Apple News Today

Special Episode: Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/A88eLOJnzRpuY8tRE8XK1qg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> recaps President Biden&rsquo;s first message to the nation as president.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AvnafGqD_RoO2wZW8JCxoVg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Bloomberg News</a> breaks down the many executive actions Biden planned for day one of his presidency.</p> <p>Poet Amanda Gorman read the inaugural poem. She spoke with <a href="https://apple.news/ApokYaQL7RiawsqdYTUrnJA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> about her writing process.</p>

Can Joe Biden unite the nation?

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/A1oQHIkXJTjycdiGTYWWn2Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> reports on President Trump&rsquo;s final pardons, which include ones for his former political adviser Steve Bannon and rapper Lil Wayne.</p> <p>Ahead of President-elect Biden&rsquo;s inauguration, <a href="https://apple.news/Ak1RsH81lQou3vOiPCPmYBw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> looks at inaugural addresses of past presidents who have taken office during challenging moments in history.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AVsElwp5vRv6zA9zR3dK88g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> discusses Biden&rsquo;s Catholic faith and how he might use it to bring Americans together.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AbwUou0sWSRmRPRG8XeTj1Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> looks at Biden&rsquo;s long history of riding Amtrak trains and what it says about his family, politics, past, and future.</p> <p>In the <a href="https://apple.news/AvTwY2-zKRtWVpc-5FEgAfA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a>, Amy Davidson Sorkin says Vice President-elect Harris&rsquo;s husband, Doug Emhoff, embodies multiple firsts. And, in <a href="https://apple.news/AadqNNClNTAWqBSbKQl-tbg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">GQ</a>, Emhoff writes about fostering a society where men supporting women at high levels of power is normal and expected.</p>

President Trump’s lasting impact on American policy

<p><a href="https://apple.news/AOPKWluZxSb67_-MPFTS5TQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> reviewed 30 areas where President Trump has made major policy changes thatmany people may have missed.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A1A3MRZqYSMKaepDqQdHrfA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> analyzes how U.S. far-right groups might adapt following moves to deplatform them. And <a href="https://apple.news/AsaZ2Tc3uQlOqLkPpI9CBwg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> explains why the decision to ban Trump from social-media sites led to a drop in online misinformation.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A2OdtgQcUTUG5lLFZkMq1Bg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CBS News</a> reports that West Virginia is leading other states in its COVID-19 vaccination program.</p> <p>Even after deploying to the Capitol, National Guard Sergeant Jacob Kohut hasn&rsquo;t stopped teaching elementary school music classes. The <a href="https://apple.news/AS66IHqnaSU6j-WGV4sgqPQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> has the story.</p>

Biden prepares a 10-day sprint

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/A0AiRqBwvRBSNmWQmv_fcvg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> reports on the Biden administration&rsquo;s plan to take immediate action against the coronavirus.</p> <p>Following the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, national-security reporter Spencer Ackerman argues in the <a href="https://apple.news/Ah1M3eKpAQEyelXXN8_V-0A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Daily Beast</a> that the U.S. should use existing anti-terror laws to fight domestic terrorism rather than create new ones.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AHWisBaO8R9qRHIxbo-pLKw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Cosmopolitan</a> talks with some unlikely adopters of QAnon conspiracy theories: Instagram influencers. And <a href="https://apple.news/A2pZmjLkMTECl9OmsKZq-rw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Elle</a> details how QAnon lies spread among suburban moms.</p> <p>As we honor Martin Luther King Jr., Anna Malaika Tubbs writes in <a href="https://apple.news/AxlRFx5VbTROS-PlgYRaDvA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Time</a> about his mother, Alberta Williams King, and her own crucial role in the civil-rights movement.</p>

Biden’s agenda collides with Trump’s impeachment trial

<p><a href="https://apple.news/AI6aAACtjQY2NxfKOraELsg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> reports on how the Senate trial of Donald Trump could complicate the Biden administration&rsquo;s efforts to move its agenda forward.</p> <p>For <a href="https://apple.news/AXSRV2tRxT7OFq35DnNu5Yw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">GQ Magazine</a>, Wesley Lowery writes about convicted murderer Dustin Higgs, whom federal officials plan to execute.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/ApgUSngaQR6KQcXw9wGI-OQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">ProPublica</a> reports on Black officers&rsquo; complaints about racism in the Capitol Police.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AQDhFTpA5SZ2q7M_hGBgiNg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">National Geographic</a> explains the polar vortex that could bring extreme winter weather to the United States.</p>

Trump impeached again as states brace for more violence

<p>After the impeachment vote, <a href="https://apple.news/AL2FEY4T4TFKqKzu_7NP5JA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">PBS NewsHour</a> looks at what lies ahead for President Trump as the Senate prepares for a trial. The <a href="https://apple.news/Aeny7T4etQJCMeAoWKZmmXg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> reports that states are bracing for possible further violence from extremist groups.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/An0SOK-MLSDKf8jMRpXxeAg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Hill</a> spoke with dozens of lawmakers who were in the Capitol during the insurrection and has a detailed account of what they experienced.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>As more and more people get vaccinated, <a href="https://apple.news/AVkHMRcQAT0-b-BJq46t1Gg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> says a return to normal life will likely come in three stages.</p> <p>And the <a href="https://apple.news/ANrutXVOwQK-H8OCA60HmfA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> explains why the NBA&rsquo;s Brooklyn Nets are betting the future on an extremely complicated trade to get superstar James Harden.</p>

How the Republican tide has turned against Donald Trump

<p><a href="https://apple.news/AyDGcwjxCTCeMncfcpgNEzg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> reports that some congressional Republicans are backing impeachment. And the <a href="https://apple.news/A2r0Gdb5XQba0lWaeXr5MUw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> explains the rift that has emerged between President Trump and Vice President Pence.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AQGKqqzaFQFGpASor8y_o_g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> looks into several people who participated in the Capitol riots to paint a fuller picture of those who stormed the building.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A1boQRxgtTXqmkHVB6Uqo1g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> explains the Trump administration&rsquo;s new plan to distribute COVID-19 vaccines. In the <a href="https://apple.news/AIF7IRADIQd6NoyE6VBIrCg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a>, doctors Robert Wachter and Ashish Jha argue that the United States should delay the vaccines&rsquo; second doses.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AxyuWL6CfQVuu9h-NlMEhzQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a> talks to Rep. Jamie Raskin, who lost his son to suicide on New Year&rsquo;s Eve and is now leading the case to impeach Trump.</p>

Capitol Police officers suspended for actions during attack

<p><a href="https://apple.news/AJrzEYd6SSIe8VaDaxFKaXA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> reports on the Capitol Police officers suspended after a pro-Trump mob stormed the building. One was seen taking a selfie with a rioter. Another wore a Make America Great Again hat.</p> <p>Harvard professor Martin Puchner writes in the <a href="https://apple.news/A3ICT-yt-QICyP3PIl8rgBQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> about parallels he sees between the current moment in the United States and the dark history of his home country, Germany.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AiYPgsYkFRCy3hGUsXLw69w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> breaks down how impeachment could work this time, as Democrats prepare to go through the process again for President Trump.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AjOvcy5-QSP2WDCpJ3hDpuQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> explains why U.S. intelligence agencies have to tell Congress what they know about UFOs.</p>

Democrats prepare to impeach Trump

<p><a href="https://apple.news/AKB2oe_jLSC-_oWAWVdoeQw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> reports that Democrats agree that President Trump should be held accountable over the attack on the Capitol, but not on how to go about doing it. And the <a href="https://apple.news/ABqX4jWHgTxeMgfGy0ql_Sw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> rounds up what Democrats have planned.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AiH3FgkpLTiutH4eTZ5qqVw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> lays out a detailed timeline of what happened during Wednesday&rsquo;s attack.</p> <p>Evelyn Douek writes in the <a href="https://apple.news/AP5N5ZRB6QFyDaugbDM9B5g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a> that the removal of Trump&rsquo;s social-media accounts demonstrates the sweeping authority that tech companies hold.</p> <p>Ronan Farrow writes for the <a href="https://apple.news/AYeM7cEfxQs6SNvjJILH3Og?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a> about the man seen infiltrating the Capitol carrying zip ties and a combat helmet, and how he was identified.</p>

Democrats call for Trump’s removal from office

<p><a href="https://apple.news/AsIBPgD1VTgWTBKMyRMVRZQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">National Geographic</a> provides some historical background on the 25th Amendment. And <a href="https://apple.news/AizqLeRkcT7y2cnNsJxRGrw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> breaks down why invoking it is unlikely to work.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/Apz9qB5VkShmWS3_Z-lj6hg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> explains the delayed response from the Department of Defense to the attack on Capitol Hill. <a href="https://apple.news/AcH6CtJbwSnmP6LLh-BuoBQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">ProPublica</a> points out that Capitol law enforcement had plenty of warning ahead of the events that transpired on Wednesday. And Eddie Glaude, chair of Princeton University's Department of African American Studies, talks with <a href="https://apple.news/Aw4FKs-LCTT6fmoMj0Ao_Ow?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> about about the discrepancy in how law enforcement treats different group of Americans.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/ARz61qQBRRmOeu_YAKroaDQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> reports on the current COVID-19 crisis in Southern California hospitals. And the <a href="https://apple.news/Ar0PYTkoWTxumDabLpE3gcA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> spends time with medical workers in a facility that ran out of ICU space two weeks ago.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AsIBPgD1VTgWTBKMyRMVRZQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">National Geographic</a> provides some historical background on the 25th Amendment. And <a href="https://apple.news/AizqLeRkcT7y2cnNsJxRGrw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> breaks down why invoking it is unlikely to work.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/Apz9qB5VkShmWS3_Z-lj6hg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> explains the delayed response from the Department of Defense to the attack on Capitol Hill. <a href="https://apple.news/AcH6CtJbwSnmP6LLh-BuoBQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">ProPublica</a> points out that Capitol law enforcement had plenty of warning ahead of the events that transpired on Wednesday. And Eddie Glaude, chair of Princeton University's Department of African American Studies, talks with <a href="https://apple.news/Aw4FKs-LCTT6fmoMj0Ao_Ow?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> about about the discrepancy in how law enforcement treats different group of Americans.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/ARz61qQBRRmOeu_YAKroaDQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> reports on the current COVID-19 crisis in Southern California hospitals. And the <a href="https://apple.news/Ar0PYTkoWTxumDabLpE3gcA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> spends time with medical workers in a facility that ran out of ICU space two weeks ago.</p> <p>After a photo went viral of Congressman Andy Kim cleaning up trash following Wednesday&rsquo;s violence, <a href="https://apple.news/A37aSl3IMQd6bxQMBQ_SWHg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">GQ</a> talked with the New Jersey Democrat, who reflected on the experience of being locked down inside the Capitol building.</p>

Congress confirms Biden win after mob storms Capitol

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AAiuauDzaSnyyFtEs2abIWw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> reports on how Congress confirmed Joe Biden&rsquo;s win after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol and disrupted the count. Analyses from <a href="https://apple.news/ABDeJybUkRkesn3qx-4iGbQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vox</a> and the <a href="https://apple.news/Aob8lb7HwR4uW-cSZP3Zazg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a> look at actions by the president and his supporters that led up to the violence.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A4zTiWXYsRxGXM0lAcVtLxA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> and the <a href="https://apple.news/AFGZcmUQkTeOi0In-qfNmNA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> report on international reactions to the violence and the message it sent to the rest of the world about the state of American democracy.</p> <p>After Democratic candidates won both runoff races in Georgia, the <a href="https://apple.news/AJZ4OgQi8SGCHDpqtUa2l5Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> breaks down how the 50-50 split in the Senate will work. Russell Berman writes for the <a href="https://apple.news/A37dwsB0GTPOE3P5hjpH68Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a> about how the victories will benefit Biden during his time in office. And <a href="https://apple.news/Ak-lf4mTsTv2SuS3hFVS9Yw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">PBS NewsHour</a> explains the challenges Biden faces.</p>

Warnock wins in Georgia, Democratic Senate control in sight

<p>Democrat Raphael Warnock has won one of Georgia&rsquo;s U.S. Senate runoff elections. Victory in the other race would give his party control of Congress. The <a href="https://apple.news/AfDK6khz0TjCnsCi_vZDJyA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> has more.</p> <p>As Congress gathers to confirm President-elect Biden&rsquo;s electoral victory, which some Republicans will challenge, a <a href="https://apple.news/A1YH5wvPnTYWmtsczFcG9IQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">guide to what to expect today</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A6nzA38HsRmSeCd8qUwJjmA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">USA Today</a> reports that prosecutors won&rsquo;t seek charges against the police officers involved in the shooting of Jacob Blake last summer in Kenosha, Wisconsin.</p> <p>When a California hospital&rsquo;s vaccine freezer broke, medical workers raced against the clock to make sure the shots didn&rsquo;t go to waste. The <a href="https://apple.news/AZgSVu_tESI6AzB3RXCoJDw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> has the story.</p>

What Georgia’s elections mean for its political future

<p><a href="https://apple.news/AMAZOeGqzRCq0bN5kOZEWfQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> reports that the runoffs in Georgia are shaping up as a first salvo in a 2022 rematch between Stacey Abrams and current Republican governor Brian Kemp.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/ARr3l-uMISaK6LiiPACy52Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Fortune</a> says the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act contains one of the most impactful pieces of legislation ever passed by Congress to fight corruption and tax evaders.</p> <p>For the <a href="https://apple.news/AmZ0XtgZKQgKpXYDcnKhkgQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a>, Robyn Wright breaks down the challenges President-elect Biden will face when trying to renew diplomacy with Iran.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AmE2tr3L1SRmnCClsDkqYeA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NBC News</a> talks with <em>Jeopardy!</em> executive producer Mike Richards about airing Alex Trebek&rsquo;s final episodes this week.</p>

Trump caught on tape pressuring Georgia election official

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/Ahnl7g-KDTP2e3CE712Pj5w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> has obtained a recording of President Trump pressuring Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to overturn the presidential election results in the state. And <a href="https://apple.news/A0SoL4xG3SFKIF5Ay8hVMyA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">it reports</a> on 12 Republican senators planning to object to confirming the results of the presidential election. The <a href="https://apple.news/ADlMwjhqnSAOrv7fJJa5Usg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a> lays out what Democrats would have to do to flip the two Senate seats in the Georgia runoff elections.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AVsSN1XapQBa3LyrWwZbWjw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> has stories of vaccine distribution issues in states around the country. And <a href="https://apple.news/AfQo7sJJgTgKr0oaMcVEeew?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New York Magazine</a> says the slow vaccine rollout is emblematic of the many problems the United States has experienced during the pandemic.</p> <p>According to reporting from the <a href="https://apple.news/AnbrL8FyfQmKHXpgNz-pVIw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a>, flight attendants trying to enforce mask-wearing rules during the pandemic have been cursed at, called names, berated, and taunted by passengers. And the <a href="https://apple.news/Av87bt5LjSsWnMtpcl25P9g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">L.A. Times</a> reveals that passengers and airline workers with COVID-19 symptoms aren&rsquo;t always kept off of flights.</p> <p>For <a href="https://apple.news/A7IKrApd-ShK-OFYVa7j5vw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Grub Street</a>, Rachel Handler investigates the bucatini pasta shortage of 2020.</p>

It wasn’t all bad: A look back at good news from 2020

<p><a href="https://apple.news/AkT-XLs7PTXvkjTxdvTjvCg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Apple News</a> has collected the best good news stories of this year.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/ADDwQXOZEROmDTT6MWeMC0w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> profiles Peter Tsai, the inventor of the filter in N95 masks, who came out of retirement during the pandemic because he saw an urgent need for these masks.</p> <p>WNBA champion Maya Moore took time away from basketball to advocate for Jonathon Irons, a man wrongfully convicted of crime, to be released from prison. <a href="https://apple.news/Axny8PpNNS2u8fiS8T9XNig?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Slate</a> has the story of Moore&rsquo;s successful efforts and how the two fell in love.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A9AWenb5xQESWMaHotbiGMw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">National Geographic</a> highlights seven wins for the environment in 2020.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/ADqsW0eYBQ7uyT5CTiQ-sIA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Salon</a> explains a pandemic-era trend called Verzuz &ndash; a kind of DJ battle that happens over live video stream.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AlqgqYn3aQ3ab7RW4iMad7w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> shares some of their favorite front-pages from kids newspapers that popped up across the country this year.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/Amp9DWelXR7e5j13fOlFhgg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> reports on the breakthrough science that made the coronavirus vaccines possible.</p>

Trump slams stimulus bill, grants clemency to 20 people

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/A-hiL-Tv1RTqS4wgpDQ2vwA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> spoke with White House insiders about President Trump&rsquo;s surprise message last night that the spending and pandemic relief bills are not good enough.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/A-hiL-Tv1RTqS4wgpDQ2vwA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> spoke with White House insiders about President Trump&rsquo;s surprise message last night that the spending and pandemic relief bills are not good enough.</p> <p>Trump announced a slew of pardons and commutations last night. <a href="https://apple.news/AnZU5GYDgTwuoctW0Zh2sjA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> breaks down who&rsquo;s on the list.</p>

Inside the 5,593-page bill: pandemic relief, plus surprises

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/Az6obT4c4QROQg-6VPz3DWw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> breaks down the surprising details in the 5,593-page spending bill just passed by Congress.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>Jelani Cobb writes for the <a href="https://apple.news/AFJ8gPC4yTUe6IuH5bOSOFw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a> about the roots of vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans.</p> <p>For the <a href="https://apple.news/A2KQNVNqWQpWdN8ENm98fSQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a>, Ed Yong breaks down the scientific successes and setbacks of the COVID era.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AADZa3K3UQWSiO-_LhCvghQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">National Geographic</a> looks at the many forms the Christmas tree has taken at different points in history.</p>

Congress strikes a stimulus deal. Here’s what’s in it.

<p>Congress has struck a deal for a new pandemic stimulus package. The <a href="https://apple.news/AeqwnPh03TYmdVK0_oEtKIg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> reports on what is inside.</p> <p>Answers to key questions about COVID-19 vaccines, from <a href="https://apple.news/AEV_7rtUGT3WGgmiRTat6Bw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Stat</a> and <a href="https://apple.news/Aj0CmhguwT_eOQfrRU2gLhA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a>. And <a href="https://apple.news/AAWYGWRtrT2yT50FVMQAWrQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNBC</a> explains the latest news out of the United Kingdom about a new strain of the virus.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A1_jPC2GhRkWpXa71S2XWIg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NBC News</a> highlights the growing homelessness crisis in the United States during the pandemic.</p> <p>Tonight, Jupiter and Saturn will appear closer together in the night sky than at any time since the year 1226. <a href="https://apple.news/Alb9jfH8RRe2YTUjtuJrgHQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> has tips on how to see them as they form a rare &ldquo;Christmas star.&rdquo;</p>

The Sackler family’s role in the opioid crisis

<p><a href="https://apple.news/AFGrx0xw-S7-W8clOdMzqDQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> reports on the billionaire Sackler family, which owns Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin. Members of the family appeared in front of a congressional committee. And Patrick Radden Keefe writes for the <a href="https://apple.news/A-Y51mNfJQWmXnILqYmSdJg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">New Yorker</a> about how the Sacklers have used their fortune to, so far, avoid criminal culpability for their role in the opioid crisis.</p> <p>As lawmakers near a potential coronavirus relief package, the <a href="https://apple.news/AsYIXfiotQCqVA2B3lPjgJA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> breaks down what might be in a final deal.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AEHlxFxKrRz6Gn7GuFTdcDg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> looks at the hack of the U.S. government. New information shows it is deeper and more sophisticated than initially thought.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/Ao5fZPe0fRzme6Dw0YsDiGQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Popular Science</a> explains what Dippin&rsquo; Dots can tell us about the COVID-19 vaccine.</p>

What does it mean to distribute a vaccine equitably?

<p>California has made a commitment to distributing coronavirus vaccines equitably. <a href="https://apple.news/AT9rLMBQ9QUamnDBkppECpw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> reports that some groups argue this means taking historical injustices into consideration. And the <a href="https://apple.news/ABe-3GsBVSQSIK4qw3PR5MA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Guardian</a> covers the debate over whether prisoners should be included in early distribution.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/ADRYCvzXhQSuIiYqIgApVmA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> delivers good news: Some coronavirus vaccine vials hold extra doses that could expand the supply by as much as 40%.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AP_GreCYqR8C9TZz2rLeEUQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">ProPublica</a> and the New York Times Magazine take a deep dive into how Russia stands to benefit from a warming planet.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AMR0cfUoxQbWrzCzze8qCxw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a> is out with a piece about an uptick in Christmas tree purchases that seems to have caught the industry off guard.</p>

The fate of the Senate comes down to Georgia

<p><a href="https://apple.news/Ao9Cp6bHeSiSpbfUcelv7uw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> reports on why President-elect Biden is campaigning for Democrats in Georgia&rsquo;s runoff election. And <a href="https://apple.news/AX_QqaU1qR9WwKDbsHk_mBA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> also reveals that President Trump is using the Georgia race to fundraise for his own PAC.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AxBgdTuRKS_qg7s5FN-E_tQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Guardian</a> dives into a recent report that found significant evidence that China may be forcing members of ethnic minority groups, including Uighurs, to pick cotton on a scale far greater than previously thought.</p> <p>The jihadi group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for kidnapping more than 300 schoolboys in Nigeria. The <a href="https://apple.news/A9a2mOK7MThqLVbPQnSqdVg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> has the story.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AnXJi7zJcRyiCQuzdbQ7baw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> says&nbsp;there are major delays&nbsp;to&nbsp;package deliveries, and&nbsp;warns that with&nbsp;the backlog&nbsp;only set to worsen, it&rsquo;s&nbsp;past time to finish up online holiday shopping.</p>

Electoral College confirms Biden’s win as he calls for unity

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AliXG3_B4QzKt-lNOH71HJQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> reports on how some Republicans have started to acknowledge Joe Biden&rsquo;s Electoral College victory. It also covers <a href="https://apple.news/AAazZ3kigRL6A89u4Vy_pow?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Bill Barr&rsquo;s departure as attorney general</a>.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/ArOuR5eXyQ2mKH-bqHTwq5w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> says it could take two to five years for countries in the developing world to vaccinate a large percentage of their populations.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/ArMqfaSGXQGSjJQueUyu9KQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Vice</a> reporter Aaron Gordon breaks down America&rsquo;s public transportation crisis.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/Akobyzv4xRUqcfXhXSeZFag?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">USA Today</a> puts into perspective the 300,000 American lives lost to COVID-19.</p>

When is my turn? Is it safe? Vaccine questions answered.

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/A5beCdyCYQzeuf5ZHSmt_Dg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> provides us with answers to some common questions about the leading coronavirus vaccines.</p> <p>Today, the 538 members of the Electoral College meet to cast their votes for president of the United States. The <a href="https://apple.news/Ae_e8C8YZSdyG4tpRNvs8QA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> breaks down how the process works and introduces us to some of this year&rsquo;s electors.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/ARhYEktulQTCJOorjHoE2oQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> says President Trump&rsquo;s strategy to undermine the election results is being taken up by other Republicans.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/ARmaJFYD_RCyrZMzU6k1q3w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> reports on Cleveland&rsquo;s Major League Baseball team moving to drop its controversial nickname.</p>

How new state laws could transform future elections

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AQ2-SRcdDTPa4yw7ULTyM6g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Hill</a> reports that many state legislatures are considering changes to election rules &mdash; in some cases ones that would make voting less accessible.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AXkvLeA91ReyjX1m2Ct6rkQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NBC News</a> looks at the latest federal execution, part of a series of death-penalty moves in the last days of the Trump administration.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A4KSzZYc5R5ivdxmJMd1Glg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNBC</a> reports that China has promised its vaccines to many developing nations, and says some experts argue the goal may be to expand Chinese global influence.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/ADQ52Hv3BSgGxMgU4SKX44A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> highlights letters children have sent to the Postal Service&rsquo;s Operation Santa program asking for help during a difficult year.</p>

The years of work that made COVID-19 vaccines possible

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AufSDLqcEQhisQctoOLCJ3Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> breaks down the science and research behind the leading coronavirus vaccines.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AWedGFEVvTEOd9PNo1cSz1A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico Magazine</a> explains how Oklahoma became the state with the largest medical marijuana market in the United States.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AiaGCdeWFRDK1TMMPPqSKSg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> reports on how the pandemic has slowed video-game production.</p> <p>Hanukkah begins tonight. A historian of American Jewish life writes in the <a href="https://apple.news/ASb-drKg6S9ehDNYBbH2VRQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> about how the holiday came to be an annual celebration at the White House.</p>

Why there’s no new pandemic stimulus? A fight over lawsuits.

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/A3wlxzG0UQXOhtq2gBNGp2g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> explains a key sticking point in coronavirus stimulus negotiations: liability shields.</p> <p>After conducting a nationwide survey of health officials, <a href="https://apple.news/ApjTu5uCjRvqwXlaqudHAvg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">USA Today</a> reports on the various COVID-19 vaccine rollout plans in place across the United States.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AFzOueqRJQYaD2GcnR0canQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CBS Sports</a> has the story of a racial controversy that stopped a major professional soccer match.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/Av0mTb4FOTB2LAxPhksz0fg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> reports on how the pandemic has led to more empathetic performance reviews.</p>

Trump is trying to undo the election. Is this a coup?

<p>A new <a href="https://apple.news/A8Pb4mkSiRbqWxl86XPITKA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> report reveals the president&rsquo;s calls to Pennsylvania&rsquo;s house speaker asking for help reversing his loss. In a column for the <a href="https://apple.news/AO7dHtVQRS1Wcd24otxkwJA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a>, Zeynep Tufekci breaks down why Trump&rsquo;s efforts to overturn the presidential election should not be ignored, even though they don&rsquo;t fit the formal definition of coup.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AjZhlLojcSfWB4K3_23LkCQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> reports on Lloyd Austin, Biden&rsquo;s pick to be the first Black defense secretary.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AmMjzLCfYS0ahVJpwVH3HdA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wired</a> dives into a counterintuitive argument about vaccine distribution: Move social butterflies to the front of the line.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AjnVkplf7QnKvobKRuNCjLg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">CNN</a> has the story of why some people are saying the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico must be rescued and restored.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>According to <a href="https://apple.news/AZFY42X2tSEa3pBFnS7yemQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a>, medical school applications have risen 18 percent over the last year, in what some admissions officers have named the &ldquo;Fauci effect.&rdquo;</p>

How the wealthy could get a COVID-19 vaccine first

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/A597mc_wQRdK_WoHfJXuvtg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a> reports that hospitals across the U.S. have passed their breaking point. And <a href="https://apple.news/AIQoW-odnTFeSHogUyIjovg?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> and Kaiser Health News shed light on what happens at a rural hospital when just one doctor gets COVID-19.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/AblW8-hT5QL269K4BbaikkQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Stat</a> reveals how privileged Americans might cut the line for a COVID-19 vaccine.</p> <p>Last week, WarnerMedia announced that all of its movies next year will be released&nbsp;on its streaming service, HBO Max, at the same time as in theaters. <a href="https://apple.news/AKfOFmHHYRUqQ7TyueDvs_Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Bloomberg News</a> explains how the film industry is reacting. And the <a href="https://apple.news/AjPPOdijNRemWfwjlGBkEBw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a> breaks down what this means for the future of movie theaters.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/A_V4e3cYMQDeZJLU4vXtj6A?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Wall Street Journal</a> has the story of the Japanese space probe Hayabusa 2, which just completed a mission that may provide answers about how life began on Earth.</p>

How conspiracy theories put election workers in danger

<p>The <a href="https://apple.news/Av2_NrIp0SduQLP7QxD4L3Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a> looks at the threats being directed at election officials across the country. And <a href="https://apple.news/ASRgjCQRyS2W0yS-VnFLEgw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">NPR</a> covers a recent speech by top Georgia election official Gabriel Sterling calling on the president and his allies to stop repeating false claims that undermine the electoral process.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/APpWBWP6vTaep3Cv26OD4ow?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Politico</a> explains President-elect Biden&rsquo;s plans to combat the resurgent drug epidemic.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>Anne McCloy, a news anchor at CBS-6 Albany in New York, has helped thousands of people get unemployment benefits. The <a href="https://apple.news/AkRAQ5MUGQGiPwJkZMHHOLA?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Atlantic</a> has the story.</p> <p><a href="https://apple.news/A9vo11AxARtOnEI5pxXAo5g?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">BuzzFeed News</a> reports that the South Korean legislature passed an amendment exempting K-pop star Jin from military service, just in time for his 28th birthday.</p>

Can Trump pardon himself? What about his kids?

<p><a href="https://apple.news/AlwcCqnr9TVONbcTv3rno6w?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Time</a> answers key questions about President Trump&rsquo;s pardon powers.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>In an op-ed for the <a href="https://apple.news/AxF0T9FjDT72NxafyvF1Qaw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a>, former Maryland representative John Delaney argues that the government should pay individuals $1,500 to get vaccinated. But Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at NYU School of Medicine, tells NBC&rsquo;s <a href="https://apple.news/A79Xb3utHSAeHiHegZd1Y3Q?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Today Show</a> that paying for vaccinations is a bad idea.</p> <p>The <a href="https://apple.news/AFo2EvTsSSf2KrFEpEJwOXw?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Marshall Project</a> looks at the long-lasting impact of the term &ldquo;superpredator&rdquo; on American criminal policy and politics.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></p> <p>According to the <a href="https://apple.news/AlHrKxeKBRLiv0yYM0O3uPQ?campaign_id=applenewstoday_shownotes">Washington Post</a>, scented candles have been getting some unusually harsh reviews during the pandemic.</p>