THE BIG STORY

Reasons to celebrate in the fight against COVID-19

As the number of daily coronavirus cases spikes in many countries across the globe, nations are staring down the possibility of a new complete shutdown. The US just crossed a major milestone: 10 million cases since the start of the pandemic. So these positive stories arrived to a lot of excitement:

👉 First, on Monday morning, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer announced extremely promising early results from its coronavirus vaccine trial.

The company is the first to report late-stage coronavirus vaccine trial results. The results, which did not include the actual data from their trial and have yet to be peer-reviewed, suggested that people who received the vaccine's two shots experienced 90% fewer cases of COVID-19 compared to those who received placebo injections.

That 90% number is quite noteworthy. It comes after months of researchers cautioning that early coronavirus vaccines may not offer a high level of protection. The FDA only requires that a vaccine needs to be at least 50% effective in preventing illness.

👉 The FDA has authorized the COVID-19 antibody drug that Chris Christie took.

Eli Lilly’s experimental coronavirus therapy, bamlanivimab, received an emergency use authorization for mild to moderate COVID-19. It’s the same treatment that former New Jersey governor Chris Christie received. The experimental drug was authorized to treat COVID-19 in adults and children who are at high risk of becoming sick enough to require hospitalization, but not patients who are already hospitalized or receiving oxygen.

A healthcare worker at Ankara University Ibni Sina Hospital in Turkey holds a syringe of Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine on Oct. 27. Anadolu Agency / Getty Images

STAYING ON TOP OF THIS

Three stories you need to know about Donald Trump

There are mere weeks left in the Donald Trump presidency, but the president has not yet conceded the election. Here’s what’s going on instead:

👉 Trump announced that he fired the secretary of defense on Twitter.

Mark Esper has been in the role since June 2019, but he reportedly caught the president's ire after he publicly contradicted Trump, telling reporters that troops should not be deployed inside the US to quell protests that had erupted over police killings of Black people.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Esper's firing seemed to signal that President Trump was “intent on using his final days in office to sow chaos.” And speaking of Congress….

👉 Mitch McConnell is backing Trump’s right to baselessly contest the election.

McConnell, the most powerful Republican in Congress, is well versed in crafting statements that do not anger Trump. But in the midst of a contested election, his speech is a sign the Republican establishment may refuse to acknowledge the reality that Trump lost the election. This pairs well with…

👉 The attorney general has authorized the Department of Justice to look into baseless claims of voting “irregularities.”

Citing no credible evidence of voter fraud, Attorney General Bill Barr sent a memo across the DOJ ranks, as well as to FBI Director Christopher Wray, saying “now that the voting has concluded, it is imperative that the American people can trust that our elections were conducted in such a way that the outcomes accurately reflect the will of the voters.”

SNAPSHOTS

Fox News did the bare minimum and finally stopped showing the Trump team’s latest election lies. Fox News cut away from a Trump campaign press conference about postelection litigation as White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany made false and unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud.

Ukrainians say Trump’s defeat means their “nightmare” is over. Ukrainians existed in limbo for much of Trump’s presidency, as their country was dragged into the crossfire of Washington political battles, including the monthslong impeachment saga.

Ben Carson has the coronavirus after attending an election night party at the White House. At least seven COVID-19 infections have been confirmed in the newest White House cluster, including chief of staff Mark Meadows.

Republican women had a big night in Congress, but their party is still overwhelmingly male. Republicans broke a record in the House, electing the most new women from their party to Congress ever.

THE BRAND IS STRONG

How the Nugget couch became Supreme drops for moms

The idea of the Nugget couch is actually pretty simple: yes, it functions as a couch, but it’s built so its cushions can be quickly reassembled into a fort or a place for a toddler to play.

But with parents desperate to figure out solutions to a lengthy stretch without daycares or school, the Nugget couch has become something of a hit — mostly through word of mouth.

Its manufacturer can’t keep it in stock. The company has resorted to limited “drops” of new stock, even instituting a lottery system for the chance to buy.

But you and I know that scarcity makes myths grow. As Katie Notopoulos writes, the Nugget has developed a cultlike following — Parents recommend it to other parents in Facebook mom groups and rave about it on Instagram.

In one group, which has 60,000 members, parents post photos of new “builds” their kids made with Nuggets, many of them owning three or more.

The daughter of design blogger Stacey-Ann Blake plays on a Nugget couch. Stacey-Ann Blake

THE STORY THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

VR furries are now running around the Four Seasons Total Landscaping

By now, you might’ve heard the story of Four Seasons Total Landscaping. If you haven’t: it’s the absolutely random Philadelphia company that has no relation to the Four Seasons Philadelphia hotel, where Rudy Giuliani addressed the press after media outlets called the race for Joe Biden.

The internet is having a lot of fun with the story….and so are furries. The company now exists in a massive virtual reality platform — complete with weathered detailing and a last-minute Trump 2020 podium. And rejoicing furries.

Set aside a few minutes to look inward and recognize what you're feeling,

Elamin