One Seat, Competing Pressures as Newsom Considers Senate Pick

One Seat, Competing Pressures as Newsom Considers Senate Pick-newyorktimes: Since Gavin Newsom’s days as a young upstart running for mayor of San Francisco through more than two decades of public life, Alex Padilla has been a stalwart ally.  As president of the Los Angeles City Council, Mr. Padilla introduced Mr. Newsom to important local labor and Latino leaders. As a state senator, Mr. Padilla chaired Mr. Newsom’s short-lived first campaign for governor. And as California secretary of state, Mr. Padilla conferred a key early endorsement that helped Mr. Newsom win the governor’s seat in 2018.

How Biden plans to fix the coronavirus testing problem

How Biden plans to fix the coronavirus testing problem-politico:  President-elect Joe Biden’s advisers are planning a massive expansion of the United States’ coronavirus testing capacity to help bring the country’s spiraling outbreak under control.

White House signals acceptance of omnibus spending package

White House signals acceptance of omnibus spending package-rollcall:  The Trump administration appears ready to accept a $1.4 trillion, full-year omnibus appropriations bill rather than a simple short-term government funding extension, according to top Republicans.

A vaccine? Yes. An effective way to get it to people? No.

A vaccine? Yes. An effective way to get it to people? No-politico:  Trump says tens of millions of doses of coronavirus vaccines, which hold the promise of blunting a pandemic that has killed nearly a quarter-million Americans, will be delivered to every state as soon as December.  But interviews with more than two dozen experts who work in pharmacies, rural clinics and public health, as well as state and local officials, reveal serious concerns that states may not be ready to distribute a vaccine by then.

Trump blocks Biden’s incoming staff in unprecedented ways

Trump blocks Biden’s incoming staff in unprecedented ways-politico: Trump’s stonewalling of the incoming administration is leaving even some in his own party concerned.  For the first time in more than half a century, an outgoing administration is stonewalling an incoming one at every level — with no intention of relenting.

Short-term punt seen likely for spending bills, coronavirus aid

Short-term punt seen likely for spending bills, coronavirus aid-rollcall: Despite hopeful talk on both sides of the aisle, the odds are against congressional leaders reaching agreement on a COVID-19 relief package and omnibus appropriations bill to wrap up this year’s unfinished business in the lame-duck session.

Delayed transition could hamper coronavirus vaccine preparations

Delayed transition could hamper coronavirus vaccine preparations-politico:  The Trump administration's refusal to acknowledge Joe Biden's electoral victory could hinder the incoming team's preparations on pressing issues, including the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine, Biden's future chief of staff said Thursday.