Today's Top Political and Coronavirus News Compilation - Wednesday, December 16, 2020

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

Sweeping COVID-19, spending deal hits speed bumps
Negotiations over a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill are running into 11th-hour snags, threatening to push Congress into a rare weekend session.

Trump-Biden transition live updates: Biden formally introduces Pete Buttigieg

Texas, other states bring antitrust lawsuit against Google
Congress close to COVID-19 relief deal that includes stimulus checks for Americans

IAEA chief says nuclear security risks increased under Trump, urges Biden to re-engage

Defying Trump, McConnell Seeks to Squelch Bid to Overturn the Election - NY Times
Senate Republican pursues baseless election fraud claims as Trump tweets approval

Sen. Lindsey Graham calls for special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden

'It's turned crazy': Inside the scramble for Trump pardons

House Dems cope with Biden administration pilfering from slim majority

Schiff calls for 'urgent' work to defend nation in the wake of massive cyberattack

'Conspiracy theories and lies': Dems cry foul as GOP airs unsupported election claims

What to know about the four Georgia Senate candidates

Biden will keep using U.S. sanctions weapon but with sharper aim - sources

Al Sharpton accuses Loeffler of 'vile fearmongering' for calling Warnock a 'radical liberal'
Barr departing Justice Department following tenure packed with controversy

How Secession Became America’s Favorite Idle Threat

Federal judge strikes down Ohio policy prohibiting transgender people from correcting their birth certificate

GOP Trump dilemma doesn't end with Electoral College

House chairman to press ahead for McGahn testimony in new year

Georgia Sec. of State says Trump lost because GOP 'got outworked'

Buttigieg says 'the eyes of history' are on his appointment as transportation secretary

Dutch prosecutors have found a hacker did successfully log in to Donald Trump's Twitter account by guessing his password - "MAGA2020!"

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

Lara Trump's potential Senate candidacy does little to scare away Republican challengers in North Carolina

Biden picks Mallory to lead White House Council on Environmental Quality

Harris tells Gavin Newsom Senate pick is his decision to make

More than two-thirds of undocumented immigrant workers have jobs "essential" to Covid fight, says study

Former Trump appointee encouraged herd immunity strategy for Covid-19, internal emails reveal

Biden transition team deletes old ad hammering Buttigieg's lack of experience

Special Report-As more women fill America’s jails, medical tragedies mount

Negotiators near agreement on COVID-19 economic aid bill

Party leaders back another short-term funding bill — if needed

MAGA world slams McConnell for congratulating Biden

Mar-a-Lago neighbors want Trump to go elsewhere after he leaves the White House

Montana Sen. Jon Tester says Democrats' message to rural voters is 'really, really flawed'

Long shot Newsom recall drive gets serious in California

Paycheck-To-Paycheck Nation: Why Even Americans With Higher Incomes Struggle To Pay Bills
Lawmakers in 11th-hour negotiations on COVID-19 relief

Massachusetts accuses stock trading app Robinhood of predatory marketing

'He's still breathing': New body camera footage shows moments after Ahmaud Arbery shooting

Wisconsin Rep.-elect Fitzgerald, longtime state legislator, says thin Democrat majority 'game-changer' for GOP

Paul: Courts have not decided facts on election results

McConnell sets stage for new face-off with Biden after delivering blow to Trump's election fantasy

Supreme Court takes up NCAA antitrust dispute over compensation for college athletes

D.C. Passes Bill to Give Young Offenders Chance at Reduced Sentences

Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos invest in hydrogen-powered plane

Pelosi backs Haaland for Interior despite slim majority

Stimulus checks part of looming COVID-19 relief deal as Congress finalizes negotiations

‘If not one thing, it’s another’: Storm rolls into Northeast

Sen. Johnson blasts Democratic Sen. Peters after two spar during election fraud hearing

There are 3 Japantowns left in America. But they could be on the verge of vanishing.

Congressional panel announces guest limits at Biden inauguration

Landmark ruling blames air pollution for 9-year-old girl's death

Black And Up In Arms

California woman admits scam to obtain $500,000 in COVID-19 benefits

DeSantis amps up threat to beat back Covid-19 fines on restaurants

At Georgia rally, Biden touts Ossoff and Warnock, slams GOP incumbents

Biden To Name Gina McCarthy, Former EPA Chief, As Domestic Climate Coordinator

Suspected al-Shabaab operative charged in 9/11 style hijacking plot; trained as pilot

Some advisers urge Trump not to veto defense bill: source

'Vote like your lives depend on it': Biden makes urgent plea in Georgia Senate races
Judge rules Trump Org must turn over documents to NY AG as part of probe

Texas files antitrust lawsuit against Google

Pelosi says members must wear a mask when speaking on the House floor

Biden taps Buttigieg for transportation, Granholm for energy

Trump campaign asks supporters if the President should run in 2024

Slew of federal departments issue rule to protect faith-based grant recipients

Inside Biden's Struggle to Manage Factions in the Democratic Party - NY Times

Buttigieg would make history if confirmed as Biden's transportation secretary

'It really is over now': The 24 hours that likely thwarted Trump's effort to overturn the election

Dominion CEO: Report on Antrim voting equipment 'incomprehensible'

Lindsey Graham slams calls to pardon Snowden, says he ‘has American blood on his hands’

DeVos urges career staff to ‘be the resistance’ as Biden takes over

Congress closes in on COVID-19 relief, funding deal

Factbox: The Biden Cabinet - president-elect fills out his team

LIVE UPDATES: Georgia Democrat Ossoff says ICE should enforce workplace protections for illegal immigrants

What We Know About Russia's Latest Alleged Hack Of The U.S. Government

How Biden Can Move His Economic Agenda Without Congress - NY Times

Dozens of members of Congress call on Biden to end the federal death penalty

'I do not feel safe': Kansas GOP mayor resigns after threats over backing mask mandate

Trump considering push for special prosecutor to investigate Hunter Biden

Pompeo applauds Barr's loyalty to Trump following AG's resignation

Biden administration needs bipartisan solutions for older Americans, lawmakers say

Harris to ABC’s Robin Roberts: 'I applaud Mitch McConnell for talking to Joe Biden

Trump voters accept Biden victory ‘with reservations’

Ron Johnson gambles his political future on Trump

Low-income U.S. households are spending savings quicker than high earners: study

New York Gov. Cuomo signs Protect Our Courts Act prohibiting ICE from making arrests in state courthouses

LGBTQ groups celebrate Buttigieg pick for Transportation secretary

Here's *just* how much Congress tweeted in 2020

McConnell warns GOP off Electoral College brawl in Congress

Hack may have exposed deep US secrets; damage yet unknown

Will Jeffrey Rosen, William Barr's Replacement, Withstand White House Pressure?

AOC responds ‘Sex work is work,’ to report of NYC paramedic posting racy photos for cash

U.S. Congressional leaders report progress in talks for fresh COVID-19 aid

Biden to tap former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm for energy secretary

Fashion magnate Peter Nygard charged in sex trafficking scheme, including minors
Longtime GOP strategist Steve Schmidt announces he's registering Democrat

Biden blasts Georgia's GOP senators, saying they 'stood by' as Trump tried to undo state's election results

Biden deputy chief of staff turns air blue with choice words for GOP

Michigan Oversight Committees subpoena election equipment and communications

Sexism still rife in Hollywood despite #MeToo uproar, survey finds

Report: Federal execution numbers top states’ for 1st time

Hackers used SolarWinds' dominance against it in sprawling spy campaign

Forget red or blue, Gavin Newsom recall organizer says effort is a ‘citizen tide’

Barr exit hints at further tumult under Trump

Biden’s Congress Whisperer

Over 250,000 abused in New Zealand’s state and faith-based care

17 House GOP members send letter to Pelosi urging Swalwell's removal from Intel Committee

Poll: Despite Record Turnout, 80 Million Americans Didn't Vote. Here's Why

How McConnell and the GOP let Trump down gently

AZ state senator subpoenas Maricopa County for audits
Trump administration rolls back efficiency standards for showerheads, washers and dryers

MacKenzie Scott gives away $4.2bn in four months

Linda Sarsour, too radical for Joe Biden, to campaign for Ossoff and Warnock in Georgia Senate race

After Electoral College vote, White House says Trump still involved in legal challenge

The Taiwan ‘prize’ and the US-China rivalry in the Pacific

MacKenzie Scott gives away $4.1 billion in pandemic charity spree

Former police captain charged after conducting alleged 'civilian' voter fraud investigation

Tom Cruise yells at 'Mission: Impossible' crew over breaking COVID-19 rules in leaked audio

Coronavirus News and Updates:

Coronavirus live updates: State shatters new daily case record

Vaccinations reach nursing homes as California faces crisis

FDA says Pfizer vaccine vials hold extra doses, expanding supply

Biden expected to get coronavirus vaccination early next week

At Houston Hospital, Head Of COVID-19 Unit, Sees Some Staff Wary Of A Vaccine

Ex-POWs the first vets to get COVID vaccine at Alabama VA hospital
U.S. could get additional Pfizer vaccine doses by summer

Cuomo says 80,000 doses of coronavirus vaccine will go to NY nursing homes
Daily U.S. COVID-19 deaths again top 3,000 as officials scurry to distribute vaccine
You may feel lousy after getting the coronavirus vaccine. Experts say that's OK

Covid: WHO to investigate virus origins in China's Wuhan

Tyson Foods Fires 7 Plant Managers Over Betting Ring On Workers Getting COVID-19

‘We want them infected’: Trump appointee demanded ‘herd immunity’ strategy, emails reveal

U.S. lawmakers press prison authorities on inmate COVID-19 vaccination plans

New York begins vaccinating health care workers

Health officials track safety as COVID-19 vaccines roll out

Some vaccine doses kept too cold, Pfizer having manufacturing issues, U.S. officials say

Member of Biden’s transition press corps tests positive for coronavirus

Alaska health care worker has serious allergic reaction after taking Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

U.S. agency says employers should tread carefully in mandating COVID-19 vaccines

AP Interview: Flattening curve wasn’t enough for New Zealand

Fauci Predicts U.S. Could See Signs Of Herd Immunity By Late March Or Early April

A pandemic atlas: How COVID-19 took over the world in 2020

State Department receiving limited number of coronavirus vaccines this week
Moderna nears U.S. authorization for COVID-19 shot with FDA staff endorsement

Trump-Biden divide hampers Covid vaccine trust-building effort

Live updates Study: Vaccines may not reach a quarter of the world until 2022

COVID-19 vaccine trials report cases of brief facial paralysis. That's not as scary as it sounds.

Pfizer vaccine research chief says fight against COVID-19 is personal

Covid-19: Germany introduces new restrictions amid rise in cases

California orders 5,000 body bags, refrigerated trucks on standby as COVID surges

Follow live / Pfizer vaccine administered across the U.S.

Pence likely to get the coronavirus vaccine by Friday

'There’s a job to be done': New Zealand's leader explains success against Covid-19

Poll: Americans Are Growing Less Reluctant To Take COVID-19 Vaccine

Comparing the Moderna and Pfizer coronavirus vaccines