It’s been one year since the first COVID-19 vaccine doses started shipping across the country. These are the dates you need to send your Christmas gifts by. And Time magazine’s Person of the Year is…
It’s Alex and Ashley. Happy Taylor Swift’s birthday to all who celebrate.
But first, look up! The Geminid meteor shower will peak Monday with more than 50 stunning meteors per hour. 💫
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Millions wept, cheered and prayed one year ago as the first doses of a vaccine against the coronavirus rolled out of the plant Dec. 13, destined for arms and the promise of ending the pandemic. At the time, COVID-19 had killed more than 300,000 people. Hospitals brimming with patients had to turn the sick away. Mortuaries overflowed. Much of the nation was on lockdown, and the outlook for Christmas was bleak. In just 11 months, a vaccine had been created to fight a newfound human scourge. It was the fastest ever created, beating out the vaccine for mumps, which took four years. As of this week, according to the CDC, more than 237 million Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 60.5% of the population is fully vaccinated.
Survivors of the tornadoes that ripped through several states last weekend picked through the rubble of their communities, homes and lives Monday amid hopes that the death toll, though stunningly high, could fall short of early fears. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday that 74 deaths were confirmed in his state alone and “undoubtedly, there will be more.” He said the victims ranged in age from 5 months to 86 years. More than 30 tornadoes late Friday and early Saturday killed at least 16 people in Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri and Arkansas. Thousands were left homeless, and many more had no heat or water.
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Yes, you read that right. A day before the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows sent a message of reassurance about the protection the National Guard would offer some individuals Jan. 6. The message was among the documents Meadows shared with the House committee investigating the insurrection. The 51-page report does not identify the recipient of the message or detail why protection would be needed. The committee released the information Sunday as it prepared to vote on a contempt citation that would go to the full House for a vote on whether to refer Meadows to the Justice Department for prosecution.
Kim Kardashian is that much closer to becoming a lawyer. The reality star, 41, passed California’s First-Year Law Students’ Exam, known as the “baby bar,” she announced Monday. The daughter of the late Robert Kardashian (known for his work as O.J. Simpson’s defense attorney) has been vocal in the past few years about wanting to honor her father and be able to further champion criminal justice issues. “This wasn’t easy or handed to me,” Kardashian said. Kardashian is studying law without attending a traditional, state-accredited law school, which means she had to pass the baby bar, which is the equivalent of completing one year of law school, per the State Bar of California. She’ll continue to study before going on to take the California Bar Exam, which, if she passes, would make her an official lawyer. 
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