Axios PM: Biden prioritizing schools, teachers — 🏈 OSU-Michigan canceled — Why you can't get a PS5

1 big thing: Biden prioritizing schools, teachers | Tuesday, December 08, 2020

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Morgan Stanley   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Dec 08, 2020 Good afternoon: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 563 words, a 2-minute read. ⚡️Breaking: President-elect Biden announced he'll nominate retired Army four-star Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III as SecDef, calling him "a trusted, trailblazing leader." If confirmed, Austin would be the first African American atop the Pentagon. 🏈 The Michigan-Ohio State game has been canceled, threatening Ohio State's shot at the Big Ten championship game and denying the Buckeyes a chance to win their ninth straight matchup in the historic series. (Sports Illustrated)     1 big thing: Biden prioritizing schools, teachers Anthony Fauci appears via video today with Vice President-elect Harris and President-elect Biden. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images   President-elect Biden's COVID checklist: Get Americans to wear masks as a patriotic duty, vaccinate 50 million people and reopen the majority of schools by the end of April. Why it matters: The remote learning adopted by many of America's biggest school districts has been a disaster for students and parents alike. Other countries have prioritized keeping schools and child care open, but not the U.S. As of October, "74% of the 100 largest school districts ... chose remote learning only as their back-to-school instructional model, affecting over 9 million students," per EdWeek. This put unprecedented stress on working parents, particularly working moms. Teachers are high on Biden's list for vaccinations, he said today: [W]e'll follow the guidance of science to get the vaccine to those most at risk. That includes health care professionals, people in long-term care and, as soon as possible, it will include educators." "If Congress provides the funding we need to protect students, educators and staff, if states and cities put strong public-health measures in place that we all follow, then my team will work to see if the majority of our schools can be open by the end of my first 100 days." Between the lines: The CDC and states are setting vaccination priorities, a senior Trump White House official said yesterday. What's next: The FDA's vaccine advisory committee released a detailed analysis finding that Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine appears to meet the safety and efficacy requirements necessary for an emergency use authorization, reports Axios' Orion Rummler. The bottom line: "My first 100 days won't end COVID-19. I cannot promise that," Biden said. "But I am convinced that in 100 days we can change the course of the disease and change life in America for the better."     2. Pics du jour Photo: Jacob King/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Margaret Keenan, originally from Northern Ireland, became the first person on Earth to receive an approved COVID-19 vaccine. The 90-year-old grandmother of four was vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by May Parsons, a Filipino nurse who has worked for the National Health Service for 24 years. Keenan turns 91 next week. Photo: Jacob King/Pool/AFP via Getty Images     A message from Morgan Stanley 2021 global macro outlook: a recovery takes hold     Rising COVID-19 case numbers make it tough to envision a return to normal. Yet, even as the pandemic drags on, the global economy is proving to be remarkably resilient and the V-shaped recovery could be set to accelerate. What this means: global GDP growth could hit 6.4% GDP growth in 2021.     3. Catch up quick Scoop: Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis has informed associates she tested positive for the coronavirus. Go deeper. Former Clinton adviser Doug Band has quit as president of Teneo, the firm he co-founded in 2011, six days after a Vanity Fair tell-all on his falling out with Clintonworld. In an all-staff email, Band wrote that his only regret in working for Clinton was not leaving sooner, and he didn't want to repeat the mistake at Teneo, the FT reports. (Paywall) The U.S. Army fired or suspended more than a dozen officials after an investigation into climate and culture at Fort Hood. Go deeper. Chris Krebs is suing Trump campaign lawyer Joe diGenova, the Trump campaign and Newsmax Media for defamation, emotional distress and conspiracy. Go deeper.     4. 1 heads-up: Why you can't get a PlayStation 5 Photo: Katie Collins/EMPICS via Reuters   It's not just you: So-called "scalper bot" software has snatched up mass quantities of PlayStation 5 consoles to mark up and resell, Reuters reports. It's illegal to scalp tickets for concerts and sporting events, but nothing bans scalped goods, Reuters notes. The big picture: Other retailers have fought this battle, including Nike, which "went so far as to offer a pair of red Air Jordan 1 sneakers stamped with the words 'NOT FOR RESALE' on the sole" in 2018. They are now available for resale for around $1,000, Reuters notes.     A message from Morgan Stanley 2021 global macro outlook: a recovery takes hold     Rising COVID-19 case numbers make it tough to envision a return to normal. Yet, even as the pandemic drags on, the global economy is proving to be remarkably resilient and the V-shaped recovery could be set to accelerate. What this means: global GDP growth could hit 6.4% GDP growth in 2021.     Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? 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