thanks for this week: AstraZeneca announced Monday that trials show its COVID-19 vaccine candidate is up to 90% effective in preventing disease, and its relatively simple distribution process could make it easier for people in developing countries to receive it. That makes three vaccines – one each from Pfizer, Moderna and now AstraZeneca – that could be optimized for widespread effectiveness. "November 2020 looks set to be the month that humanity developed the tools to turn the tide against this devastating virus," Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said Monday in a statement about the AstraZeneca results.
Timing, effectiveness, side effects: Here's everything we know about each of the vaccines.
Talk nerdy to me: Pfizer and Moderna candidates feature never-before-used technology that could transform how science fights diseases.
Be safe, friends! Sunday was the busiest day at U.S. airport security checkpoints since March – evidence that Americans are traveling for Thanksgiving despite CDC recommendations. How's the outbreak in your state? Here's the latest map.
What everyone’s talking about
'He's irreplaceable': Hamza "Travis" Nagdy, 21, a leader of Breonna Taylor protests, was killed in a shooting.
100 former Republican national security officials warn that President Donald Trump must allow the transition of power.
Politics sliding into your DMs? With the Senate on the line, Georgia activists engage with voters in unexpected ways.
A recount plot twist: The attorney heading the Trump campaign's Wisconsin recount effort seeks to throw out his own vote.
After 37 years in prison for a wrongful conviction, Robert DuBoise completes his path to freedom at the Buccaneers-Rams game.
Check your vehicles: General Motors recalled and will repair nearly 6 million pickups and SUVs equipped with potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators.
Michigan certifies Biden’s election victory
The results may have been in, but now they're certified. Michigan’s elections board voted Monday to confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state, avoiding a stalemate. The Board of State Canvassers, made up of two Democrats and two Republicans, voted 3-0 to certify results that show Biden defeated President Donald Trump by 154,187 votes in Michigan. One Republican board member abstained from voting. The vote followed a two-week period of double-checking ballots in Michigan's 83 counties, where some inaccuracies in the unofficial numbers, as is normal, were found and corrected.
What comes next? The state can proceed with formalizing the election. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will certify the slate of 16 people to cast the state's electoral votes for Biden when the Electoral College meets Dec. 14. The results could be the subject of a post-certification audit from Team Trump.
Real quick
Ho ho ho! The White House Christmas tree has arrived, in just the festive fashion you'd imagine.
'Incredibly kind and grand gesture': A man leaves a $3,000 tip for a single beer at an Ohio restaurant closing because of the coronavirus.
Man vs. bark vs. bite: Newly released footage shows a Florida man rescuing his dog from the grasp of an alligator.
The NBC prime-time football booth will have a new look this week, while also offering a preview of the future.
He's back! Al Roker returned to the "Today" show following a successful surgery, a little more than two weeks after he announced his prostate cancer diagnosis.
Biden makes historic leadership picks
President-elect Biden said he would seek a diverse Cabinet that "looks like America," and Monday, he made many top office picks reflecting that. Biden tapped Janet Yellen, the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve, to become the first woman to lead the Treasury Department, if she is confirmed. Biden chose Alejandro Mayorkas to become the first immigrant and Latino to lead the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration policy and border security. Biden plans to nominate Avril Haines to serve as director of national intelligence. If confirmed, she would be the first woman to lead the intelligence community. And although the president-elect’s pick for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, is not the first Black woman in that coveted position, her nomination would help Biden fulfill his promise.
Biden also chose Antony Blinken as secretary of state, Jake Sullivan as national security adviser and John Kerry as special presidential envoy for climate.
Questions arise after police shooting in Florida
New evidence connected to the fatal shooting of two teenagers by a Florida sheriff's deputy had some challenging the police's justification for the shooting. Angelo Crooms, 16, and Sincere Pierce, 18 of Cocoa, Florida, died Nov. 13 after being shot by Brevard County Sheriff's Office Deputy Jafet Santiago-Miranda. Sheriff Wayne Ivey said the teenagers charged the deputy in their car. The events have captured national interest and provoked protests. Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump represents the families of the two teens, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting.
A break from the news
💸 Deals, deals, deals! Keep checking this page for the best Black Friday bargains.
❌ Don't fall for these internet scams: Be sure to check those PlayStation 5 prices and pet adoption details.
👑 Anyone else binge-watching 'The Crown'? A historian breaks down how much of the drama is fact vs. fluff.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AstraZeneca vaccine in the game, Biden Cabinet picks: The Short List
