Good morning. It's Friday, Dec. 4, and we're spending our weekend scrolling through the best of the best of 2020 lists. Have feedback? Let us know at [email protected].

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NEED TO KNOW

Hackers Target Vaccine Rollout

Research released yesterday by IBM suggests hacker groups backed by yet-to-be-identified foreign governments are attempting to disrupt the ultracold supply chains needed to store and ship COVID-19 vaccines. The attack was carried out via a global phishing campaign, with emails appearing to come from Haier Biomedical—a legitimate company—attempting to steal login credentials. Officials say hackers could disrupt vaccine rollout by, for example, interfering with payments between companies along the supply chain. 

While not all vaccines require ultracold storage, the vaccine from Pfizer and its partner BioNTech—likely the first that will receive approval in the US—must be stored at 100 degrees below zero. If you missed it yesterday, read about the challenges of the ultracold supply chain here.

In related news, Facebook said it would begin removing—as opposed to simply flagging—posts spreading COVID-19 misinformation. 

Almost 2,900 deaths were reported in the US yesterday, while current COVID-19 hospitalizations remain above 100,000. The country has reported more than 14.1 million total cases and 276,380 total deaths, as of this morning. See rolling averages here and here.

Seismic Streaming Shift

Warner Bros. announced yesterday it would release its entire 2021 slate of movies on its sister company, HBO Max, the same day they are released in theaters. The unprecedented move comes in response to the severe disruption faced by the industry from the pandemic. Through the first three quarters of 2020, the US box office had brought in just $2B—the vast majority in the first three months—down more than 75% from the same point last year.

The 17-film slate includes "The Matrix 4," "Dune," "In the Heights," and more, and the move may help bolster HBO Max users (8.6 million) relative to competitor Disney+ (74 million).

Deserted theaters have generated a number of surprise box office winners this year—rereleases of "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), "Ghostbusters" (1984), and "Jurassic Park" (1993) each claimed the top spot at one point.

Stimulus Optimism

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA-12) held initial talks on a potential COVID-19 stimulus package yesterday, one of the first signs of momentum around further economic aid seen in months. The discussions follow a $900B bipartisan proposal released earlier this week, which Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) expressed support for, despite it being lower than a $3T Democratic package floated over the summer. McConnell has previously called for $500B in new stimulus. Helping move things along, President Trump signaled yesterday he would sign a bill if passed by Congress.

Lawmakers face two crucial deadlines. First, nearly 14 million people are expected to lose added unemployment benefits provided under the $2.3T CARES Act just after Christmas. Second, the most promising opportunity to pass a bill would be to attach it to the fiscal year 2021 omnibus spending package, the deadline for which is Dec. 11.

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GOOD VIBRATIONS

Need some good vibes to close out 2020? Yeah, we all do. 

Apollo Neuro is a new wearable device that improves your body's resilience to stress, so you can focus, get to sleep, and stay energized. Chronic stress triggers the sympathetic “fight-or-flight” branch of our nervous system and impairs recovery. Apollo activates your parasympathetic “rest and digest” response to restore balance. Developed by physicians and neuroscientists, Apollo Neuro uses gentle vibrations to signal safety to the brain, training your body to recover from stress more quickly. The Apollo Neuro wearable device works with a mobile app with modes for sleep, focus, relaxation, meditation, and more—so you can decide how you want to feel and when you want to feel it.

Apollo Neuro doesn't track your health; it actively improves it. Apollo Neuro has been tested rigorously in multiple clinical trials and is scientifically proven to improve heart rate variability, a key biometric of stress. So check it out today so you can chill more and stress less. 1440 readers can take an exclusive 15% off your order, don't miss out.

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IN THE KNOW

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture

> Radio Disney to shut down in early 2021 after 25 years amid major restructuring affecting several Disney media properties (More)

> The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” tops Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 chart (More) | See all of Billboard’s 2020 year-end chart-toppers (More)

> Former Wired magazine Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Thompson named CEO at The Atlantic (More) | Gitanjali Rao, 15-year-old inventor of a device to test lead in drinking water, named Time's 2020 Kid of the Year (More)

Science & Technology

> Scientists reverse glaucoma damage and age-related vision loss in mice by effectively resetting the aging clock of eye cells (More)

> Study shows stress hormones can lead to a cascade of interactions that may reawaken dormant cancer cells; research sheds light on one potential mechanism of recurrence in cancer survivors (More)

> Drone footage emerges capturing the moment Puerto Rico's Arecibo radio telescope observatory collapsed; incident came after a third suspension cable snapped earlier this week (More)

Business & Markets

> Initial unemployment claims drop to 712,000 filed during the previous week; figure marks lowest since the pandemic began, but still above the prepandemic peak of 695,000 in 1982 (More)

> Budget airliner Ryanair orders 75 Boeing 737 MAX jets for $9B price tag, first large order since grounding (More)

> Google’s co-lead on Ethical AI team says she was fired for criticizing company’s diversity practices, Google denies allegations (More)

Politics & World Affairs

> Wisconsin Supreme Court declines to hear Trump campaign challenge to state's election results, sends case to lower courts (More) | See election litigation tracker here (More) | Trump to hold rally in Georgia tomorrow (More)

> House fire leads to 7,000 acre wildfire in Orange County, California, prompting utilities to cut power to more than 100,000 customers (More)

> Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D, CT-3) wins top spot on the powerful House Appropriations Committee (More) | White House communications director Alyssa Farah resigns (More) | President-elect Joe Biden asks Dr. Anthony Fauci to remain in current position and act as chief medical adviser (More)

IN-DEPTH

Pocket's Best of 2020

Pocket | Staff. Explore the 25 most popular long reads of the year, as determined by millions of Pocket users. (Read)

How Do You Know When It's Time to Quit?

No Stupid Questions | Rebecca Lee Douglas. (Podcast) Angela Duckworth, author of "Grit," on how to know whether to persist or call it a day. (Listen)

Wood: A Love Story

Nature | Josie Glausiusz. Iron, bronze, and steel get all the attention, but no material has played a more critical role in shaping human history than wood. (Read)

HELP FOR THE HOLIDAZE

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Now, we're no neuroscientists, but thankfully Apollo Neuro was developed and tested extensively by leading experts in the field. It's proven to improve our bodies' resilience to stress, with options to sleep better, focus, socialize, and unwind more easily. 1440 readers can take 15% off your order—buy one this holiday season for yourself or a loved one and spread the good vibes.

Please support our sponsors!

ETCETERA

The top 100 TikToks of 2020.

... and the best YouTube videos of the year.

That time a horse flu took down the US economy.

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The oldest building in all 50 states.

Construction crew in a New York grist mill finds a century-old time capsule.

Meet the 102-year-old, two-time victor over the coronavirus.

Actor Ryan Reynolds' Match.com ad goes viral.

Officials in Kenya make a daring giraffe rescue.

Clickbait: The "Too Tall Bandit" is terrorizing the South.

Historybook: RIP English philosopher Thomas Hobbes (1679); President Woodrow Wilson travels to Versailles for WWI peace talks, is first US president to travel to Europe while in office (1918); HBD Jay-Z (1969); HBD Tyra Banks (1973); American journalist Terry Anderson released after more than six years as hostage in Lebanon (1991).

"We change people through conversation, not through censorship."

- Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter

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