| | | | | |  | | By Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun | Presented by |  | | FIVE MEMBERS of the House and Senate have tested positive for the coronavirus in the last few days: Sen. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-Iowa) and Reps. ED PERLMUTTER (D-Colo.), CHERI BUSTOS (D-Ill.), DON YOUNG (R-Alaska) and TIM WALBERG (R-Mich.). So has Rep.-elect ASHLEY HINSON (R-Iowa). USA Today HERE WE GO! … "Pfizer and BioNTech to submit Covid-19 vaccine data to FDA as full results show 95% efficacy," by Stat's Damian Garde and Matthew Herper: "Pfizer and BioNTech announced Wednesday that the efficacy portion of their Covid-19 vaccine trial has been completed, showing the vaccine to prevent 95% of cases of the disease. "The companies said that they plan to submit to the Food and Drug Administration for an emergency use authorization 'within days,' and will also submit to regulatory agencies around the globe. … Pfizer said that no serious safety concerns related to the vaccine were reported in its study, which included 43,661 volunteers. BUT, BUT, BUT … "Inoculations by December? States aren't so sure," by Dan Goldberg and Rachel Roubein: "[I]nterviews with more than two dozen experts who work in pharmacies, rural clinics and public health, as well as state and local officials, reveal serious concerns that states may not be ready to distribute a vaccine by then. "There are unresolved logistical challenges, little federal guidance over who should be prioritized for vaccination, ongoing technical spats between states and the Trump administration, critical funding shortages, and a growing vaccine hesitancy that states need help overcoming. The incoming Biden administration cannot talk to federal agencies and does not know what problems the current leadership is most concerned with, leading some expert advisers to openly worry about access and distribution." CNBC'S MEG TIRRELL: "FDA said to plan early December advisory meetings to discuss Covid-19 vaccines ahead of potential authorization" THERE XI GOES -- "China's Sinovac reports mixed findings in early coronavirus vaccine trials," by WaPo's Eva Dou: "Sinovac Biotech, one of China's coronavirus vaccine front-runners, published mixed findings from its two first clinical trials Tuesday, raising the stakes in Indonesia, which has already declared plans to roll out Sinovac's vaccine. "While the vaccine appeared to be safe in these early clinical trials, the company reported that it generated lower levels of protective antibodies in the bloodstream compared with those arising in recovered coronavirus patients. In comparison, Moderna and Pfizer, which have separate experimental vaccines, had reported antibody levels on par with or higher than those produced in recovered coronavirus patients. These early results put Sinovac on the back foot to prove its vaccine is effective in ongoing Phase 3 trials." WaPo THE U.S. DEATH TOLL from Covid-19 has now topped 250,000, per the NBC tracker. D.C. MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER announced that NATS PARK will serve as a coronavirus testing site beginning Monday. (GEICO Garage, 2:30-7:30 p.m. Mon-Fri). DEMOCRATS officially nominated NANCY PELOSI as speaker and elected STENY HOYER majority leader and JIM CLYBURN majority whip this morning. More from Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle -- KATHERINE CLARK of Massachusetts beat DAVID CICILLINE of Rhode Island for the assistant speaker role. CLARK won 135-92. Good Wednesday afternoon. AXIOS' BARAK RAVID has DAN SHAPIRO potentially returning as ambassador to Israel for BIDEN. Axios | | A message from UnitedHealth Group: For more than 20 years, UnitedHealth Group has advocated for universal coverage. Learn more about three solutions that build on the existing system to cover 28 million more people. We're committed to leading in the development of a next-generation health care system. | | | ZACH MONTELLARO: "Trump requests partial recount in Wisconsin": "[T]he Trump campaign said it would request recounts in Milwaukee and Dane counties, which overwhelmingly backed Biden. … A recount of the entire state would've cost $7.9 million. "The Wisconsin Elections Commission tweeted it received a wire transfer of $3 million from the Trump campaign shortly before 11 a.m. Eastern but it had not yet received a petition from the campaign formally requesting the recount. The recount is exceedingly unlikely to change the results in Wisconsin." WHAT THEY'RE SAYING THIS MORNING … -- WHITE HOUSE COS MARK MEADOWS said the decision whether to move forward with a Covid relief bill will be made by the House and Senate. -- SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) said CHRIS KREBS -- who President DONALD TRUMP fired -- did a "really good job" at preventing foreign interference in the election. -- SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas) on KREBS' firing: "It's the president's prerogative, but I think it just adds to the confusion and chaos, and I'm sure I'm not the only one that would like some return to a little bit more of a -- I don't even know what's normal anymore. We'll call it the next normal -- it's not the new normal, it's the next normal." -- NBC'S GARRETT HAAKE asked CORNYN if TRUMP tweeting about fraud will further undermine trust in voting, and could undermine the GOP's chances in Georgia: "Well, I lost track … 72 million people voted for him. So I'm sure there are a lot of people who support this effort. … I'm confident that January the 20th, we'll have a peaceful transition of power and then that will be the next normal, whatever that turns out to be." ERIC GELLER: "Cyber agency tells employees not to 'lose focus' after Trump fires director" ALL EYES ON EMILY MURPHY -- "'It's a terrible situation': Inside a government bureaucrat's pressure-filled decision to delay the transition," by CNN's Kristen Holmes and Jeremy Herb: "General Services Administrator Emily Murphy is struggling with the weight of the presidential election being dropped on her shoulders, feeling like she's been put in a no-win situation, according to people who have spoken to her recently. This was never a position that Murphy thought she would find herself in, the people said. … "Facing mounting pressure from both sides, and even death threats, the sources say Murphy is working to interpret vague agency guidelines and follow what she sees as precedent to wait to sign off on the election result … Murphy's stalled sign-off is one of the more confounding decisions made since the election, since it's clear Biden won … Sources tell CNN she is basing her decision on what she sees as the precedent set by the 2000 election, where there was not a clear winner for more than a month." YIKES -- "The Nation's Top Election Official Has Overdosed on the Trump Kool-Aid," by The Daily Beast's Lachlan Markay: "Trey Trainor may not be a household name. But as head of the Federal Election Commission, he has oversight of the campaign finance system that underpins federal elections. And in recent days, he's been floating baseless election fraud conspiracy theories sourced entirely to a Trump attorney who believes the Fed is out to tank the American economy in order to enrich George Soros." Daily Beast | | | | DON'T MISS NEW EPISODES OF GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST: The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded in 2020 amid a global pandemic. Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. Subscribe for Season Two, available now. | | | | | THE TRANSITION -- "Add to Biden's transition challenges: Imposing Covid-19 precautions on cramped West Wing," by NBC's Carol Lee and Mike Memoli: "Biden's team is brainstorming ways to apply his coronavirus-conscious campaign practices to the presidency, several of his advisers said. Transition officials are trying to determine how — and how many — White House officials can physically work out of the West Wing while maintaining social distancing and other protocols the pandemic requires, the advisers said. … "Already, Biden's advisers have discussed what to do if he ever gets an invitation from Trump for the traditional White House visit before Inauguration Day. And given the multiple coronavirus outbreaks within Trump's White House and inner circle, they determined that it is likely that any such meeting would have to take place outdoors." NBC WEDNESDAY LISTEN -- ANNA spoke with the NRCC'S PARKER POLING in the latest Women Rule podcast about House Republicans' unexpected success in the 2020 election, how they were able to make some gains when it comes to adding more women to their ranks and much more. Subscribe and listen POST-MORTEM -- Rep. DEBBIE MUCARSEL-POWELL (D-Fla.), who lost her reelection bid, has an eight-tweet breakdown of where she thinks things went so wrong for Florida Dems and what they need to do next. The thread IMMIGRATION FILES -- CAITLIN DICKERSON (@itscaitlinhd): "News: Immigrant advocates and the ACLU have won a nationwide injunction against the expulsions of migrant children. Under the policy, ~14k kids have been sent either back into their home countries without notice to their families, or to MX, violating international agreements." FOR YOUR RADAR -- "Israel Strikes Syria and Iranian Forces as Pompeo Flies In," by NYT's Isabel Kershner in Jerusalem: "Israeli forces struck Syria early Wednesday, a day after finding antipersonnel mines in Israeli-held territory along the boundary between the two countries and just hours before a visit by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Bahraini counterpart to mark a new, U.S.-brokered normalization deal. "Israel said the latest strikes were aimed at Syria and Iranian targets. They were part of a long-running campaign as Israel tries to thwart what it describes as a concerted effort by Iran to entrench itself on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau that overlooks northern Israel." NYT EYES ON THE SKIES -- "Boeing's 737 MAX is coming back. But questions about lax oversight never left," by Tanya Snyder: "A directive Wednesday from the Federal Aviation Administration is meant to resolve the immediate causes of two crashes that killed a total of 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia in late 2018 and early 2019 — disasters that triggered an existential crisis for Boeing and raised worldwide doubts about the credibility of U.S. regulators. "Still unchanged, though, is the congressionally mandated FAA regulatory system that allowed Boeing's own employees to make crucial decisions about reviewing and approving the MAX's design, with the agency's oversight. Boeing and the FAA have made some changes to the system in the last year and a half to strengthen oversight and beef up safety protocols, but Congress has yet to complete work on legislation prescribing substantial changes." POLITICO SHAPE-SCHIFFTING? -- "Adam Schiff, Trump's Chief Antagonist, Ponders Life After Trump," by NYT's Nicholas Fandos: "Mr. Schiff, the California Democrat who leads the House Intelligence Committee, is quietly and methodically maneuvering for a second act. As other Democrats step forward this week for a slate of leadership posts under Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mr. Schiff is biding his time but ruling out few possibilities, including a run for Senate, a Biden administration post or an eventual bid for the speakership or another top House leadership post. "There is perhaps no better sign of Mr. Schiff's ambition than the amount of campaign cash he raised this election cycle for himself and Democrats up and down the ballot: $41 million. … For now, Mr. Schiff's chances of a top intelligence position in the Biden administration appear remote, his allies concede, in large part because of his success as Mr. Trump's leading antagonist." | | | | KEEP UP WITH THE GLOBAL HEALTH AGENDA IN 2021: If nothing else, the past year has revealed how critical it is to keep up with the politics, policy, and people driving global health. A new Biden administration comes with the expectation that America will reclaim its leadership on global health. But will it be that easy? What impact could Joe Biden's presidency have on global vaccine access and the international response to the pandemic? Our Global Pulse newsletter connects leaders, policymakers, and advocates to the people, and politics impacting our global health. Join the conversation and subscribe today. | | | | | LOL: "No Senate? No problem, progressive group says," by Holly Otterbein: "They think it would be great for Democrats to win them and control the Senate, of course. But even if they don't, they said in a memo obtained first by POLITICO, Biden can still accomplish almost all of his 'Build Back Better' plan to overhaul the economy. "New Consensus, a left-wing think tank led by Ocasio-Cortez's former chief of staff Saikat Chakrabarti, Justice Democrats' co-founder Zack Exley, and organizer Demond Drummer, argues that Biden could team up with the Federal Reserve and Treasury Department to provide trillions of dollars of low-interest loans to build the 'industries of tomorrow' and help small businesses suffering because of the Covid-19 pandemic." POLITICO … The memo CHOOSE YOUR NEWS … On Monday, the NYT published a story about how TRUMP'S "law and order" pitch fell flat in the Minnesota suburbs. Today, the WSJ's Kris Maher and John McCormick wrote this from Minneapolis: "In Minnesota and Beyond, 'Defund the Police' Weighed on Democrats" HOT ON THE RIGHT -- "Dan Bongino leads the MAGA field in stolen-election messaging," by Maggie Severns: "Bongino — a former police officer and Secret Service agent who was a latecomer to the talk-show world — is the surprise leader in the far-right media sweepstakes set off by Trump's refusal to concede the election. … "Even as he fights a public battle with Hodgkin's Disease — a treatable cancer of the lymphatic system — Bongino is pushing himself to a career high: In the days following the election, he had the No. 1 podcast on iTunes, besting The Joe Rogan Experience and The New York Times' The Daily. His Facebook posts were among the most-shared posts in the United States almost every day, putting Bongino on par with all of Fox News." POLITICO DISINFORMATION DIGEST -- "Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. amplified claims of election fraud, analysis shows," by ABC's Catherine Sanz BOSTON GLOBE: "Polar plunges, cozy dinners, security details: For Joe Biden, Nantucket means a perfect Thanksgiving," by Hanna Krueger in Nantucket: "The president-elect has celebrated Thanksgiving on Nantucket almost every year since 1975. But on an island with a median home value of $2.2 million and private jets dotting the airport tarmac, an Amtrak-riding senator from Delaware didn't attract much fanfare at first. It was only after Biden ascended to the presidential ticket of Democratic nominee Barack Obama that the tabloids and locals started to take note. "It seems unlikely that the president-elect will visit the island this Thanksgiving, amid a global pandemic and a tumultuous transition of power. But when he does return, he'll do so as the 46th president of the United States. Whatever 'illusion of real freedom' he once described in his second memoir and enjoyed during his annual off-season visits as a senator and vice president will be long gone." FOR YOUR RADAR -- "NCAA delays new sexual violence policy, months after approval," by Juan Perez Jr. AFTERNOON SNACK -- "A Trump Memoir Would Sell. Will Publishers Buy It?" by NYT's Elizabeth Harris and Alexandra Alter: "[P]ublishers are at odds over such a project with President Trump, even though his presidential memoir would likely sell millions of copies. It is a debate that pits powerful commercial interests against fraught political and cultural fault lines, with some executives worried that signing him would prompt a revolt among their authors and staff, and that ensuring the book's veracity could be an even bigger concern." NYT TRANSITIONS -- Allie Freedman is now director at Banner Public Affairs. She most recently was senior writer and digital editor at AIPAC. … Katherine Gensler is now VP of government affairs at Arevon, a Capital Dynamics affiliate that owns and operates renewable energy assets. She most recently was VP of regulatory affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association, and is a FERC alum. BONUS BIRTHDAY: Abigail Marone, rapid response specialist for the Trump campaign, is 24 (h/t Zach Parkinson) | | | | A message from UnitedHealth Group:   Leading in the development of a next-generation health care system that ensures all Americans have access to high-quality health care. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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