Axios PM — Mayor Pete's new gig —☀️ Eclipse pics — Rapid at-home test OK

1 big thing: America's rural outbreaks near their vaccine | Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Dec 15, 2020 Good afternoon: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 500 words, a 2-minute read. 📣 Situational awareness: "The Electoral College has spoken," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said today while officially addressing Joe Biden as president-elect. Video. First on Axios Re:Cap ... Sen. Joe Manchin said GOP leadership will use the $748 billion bipartisan stimulus proposal as the framework for a deal. Listen here.     1 big thing: America's rural outbreaks near their vaccine A UPS driver delivers 2,900 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in Galveston, Texas. Photo: Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images   America's rural and underserved areas are one step closer to an easily accessible vaccine, thanks to the FDA approaching emergency authorization for the Moderna vaccine. Why it matters: "Moderna is the one that I would take out to rural areas and community health centers and private doctors' offices," Harvard public health professor Barry Bloom told the N.Y. Times. Moderna's vaccine doesn't need to be kept as cold as the Pfizer vaccine, making it far easier to distribute in smaller quantities. By the numbers: The FDA review confirmed Moderna's 94% efficacy rate in preventing COVID infections for people with two doses. Moderna said it's prepared to immediately distribute 6 million doses, double what Pfizer began to roll out yesterday. Between the lines: The FDA review showed Moderna's vaccine worked "equally well in white, Black and Hispanic volunteers, men and women, healthy participants and those at risk of severe Covid-19 with conditions like obesity and diabetes," the Times notes. "For people 65 and older, the trial provided an estimated efficacy of 86.4 percent, lower than the overall estimate of 94.1 percent. But the apparent difference was not statistically significant. And 86.4 percent is still very high." The bottom line: Moderna's vaccine is a triumph for the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed, which provided several billion in funding to help ramp up production. Moderna has agreements with the U.S. to sell 200 million doses.     2. Pics du jour Photos: Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images The different stages of a total solar eclipse as seen from Piedra del Aguila in Argentina.     A message from Facebook Facebook supports updated internet regulations     We support updated internet regulations to set clear rules for today's toughest challenges and hold companies, including Facebook, accountable for: Combating foreign election interference. Protecting people's privacy. Enabling safe and easy data portability between platforms. Read more     3. Catch up quick No big crowds or parades: The Biden inauguration is urging people to stay home and watch the ceremony on television. Go deeper. The EU unveiled sweeping new proposals for tech industry giants who could be fined up to 10% of their revenue for breaking EU rules on competition. Go deeper. Digital media companies are looking to consolidate with the help of SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies). Go deeper. Slack is launching a new venture capital fund aimed at broadening Slack-backed investments beyond its own platform. Go deeper. President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Mayor Pete Buttigieg to run the Department of Transportation. Go deeper.     4. 1 smile to go: Rapid at-home test approved Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images   Closer to the dream: Some Americans could soon get COVID test results in 20 minutes thanks to the FDA granting emergency authorization to an over-the-counter, at-home COVID test. Ellume said it anticipates selling the antigen test for $30 or less. It hopes to produce 3 million tests by January and to deliver 20 million tests by the first half of next year. The big picture: Home kits currently need a prescription or require swabs be shipped to a lab, which could take days for results, notes Axios' Marisa Fernandez.     A message from Facebook It's time for updated regulations to improve privacy standards     We continue to take action to build privacy into our products and give people the tools to help manage their privacy like Privacy Checkup and Off-Facebook Activity. But there's more to do. We support updated internet regulations to improve privacy standards. Read more     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? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: