Today's Top Political and Coronavirus News Compilation - Monday, December 7, 2020

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


Stefani Reynolds / Bloomberg via Getty Images

Congress eyes one-week stopgap, buying time for Covid relief talks before shutdown
Bipartisan talks continue on virus aid and funding the government.

Biden to nominate retired Army general Lloyd Austin as defense secretary, the first Black man to hold the role

'We don't have to talk about him anymore': In Georgia, Dems relegate Trump's fraud claims to sideshow status

Immigration officials restore DACA and start accepting first-time applications following court order

Social Security Administration is preparing to bar 500,000 Americans from getting benefits

Loeffler and Warnock offer different stances on COVID-19 restrictions for religious gatherings

Trump administration pushes back on report that it declined to buy more Pfizer vaccine doses

Special Counsel to Trump: Punish Navarro for Hatch Act violations

House conservatives urge Trump not to concede and press for floor fight over election loss
Experts doubt Supreme Court intervention before 'safe harbor' deadline

Steakhouses, Hill bars and ski trips: GOP carries on amid the pandemic

Lawmakers face hurdles to COVID relief deal

Flynn judge grants long list of briefs, signaling quick dismissal not happening after Trump pardon

Cruz explains why he agreed to argue Pa. election case if Supreme Court takes it up

'Nothing but speculation and conjecture': Judge swats down GOP lawsuit to decertify Biden's Michigan win

GOP lawmaker calls for a ban on stylized masks on the House floor

McConnell says Senate will pass defense bill despite veto threat

Lawmakers vow to override Trump veto of defense bill

PA House speaker: Trump called to talk about election law

Civilians killed in airstrikes in Afghanistan soars by more than 300%

12 more uncounted ballots found in ultra-tight House race in New York
Does Trump have power to pardon himself? It's complicated

PA House speaker: Trump called to talk about election law

Goya CEO: AOC named 'employee of the month' after boycott

Biden picks thorn in Trump's side as new health secretary

Biden's HHS pick Xavier Becerra has a 'Me Too' case connection to Kamala Harris

Biden's reliance on retired military brass sets off alarm bells

House lawmakers say they will cut holiday short to override possible Trump veto of defense bill

Clyburn to lead Biden inaugural committee alongside new co-chairs

Christchurch massacre: Inquiry finds failures ahead of attack

Pilot Chuck Yeager Dies At 97, Had 'The Right Stuff' And Then Some

Maya Harris aided effort to boost husband's attorney general bid

Agents raid home of ousted Florida health scientist who accused state of manipulating data

'Amtrak Joe' could arrive for his inauguration by train

Democrats suffer from mixed messages on socialism

Pompeos spent over $40K in taxpayer funds for State Dept dinners

Second U.S. judge blocks Commerce restrictions on TikTok

What 'safe harbor day' is and why it's bad news for Trump

Federal judges reject 2 more cases from pro-Trump lawyer: 'This ship has sailed

The Latest: Biden names prominent allies as inaugural chairs

Jim Jordan: 'No way' Trump should concede

Loeffler-Warnock debate caps big weekend in Georgia

Georgia reaffirms Biden's victory for 3rd time after recount, dealing major blow to Trump's attempt to overturn the results

Judge dismisses lawsuit to overturn Biden's Georgia win

Republicans slam Biden's HHS pick Becerra as 'disaster for California'

Trump brings GOP along in dangerous final acts: The Note

Biden Administration: Here's Who Has Been Named So Far

Warren signals concerns about bipartisan coronavirus framework

The Trump campaign legal efforts may be coming to an end, sources say

Arizona legislature closes as Trump lawyers push for special session to pick electors
Top White House trade adviser violated Hatch Act, watchdog finds

Biden’s Cabinet isn’t a dream for progressives. But it’s far from a nightmare.

Trump says his attorney Giuliani is doing well, does not have fever

No 'mystery ballots' hidden under table in Fulton County, Georgia investigator swears in affidavit

Democrats' push to investigate Trump won't stop when he leaves office

Georgia secretary of state says he will recertify election results after recount

Federal judge rejects Michigan GOP push to decertify election results

Millions of hungry Americans turn to food banks for 1st time

U.S. green groups say honeymoon is over, turn up heat on Biden

The Point: 88% of House and Senate Republicans refuse to publicly acknowledge the obvious: Joe Biden won

Congress looks for last-minute Covid relief deal as benefits cliff looms

Oil slips as gloom grows over soaring COVID-19 cases, lockdowns

Senate gears up for battle over Barr's new special counsel

Barr intends to stay on as attorney general 'as long as the president needs him': source

Trump administration declines to tighten U.S. soot pollution standard - source

Fact-checking Georgia's senatorial debate between Loeffler and Warnock

Georgia leaders reject Trump's push to overturn election results

Facing empty lectern, Jon Ossoff calls David Perdue a 'coward' for skipping another Georgia Senate debate

5 takeaways from Loeffler, Warnock GA Senate debate
4 takeaways from the Georgia Senate debate

Biden's HHS pick Becerra sued the Trump admin more than 100 times as California AG: Here are some of his cases

Michigan secretary of state says armed protesters gathered outside her home

China removes TripAdvisor, 104 other apps from stores under cleansing campaign

Pompeo to speak in Georgia as Senate run-offs loom

Aides speculate if Trump will travel to Mar-a-Lago for holidays and never return

Lawmaker introduces bill to ensure people are alive when they vote

Vilsack emerges as Biden's top choice for USDA

Georgia’s curious concatenation

Michigan Secretary of State says armed protesters gathered outside her home

Georgia high school students call on peers to register to vote ahead of Senate runoffs: "Why wouldn't you?"

Federal judge rejects Michigan Republicans' effort to decertify election results

Giuliani's maskless tour may have spread COVID as well as lies

U.S. Supreme Court rejects challenge to transgender student accommodations

Clock ticking on stimulus, spending talks

Trump ratchets up pace of executions before Biden inaugural

'Honeymoon is not over' between Biden and progressives

Sidney Powell 'Kraken' lawsuit dismissed in Georgia after defeat in Michigan

Trump adviser Navarro violated law against political activity: federal watchdog

First lady reveals new White House tennis pavilion

Trump critic: I am not afraid of Trump

US sanctions 14 China officials over Hong Kong crackdown

U.S. Congress heads to defense bill showdown with Trump over Big Tech

Big-business CEO optimism now above historical averages

Joe Biden's approval rating is already higher than Trump's has ever been, a new poll has found - BI

Supreme Court sidelines case against bathroom access for transgender students

Biden names health team to fight pandemic, California's Becerra in leading post

US senator seeks update on contractor taken in Afghanistan

Trump's pandemic blindness and election denial darken America's desperate winter

Trump gives Medal of Freedom to wrestling legend Dan Gable

Eviction looms for struggling US renters as stimulus talks drag

'Organized chaos': Inauguration Day move into the White House for Bidens complicated by COVID-19

Cuomo warns indoor dining in New York City will be banned if hospitalizations don't stabilize soon

Live Updates: Kelly Loeffler calls Raphael Warnock a 'radical liberal' during Georgia Senate debate

U.S. saw summer of Black Lives Matter protests demanding change

Republicans prod angry base to turn out again for Georgia runoffs

EU tells UK's Johnson to decide as time runs out for Brexit deal

Mystery illness lands over 300 people in the hospital in southern India

Mastercard, Visa reviewing relationship with Pornhub after allegations of videos showing rape, underage sex

California sheriff refuses to enforce stay-at-home orders: It 'doesn't pass 'constitutional test'

Iran says 'smart satellite-controlled machine gun' killed top nuclear scientist

Congress faces a government shutdown if a spending deal isn't reached this week

Bob Woodward to write book on end of Trump presidency

Ethiopia’s Abiy denies ‘insurgency’ emerging in Tigray

83% of Republicans don't believe Joe Biden won the 2020 election, new poll says

Warnock under fire for not condemning socialism at debate

Hong Kong arrests eight more activists as crackdown on opposition shows no sign of let-up

Bob Dylan sells entire 60-year catalog to Universal Music

Business economists predict full U.S. recovery before 2022

Holocaust victims suing Germany and Hungary have their day at the Supreme Court on Monday

Coast Guard backs nominees amid concerns over tweets, leadership

CIA officer suffered crippling symptoms in Moscow. Was it 'Havana Syndrome'?

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: 'Machine-gun with AI' used to kill Iran scientist

Mexican authorities make $62M drug bust miles south of US border

Former Sen. Paul Sarbanes, who helped lead financial regulatory reform, has died

Coronavirus News and Updates:

Coronavirus live updates: Trump admin passed when Pfizer offered more vaccine doses

Biden’s health team offers glimpse of his COVID-19 strategy

Race heats up for workers getting early access to COVID-19 vaccine

'Epitome of COVID-19 irresponsibility': Giuliani potentially exposed lawmakers, others in multiple states

Californians endure another lockdown as COVID-19 patients overwhelm hospitals

New COVID-19 Data Release Shows Where Hospitals Around The Country Are Filling Up

U.S. CDC reports 281,253 deaths from coronavirus

President Trump to hold White House COVID-19 summit as pressure mounts for FDA vaccine approval

Husband of Colorado governor taken to hospital for COVID-19

Hailing 'turning point', Britain begins roll-out of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine
Latest news on the pandemic / Follow Live
Trump to sign coronavirus vaccine executive order prioritizing Americans over foreign nations

Vaccine airlift delivers shot in the arm for airlines

Trump Officials Push Ambitious Vaccine Timeline as California Locks Down - NY Times

Fauci: Christmas could be worse than Thanksgiving for COVID-19 spread

South Korea's Health Minister Describes Seoul As A 'COVID-19 War Zone'
Former Alabama senator dies of Covid, in his last words warns, 'We messed up'

Canada set to receive first doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine before end of year

Over half of NYC firefighters would refuse COVID-19 vaccine, survey finds

Most of California under strict new lockdown as cases surge

"Wear a mask" tops list of 2020 quotes

California bans private gatherings amid record COVID-19 surge

Biden Names Massachusetts Doctor to Lead CDC

U.S. AstraZeneca vaccine trial will clear confusion on how well it works - U.S. scientist

Years of research laid groundwork for speedy COVID-19 shots

UK readies for 'V-Day,' its 1st shots in war on coronavirus

Anti-vaccine doctor to testify before Senate panel

Turkey sets new record for daily COVID-19 deaths: Latest updates

California becomes biggest U.S. state to launch virus contact-tracing app

COVID-19 vaccine could be administered as early as Friday

Stephanie Ruhle: My entire family's Covid diagnosis was a terrifying pandemic wake-up call