First Edition: Dec. 15, 2020

KHN: Pandemic Backlash Jeopardizes Public Health Powers, Leaders 
Tisha Coleman has lived in close-knit Linn County, Kansas, for 42 years and never felt so alone. As the public health administrator, she’s struggled every day of the coronavirus pandemic to keep her rural county along the Missouri border safe. In this community with no hospital, she’s failed to persuade her neighbors to wear masks and take precautions against COVID-19, even as cases rise. In return, she’s been harassed, sued, vilified — and called a Democrat, an insult in her circles. (Barry-Jester, Recht, Smith and Weber, 12/15)

KHN: Behind Each Of More Than 300,000 Lives Lost: A Name, A Caregiver, A Family, A Story
More than 300,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the United States. It is the latest sign of a generational tragedy — one still unfolding in every corner of the country — that leaves in its wake an expanse of grief that cannot be captured in a string of statistics. (Stone, 12/15)

KHN: Pediatricians Want Kids To Be Part Of COVID Vaccine Trials 
If clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines aren’t expanded soon to include children, it’s unlikely that even kids in their teens will be vaccinated in time for the next school year. The hurdle is that COVID vaccine makers are only in the early stages of testing their products on children. The Pfizer vaccine authorized for use by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday was greenlighted only for people ages 16 and up. Moderna just started trials for 12- to 17-year-olds for its vaccine, likely to be authorized later this month. (Allen, 12/15)

KHN: High-Poverty Neighborhoods Bear The Brunt Of COVID’s Scourge 
Over the course of the pandemic, COVID-19 infections have battered high-poverty neighborhoods in California on a staggeringly different scale than more affluent areas, a trend that underscores the heightened risks for low-wage workers as the state endures a deadly late-autumn surge. A California Healthline review of local data from the state’s 12 most populous counties found that communities with relatively high poverty rates are experiencing confirmed COVID-19 infection rates two to three times as high as rates in wealthier areas. By late November, the analysis found, about 49 of every 1,000 residents in the state’s poorest urban areas — defined as communities with poverty rates higher than 30% — had tested positive for COVID-19. By comparison, about 16 of every 1,000 residents in comparatively affluent urban areas —communities with poverty rates lower than 10% — had tested positive. (Reese, 12/15)

Politico: New York Critical Care Nurse Among First In U.S. To Receive Covid-19 Vaccine
A critical care nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center became the first New Yorker — and among the first people in the U.S. — to receive a Covid-19 vaccine Monday, one day after Pfizer’s vaccine began being shipped across the country. Sandra Lindsay, director of patient care service for critical care at the Northwell Health facility in Queens, received the first shot of the two-dose vaccine during a live morning broadcast with New York Gov. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling and Dr. Michelle Chester. (Young, 12/14)

The New York Times: Sandra Lindsay, The First To Be Vaccinated, Hopes To Persuade Skeptics 
When officials at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center asked for staff volunteers to be among the first to take the coronavirus vaccine, Sandra Lindsay raised her hand. Because of lingering skepticism about the vaccine, even among some on her own staff, Ms. Lindsay, the director of critical care nursing, said she wanted to lead by example — particularly as a Black woman who understands the legacy of unequal and racist medical treatment and experimentation on people of color. ... Growing up in Jamaica, before she immigrated to the United States 30 years ago, Ms. Lindsay helped take care of her grandmother, her primary caregiver, who had hypertension and diabetes. She was often asked by teachers what she wanted to be when she grew up. The answer was always: a nurse. (Otterman, 12/14)

The New York Times: U.S. Starts Vaccine Rollout As High-Risk Health Care Workers Go First 
Ms. Lindsay, who has treated patients throughout the pandemic, said that she hoped her public vaccination would instill confidence that the shots were safe. “I have seen the alternative, and do not want it for you,” she said. “I feel like healing is coming. I hope this marks the beginning of the end of a very painful time in our history.” (12/15)

Politico: Covid Vaccinations Begin In The United States As Deaths Surpass 300,000 
“First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations WORLD!” President Donald Trump tweeted. ... Several of the Trump administration’s top public health officials were out in front Monday trumpeting the development in an effort to assure the public of the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness. “It’s a great day, frankly, for science,” Moncef Slaoui, who led the administration's effort to accelerate vaccine development, said on Fox Business. “It’s a great day for humanity. It’s a great day for the ecosystem of biotech and pharmaceutical industry. And it’s a great day for America.” (Niedzwiadek, 12/14)

Reuters: 'Race Against Time': First Americans Vaccinated As U.S. Death Toll Passes 300,000 
Similar scenes played out at select hospitals in other cities, including Los Angeles, where California Governor Gavin Newsom applauded as a Kaiser Permanente emergency room nurse rolled up her sleeve for a needle jab on live television. “It’s been an incredible morning. It’s historic,” said Dr. Leonardo Seoane after he received a shot at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, where he has led some of the clinical trials that found the vaccine 95% effective in preventing COVID-19 illness. (Allen and Borter, 12/14)

AP: 'Healing Is Coming': US Health Workers Start Getting Vaccine
With a countdown of “3-2-1,” workers at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center gave initial injections to applause. And in Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis personally opened a delivery door to the FedEx driver and signed for a package holding 975 precious frozen doses of vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech. The shots kicked off what will become the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history, one that could finally conquer the outbreak. Dr. Valerie Briones-Pryor, who has worked in a COVID-19 unit at University of Louisville Hospital since March and recently lost her 27th patient to the virus, was among the first recipients. “I want to get back to seeing my family,” she said. “I want families to be able to get back to seeing their loved ones.” (Neergaard, 12/15)

Lexington Herald Leader: These Health Workers Got The First COVID-19 Vaccines In KY
Five University of Louisville frontline health care workers made history Monday morning by becoming the first people in Kentucky to receive a vaccine to protect against the novel coronavirus. (Acquisto, 12/14)

AP: US Vaccinations Ramp Up As Feds Weigh 2nd COVID-19 Shot
Hundreds more U.S. hospitals will begin vaccinating their workers Tuesday as federal health officials review a second COVID-19 shot needed to boost the nation’s largest vaccination campaign. Packed in dry ice to stay at ultra-frozen temperatures, shipments of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine are set to arrive at 400 additional hospitals and other distribution sites, one day after the nation’s death toll surpassed a staggering 300,000. The first 3 million shots are being strictly rationed to front-line health workers and elder-care patients, with hundreds of millions more shots needed over the coming months to protect most Americans. (Perrone, 12/15)

USA Today: US Nursing Homes, Confused By Initial COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout, Will Begin Immunizations Next Week, CDC Says
The vast majority of nursing homes in the United States won't start vaccinating staff and residents against COVID-19 until Dec. 21, and some won't start until Dec. 28, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monday's rollout of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine brought confusion nationwide as it became clear long-term care facilities and nursing homes were not taking part in the initial immunizations, despite the CDC's decision last week to include residents in the first phase of distribution. (Weise and Mooney, 12/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Vaccine’s Initial Scarcity Leads To Tough Choices For Hospitals 
Emergency room doctor Stephanie Gonzalez spent this month eagerly waiting to hear if she would be one of the first to get the Covid-19 vaccine. Throughout the pandemic, she said, she has feared bringing the virus home to an adult daughter with autism who needs her mother’s help to dress, shower and eat. Michelle Mitcheson, a nurse, felt apprehension about getting a vaccine that had been authorized for emergency use but not fully approved by federal regulators, but said she would get one. “I am willing to take some degree of risk in order to do the most good for the majority of the population,” she said. (Evans, 12/14)

Modern Healthcare: CVS, Walgreens To Start COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics For Long-Term Care
CVS and Walgreens expect to start COVID-19 vaccination clinics in long-term care facilities in a week. Since the Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech, the major pharmacy chains are working with skilled-nursing and assisted-living facilities to coordinate on-site vaccinations. That "work is already underway," Ruth Link-Gelles, an epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a webinar on vaccine rollouts Monday hosted by Argentum, a national association for professionally managed senior-living facilities. (Christ, 12/14)

The Hill: McEnany Says Situation Room Staff, Members Of Congress Will Receive Vaccine Access Early 
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday that personnel in the White House situation room and certain members of Congress would receive early access to the coronavirus vaccine, after President Trump halted plans to deliver some of the first doses to high-ranking staffers. “What the president decided is, look, front-line workers need to come first. Our residents in long-term care facilities need to come first,” McEnany said on Fox News. “We will still have continuity of government. Key officials like Situation Room staff, among others, will have access to this vaccine, certain members of Congress.” (Chalfant, 12/14)

Politico: Washington Navigates Ethical Minefield On Getting First Covid Shots 
The first Covid shots will soon be available to top officials and essential staff in the White House, the Pentagon and Congress. But they’re already facing a political and ethical dilemma over who should be at the front of the line. While most of the scarce Pfizer vaccine is now on its way to hospitals and nursing homes across the country, some of the first tranche was reserved for federal leaders to ensure the government can continue to function as U.S. deaths and hospitalizations peak. President Donald Trump, President-elect Joe Biden and leaders in Congress could help themselves to it in the coming days. The question is: should they? (Ollstein, 12/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Joe Biden Officially Captures Enough Electoral Votes To Win Presidency
The Electoral College meetings took less than an hour in most states, and there were no electors who didn’t back the total-vote winner of their state. Added security measures were adopted by some states amid a tense national political climate and Covid-19 restrictions. Nevada conducted its meeting via video conference, and many electors elsewhere wore masks. Some states placed limits on the number of guests electors could bring, while others moved the meetings to larger spaces to better accommodate social distancing. (McCormick and Corse, 12/14)

Fox News: Biden Admits To A 'Bit Of A Cold' After Electoral College Victory Speech 
President-elect Joe Biden confirmed that he is battling a slight cold following a speech on Monday night in which he stopped several times to clear his throat while addressing the nation on the Electoral College’s vote to formally confirm his victory. Biden’s voice was slightly hoarse during the address, which took place shortly after he surpassed the 270-vote threshold required to win the White House. The president-elect admitted feeling under the weather during a virtual call with supporters after the speech. (Barrabi, 12/14)

The Independent: Biden Coughs His Way Through First Speech Since Being Confirmed As President-Elect: ‘Hand Him A Glass Of Water!’
Joe Biden’s first address to the nation shortly after state electors declared him president-elect was overshadowed by persistent bouts of coughing and throat-clearing, as he mounted a scathing attack on President Donald Trump for his efforts to undermine the election. ... In a live stream after his speech, Mr Biden insisted a minor cold was to blame saying: 'Thank you, I have a little bit of a cold." (Singh, 12/15)

Newsweek: Viewers Of Biden's Post-Electoral Vote Speech Concerned About His Coughing
President-elect Joe Biden coughed and cleared his throat multiple times during a Monday speech about his victory in the electoral college, leading some social media users to comment about the interruptions. Biden obtained 306 votes in the electoral college on Monday, more than the 270 votes needed to be certified as the next U.S. President. Biden at times sounded hoarse and excused himself after a few small audible coughs during his address acknowledging his victory. "Jeez! Somebody hand him a glass of water!" tweeted filmmaker and activist Michael Moore. (Martin, 12/14)

The Washington Post: DHS, State And NIH Join List Of Federal Agencies — Now Five — Hacked In Major Russian Cyberespionage Campaign 
The Department of Homeland Security, the State Department and the National Institutes of Health on Monday joined the list of known victims of a months-long, highly sophisticated digital spying operation by Russia whose damage remains uncertain but is presumed to be extensive, experts say. The list of victims of the cyberespionage, which already included the Treasury and Commerce departments, is expected to grow and to include more federal agencies and numerous private companies, said officials and others familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because it is under investigation. (Nakashima and Timberg, 12/14)

New York Post/Reuters: Russian Hackers Hit DHS, DoD, NIH, State Department
One of the people familiar with the hacking campaign said the critical network that DHS’ cybersecurity division uses to protect infrastructure, including the recent elections, had not been breached. DHS said it was aware of the reports, without directly confirming them or saying how badly it was affected. DHS is a massive bureaucracy among other things responsible for securing the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. (12/15)

The New York Times: Scope Of Russian Hack Becomes Clear: Multiple U.S. Agencies Were Hit
The hackers embedded their malicious code in the Orion software made by SolarWinds, which is based in Austin, Texas. The company said that 33,000 of its 300,000 customers use Orion, and only half of those downloaded the malign Russian update. FireEye said that despite their widespread access, Russian hackers exploited only what was considered the most valuable targets. “We think the number who were actually compromised were in the dozens,” said Charles Carmakal, a senior vice president at FireEye. “But they were all the highest-value targets.” (Sanger, Periroth and Schmitt, 12/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Suspected Russian Hack Said To Have Gone Undetected For Months 
On Monday the list of known impacted agencies grew substantially. The Department of Homeland Security, the National Institutes of Health and the State Department were all hacked as well, people familiar with the matter said. ... It couldn’t be learned how SolarWinds itself was hacked. The company said in its SEC filing that its Microsoft Office 365 email systems had been compromised and that this incident “may have provided access to other data contained in the company’s office productivity tools.” In a Sunday blog post, Microsoft said that it hadn’t identified any vulnerabilities in its products as a result of its investigation into the incident. (Volz and McMillan, 12/15)

Politico: 'Massively Disruptive' Cyber Crisis Engulfs Multiple Agencies 
Companies in critical infrastructure sectors have begun assessing their systems to see if they, too, were affected. Executives in the electric power sector held a “situational awareness call” on Monday, and the Department of Health and Human Services held a conference call Monday afternoon with health care organizations to explain the SolarWinds vulnerability, according to an invitation seen by POLITICO. (Geller, 12/14)

Reuters: Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Documents Accessed In EMA Cyberattack 
Moderna Inc said on Monday it was informed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) certain documents related to pre-submission talks of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate were unlawfully accessed in a cyberattack on the medicines regulator. The EMA, which assesses medicines and vaccines for the European Union, said earlier this month that it had been targeted in a cyberattack, which also gave hackers access to documents related to the development of the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. (12/14)

The Hill: US Surpasses 300,000 COVID-19 Deaths 
The United States on Monday passed 300,000 total deaths from the novel coronavirus, according to a New York Times tally, a shocking number that is certain to quickly grow larger before a vaccine is widely available. The country is now averaging about 2,500 coronavirus deaths every day, a record total. On some days, more than 3,000 people die from the virus, exceeding the toll from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. (Sullivan, 12/14)

Los Angeles Times: California Again Shatters Single-Day Coronavirus Case Record: More Than 42,000 Cases
California has shattered another grim record — more than 42,000 coronavirus cases in a single day, breaking a record set just a week ago. A Los Angeles Times county-by-county tally tallied 42,129 coronavirus cases across the state Monday. That’s the first time more than 40,000 cases have been reported by the state’s local health agencies in a single day. And it breaks the single-day record set on Dec. 8, when 35,400 coronavirus cases were recorded. (Lin II and Murphy, 12/14)

The Hill: Fauci Warns People Not To Drop Normal 'Public Health Measures' As Vaccinations Begin 
Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), warned Monday that the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine doesn't mean people should drop "normal, standard public health measures." In an interview with MSNBC, the White House coronavirus task force member told viewers not to let down their guard as it pertains to necessary preventative measures to stop the spread the coronavirus despite the vaccine becoming available for some Americans for the first time this week. (Bowden, 12/14)

The Hill: Republicans Four Times More Likely Than Democrats Not To Get COVID-19 Vaccine: Poll 
A poll released on Monday determined that Republican respondents were four times more likely than Democrats to say they would never get the COVID-19 vaccine as immunizations begin to be administered across the country. An ABC News-Ipsos poll found that a respondent's party identification was directly related to their willingness to take the vaccine. A total of 26 percent of Republican respondents said they would never get the COVID-19 vaccine, compared with 6 percent of Democrats and 14 percent of independents. (Coleman, 12/14)

CIDRAP: Politics—Not COVID Threat—Held More Heft In US Decisions To Stay Home 
Two new studies show that political affiliation had much more influence on Americans' decisions to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic than did the relative numbers of infections in their communities. In the first study, led by Vanderbilt University researchers and published Dec 12 in Science Advances, researchers randomly surveyed 1,135,638 Americans from Apr 4 to Sep 10 about their political affiliation and if they had participated in social activities that could hasten the spread of COVID-19, such as eating at a restaurant, visiting family or friends, or shopping for groceries in person. (Van Beusekom, 12/14)

The Hill: Bipartisan Group Unveils Two-Part $908 Billion Coronavirus Package 
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Monday unveiled its $908 billion coronavirus relief package as Congress faces a time crunch to pass more aid. The proposal is split into two parts: One $748 billion piece includes another round of Paycheck Protection Program assistance for small businesses, an unemployment benefit, and more money for schools, vaccine distribution and other widely agreed-upon items. The second $160 billion piece ties together the two most controversial elements of the coronavirus negotiations: more money for state and local governments and protections for businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits. (Carney, 12/14)

Politico: Congress Warms To Possible Covid Stimulus Deal 
A bipartisan group of senators finally hit paydirt in its long-running coronavirus relief negotiations. And it may provide a pathway to a deal that has eluded Congress for months. Roughly a dozen centrist senators presented their much-anticipated product on Monday afternoon in two pieces: A $748 billion package boosting education, vaccine, transportation and other funding, and a more controversial $160 billion add-on of state and local funding married with a short-term liability shield for employers. (Everett and Caygle, 12/14)

Politico: Trump's Drug Cards Clear Key Hurdle Following Pressure From White House 
President Donald Trump’s stalled campaign promise to send $200 drug-discount cards to seniors has new life after an obscure-but-important industry panel on Monday night gave its blessing, ending weeks of resistance to the plan. The Trump administration has been trying to revive the Medicare discount cards after the plan, abruptly announced in September, ran into resistance inside the administration over questions about its cost and legality. But as POLITICO reported last week, a new hurdle had recently emerged: an industry consortium that helps the Internal Revenue Service oversee benefit cards balked at the plan, raising concerns that Trump's promised, one-time drug discounts didn’t meet typical standards for health-benefit cards. (Diamond, 12/14)

Politico: Senate Democrats Press Trump On Possible Vaccine Shortage 
Senate Democrats are pressing the Trump administration to explain whether the United States could soon face a critical shortage of Covid-19 vaccine doses, citing recent reports that the White House passed on Pfizer’s repeated offers to purchase additional shots. "We are concerned the failure to secure an adequate supply of vaccines will needlessly prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in this country, causing further loss of life and economic devastation," a group of senior lawmakers wrote to leaders of Operation Warp Speed, the government’s vaccine accelerator, in a letter shared with POLITICO. (Diamond, 12/14)

Politico: 2 More Vaccine Developers Could Seek FDA's Green Light By February 
The Trump administration anticipates two more vaccine developers could seek FDA authorization for their shots by the end of February. That would mean the U.S. would have four Covid-19 vaccines available — including the first vaccine to only require one shot — to meet its goal of immunizing 100 million people by the end of March. (Roubein, 12/14)

The Hill: Moderna To Distribute 6 Million COVID-19 Vaccines As Soon As Friday Upon FDA Emergency Approval 
U.S. officials said on Monday they are planning to ship just under 6 million doses of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine once it receives emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. CNBC reports that McKesson, a medical supply company, will receive doses of the Moderna vaccine for packaging and distributing to 3,285 sites, according to Gen. Gustave Perna who is in charge of logistics for Operation Warp Speed, the White House’s COVID-19 vaccine program. Perna said that UPS and FedEx have been tasked with getting the vaccine doses to their final locations. (Choi, 12/14)

USA Today: Pfizer COVID Vaccine Ingredient List: 'Nothing Too Surprising There'
Experts say the ingredients in the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and German partner BioNTech, which was authorized Friday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, looks pretty standard for a vaccine. In a letter to the FDA, Pfizer listed the ingredients in its vaccine. (Rodriguez, 12/14)

The New York Times: ‘A Shot Of Hope’: What The Vaccine Is Like For Frontline Doctors And Nurses
As Dr. Rishi Seth rolled up his left sleeve on Monday to receive one of the United States’ first Covid-19 vaccines, he thought of his patients back in the Special Care Unit. There was the Uber driver who had walked out of the hospital after being on a ventilator. The dying father who said goodbye to his two college-age daughters on a video chat. The four coronavirus patients Dr. Seth had treated just on Monday morning, checking their oxygen levels and reviewing treatment plans before he stripped off his protective gear and joined a first wave of health care workers to get vaccinated in hospitals across the country. “That’s why today is so emotional,” said Dr. Seth, an internal-medicine physician with Sanford Health in North Dakota, a state that has been ravaged by the virus. “You’re still fighting a battle, but you’re starting to see the horizon.” (Healy, Tompkins and Burch, 12/14)

Reuters: U.S. Finds First Case Of Coronavirus In Wild Animal, A Utah Mink
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Monday that it confirmed the first known case of the coronavirus in a wild animal, a mink. The discovery increases concerns about outbreaks in mink as the virus has killed more than 15,000 farmed mink in the United States since August. ... The USDA said in a notice that it confirmed the case in a “free-ranging, wild mink” in Utah as part of wildlife surveillance around infected farms. Several animals from different wildlife species were sampled and all tested negative, the USDA added. (Polansek, 12/14)

Bloomberg: FDA Approves Pig Genomic Alteration For Human Therapeutics Use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a genomic alteration in pigs that could reduce potential allergic reactions when porcine materials are used for medical purposes in humans, the agency said Monday in a statement.FDA said the intentional genomic alteration, or IGA, was the first of its kind and allows for pigs raised with it to be consumed as food and for therapeutic uses. The alteration “is intended to eliminate alpha-gal sugar on the surface of the pigs’ cells,” the FDA said. Those with Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) can have mild to severe allergic reactions to it in red meat such as pork, beef or lamb. (Hirtzer, 12/14)

Stat: FDA Approves Genetically Altering Pigs, Potentially For Drugs Or Transplants
Genetically engineering pigs so they lack a certain sugar on the surface of their cells that triggers meat allergies or organ rejection won approval from the Food and Drug Administration Monday. The regulatory clearance — the first of an intentional genomic alteration in a product with both food and medical uses — means the animals could be safer sources of not just food but also treatments such as the blood-thinner heparin. (Cooney, 12/14)

NPR: 1st Patients To Get CRISPR Gene-Editing Treatment Continue To Thrive
The last thing a lot of people want to do these days is get on a plane. But even a pandemic would not stop Victoria Gray. She jumped at the chance to head to the airport this summer. "It was one of those things I was waiting to get a chance to do," says Gray. She had never flown before because she was born with sickle cell disease. She feared the altitude change might trigger one of the worst complications of the devastating genetic disease — a sudden attack of excruciating pain. (Stein, 12/15)

Stat: PhRMA Took In A Record $527 Million In 2019, New Records Show 
PhRMA, the pharmaceutical industry trade group, took in nearly $527 million in revenue last year, a $68 million increase from 2018 that came as the industry faced unprecedented opposition in Washington. The new revenue figure, made public late this year in PhRMA’s federal tax disclosures, highlights the group’s diverse efforts to influence Washington in a year when both the White House and newly empowered Democrats in the House of Representatives were intent on capping drug prices. (Facher, 12/15)

Stat: Here Are The Nominees For Best Biopharma CEO Of 2020 
A year like no other requires a new way of drafting a list of Best Biopharma CEOs. For 2020 — the 13th iteration of this list — Covid needed its own category. The worst public health crisis of our lives has triggered an unprecedented response from biotech and pharma companies developing vaccines and drugs against the novel coronavirus. (Feuerstein, 12/15)

Stat: Sackler Family Members Agree To Testify At House Hearing On Opioid Crisis
In an unexpected development, two members of the Sackler family, which controls Purdue Pharma, will testify at a House hearing on Thursday about the role the company played in fueling the opioid crisis. Former Purdue board members David Sackler and Kathe Sackler, along with Purdue chief executive officer Craig Landau, will appear virtually at the hearing scheduled by the Committee on Oversight and Reform. (Silverman, 12/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Perfume. Wrist Buzzers. Hypnosis. How People Try To Stop Touching Their Faces. 
Nine months into a pandemic and you’re still touching your face? Wearable devices, meditations, athletic gear and tchotchkes want to help you kick the habit. Nose itching, coughing, nail biting, mustache twirling, eye rubbing and hair flipping are among the reasons people touch their faces, often without realizing it. One study from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, published in 2015, found participants touched their faces an average of 23 times per hour. (Byron, 12/14)

NPR: For Hungry Americans Across The Country, Food Insecurity Crisis Deepens
Nine months into the pandemic, and lines outside food pantries are still a common sight around the country: families waiting in row after row of cars, snaking as far as the eye can see. Last year, more than 35 million people experienced food insecurity. But because of the pandemic, that number could be as high as 50 million for this year, according to the hunger relief organization Feeding America. And with multiple federal aid programs set to run out soon, many pantries fear they will run out of food, too. (Mehta and Chang, 12/14)

The New York Times: What Happens To The Unemployed When The Checks Run Out 
When jobless workers get their last unemployment check, the effect on spending is sharp and swift. Unemployed workers’ spending on food, clothes and other so-called nondurable goods immediately drops 12 percent, about twice as much as when they lost their job and went on unemployment insurance, University of Chicago researchers have found. Spending at drugstores falls 15 percent. Co-payments for visits to the doctor fall 14 percent. Spending on groceries falls 16 percent, or $46.30 a month, on average. Millions of Americans are less than two weeks from cutbacks like those. (Porter, 12/14)

The Washington Post: Dairy Queen Drive-Thru Act Of Kindness Chain Ends After 900 Cars 
It started with an older gentleman who pulled up to the Dairy Queen Grill & Chill drive-through window in Brainerd, Minn., at the height of the lunch hour on a Thursday. “I’d also like to pay for the car behind me,” cashier Darla Anderson said the customer told her on Dec. 3. “Whatever they’ve ordered, I’ll cover it.” ... In the end, it spanned more than 900 cars over 2½ days. (Free, 12/14)

The Washington Post: Catholic Parishes That Didn’t Go Online During Covid-19 Crisis See Giving Fall Way Down 
The coronavirus shutdown is affecting giving to Catholic parishes around the country in dramatically different ways, data shows, with some expected to see their offertory — parishioners’ donations, typically given at weekly services — down 50 percent, while others have had an increase. A study says a big factor is whether parishes switched to online services or decided to wait the virus out. (Boorstein, 12/14)

The Washington Post: Disney World Was Digitally Adding Masks Onto Maskless Parkgoers In Ride Photos 
Photos from Walt Disney World rides are a well-known travel souvenir .... But during the coronavirus pandemic and with a strict mask policy in place, Disney World created a new rule for riders who want to purchase an image of themselves mid-ride: no mask, no photo. ... A Disney spokesperson confirmed to The Washington Post on Friday that Disney World tested adding digital masks to riders’ PhotoPass images where masks had shifted mid-ride. The trial aimed to allow those riders to be able to purchase a ride photo that would not depict them as unmasked, and in a violation of park rules. (McMahon, 12/11)

AP: NFL Won't Be Cutting In Line For Coronavirus Vaccine
The NFL won’t be cutting in line to get the coronavirus vaccine. “No one should be thinking about the vaccine going anywhere other than our first responders and the most vulnerable people right now,” said DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association. “We’re in complete harmony with the union in that we feel that it’s vital that frontline healthcare workers and another essential service workers are at the front of the line,” said Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer. (Stapleton, 12/15)

AP: Florida's Johnson 'Following Simple Commands' After Collapse
Florida forward Keyontae Johnson was “following simple commands” Monday after being transferred from Tallahassee Memorial to UF Health in Gainesville, the school said. Officials added that Johnson is undergoing further tests and remains in critical but stable condition two days after he collapsed on the court during a game at Florida State. Johnson was moved to Gainesville via helicopter with his mother by his side. ... Like many of his Florida teammates, Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 during the summer. Although the cause of Johnson’s collapse was not immediately known, the coronavirus can lead to myocarditis, a viral infection of the heart muscle. At its most severe, myocarditis can lead to sudden cardiac arrest and has been a documented cause of death for young, otherwise healthy athletes. (Long, 12/15)

AP: Gov. Halts Breakup Of Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
Gov. Jay Inslee has stopped an effort to dissolve the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department by signing a proclamation Monday that pauses the termination of health departments during the COVID-19 pandemic.“ This proclamation puts a pause, in effect, on efforts to terminate a health district or a city-county health department, such as what is currently taking place in Pierce County,” Inslee said at a news conference. (12/15)

The AP: With His Star Dimmed, California’s Newsom Could Face Recall
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has had a rough year. The next one might be even tougher as a recall effort appears to be gaining momentum, fueled partly by outrage over the first-term Democrat dining with friends at an opulent restaurant while telling state residents to spurn social gatherings and stay home. It’s not uncommon in California for residents to seek recalls but they rarely get on the ballot — and even fewer succeed. Several launched against Newsom faded but another attempt is drawing greater attention as his fortunes change while he enters a critical stretch in his governorship. (Blood, 12/14)

NPR: Canada Administers Its 1st COVID-19 Vaccine Shots
Canada began administering doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, with elderly people and front-line workers among the first to receive shots. In Quebec, 89-year-old Gisèle Lévesque, a resident of the Saint-Antoine nursing home in Quebec City, became the first person in the province hit hardest by the pandemic to receive a vaccine, at around 11:30 a.m. Federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu appeared outside the Maimonides Geriatric Centre in Montreal in the afternoon, with newly vaccinated 78-year-old Gloria Lallouz. (Jacobs, 12/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Rollout Of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine Slows In U.K. Due To Allergic-Reaction Monitoring 
British doctors say rolling out the Pfizer Inc. -BioNTech SE Covid-19 vaccine beyond hospitals will take longer than anticipated because of logistical challenges and complications thrown up by news in the U.K. of allergic reactions after the injection. Following two severe allergic reactions on Dec. 8, the first day of the U.K. vaccination campaign last week, doctors were told to monitor patients for 15 minutes after each injection. (Sugden, 12/14)

AP: Poor Countries Face Long Wait For Vaccines Despite Promises
With Americans, Britons and Canadians rolling up their sleeves to receive coronavirus vaccines, the route out of the pandemic now seems clear to many in the West, even if the rollout will take many months. But for poorer countries, the road will be far longer and rougher. The ambitious initiative known as COVAX created to ensure the entire world has access to COVID-19 vaccines has secured only a fraction of the 2 billion doses it hopes to buy over the next year, has yet to confirm any actual deals to ship out vaccines and is short on cash. (Cheng and Ghosal, 12/15)