Today's Top Political and Coronavirus News Compilation - Friday, December 18, 2020

Below are some of the top political news stories of the day:



U.S. Congress passes stopgap funding bill to avoid government shutdown
The U.S. Congress on Friday passed and sent to President Donald Trump a two-day stopgap extension of existing federal funds to avoid a midnight government shutdown, as negotiators work on a $900 billion coronavirus aid bill and a $1.4 trillion government-wide spending bill through September 2021.

Moderna COVID-19 vaccine gets U.S. authorization, second in 8 days

Pro-Trump shakeups continue at VOA’s parent agency

Congress stumbles over Covid relief and passes two-day bill to avert shutdown

Judge skewers GOP over suit targeting newly registered voters in Georgia

US says it is shuttering last 2 consulates in Russia

US cyber-attack: US energy department confirms it was hit by Sunburst hack

Obamacare sign ups increase for first time under Trump

Senators introduce bipartisan bill further restricting pornographic content on the internet

FBI Briefs Reps. Pelosi, McCarthy on Rep. Swalwell's Ties to Suspected Chinese Spy

Lawmakers ask IRS if its systems were compromised in SolarWinds hack

FAA punished whistleblowers, protected industry and covered up flaws, Senate report says
Trump signs bill that could kick Chinese firms off U.S. stock exchanges

Joe Biden visits graves of first wife and baby daughter on 48th anniversary of car crash

Early signs of a US government hack emerged months ago but were inconclusive

A voice never heard before: The historic significance behind Biden's interior secretary pick

Democratic senator claims some GOP members ‘are bordering on sedition and treason’

Ossoff makes closing pitch to rural Black voters

Federal Reserve fight imperils relief talks

Analyst behind Antrim audit expects disclosure that will 'change' playing field

Pelosi, McConnell get COVID-19 vaccine, urge others to do so

Congress working on two-day funding extension hours before government shutdown
Trump doles out plum appointments to allies in final weeks of presidency

How did Russia-linked government hack go unreported for 9 months?

Congress hits new snag on Covid relief as shutdown deadline looms

Michigan House of Representatives passes bills aimed at limiting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's power

Threat of another government shutdown hangs over Washington as Covid relief talks drag on

High court rules challenge to Trump census plan is premature

GOP senator blocks bill to provide $1,200 stimulus checks

Barr: No 'sign of improper CIA activity' surrounding Russia investigation

Last-minute fight over the Fed’s lending powers is hampering Covid stimulus deal

Trump, targeting McConnell and top Republicans, urges them to 'get tougher' in election fight

Five stark measures show rising American suffering as Congress stalls on aid

Tensions rise in Capitol as aid negotiations drag on

Supreme Court throws out challenge to Trump census plan to exclude undocumented immigrants

Warren re-ups bill to ban stock trading by lawmakers

How Trump and past presidents have wielded the presidential pardon

Sen. Dick Durbin says alleged Russian hack 'virtually a declaration of war'

Biden team expresses concern over 'abrupt halt' in cooperation with Pentagon

Trump's Future: Tons of Cash and Plenty of Options for Spending It - NY Times

Lawyers: 2nd US inmate scheduled to be executed has COVID-19

Trump's vaccine timeline is off — by a lot, Biden advisers say. Some may wait until end of summer.

Strzok text spurs debate on how FBI began Russia inquiry

Trump appoints 1776 Commission members in last-minute bid to advance 'patriotic education'

2020 May Be The Hottest Year On Record. Here's The Damage It Did

Meghan McCain hits Trump over attacks on father: 'You have disgraced the office of the presidency'

Russia hack claims: What is the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)?

Trump likely to be president with fewest pardons in a century

Washington Monument closed after interior secretary's positive COVID-19 test

Biden fills out incoming communications team with campaign veterans
Live updates Pelosi and McConnell spoke this afternoon in an effort to close out deal on relief package
Google antitrust case won't go to trial until 2023

Prosecutors say no bail stiff enough for accused Epstein madam Ghislaine Maxwell

Say goodbye to 2020, a historic and consequential year in politics

Top GOP senator: Relief deal unlikely before government funding set to expire

With Biden's Boost, 2 Obama Veterans Are 'Ready To Run' Climate Efforts

Biden vows to impose 'costs' for Russian aggression when he becomes president

AOC accuses Republicans of holding people 'hostage' by blocking stimulus payments

Tensions flare between Pentagon, Biden team over transition meetings

White House press secretary says sensationalism drives too many journalists

Biden may time confirmation votes to protect House majority

Obama appears in three campaign ads for Warnock in Georgia

As Trump weighs pardons, GOP divided on whether Snowden should receive one

For years, the Pentagon sits on racial discrimination survey data

Pence, top congressional leaders get COVID-19 vaccines

Five states sue EPA over rule limiting pesticide safety enforcement

McCarthy to be briefed by FBI on Swalwell ties to China spy: 'I will not give up'
Texas court: Compensate man wrongly convicted in cop's death

North Korean plant may be building nuclear components, report finds

Donald Trump's presidency by the numbers

Trey Gowdy rips Biden comments defending son Hunter: 'The United States Attorney's office is not foul play'
344 Nigerian schoolboys freed days after being abducted, official says

Flu numbers are down this year due to higher vaccination rates amid COVID pandemic

Senators push to keep tech liability shield out of UK trade agreement

Trump remains silent as massive cyber hack poses 'grave risk' to government

Biden says he is not concerned about accusations against son Hunter

Flynn: Trump could use 'military, 'rerun' election in swing states

Early voting changes in Georgia counties are suppressing turnout, advocates warn

Trump stays on sidelines as vaccine injections begin

Google hit with new antitrust lawsuit from 38 state attorneys general

The CDC banned evictions for those affected by Covid. Why are tenants being thrown out on the street?

Trump fights for a job that he's not doing as coronavirus rages

Biden's inauguration will be virtual. So why is he fundraising for it?

Biden inaugural committee under fire for soliciting corporate donations

Graham vows to hold Dems, media accountable over Hunter Biden: 'We're not going to sweep this under the rug'

Microsoft identifies more than 40 organizations targeted in massive cyber breach

Suspected Russian hacking campaign has been ongoing since March, Microsoft says

How the state and local budget crisis got left behind in the stimulus talks, losing out to $600 checks - BI

US Navy to be ‘more assertive’ in countering China in Pacific

Transition stumbles test Biden’s bond with Capitol Hill

Warnock slams Loeffler over delay in another round of COVID-19 stimulus checks

Exclusive-U.S. to blacklist dozens of Chinese firms including SMIC, sources say

Biden tells Stephen Colbert he has "great confidence" in Hunter
Microsoft says it found malicious software in its systems

What you need to know about the federal cyber hack

Stephen Colbert asks Biden about wanting to go 'full Corn Pop' on wife's doctorate critics

Virginia gubernatorial candidate says ‘Trump should declare martial law’

Democrats ask of Biden’s health team: Who’s in charge?

Mar-a-Lago neighbors say Trump forfeited right to live on estate once presidency ends

READ: Deb Haaland's official statement on historic nomination to Interior secretary

How Trump made 2020 the Year of Disinformation

Mayor apologizes for botched home raid

Omar says her father died of coronavirus because of Trump's 'criminal neglect'

As pandemic rages across U.S., Congress scrambles to reach relief deal

Biden picks Regan for EPA nominee, Haaland for interior head

Tom Cotton: Biden should hold press conference on Hunter business affairs

Kathleen Rice picked over Ocasio-Cortez for spot on House Energy and Commerce committee

US under cyber attack believed to be tied to Russia: Private sector, infrastructure, all levels of government at risk

US agencies investigating hack

GOP senator in critical race refuses to answer question 9 times

LIVE UPDATES: Georgia Senate race turns for final stretch

Los Angeles mayor says turned down job in Biden administration

Jill Biden was blindsided by Wall Street Journal call to drop 'Dr.' title: 'It was really the tone of it'

'One of the things I'm most proud of is my doctorate': Jill Biden responds to WSJ op-ed

Nearly 76K Georgians registered to vote ahead of Senate runoffs

Deb Haaland: Historic Native American 'pick for Biden cabinet'

Facebook and Apple are in a fight. Your browsing history is in the middle

Joe Biden claims ‘foul play’ while defending son Hunter but says he’s ‘not concerned

Michigan reinstates pandemic-related moratorium on water shutoffs

US cybersecurity agency warns suspected Russian hacking campaign broader than previously believed

Fiji says two dead as powerful cyclone tears across Pacific nation

Nigerian official: More than 300 abducted schoolboys freed

Justice Gorsuch says Kentucky governor should face judicial review in dissent on religious schools case

Biden: Hunter tax investigation being 'used to get to me'

Tracking Biden's Cabinet picks as the incoming administration takes shape

Oil retreats from 9-month high as COVID-19 surge stokes demand fears

Beyond the no-knock: Push to reform police tactics

The stock market will face a big test early in 2021 with the Georgia runoffs

House Democratic majority will be 3-vote margin after Biden picks Haaland for interior post

West Virginia lawmakers push jail reform in response to Reuters data on inmate deaths

Biden cabinet: Does this new team better reflect America?

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom could have emergency powers taken away

Asia shares retreat from record, but U.S. stimulus hopes buoy market mood

Deadly snowstorm to be followed by freezing temperatures in Northeast: Latest

Feds bust drug ring they say used fraternities to supply students at UNC and Duke

Hill leaders struggle to finalize deal amid looming shutdown threat

Garcetti to be deposed in sexual harassment lawsuit of former aide

US cyber attack: 'Grave risk' for private sector, infrastructure, federal government

Pence to head overseas Jan. 6 hours after formally declaring Biden the presidential victor

GCC summit to be held on January 5: Kuwait minister

Congress set to blow past shutdown deadline amid coronavirus talks

James Baker blasts U.S. recognition of Moroccan claims to Western Sahara

6 Suspects Indicted In Alleged Conspiracy To Kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Landlords are running out of money. 'We don't get unemployment'

Coronavirus News and Updates:

Newly Released COVID-19 Data Show Most U.S. Cities Are 'Sustained Hotspots'
Apple shuts some California stores as coronavirus cases spike

Essential workers should get coronavirus vaccine before the elderly, experts tell NYT
Alaska's Iditarod sled-dog race rerouted due to COVID-19 pandemic
Coronavirus live updates: Pence, Pelosi, McConnell get Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine

Pfizer Says Millions Of Vaccine Doses Are Ready, But States Say Shipments Were Cut
Comparing the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines

While many states are still battling a ferocious spread, others are loosening restrictions

Chart: COVID-19 Is Now Leading Killer In 5 Latin American Nations

SCOTUS justices to be provided with COVID-19 vaccines
Why are authorized monoclonal antibodies rarely being used to treat COVID-19 ?

Moderna vaccine ready for its 'first rodeo'

News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch receives COVID-19 vaccine in UK

Some Americans aren't rushing to get a COVID vaccine. Here's why you don't need to wait.

FDA plans to OK 2nd COVID-19 vaccine after panel endorsement

COVID-19 surge pushes U.S. hospitals to brink as 2nd vaccine nears approval

Pelosi, McConnell to get vaccine, urge members to do same

Australia imposes border curbs as Sydney virus cluster grows; Christmas travel chaos

Coronavirus live updates: Congress to have access to vaccine starting now

Fact check: What's true and what's false about the COVID-19 vaccine

First Coronavirus Vaccine Doses Administered In Hard Hit Indigenous Communities

Biden adviser Cedric Richmond tests positive for coronavirus

Latest news on the pandemic / Follow live

Sen. Daines, who helped secure $10B in vaccine funding, calls Moderna approval 'early Christmas present'

FDA chief says 'rapidly' working to issue Moderna vaccine authorization

HHS secretary tells staff: My wife is sick with Covid

Southern California's ICU capacity falls to zero as state sets new records

California Activates 'Mass Fatality' Program As State Sets New Virus Records

Azar tells Health Department staff his wife has COVID-19: 'Mild symptoms but otherwise doing well'

Trials show two doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine provoked good immune response

Anti-vaxxers laid the bait and the media took it: Misinformation spreads on local news

Babies born to COVID-19 mothers have antibodies, Singapore study finds

LA mayor in self-quarantine after daughter's positive COVID-19 test

A beloved teacher wore an oxygen mask for virtual classes before she lost her battle with Covid-19

China to vaccinate 50 million people for Lunar New Year - SCMP

How Will Moderna Meet The Demand For Its COVID-19 Vaccine?

Employers can bar unvaccinated employees from the workplace, EEOC says

8 nuns die of COVID-19 at Milwaukee retirement home in one week