The Daily Valet. - 12/17/20, Thursday
✔️ A Simple Trick
Thursday, December 17th Edition
I actually haven’t watched as much TV as I would’ve liked.
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today's edition is presented by
Today’s Big Story
A Simple Trick to Get More Vaccine
FDA says extra doses from vials of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can be used
Well this is even better than finding a rogue curly fry among the regular ones. As boxes of Pfizer vaccines began arriving around the country this week, hospital pharmacists made a surprising discovery: Some of the glass vials actually held more doses than advertised.
The Pfizer vials are supposed to hold five doses, according to the labeling, but media reports said pharmacists had found a way for a sixth or even a seventh dose. But, without clear approval from the manufacturer, the extra dose had to be discarded.
While the FDA has not yet officially announced a rule change allowing the extra vaccine to be administered, an agency spokesperson told Politico that “given the public-health emergency, FDA is advising that it is acceptable to use every full dose obtainable.”
Both Pfizer and the FDA have advised pharmacists not to blend additional amounts of the vaccine from multiple vials, due to the potential for contamination.
It’s apparently not uncommon for vaccine manufacturers to overfill vials to protect against waste or in case of spills. But the excess here could be crucial to helping expand the early vaccine rollout to stop the spread of a virus that has killed over 307,000 Americans.
Meanwhile, the Moderna’s vaccine could be authorized as early as today and the European Union could give final approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by Dec. 23rd. Fingers crossed.
↦ Tracker: How many doses can your state expect? This updated map will tell you.
Congress Nears $900 Billion Stimulus Deal
And a new round of stimulus checks is expected to be included
Congressional leaders said Wednesday that they are nearing agreement on a roughly $900 billion economic relief package that would include a second round of stimulus checks, as a Friday deadline loomed, reports Reuters.
The package emerging is expected to include hundreds of billions of dollars in aid for ailing small businesses and jobless Americans; tens of billions of dollars in aid for other critical needs, such as vaccine distribution and schools; and a one-time check of between $600 and $700 for millions of Americans below a certain income threshold.
According to the Washington Post, while the agreement was not yet final, Republicans and Democrats alike signaled that they were ready to coalesce around the main elements, marking an extraordinary shift from just weeks ago, when both sides were issuing ultimatums and refusing to budge.
Lawmakers are racing to pass a deal in part because of some seriously dire economic indicators. Nearly eight million Americans have fallen into poverty since this summer, according to a new report, in part because emergency benefit programs have expired. More people are filing for unemployment benefits, and the pace of hiring has slowed.
↦ Dig Deeper: Why even Americans with higher incomes are currently struggling with their bills.
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MLB Reclassifies Negro Leagues
The league's statistics from 1920 to 1948 will now be officially classified as “major league”
The statistics and records of greats like Willie Mays, Josh Gibson, and roughly 3,400 other players are set to join Major League Baseball's books after MLB announced Wednesday it's reclassifying the Negro Leagues as a major league, reports ABC News.
According to The Ringer, Negro Leagues players and historians have advocated for reclassification for decades. The Negro Leagues consisted of seven leagues, and MLB will include records from those circuits between 1920-48. The Negro Leagues began to dissolve one year after Jackie Robinson became MLB's first Black player with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
This “correcting a longtime oversight in the game's history” as MLB has called it, is happening on the centennial of its founding. MLB’s official historian, John Thorn, says it’s “both imperative and satisfying to see MLB admit to a mistake and try to right it.”
The league said it has begun a review process with the Elias Sports Bureau “to determine the full scope of this designation’s ramifications on statistics and records,” working with historians to evaluate the relevant issues that will, no doubt, upend segments of the sport’s cherished record book.
A Wild Year Rewarded With Good TV
Time to recount all the best stuff we watched
Even in a topsy-turvy year like 2020, TV featured enough stellar performances to fill a Top 50, maybe even a Top 200 list. You might think that TV seemed better simply because we had more time at home to enjoy it. But according to critics, it was truly an outstanding year.
The Hollywood Reporter calls out the best performances, from Ethan Hawke in The Good Lord Bird and Paul Mescal in Normal People to Shira Haas in Unorthodox and Kaley Cuoco in The Flight Attendant (which I just started, so no spoilers please).
As for the best episodes, Entertainment Weekly is counting down the most memorable or expertly-acted episodes. BuzzFeed, however pulled together the shows big and small that you shouldn't let pass you by before the year is up.
As for what classifies as TV, even that was different this year, reports NPR. Their list crosses a lot of boundaries, including projects technically released as feature films. It's a powerful example of how much quality entertainment was available in 2020.
↦ My Favorites? Since you asked, I'd have to say my top five are Ted Lasso, Schitt's Creek, Ramy, For All Mankind and Insecure.
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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Morning Motto
Give yourself a break, but don’t give up.
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That’s all for today...
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