Your Daily Roundup for December 18th

Good morning. As the COVID-19 pandemic takes a toll on life in America, our team at Future Majority is tracking the latest updates: 

1 million cases in 5 days:

It took only five days for confirmed cases of COVID-19 to jump from 16 million to 17 million -- a record over the course of the pandemic. Over the past seven days, there has been an average of 200,000 new daily cases, with hospitalizations and deaths also reaching a peak this week. As families gather for the holidays, health experts warn that it will likely only get worse. The acceleration in cases comes as the federal government is poised to reach a deal on COVID-19 relief after months of inaction with tens of millions of Americans struggling to make rent payments, out of work, and unable to feed their families.

Vice President Pence received his COVID-19 vaccine before the public:

In a televised White House event this morning, Vice President Mike Pence, Second Lady Karen Pence, and U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The administration set up the event to “promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and build confidence among the American people” amidst public opinion surveys that showed widespread skepticism about the safety of vaccines thanks to misinformation online. President-elect Joe Biden will receive his vaccine on camera next week.

Moderna’s vaccine was given the thumbs up by an FDA panel:

The COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna was endorsed by an independent panel of experts advising the FDA. Emergency use authorization is expected to come from the agency as soon as today, marking the second approved vaccine in the United States and vastly increasing the supply. Approval would instantly allow for the shipment of 6 million doses of the vaccine this weekend.