2020 Day 1419: The FDA said Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine “met the prescribed success criteria” for emergency authorization in a clinical study; the Trump administration declined "multiple" offers from Pfizer to secure an additional 100 million to 500 million doses of its coronavirus vaccine; Biden pledged to distribute “100 million shots in the first 100 days” of his presidency; Trump's lawyer Jenna Ellis tested positive for the coronavirus after attending a senior staff Christmas party last week; the Supreme Court rejected a last-minute attempt by Trump’s allies to overturn Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania; and a federal judge dismissed Michael Flynn’s prosecution after Trump’s pardon. Dec 8, 2020
2021 Day 323: Preliminary laboratory tests suggest that three doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine offer significant protection against the Omicron variant; a U.S. District Court judge temporarily blocked the Biden administration’s mandate for federal contractors to be vaccinated against Covid-19; the House approved legislation to create a one-time pathway for Senate Democrats to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling without Republican support; Biden signed an executive order to cut the federal government's carbon emissions 65% by the end of the decade and carbon neutral by 2050; and the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol will move hold Mark Meadows in criminal contempt for refusing to appear for a scheduled deposition. Dec 8, 2021
2022 Day 688: The House passed legislation to enshrine federal protections for marriages of same-sex and interracial couples; the Justice Department asked a federal judge to hold Trump and his team in contempt of court; the Jan. 6 committee is reportedly considering criminal referrals for Trump and at least four others; Michael Flynn appeared before an Atlanta-area special grand jury investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results; the House passed an $858 billion bill to fund the Defense Department; WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor; and 43% of Americans approve of the way Biden is handling his job as president. Dec 8, 2022
2025 Day 1784: The Supreme Court appeared ready to make it easier for Trump to fire independent government officials despite federal law restricting the president from removing them without cause; Trump’s former personal lawyer resigned as U.S. attorney for New Jersey after a federal appeals court upheld that she’d been serving in the position unlawfully; Trump announced a $12 billion bailout to help farmers hurt by his tariffs; Senate Republicans circulated competing health care proposals ahead of a vote on a Democratic plan to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire at the end of December; Trump said he was “a little bit disappointed” in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hours after the Kremlin praised Trump’s new National Security Strategy because it aligns with "our vision"; Trump suggested Netflix’s proposed $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” as Jared Kushner’s private equity fund is backing Paramount’s hostile takeover of the company; days after pardoning Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife in a federal bribery and conspiracy case, Trump said Cuellar showed “a lack of LOYALTY”; and 42% of Americans approved of the job Trump was doing as president, while 55% disapproved. Dec 8, 2025