New York Post - USA (2020-12-01)

New York Post, Tuesday, December 1, 2020

nypost.com

outbreak

McConnell insists on including lia-
bility protection for businesses, ex-
cept in cases of gross negligence
and misconduct, which most Dem-
ocrats reject as potentially allowing
firms to recklessly endanger peo-
ple’s health.
Although both sides agree on
large amounts of funding for
schools and COVID-19 health care,
many Senate Republicans are anx-
ious about adding to the national
debt after blowing through trillions
this year amid mass unemployment.
Many conservatives vehemently
oppose fully reviving a $600 weekly

unemployment subsidy, which in

some states resulted in people earn-

ing more by not working.

After negotiations failed, Trump

in August signed executive orders

to establish a national ban on evic-

tions during the pandemic and de-

fer student loan payments. He also

partially resurrected the

$600 weekly unemployment sup-

plement, though those funds are

now depleted.

House Democrats passed a more-

than-$3-trillion relief bill in May

and say they are willing to agree to

a $2.4 trillion deal.

Republicans in July unveiled a

$1 trillion counteroffer.

The next session of Congress be-

gins on Jan. 3, with Pelosi holding a

narrower House majority than be-

fore and control of the Senate in

doubt. Republicans will hold at

least 50 Senate seats, but two seats

— and control of the chamber —

will be decided by a pair of Jan. 5

runoff elections in Georgia.

President-elect Joe Biden last

week denied a report that he might

be willing to break with Pelosi and

agree to a compromise relief bill

with Republicans.

HUMBUG

bitterly divided on stimulus

Sen. Chuck Grassley,

chairman of the Finance

Committee, returned to

Congress on Monday

following his quarantine

after testing positive for

the coronavirus last

month and immediately

called for passage of a

coronavirus-relief bill.

Grassley (R-Iowa) , 87, who said

he was asymptomatic after con-

tracting the virus, urged his con-

gressional colleagues to come to-

gether and pass a stimulus pack-

age before the end of the year.

“Promising vaccine news

means there is light at the end of

the tunnel. That makes staying

vigilant in the coming months all

the more important,” Grassley

(inset) said. “Congress

must do its part and pass

long-overdue relief legis-

lation to help families,

businesses and commu-

nities get through this

crisis.

“I hope my colleagues

reach the same conclu-

sion and a bipartisan bill

can pass very soon.”

Legislation providing relief has

been caught up for months in

congressional gridlock as the

House and Senate squabble over

how much to spend and what

measures to include in the bill.

If a bill fails to pass, an esti-

mated 5 million people could lose

unemployment benefits and evic-

tion protections. Mark Moore

The number of Americans

hospitalized with the coronavi-

rus hit an all-time high for the

second day in a row on Sunday,

with 93,238 patients.

The COVID Tracking Project

put the number of patients ad-

mitted Saturday at 91,635.

Regional graphs tweeted by

the organization showed dra-

matic spikes in recent hospital

admissions in some areas, in-

cluding the Northeast.

Hospitalizations in the Mid-

west, on the other hand, appear

to have slowed, the group said.

The stats also reflect alarming

surges in specific states.

“In California, the number of

hospitalized patients has dou-

bled from 4k November 12 to

more than 8k today,” the volun-

teer-run project noted.

The latest data suggested that

Sunday’s new infections and

deaths were lower than the aver-

age for the previous week, but

the researchers warned that the

dip was likely a result of “data

wobbles” from a lack of report-

ing over Thanksgiving.

As of Monday, the US has re-

ported 266,887 COV deaths and

13,385,494 infections.Lee Brown

The pandemic has forced Pope

Francis to cancel a ceremony

held since 1953 to mark the start

of Rome’s Christmas season, the

Vatican said Monday.

The pope customarily places

flowers at the Spanish Steps

bearing a statue of the Madonna

— and blesses another wreath

placed around the statue’s arm

by firefighters.

But, the Vatican said, Francis

will skip the Dec. 8 ceremony “in

order to avoid any risk of conta-

gion caused by gatherings of

people.” Yaron Steinbuch

Pontiff cancels

Yule tradition

Record hospitalizations

for second straight day

On-mend Grassley

pleads for $$ deal

Moderna said Monday it will

ask the feds to clear its experi-

mental coronavirus vaccine for

emergency use, bringing to two

the number of inoculations that

could be available by Christmas.

Moderna announced the move

as it revealed data showing its

vaccine was 94.1 percent effec-

tive in its late-stage clinical trial.

Pfizer and BioNTech filed an

application for authorization of

their joint COVID-19 vaccine

from the Food and Drug Admin-

istration last month.

Noah Manskar

Moderna seeks

quick OK for vax

EPA

son, he was a sweet, kind and generous man,” his
daughter said of the actor (above, beside the suit of
his famous villain character). “He really was a gen-
tle giant. And to us, he was our dad.”
Meanwhile, Mark Hamill, who portrayed Luke
Skywalker in the space saga, took to Twitter to re-
member Prowse. “So sad to hear David Prowse has
passed. He was a kind man and much more than
Darth Vader,” Hamill wrote. “He loved his fans as

much as they loved him.”

Series creator George Lucas posted a tribute on

StarWars.com.

“David brought a physicality to Darth Vader that

was essential for the character,” Lucas wrote. “He

made Vader leap off the page and on to the big

screen, with an imposing stature and movement

performance to match the intensity and undercur-

rent of Vader’s presence.” Yaron Steinbuch