It turns out that Covid-19 was already in the U.S. in December 2019, providing further evidence that the coronavirus was spreading globally weeks before the first cases were reported in China. A majority of Americans could theoretically be vaccinated by the second quarter of next year, but right now, more than 1,000 people are dying every day, and hospitalizations are spiking in the Northeast. Here is the latest on the pandemic. —David E. Rovella 

Bloomberg is mapping the pandemic globally and across America. For the latest news, sign up for our Covid-19 podcast and daily newsletter.

Here are today’s top stories

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are proposing revised plans for a second coronavirus bailout package, reviving the possibility of a deal that stalled before the election. President-elect Joe Biden called on Congress to pass a new rescue package quickly. Stocks climbed to record highs again.

Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell 

Credit traders who make their living matching buyers with sellers of company bonds are poised for a 16% jump in total compensation, the biggest gain among Wall Street trading desks during this bonus season.

Visa is partnering with cryptocurrency startup BlockFi to offer a credit card that rewards purchases with Bitcoin.

A year ago, if anyone in the petroleum business had suggested that the moment of Peak Oil had already passed, they would have been laughed right off the drilling rig. Then 2020 happened.

A former Tesla employee who locked horns with Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk has agreed to pay the company $400,000 for telling reporters about production delays at the Gigafactory in Nevada. 

Professionals working from home aren’t just working more hours and getting less exercise. They are also watching more television—a lot more.

What you’ll need to know tomorrow

• Georgia Senate battle sets the stage for a bigger fight in 2022.
• Barr says his Russia probe-probe will continue into Biden’s first term.
• Trump’s quest to void Biden’s election is getting more unlikely.
• The big Wall Street debate: Should you by Bitcoin or gold? 
• China’s economic attack on Australia is a warning to everyone else.
• How wrong was Milton Friedman? Let Harvard count the ways.
• Americans are increasingly eager to cut down their own trees.

What you’ll want to read in Bloomberg Technology

Amazon Prepares For Its Quantum Computer

Amazon is laying the groundwork for building its own quantum computer, deepening efforts to harness technology that can crunch in seconds vast amounts of data that take the most powerful supercomputers hours or days to process.

IBM’s quantum computer 

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