Government

NPR reports: Congress certified President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ victory early on Thursday, the end of a long day and night marked by chaos and violence in Washington, in which extremists emboldened by President Trump sought to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that has been a hallmark of modern American history by staging a violent insurrection …

USA Today reports: After a tumultuous afternoon of riots and mayhem, a subdued but resolute Congress Wednesday night resumed its state-by-state count of the electoral votes that will reaffirm President-elect Joe Biden’s decisive victory Nov. 3 over President Donald Trump. Lawmakers in the House and the Senate had already begun debating the results of Arizona (which went for Biden) when …

The New York Times reports: Lawmakers will resume counting Electoral College votes on Wednesday, hours after a mob of Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol, Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said as she vowed that the attack would not “deter us from our responsibility to validate the election of Joe Biden.” In a letter to colleagues, Ms. Pelosi said she had …

USA Today reports: Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock both won Senate runoffs in Georgia, giving Democrats control of the Senate. Ossoff is projected to defeat incumbent Republican David Perdue in Georgia’s runoff elections, according to NBC News and CBS, giving Democrats a majority in the Senate. Ossoff’s victory came hours after Democrat Raphael Warnock prevailed over incumbent Republican Sen. …

CBS News reports: The House and Senate will convene Wednesday at 1 p.m. for a joint session of Congress to tally electoral votes from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, confirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election over expected challenges from Republicans that could lengthen the proceedings. Required under the Constitution, the meeting is typically a …

Via press release from Sen. Chuck Schumer: It feels like a brand new day. For the first time in six years, Democrats will operate a majority in the United States Senate — and that will be very good for the American people. America is experiencing one of the greatest crises we have ever faced, and the Senate Democratic Majority is …

The Independent reports: Greece has appointed its first openly gay minister as part of a cabinet reshuffle. Nicholas Yatromanolakis made history after he was named the new deputy minister of culture on Monday. The 44-year-old was promoted from his role as general secretary of contemporary culture at the same department. The appointment which made him the first openly gay minister …

Via press release from the FDA: We have been following the discussions and news reports about reducing the number of doses, extending the length of time between doses, changing the dose (half-dose), or mixing and matching vaccines in order to immunize more people against COVID-19. These are all reasonable questions to consider and evaluate in clinical trials. However, at this …

The New York Daily News reports: The de Blasio administration is ramping up COVID vaccination efforts — with a goal of administering 400,000 doses per week by the end of the month — and calling on the state to authorize more groups of New Yorkers to get shots. The city will also provide vaccinations around the clock as the number …

The Washington Post reports: Pelosi was reelected speaker Sunday in a House contest marked by the absences of several lawmakers who have contracted the coronavirus. The 80-year-old California Democrat, the only woman in history to serve as speaker, secured what might be her last two-year term in the top post. She will lead a razor-thin Democratic majority in the House, …

Axios reports: Israel has administered more COVID-19 vaccinations than any other nation, with over 1 million people receiving jabs — a rate of 12.59 doses per 100 people, new data from an Oxford University-run tracking site shows. As countries like the U.S. fall behind on immunization goals, Israel has given coronavirus doses to over 10% of its population of 9.2 …

The Washington Post reports: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will embark Sunday on what stands to be her most difficult term yet — thanks to a diminished majority, a potentially fractious corps of left-wing lawmakers, the jockeying of would-be successors and the legislative ambitions of a Democratic president. First, however, she has to get elected. The speaker election will be the …

Chattanooga’s NBC News affiliate reports: Hamilton County officials say miscalculations led to late-evening vaccinations in the Tennessee Riverpark on New Year’s Eve, long after people were turned away and told there were no more vaccines available. Acting on a tip, Channel 3 returned to the Riverpark after dark to find cars leaving the property. The people in those vehicles told …

Politico reports: New York City will launch a campaign to vaccinate a million residents for the coronavirus in January, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. “This city can do it,” the mayor said. “The amazing health care professionals of this city are ready. We’re going to set up new sites all over the city, on top of the many, many …

Via press release from the FDA: On December 30, 2020, Midwestern Pet Food, Inc. announced a recall of certain lots of Sportmix pet food products after FDA was alerted about reports of at least 28 dogs that have died and eight that have fallen ill after consuming the recalled Sportmix pet food. Multiple product samples were tested by the Missouri …

Gothamist reports: Under a soaring vaulted skylight and a massive Art Deco clock, Governor Andrew Cuomo formally unveiled the new Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station Wednesday with an official—and socially distanced—ribbon-cutting ceremony. “This is a work of art that we don’t build anymore. It’s too breathtaking and ambitious to ask, ‘Can we really do that?’ Many doubters said it …

Politico reports: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attacked the House-passed bill increasing stimulus checks to $2,000 on Wednesday afternoon, likely dooming the prospects of boosting direct payments as the 116th Congress comes to an end. The Kentucky Republican said the House’s proposal is too generous for higher earners and “does not align with what President [Donald] Trump has suggested, which …

Reuters reports: Canada will soon require that air travelers test negative for COVID-19 before arrival, federal ministers said on Wednesday, after social media images of maskless tourists prompted a call for stricter measures to curb the virus. “Canada will quickly implement the requirement for all arriving passengers to have a negative PCR COVID test three days before arriving in Canada,” …

The Hill reports: Republican Sen. Pat Toomey (Pa.) on Tuesday evening announced he would object to a request to swiftly pass House-approved legislation to increase the amount of direct stimulus checks to $2,000. Toomey is one of several Republican senators who would object to such a request, including Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), according to a Senate …

Politico reports: Congress’ attending physician informed lawmakers Monday night that two staffers in every House member and senator’s personal offices are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine. In addition, the Office of the Attending Physician is offering the vaccine to four staffers of every committee chair and every ranking committee member. The announcement, a memo from Brian Monahan to …