49ers’ costly turnovers lead to 41-33 loss to Cowboys B1
Beef short ribs great dish for festivity, reheatability B5
Monday | December 21, 2020 | $1.00
dailyrepublic.com | Well said. Well read.
covid-19 pandemic
Congress strikes stimulus deal Will provide $900B in aid Los Angeles Times
Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic
Traffic moves along Interstate 80, Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises not to travel this holiday.
Covid readiness needs to be part of holiday travel planning “With Covid‑19 cases steadily increasing this month, the expected continued rise will prompt some would-be travelers to not follow through with upcoming travel plans,” Sergio Avila, AAA Northern California spokesman, said in a statement released Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises not to travel, and according to QuoteWizard by LendingTree, California is the sixth riskiest state to travel to and within based on Covid-19 health risks and
Todd R. Hansen
thansen@dailyrepublic.net
FAIRFIELD — An annual holiday travel forecast anticipates 34 million fewer travelers compared to last year’s holiday season, a decline of nearly 30%. But that does not mean the roads and skies won’t be busy. AAA Northern California forecasts as many as 84.5 million people may still travel from Wednesday through Jan. 3. About 9.83 million Californians may be traveling, AAA reported.
See Travel, Page A8
Group greenlights Moderna vaccine for use in state as hospitals struggle Los Angeles Times
by California and later joined by Nevada, Oregon and Washington, reviewed the vaccine separately from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which on Friday issued emergency use authorization. The group made its recommendation to the governors of the four states Sunday morning, officials said in a news release.
LOS A NGELES — A working group of scientists and experts Sunday endorsed the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, clearing the way for it to be distributed throughout California and much of the West. The group, initially formed
See Moderna, Page A8
Official: Unclear if US has the UK virus mutation Tribune Content Agency It’s not clear whether a more transmissible variant of the coronavirus that prompted tighter restrictions in the U.K. has made its way to the U.S., according to Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser for the government’s vaccine acceleration program. “We don’t know,” Slaoui said on Sunday. “We’re looking at that.” Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir questioned the threat posed by the virus changes cited by the U.K. government, saying the coronavirus blamed for Covid-19 has mutated more than 4,000 times since its discovery. There’s no imminent need to suspend flights from the U.K., he said on ABC’s “This Week.” “We don’t know that it’s more dangerous, and very importantly we have not seen a single mutation yet that would make it evade the vaccine,” and while that can’t be ruled out for the future, “I don’t think there should be any reason for alarm right now,” Giroir said.
WASHINGTON — Congressional leaders have agreed on a nearly $900 billion economic aid package to extend federal unemployment payments and forgivable loans for small businesses, and to give direct cash payments to many Americans. The leaders – under increasing pressure from constituents and rank-and-file lawmakers, and confronted with both a slowing economy and surging coronavirus infections and related deaths – are racing to pass it into law before millions of Americans lose their financial lifeline. The final text of the aid package, the second largest in U.S. history, is expected to become available Sunday evening, leaving members of Congress little time to review it before voting. “We can finally report what our nation has needed to hear for a very long time. More help is on the way,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on the Senate floor. The bipartisan deal crafted by the top four congressional leaders must be passed by the House and Senate and signed by President Donald Trump to become law. The additional federal unemployment aid created by Congress in March in the socalled CARES Act expires Saturday, and most other benefits lapse before the end of the year. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer predicted the House and Senate could vote as soon as Sunday. “It appears that barring a major mishap the Senate and House will be able to vote on a bill as early as tonight,” Schumer said Sunday. Congressional procedure could make that difficult though, and lawmakers were warned to be prepared to vote late into the night. Congressional leaders want to attach the aid to a must-pass $1.4-trillion package to fund the operations of federal agencies through this fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Congress has passed several short-term resolutions to extend the funding and keep the government open while the aid package was being negotiated. Lawmakers have until the end of the day Sunday to pass the bill and avoid a government shutdown, but may have to consider another extension. While Trump has not been involved in the talks, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin has, and the president is expected to support See Stimulus, Page A8
Trump downplays massive cyber hack on government Reaction dismays lawmakers, baffles experts office, Trump remains preoccupied with his falsehood-filled campaign to overturn the results of November’s election, and gave no indication that the United States would seek to punish those responsible for an unprecedented breach whose full scope was still being assessed. “Russia acted with impunity,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said on NBC’S “Meet the Press.” Romney, one of only a handful of congressio-
Los Angeles Times WASHINGTON — President Trump’s dismissive characterization of a massive cyberattack targeting multiple U.S. agencies drew pushback Sunday from lawmakers and cybersecurity experts amid growing questions over the president’s refusal to acknowledge that Russia was likely behind the intrusions. A month before Presidentelect Joseph R. Biden takes
nal Republicans to criticize Trump’s conduct regarding the election, said that “we’ve come to recognize that the president has a blind spot when it comes to Russia.” Throughout his tenure, Trump has balked at consistently acknowledging that prior to the 2016 presidential vote Russian hackers sought to help him and hurt his opponent, Hillary Clinton. He has
INDEX Business �����������������������������������������B4 Classifieds �������������������������������������� B6 Columns ����������������������������������������� A6 Comics �������������������������������������A5, B2 Crossword ��������������������������������A6, B3
Entertainment ������������������������� B2, B3 Obituary ������������������������������������������ A7 Opinion ������������������������������������������� A4 Sports ��������������������������������������������� B1 TV Daily �������������������������������������A5, B2
See Trump, Page A8
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images/TNS file
President Donald Trump joins West Point cadets during the Army-Navy football game at Michie Stadium, Dec. 12, in West Point, New York.
weather
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Fog in morning, then mostly sunny. Five-day forecast on B8.
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