BY PERRY STEIN

Zalaunshae leaned close to the

laptop camera, her oversize pink

bows filling the computer screen.

The teacher asked students to

name characters in “The Enor-

mous Turnip.” Zalaunshae raised

her hand first.

This was second grade. The

7-year-old already understood the

strange sound a “c” and “h” made

when they sat next to each other

in a word. She could speed

through basic sentences. And she

knew how to break down an

unfamiliar, complicated word,

snapping her fingers with each

syllable.

But that isn’t enough to be

considered a strong reader in

second grade. Now it’s a bout com-

prehension. Why, exactly, did the

farmer struggle so much to pull

that turnip? Who were the char-

acters in the storybook?

“The mouse,” Zalaunshae said,

pinching two fingers together

and pushing them close to her

laptop camera to show the class

just how small it was.

SEE READING ON A

ABCDE

Prices may vary in areas outside metropolitan Washington. M2 V1 V2 V3 V

Sunny, breezy 48/33 • Tomorrow: Mostly sunny 53/41 B8 Democracy Dies in Darkness WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2 , 2020. $

Potential cuts As transit agencies nationwide

plan for shortfalls, the possibility of Metro

ceasing weekend service jolted lawmakers. B

White House parties The administration has

planned at least 25 indoor holiday events this

month despite health experts’ warnings. A

FOOD

A latke

for all seasons

Under a range of

toppings, this crisp

classic delivers a

celebratory crunch. E

STYLE

Making a name

for himself

The man behind

“A nonymous” says he

wants to help the GOP

recover from Tr ump. C

In the News

THE NATION

A Trump lawyer asked

a federal appeals court

to order arbitration in a

suit accusing the presi-

dent and three of his

children of promoting a

pyramid scheme. A

A top Republican elec-

tion official in Georgia

blamed President

Trump for a flood of

threats that have be-

sieged his office. A

The Trump campaign

filed a last-ditch lawsuit

with the Wisconsin

Supreme Court in an

attempt to overturn Joe

Biden’s win there. A

A bipartisan group of

senators announced a

$908 billion stimulus

plan to break a logjam

over federal relief, but it

lacks buy-in from con-

gressional leaders. A

Former Trump lawyer

Sidney Powell cited the

administrator of the

message board 8kun,

QAnon’s Internet home,

in an affidavit she filed

contesting Georgia’s

election results. A

THE WORLD

An American who had

moved to Burkina Faso

and was killed outside a

military base had strug-

gled with schizophrenia,

his family said. A

After a year of deadly

conflict and the corona-

virus pandemic, high-

schoolers in Libya sat

for their final exams. A

Europe’s schools have

largely remained open,

as officials say they

rarely contribute to

virus transmission. A

THE ECONOMY

The Supreme Court

heard arguments in a

child-slavery case about

whether U.S. chocolate

companies should be

held responsible for vio-

lations by their cocoa

suppliers in Africa. A

To counter China, the

U.S. government should

take a larger role in pro-

moting U.S. technology

standards, a bipartisan

commission said. A

THE REGION

Cashless restaurants

and retailers could not

operate in the District

under a contentious bill

advanced by the D.C.

Council. B

A massive slavery

database project looks

to shine a light on the

lives of millions of

people sold into

bondage during the

transatlantic trade. B

As some localities

suspend youth sports,

teams explore their

options, and parents

wrestle with letting their

kids take the field. B

The D.C. Council

passed transportation

measures addressing

e-scooter riders, electric

vehicles and parking. B

Inside

MATT MCCLAIN/THE WASHINGTON POST

BUSINESS NEWS.......................A

COMICS.......................................C

OPINION PAGES.........................A

LOTTERIES...................................B

OBITUARIES................................B

TELEVISION.................................C

WORLD NEWS............................A

CONTENT © 2020

The Washington Post / Y ear 143, No. 363

1

al regulators. About 3 million

residents of long-term-care facili-

ties also should receive top priori-

ty, according to the Advisory

Committee on Immunization

Practices. A vaccine, which could

be authorized for distribution by

the end of the month, would

finally provide much-needed pro-

tection for the elderly, who are at

highest risk of death if they are

infected, and medical staff be-

cause of their exposure to the

virus and their critical role in

keeping the nation’s hospitals

and clinics functioning.

Until then, an influx of new

covid-19 patients could lead to

hard decisions in the worst-hit

hospitals about how to allocate

medical resources and care.

To m Moore, an infectious-dis-

ease doctor in Wichita, said cases

had been rising steadily through-

out the summer because of out-

breaks at meatpacking plants.

But over the past few days, the

number of positive cases has

SEE CORONAVIRUS ON A

BY ARIANA EUNJUNG CHA,

LENNY BERNSTEIN,

LENA H. SUN

AND JOSE A. DEL REAL

Hospitals are confronting new
and alarming levels of strain
amid a surge of coronavirus pa-
tients, with nearly 100,000 hospi-
talized nationwide Tuesday. Now,
even with the hope that vaccines
will arrive soon, health-care
workers who are already
stretched thin are bracing for an
unprecedented wave of illness.
Good news arrived for medical
staff on Tuesday, when a federal
advisory panel recommended
that an estimated 21 million
health-care workers should be
given the first doses of a coronavi-
rus vaccine because the vaccine
initially will be in extremely short
supply after it is cleared by feder-

Surge pushes hospitals

close to breaking point

With nearly 100,

admitted in U.S., tough

calls on care are feared

BY MATT ZAPOTOSKY,

DEVLIN BARRETT

AND JOSH DAW

Attorney General William P.

Barr said Tuesday that he has “not

seen fraud on a scale that could

have effected a different outcome

in the election,” undercutting

claims that President Trump and

his allies have made — without

evidenc e — of widespread and sig-

nificant voting irregularities.

His comments to the Associat-

ed Press, while caveated, make

Barr the highest-ranking Trump

administration official to break

with the president on his allega-

tion that the election was stolen,

and they might offer political cov-

er to other Republicans to stake

out s imilar p ositions.

Trump himself, though, has

shown no sign of backing down,

and some of his Capitol Hill allies

were critical of Barr’s assertions.

Trump’s relationship with his at-

torney general was already deteri-

orating, with the president frus-

trated that Barr was unwilling to

launch aggressive measures to

support his fraud claims or take

SEE BARR ON A

Barr breaks

with Trump

on fraud claims

SAYS ELECTION’S OUTCOME WASN’T SWAYED

Official leading probe of FBI gets special counsel status

baseless claims of election fraud,

even as their attempts have re-

peatedly failed in court and as

key states continue to certify

wins for President-elect Joe

Biden.

Much of the money raised

since the election is likely to go

into an account for the president

to use on political activities after

he leaves office, while some of the

contributions will go toward

what is left of the legal fight.

The people with knowledge of

the fundraising amounts spoke

on the condition of anonymity to

SEE TRUMP ON A

BY JOSH DAWSEY

AND MICHELLE YE HEE

President Trump’s political op-

eration has raised more than

$170 million since Election Day,

using a blizzard of misleading

appeals about the election to

shatter fundraising records set

during the campaign, according

to people with knowledge of the

contributions.

The influx of political dona-

tions is one reason that Trump

and some allies are inclined to

continue a legal onslaught and

public relations blitz focused on

President’s allegations

help raise $170 million

Between the lines, students struggling

At a critical time for young D.C. learners, pandemic disruptions have stalled their reading progress

AMANDA ANDRADE-RHOADES FOR THE WASHINGTON POST

Zalaunshae Pearson, a 7-year-old second-grader at Achievement Prep, reads one of her favorite

books, “Just Grace and the Snack Attack,” at her Southeast Washington home in October.

DEMETRIUS FREEMAN/THE WASHINGTON POST

President-elect Joe Biden introduces his economic team Tuesday in Wilmington, Del. Biden is facing some complaints that he has so

far largely pu t Black officials in lower-profile positions or in jobs that include “deput y” i n the title rather than key Cabinet posts.

BY ANNIE LINSKEY

AND MATT VISER

Representatives from seven

of the country’s leading civil

rights organizations are press-

ing to meet with President-elect

Joe Biden in coming days, esca-

lating pressure on him to ap-

point Black nominees to the

remaining high-profile Cabinet

posts amid concern that White

nominees have dominated so

far.

Biden has rolled out a diverse

set of appointments but re-

served the initial marquee slots

in the Cabinet and White House

for White candidates, prompt-

ing worry that Biden is failing to

make good on his promises to

promote Black leaders to promi-

nent jobs.

Derrick Johnson, the presi-

dent of the NAACP, s aid Tuesday

that he was baffled that Biden

has failed to confirm a meeting

with the civil rights groups near-

ly a month after Election Day.

“We have not had any com-

munication with the president-

elect, so we have no concept of

what to expect next,” Johnson

said, noting that Biden has been

a longtime member of the or-

ganization and that the NAACP

pushed hard for his election.

“That’s somewhat concerning to

us.”

“But for the Black community

support for him, he would not

be in office,” he said.

Prominent advocates, and

members of Congress who typi-

cally keep a lower profile, also

expressed disappointment in

the fledgling Biden administra-

tion — in some cases saying they

hoped that sounding the alarm

would influence Biden’s think-

ing as he fills out his govern-

ment.

“I really thought — at this

SEE BIDEN ON A

Heat on Biden for B lack nominees

Civil rights groups seek

more representation in

top-level positions

Racial justice: Activists divided

as Biden prepares to lead. A

Debt debate: Biden team, GOP

at odds on rescue package. A

Covid Christmas? New approach

needed on perils of gatherings. A

DOJ probe: Files show s uspected

“bribery-for-pardon” attempt. A