America’s Pandemic Thanksgiving Is Almost Here And The Numbers Will Surprise You

Plus: Dow Jones Industrial Average Hits Record 30,000–Reaching A Historic Milestone As 11 Million Americans Remain Unemployed Amid Pandemic

America’s Pandemic Thanksgiving Is Almost Here And The Numbers Will Surprise You

Record prices. Masked guests. CDC warnings. You’ll never forget this year’s holiday.

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President-elect Joe Biden’s transition to the White House is officially underway, as President Trump and the head of the General Services Administration authorized Biden to begin his transition to the presidency on Monday.

Meanwhile, Biden plans to nominate former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to become the next Treasury Secretary, the Wall Street Journal first reported Monday. Seen as a middle-of-the-road pick (conservative enough for Republicans but liberal enough for Democrats), if nominated and confirmed by the Senate, Yellen will make history as the first woman to serve as U.S. Treasury Secretary.

Biden also announced who he is planning to nominate to some other key cabinet positions. Among them, Avril Haines, who would be the first woman to lead the intelligence community, and Alejandro Mayorkas, who would be the first Latino to run the Department of Homeland Security.

As we head into the holiday season, a new report by the Century Foundation warns that roughly 12 million Americans will lose their unemployment benefits on December 26. Specifically, two major pandemic programs are set to expire, putting an already fragile economic recovery further at risk as the coronavirus again surges to record levels.

On Monday, Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, cautioned against holiday gatherings on Good Morning America and said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines apply to everyone, including the Trump administration, as First Lady Melania Trump is already planning a holiday reception.

Yet a growing number of officials say they won’t enforce coronavirus crackdowns—with Utah Governor Gary Herbert becoming the latest official to say he will allow Thanksgiving celebrations to go ahead in-person despite CDC warnings.

On the vaccine front, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday he disagrees with Democratic governors who have pledged to review a potential Covid-19 vaccine before distribution, emphasizing that the federal process is sound despite the politicized nature of the vaccine development process so far.