Good morning. It's Monday, Dec. 21, and we're covering a new coronavirus variant in the United Kingdom, a stimulus deal, and the College Football Playoff. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Tier 4 Lockdowns

The United Kingdom placed London and surrounding areas under newly created tier 4 restrictions over the weekend in response to a recently discovered variant of the coronavirus. The new restrictions—less strict than lockdown measures seen in April—ban mixed household gatherings over the holidays and will shutter nonessential businesses. More than 60% of new cases in southeast England over the past week are believed to have been caused by the new strain, which officials say may be up to 70% more transmissible than other variants. 

Like most viruses, SARS-CoV-2 has undergone thousands of mutations while propagating, with many strains emerging and fading over time. Health officials say there is no evidence to date the new strain has a higher mortality rate or is more resistant to current vaccines. Scientists are still working to understand why the new strain is more transmissible, but have noted genetic mutations affecting the virus' spike protein.  

See a fascinating visualization of all known strains and where they've propagated here.

In the US, Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine was approved for use, becoming the second available in the country. The timeline for vaccine distribution has slipped; combining both Moderna's drug and a vaccine from Pfizer, officials are targeting 20 million doses delivered by the first week of January. With two doses needed per person, there will be enough to inoculate 10 million people—down from an initial projection of 20 million people by the end of the year. Track distributions by state here.

In the US, President-elect Joe Biden and the incoming first lady Dr. Jill Biden will be vaccinated live on television today; Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence publicly received the vaccine Friday.

The US has reported more than 17.8 million total cases and 317,670 deaths. Almost 7,000 new deaths were reported since Friday morning. See rolling averages here and here.

Stimulus Agreement

Congress reached a deal on a $900B stimulus package late yesterday, overcoming last-minute hurdles ahead of a midnight deadline to keep the government open. Following a short-term funding extension passed last night, both chambers will vote on the proposal today, after which it will head to President Trump.

Talks appeared close to falling apart over a late provision added by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) curtailing emergency lending programs provided to the Federal Reserve in March's CARES Act. Both sides agreed on narrowed language that would end four lending programs while rescinding $429B in unused funds.

The stimulus is the second-biggest in US history behind the CARES Act, and brings the total aid to more than $3.2T. For context, the Obama administration's 2009 stimulus during the Great Recession was $831B. The deal reportedly includes $600 direct payments per person (for example, a family of four could receive up to $2,400) with a phase-out beginning at income levels of $75,000 per individual, and a $300 per week unemployment boost. See more details here.

College Football Playoff Set

Selections for the 2020 College Football Playoff were announced yesterday, capping an unusual stop-and-start season upended by the pandemic. No. 1 Alabama (11-0), the Southeastern Conference champion, will play No. 4 Notre Dame (10-1) in the Rose Bowl—a game moved from its traditional site in Pasadena, California, to Arlington, Texas, due to high COVID-19 restrictions in Southern California. Notre Dame fell to No. 2 Clemson (10-1) in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship 34-10 this weekend; Clemson will take on Big Ten champion No. 3 Ohio State (6-0) in the Sugar Bowl. Alabama and Clemson are favored to meet in the finals for the fourth time in six years. See previews here. 

Left out of the picture were Texas A&M (8-1), who played three more games than Ohio State, and Oklahoma (8-2). Cincinnati, who finished the season undefeated, was also excluded. Some critics argued the selection committee was influenced by the popularity—and drawing power—of the included teams.  

The semifinals are scheduled for Jan. 1, with the championship to be held Jan. 11. See the full lineup of bowl games here. 

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> NHL announces shortened 56-game regular season will begin Jan. 13, 2021; divisions will be temporarily realigned and will include Canadian division (More)

> Steve McQueen's "Small Axe" named Best Picture by LA Film Critics Association (More) | Emmy Award-winning English comedian Eddie Izzard to use she/her pronouns (More)

> Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most highly anticipated video games in years, gets pulled from the PlayStation Store a week after release due to performance issues (More)

Science & Technology

> New study suggests the coronavirus is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier; may help explain poorly understood neurological symptoms that arise in some patients (More)

> Jupiter and Saturn appear to almost cross paths tonight from the Earth's perspective; known as a "Great Conjunction" or the "Christmas Star," the two planets will be the closest alignment in the past 400 years (More)

> Aerospace giant Airbus unveils hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft concepts, with the goal of operating zero net emission aircraft by 2035 (More)

Business & Markets

> US Senate report alleges Boeing inappropriately coached pilots during 737 MAX recertification efforts (More)

> Tesla surges 6% Friday to a valuation above $650B; stock to join the S&P 500 today (More)

> Sources say Bumble files for an initial public offering; analysts expect the online dating platform could be valued in excess of $6B (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explicitly blames a sweeping cyberattack that comprised a wide range of federal agencies, including the military, on Russia (More) | See an overview of the attack (More)

> President Trump signs bill that would allow the delisting of Chinese firms from US stock exchanges if the companies don't adhere to US auditing standards (More)

> Omnibus spending package likely to be approved today said to include a long-awaited fix to "surprise" medical billing (More)

A DEEPER DIVE

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ETCETERA

Twenty positive things that happened in 2020.

... and telling 2020's story in 20 charts.

Ten facts about today's winter solstice. 

... meanwhile, the Ursid meteor shower peaks tonight.

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Ranking the best movies of the year.

The most amazing art installations of the year.

Explaining Napoleon's "missing" hand.

The Fyre Festival of children's Santa events.

Clickbait: Santa has been vaccinated. 

Historybook: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premieres (1937); HBD actress Jane Fonda (1937); RIP F. Scott Fitzgerald (1940); HBD French President Emmanuel Macron (1977); Bomb explodes on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 (1988).

"All life is just a progression toward, and then a recession from, one phrase—'I love you.'"

- F. Scott Fitzgerald, from "The Offshore Pirate"

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