Moderna COVID-19 vaccine candidate, Georgia absentee ballot lawsuit: 5 things to know Thursday
Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine gets FDA committee review
A second COVID-19 vaccine will be reviewed by an independent advisory committee Thursday and could be authorized by this weekend. Data released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration confirmed that Moderna's vaccine appeared safe and highly effective in a study of more than 30,000 volunteers. If the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee decides that the vaccine's benefits outweigh its risks, the vaccine is likely to be authorized this week by the FDA commissioner. Unlike Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine, Moderna's will be given only to adults.
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Federal judge to hear arguments in Georgia absentee ballot lawsuit
A federal judge in Augusta will hear arguments Thursday in a new lawsuit challenging election processes used in Georgia for the presidential election, attempting to alter them ahead of Jan. 5 runoffs for the U.S. Senate. Among other things, the lawsuit filed by the 12th Congressional District Republican Committee contends that the use of absentee ballots and ballot drop boxes enable massive voter fraud – though the boxes are monitored on video 24 hours a day. The suit is one of the latest in a string of what have been unsuccessful cases challenging the integrity of the presidential election in Georgia and echoing President Trump’s baseless claim that voter fraud cost him the election.
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Winter storm expected to pound East Coast with more snow
More heavy snow is expected to fall across the Northeast Thursday days after the start of the U.S. vaccination campaign and in the thick of a virus surge that has throngs of people seeking tests daily. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service said the storm was “set to bring an overabundance of hazards from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast,” including freezing rain and ice in the mid-Atlantic, heavy snow in the New York City area and southern New England, strong winds and coastal flooding, and possibly even severe thunderstorms and some tornadoes in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. A crash in Pennsylvania killed two people and involved dozens of vehicles on a major highway Wednesday afternoon, police said, while issuing a reminder to only travel if “absolutely necessary.”
Russia's ban from Olympics upheld, but term is reduced
The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday upheld an international sports ban levied against Russia for doping, but cut the duration of the ban in half from four years to two. The long-awaited ruling, handed down by a panel of three arbitrators at the Swiss-based court, will bar Russia's flag and anthem from appearing at each of the next two Olympic Games, among other major international competitions through Dec. 16, 2022. Though the court reduced the duration of the ban, its ruling nevertheless represents a victory for the World Anti-Doping Agency, which implemented the ban last year after WADA investigators found that Russia had tampered with drug-testing data. Barring an appeal to Switzerland's supreme court, Russia will now have no formal presence at the Tokyo Olympics next summer, nor the Winter Olympics in Beijing or World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
HBO Max is finally coming to Roku devices
WarnerMedia has reached a deal to bring the HBO Max streaming service to Roku's popular video devices and the app will be available starting on Thursday, nearly six months after HBO Max launched. Roku devices are the favorite choice for consumers to stream net video services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime on their TVs, with 100.2 million viewers, or about 34.6% of all U.S. internet users, according to research firm eMarketer. The announcement comes ahead of the impending debut of next week's highly anticipated "Wonder Woman 1984" on HBO Max. Interest in HBO Max skyrocketed this month when Warner Bros. announced plans to release all of its 2021 movies — including "The Matrix 4," "Dune" and "The Suicide Squad" on the service the same day as theaters.
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Contributing: The Associated Press