Germany recorded its biggest increase in coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began as Chancellor Angela Merkel hinted that a hard lockdown will remain in force longer than planned. Ireland is warning of a troubling infection trend there and Spain is tightening restrictions ahead of the holidays. France says it expects to receive 1.16 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by Dec. 30. In the U.S., the rollout has hit some speed bumps, including distribution delays. A Trump administration official sought to accelerate the spread of the coronavirus among children and young adults in order to achieve “herd immunity,” according to documents released by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. In California, infection records were shattered as the most populous state is overwhelmed by the latest surge. Almost 3,000 Americans died from the virus yesterday. Here is the latest on the pandemic. —David E. Rovella 

Bloomberg is tracking the progress of coronavirus vaccines while mapping the pandemic globally and across America. 

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Here are today’s top stories 

U.S. retail sales dropped by more than forecast in November and the prior month was revised to a decline, signaling that the economic recovery is continuing to slow. Here is the markets wrap. 

A hedge fund specializing in volatility bets has emerged as one of the largest investors in Bitcoin after quietly buying more than $600 million in cryptocurrencies. On Wednesday, Bitcoin surpassed $21,000 for the first time.

MacKenzie Scott, formerly married to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, is giving away her fortune at an unprecedented pace, donating more than $4 billion in four months after announcing $1.7 billion in gifts in July.

MacKenzie Scott

For 50 years, the rich have been getting tax cuts that some said would trickle down to everyone else. Turns out they may have been wrong.

President Donald Trump’s spy chief is considering holding up a report to Congress on foreign efforts to sway the Nov. 3 election, arguing China should be cited more prominently. Meanwhile, as more details emerge about an audacious cyber attack on U.S. agencies allegedly perpetrated by Kremlin hackers, the Government Accountability Office released a blistering report saying the federal government failed to implement key safeguards for its information technology supply chains. Dick Durbin, the Senate’s second highest-ranking Democrat, said Wednesday that the purported Russian hack was “virtually a declaration of war.”

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Republican senators on a private call that passage of a second coronavirus bailout package, which he had previously opposed, will help GOP Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, who face Jan. 5 runoffs against Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock that will determine control of the chamber. 

Facebook lashed out at Apple in a series of full-page newspaper ads, claiming the iPhone maker’s coming mobile software changes around data gathering and targeted advertising are bad for small businesses.

What you’ll need to know tomorrow

• Vanguard makes history with the first $1 trillion equity fund.
• Amazon has stopped guaranteeing some shipping options.
• Aphria and Tilray combine to create the biggest cannabis company.
• Rich states have uncovered an unexpected tax windfall.
• Fed plans to keep buying bonds until real economic gains are seen. 
• New Zealand is speeding out of recession.
• Hotel bookings spike on news of vaccine distribution.

What you’ll want to read in Bloomberg CityLab

What Happens When the 1% Go Remote

The 1% are on the move. Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen bought a $17 million teardown on Miami Beach’s ultra-exclusive Indian Creek island. Hedge fund Elliott Management is moving its Manhattan headquarters to South Florida, and private equity giant Blackstone Group will open an office there, too. Goldman Sachs is reportedly considering relocating part of its asset management operations to the region as well. What is going on?

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