White House Bribery Scheme, Bipartisan Relief & Vaccine Rollout

12/02/20 • 50 min

The Justice Department is investigating a potential crime related to funneling money to the White House in exchange for a presidential pardon, according to court records filed today in federal court. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel voted 13-1 today to give health-care workers and long-term care facility residents the first coronavirus vaccine doses once it’s cleared for public use. In Arkansas, there are more than 1,000 hospitalizations as death rates continue to rise. Governor Asa Hutchinson joins Shep Smith to discuss the situation and how it’s impacting the state’s health care system. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rejected a new bipartisan $908 billion stimulus plan put forward in an effort to break the legislative stalemate as the coronavirus surges throughout the country. Plus, air travel demand on Thanksgiving was down 60 percent compared to 2019. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, discusses the crisis affecting millions of Americans who work in the travel industry.

Previous Episode

Vaccine Latest, Stimulus Aid & Housing Supply Shortage

A panel of U.S. advisers will meet tomorrow to vote on how the COVID-19 vaccine will be prioritized in its distribution. CNBC’s senior health and science reporter Meg Tirrell says the first vaccine shipment will consist of 6.4 million doses with 40 million by the end of the year. The top priority would be health care workers, adults with high-risk medical conditions, and older adults above age 65. According to a government watchdog, there are still thousands of workers who have not received their full unemployment benefits. Ylan Mui joins Shep Smith to discuss where Congress is on continuing stimulus talks. The median home price is $313,000, up 16 percent compared to last year as people buy homes, which are short in supply. CNBC’s Diana Olick discusses home sales amid the pandemic. Plus, student debt, severe weather and Covid hits the NFL hard.

Next Episode

The Race for a Vaccine, PPP Loans & Climate Change

The White House coronavirus task force issued extremely dire warnings to states in weekly reports this week, urging public health officials to circumvent state and local policies amid record high cases, hospitalizations and deaths, as well as fears of a surge upon a surge following Thanksgiving. In Missouri there have been over 4,000 deaths due to Covid. Hospitalizations have also increased 60 percent over the past month, according to the Covid tracking project. NBC’s Ellison Barber joins Shep Smith to report resources for Missouri hospitals are stretched to the limit. Kate Rogers reports that the top 5 percent of companies received more than half the money doled out in PPP loans. Top industries receiving those loans include restaurants, physicians’ offices, lawyers’ offices, and limited-service restaurants. Contessa Brewer joins Shep Smith to report on how climate change is driving droughts and wildfires, and destroying oceans all around the world. The impact on wildlife has been devastating. Plus, mall Santa’s and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.