US News Roundup: U.S. prepares for first COVID-19 shots as another vaccine candidate emerges; CDC raises warning on cruise line travel to very high risk for coronavirus and more

The head of the U.S. campaign to rapidly deploy a vaccine said on Sunday that U.S. healthcare workers and other high-risk people could start getting shots within a day or two of regulatory consent next month. CDC raises warning on cruise line travel to very high risk for coronavirus The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Saturday it recommended that all people avoid cruise ship travel as the risk of COVID-19 on liners is very high.

Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.

U.S. prepares for first COVID-19 shots as another vaccine candidate emerges

U.S. officials prepared to begin inoculating Americans against the novel coronavirus by mid-December as another global drug company on Monday announced promising trial results toward a vaccine, providing hope as the pace of infections accelerating.

The head of the U.S. campaign to rapidly deploy a vaccine said on Sunday that U.S. healthcare workers and other high-risk people could start getting shots within a day or two of regulatory consent next month

CDC raises warning on cruise line travel to very high risk for coronavirus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Saturday it recommended that all people avoid cruise ship travel as the risk of COVID-19 on liners is very high. The CDC advised passengers who decide to go on a cruise should get tested 3-5 days after their trip and stay home for 7 days after travel, even if they test negative. https://bit.ly/2US9P5O

Panic buying of toilet paper hits U.S. stores again with new pandemic restrictions Toilet paper aisles are emptying again as COVID-19 curfews and shutdowns in states from California to New York send pandemic-weary shoppers on a new scramble for essentials. Walmart on Friday said it was "seeing pockets of lower than normal availability" for toilet paper and cleaning supplies in some communities as infections rage virtually unchecked across most of the United States.

CDC reports 255,076 deaths from coronavirus The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 12,028,081 cases of the novel coronavirus, an increase of 184,591 cases from its previous count, and said that the number of deaths had risen by 1,476 to 255,076. The CDC reported its tally of cases of the respiratory illness known as COVID-19, caused by a new coronavirus, as of 4 pm ET on Nov. 21 versus its previous report a day earlier. (https://bit.ly/36sYS1R)

COVID-19 shots could reach first Americans by mid-December, top health official says

U.S. healthcare workers and others recommended for the nation's first COVID-19 inoculations could start getting shots within a day or two of regulatory consent next month, a top official of the government's vaccine development effort said on Sunday. Some 70% of the U.S. population of 330 million would need to be inoculated to achieve "herd" immunity from the virus, a goal the country could achieve by May, according to Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief scientific adviser for "Operation Warp Speed."

As Biden marches forward with Cabinet, Trump hopes likely to fade in key states U.S. President Donald Trump's increasingly tenuous efforts to reverse his election loss to President-elect Joe Biden could be dealt a lethal blow on Monday, as Biden turns to the task of building his cabinet. Michigan is set to certify its results Monday, and Pennsylvania is likely to move a step closer to doing so.

Ice Bucket Challenge co-creator Patrick Quinn dies at age 37 Patrick Quinn, whose personal battle with ALS helped power the Ice Bucket Challenge fundraising campaign, died on Sunday at age 37, seven years after his diagnosis, supporters announced on Facebook. Quinn, who was born and grew up in Yonkers, New York, was co-founder of the campaign that raised more than $220 million for medical research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, his Facebook page said.

Republicans ask Michigan election board to delay certification for two weeks, audit Detroit votes The Republican National Committee and the Michigan Republican Party wrote to Michigan's state board of canvassers on Saturday asking it to adjourn for 14 days to allow for an audit of ballots in the state's largest county. A Michigan official said such an audit was not permitted under Michigan law.

'Very stressful': COVID-19 surge slices U.S. demand for big Thanksgiving turkeys All summer, Greg Gunthorp slaughtered and froze 15- to 24-pound turkeys on his northeastern Indiana farm for Thanksgiving sales to retailers, restaurants and families across the Midwest. But as surging COVID-19 cases prompted U.S. cities and states to urge Americans to stay home just weeks before the holiday, customers swapped out orders for whole birds for smaller turkey breasts.