WTF Just Happened Today

Friday, December 11, 2020

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1/ The White House ordered the FDA commissioner to grant emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine by the end of the day or resign. An FDA panel of outside advisers recommended that the agency grant emergency use authorization yesterday, and signoff was expected this weekend. Following White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows’s call with Stephen Hahn, the FDA accelerated its timetable for approving America’s first vaccine from Saturday morning to later Friday, saying “it will rapidly work toward finalization and issuance of an emergency use authorization.” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, meanwhile, said the Trump administration informed Pfizer that they “intend to proceed towards an authorization for their vaccine.” (Washington Post / CNN / ABC News / Politico / The Guardian / CBS News / Axios)

• ???? Dept. of “We Have It Totally Under Control.”

• Global: Total confirmed cases: ~70,059,000; deaths: ~1,591,000

• U.S.: Total confirmed cases: ~15,783,000; deaths: ~295,000

• Source: Johns Hopkins University

• Live Blogs: New York Times / Washington Post / The Guardian / CNN / ABC News / NBC News / CNBC

2/ Trump called the FDA “a big, old, slow turtle” for not approving a COVID-19 vaccine faster, while pressuring Commissioner Stephen Hahn to “get the dam vaccines out NOW.” Trump added: “Stop playing games and start saving lives!!!” Hahn, however, has repeatedly said the agency will not approve a vaccine that has not been proven safe and effective. (New York Times / Washington Post)

• Devin Nunes tested positive for COVID-19. Test results for the California Republican’s cow, however, were unavailable. (Axios)

3/ The coronavirus will kill more people in the United States every day for the next 60 to 90 days than died on Sept. 11 or Pe...

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