election interference. here at home today, new covid tremors, 770,000 americans filed for first time unemployment benefits last week, a week to week increase and it s more proof of the pandemic s continuing wrath. plus, the case count, and its trajectory is, again, causing alarm. 17 states on the u.s. map now trending in the wrong direction. air travel topping more than a million passengers for seven straight days. the president later today delivers remarks on the vaccine race. one in eight americans are fully vaccinated, 1 million shots is a goal the president wanted to meet, and perhaps today, 40 days ahead of his campaign promise. progress, yes, but some jitters too. this morning the biden health team warns variants, and vaccine hesitancy, could pull the country down into another covid spiral. and there was this. listen, the tense fight between dr. anthony fauci and senator rand paul over masks and if wearing one still matters once more americans are vaccinated. when you
The grave of his son beau, that is how he started off the day, and now hes just flown into an area near scranton where apparently he has brought i think he said two of his grandchildren. 100 Million People have already cast their ballots before the polls opened today. That is a record. Right now polls are opening in six more states, you can see them there, long lines, voters are standing in lines at polling locations across the nation. This is the scene at one polling site in philadelphia. Theres certainly anxiety, theres excitement, theres uncertainty with the nation auto divided and the coronavirus pandemic surging, it is one of the most critical developments in our nations history. We could see President Trump head to the rnc annex offices in virginia this morning. Joe biden is spending part of his day in pennsylvania he has just arrived there now to make a final pitch to voters. We have correspondents in positions to bring you the latest. Polls in florida opened a short time ago, t
Being interrupted. That was in boise, idaho, where the weekly Board Meeting for the Central District of health had to adjourn its Virtual Meeting after covid deniers showed up even at some members homes. Were going to take care of you. Can i interrupt you for a moment . My 12yearold son is home by himself right now and there are protesters banging outside the door. Im going to go home and make sure hes okay. I will reconnect in a few minutes. One day its over the election, the next its over the same part of the parasite of the same information. Theyre protesting in a state where more than half of covid tests came back positive yesterday. Icus there also stretched to the limit. The health board was going to vote on new measures to stem the rapid spread of covid19, something that is desperately needed nationwide. There are more than 2500 deaths reported. One of the worst days so far. A Record Number of Covid Patients in u. S. Hospitals, almost 105,000 americans fighting to survive. That
2020 has been a year of historic terror. The air we breathe turned against us and at a time like this, the holidays, the company we crave could literally kill us or those we love and for Millions Company is the only comfort they can afford as covid relief is held up in the name of cruelty. It sounds like a plot line until it isnt. More than 16 million americans have contracted this disease. 300,000 americans have died this year due to covid19. And that is where these two milestones are linked. It is far too early to assume public salvation awaits, but i know that the nation despite its failures current and recent have learned some hard lessons and were now seeing some courses corrected. But the potential of the vaccine should not undermine the proof that masks and distancing are still our best weapons available at least for now and, yes, in a month. Donald trump will not preside over the United States of america, but he still will preside symbolically over our divided state here in ame
Of this week. But as the vaccines are coming online, the virus continues to spread at an alarming rate. Now one in 20 americans have contracted this virus. And more than 301,000 americans have died. Joining me now, nbcs Yasmin Vossoughian is at Yale New Haven Hospital in connecticut where theyll begin to administer vaccines to Health Care Workers today. Nbcs Valerie Castro is in el paso, texas, where officials Just Announced curfews on christmas and new years. Yasmin, i know there are high spirits there among the Health Workers waiting to get the vaccine. What are they saying to you . Reporter think about whats been taking place in this state over the last two weeks, andrea. In the last two weeks theres been more deaths in this state than in the entire month of november. Theyre getting 30,000 doses of this vaccine over the next two weeks or so. This hospital alone, 2,000 of those doses, andrea, we saw delivered this morning. And the staff, the pharmacy staff, the folks that receive the