usatoday--2020-12-21--Coronavirus updates: Congress agrees on $900B relief deal with stimulus checks; first Moderna vaccin

USA TODAY is keeping track of the news surrounding COVID-19 as vaccines begin to roll out nationwide .
Just last week , the U.S. marked the stark milestone of more than 17 million cases and 300,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic .
Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates on vaccine distribution , including who is getting the shots and where , as well as other COVID-19 news from across the USA TODAY Network .
Sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates directly to your inbox , join our Facebook group or scroll through our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need to know about the coronavirus .
► While acknowledging Tennessee as `` ground zero for a surge in sickness , '' Gov .
Bill Lee on Sunday night tightened statewide restrictions on social gatherings for the next 30 days but stopped short of a mask mandate .
The state ranked No .
1 in the country for COVID-19 infections in the past week , according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adjusted for population .
►Congressional leaders worked through an impasse and agreed Sunday on a coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , announced the deal , which would provide $ 600 stimulus checks for most Americans , boost unemployment benefits by up to $ 300 a week and enhance vaccine distribution .
►Essential workers like police officers and teachers , along with people 75 and older , will be in line to get coronavirus vaccines after the first phase , which is focusing on frontline health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities .
►The nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases , hospitalizations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hard in recent weeks , has prompted Apple to temporarily shut down all 53 of its stores in the state and about 12 others elsewhere .
►The first shipments of the nation 's second COVID-19 vaccine rolled out of a Memphis-area distribution center Sunday .
Inoculations with the vaccine developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health are expected to begin Monday , three days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized their emergency rollout .
►Italy , Belgium , Austria and the Netherlands have banned travel from the U.K. to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coronavirus .
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered tighter restrictions and scrapped a plan to relax rules for the holidays .
►President-elect Joe Biden and his wife , Jill , will get vaccinated Monday , Biden 's office said .
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband , Doug Emhoff , will receive their doses the following week .
Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi received their first doses Friday .
►U.S .
health officials say they have seen six cases of severe allergic reaction out of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorized COVID-19 vaccine .
► The 2021 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will be about 140 miles shorter than normal as a result of complications stemming from the coronavirus pandemic .
📈 Today 's numbers : The U.S. has more than 17.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 317,500 deaths , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
The global totals : More than 76.7 million cases and almost 1.7 million deaths .
New virus strain a concern , but vaccines still expected to be effective A new variant of the coronavirus that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ danger because of its increased level of transmissibility , but it does not appear to be immune to vaccines .
`` We should be vigilant , not worried , '' said Butler University associate professor Ogbonnaya Omenka , among the public health experts who noted that vaccine makers take into account virus mutations when developing their products .
Vivek Murthy , President-elect Joe Biden ’ s nominee for surgeon general , said Americans should not lose confidence in the new COVID-19 vaccines just because the virus has mutated .
Moderna coronavirus vaccines are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should begin to arrive across the nation Monday , just three days after it was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration .
Initial shipments of the second COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S. left a Memphis-area distribution center Sunday .
The Pfizer vaccine was approved Dec. 11 .
The first Pfizer and Moderna shots are nearly all going to health care workers and residents of long-term care homes , based on the advice of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices .
The general public is expected to have access to the shots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers will get vaccine next Key workers regularly exposed to the public , such as police officers , firefighters , teachers and grocery-store employees , will be next in line for a COVID-19 vaccine priority , based on a recommendation Sunday by a CDC panel .
They would follow front-line health care workers and staff and residents in long-term care facilities in receiving vaccines , possibly as early as February .
The panel also voted in favor of those age 75 and older to be part of that vaccine phase .
`` Essential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exposure , by virtue of being in contact with others , in performing their duties .
Prevention of disease in essential workers may reduce transmission to others , '' said Dr. Kathleen Dooling , a CDC physician who is co-lead on the advisory panel .
Increased travel may further fuel spike in infections The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says “ postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
” More than 1 million people in the U.S. ignored that advice and took to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to Transportation Security Administration figures .
Saturday 's total of about 1.07 million air travelers was 57 % below last year 's figure at the same time , but still represents the largest surge in daily traffic at U.S. airports since Nov. 22 as people began their Thanksgiving getaways .
That 's raising concerns among public health officials as the country continues to get staggered by the biggest spike in infections , hospitalizations and deaths since the pandemic began .
Some of that dramatic growth has been blamed on Thanksgiving travel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period from Christmas to New Year ’ s Day covers a longer stretch timespan than the Thanksgiving break .
Even prominent health officials struggle to abide by the recommendations to avoid travel and gatherings with people from outside the home .
The Associated Press reports that Dr. Deborah Birx , coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force , traveled to one of her vacation properties in Delaware the day after Thanksgiving along with three generations of her family from two households .
After years of isolationist and punitive immigration policies from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical and fiscal health has , along with many people of color , been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic – might be unwilling to come forward and get vaccinated .
COVID-19 has been particularly merciless to Black , Hispanic and Asian Americans for reasons that include poverty , preexisting health conditions and front-line jobs .
This demographic includes many immigrants ; the vast majority of those undocumented are from Mexico and Central America .
Many of them are critical to farming and meatpacking , and their illness and death represent both a human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The vaccine must be fully available to undocumented Americans , if not , it will put all of us at risk , ” said Manuel Pastor , head of the Equity Research Institute at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles , which uses data and analysis to dissect equity issues .
Read more here .

John Bacon and Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY

Coronavirus updates: Congress agrees on $900B relief deal with stimulus checks; first Moderna vaccines roll out of distribution center
Show Caption Hide Caption First Moderna COVID-19 vaccines roll out of distribution center The vaccines were prepared for shipments at the McKesson distribution center in Olive Branch, Miss. USA TODAY
USA TODAY is keeping track of the news surrounding COVID-19 as vaccines begin to roll out nationwide. Just last week, the U.S. marked the stark milestone of more than 17 million cases and 300,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates on vaccine distribution, including who is getting the shots and where, as well as other COVID-19 news from across the USA TODAY Network. Sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates directly to your inbox, join our Facebook group or scroll through our in-depth answers to reader questions for everything you need to know about the coronavirus.
In the headlines:
► While acknowledging Tennessee as "ground zero for a surge in sickness," Gov. Bill Lee on Sunday night tightened statewide restrictions on social gatherings for the next 30 days but stopped short of a mask mandate. The state ranked No. 1 in the country for COVID-19 infections in the past week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention adjusted for population.
►Congressional leaders worked through an impasse and agreed Sunday on a coronavirus relief package worth about $900 billion. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced the deal, which would provide $600 stimulus checks for most Americans, boost unemployment benefits by up to $300 a week and enhance vaccine distribution.
►Essential workers like police officers and teachers, along with people 75 and older, will be in line to get coronavirus vaccines after the first phase, which is focusing on frontline health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities.
►The nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, which has hit California especially hard in recent weeks, has prompted Apple to temporarily shut down all 53 of its stores in the state and about 12 others elsewhere.
►The first shipments of the nation's second COVID-19 vaccine rolled out of a Memphis-area distribution center Sunday. Inoculations with the vaccine developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health are expected to begin Monday, three days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized their emergency rollout.
►Italy, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands have banned travel from the U.K. to prevent the spread of a more infectious variant of coronavirus. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered tighter restrictions and scrapped a plan to relax rules for the holidays.
►President-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, will get vaccinated Monday, Biden's office said. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will receive their doses the following week. Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi received their first doses Friday.
►U.S. health officials say they have seen six cases of severe allergic reaction out of more than a quarter million shots of the first authorized COVID-19 vaccine.
► The 2021 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will be about 140 miles shorter than normal as a result of complications stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has more than 17.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and 317,500 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 76.7 million cases and almost 1.7 million deaths.
Here's a closer look at today's top stories:
A new variant of the coronavirus that has prompted tighter restrictions in England poses a danger because of its increased level of transmissibility, but it does not appear to be immune to vaccines.
"We should be vigilant, not worried," said Butler University associate professor Ogbonnaya Omenka, among the public health experts who noted that vaccine makers take into account virus mutations when developing their products.
Vivek Murthy, President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for surgeon general, said Americans should not lose confidence in the new COVID-19 vaccines just because the virus has mutated.
– John Bacon
Moderna coronavirus vaccine deliveries should begin to arrive across the nation Monday, just three days after it was authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. Initial shipments of the second COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S. left a Memphis-area distribution center Sunday.
The Pfizer vaccine was approved Dec. 11. The first Pfizer and Moderna shots are nearly all going to health care workers and residents of long-term care homes, based on the advice of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. The general public is expected to have access to the shots in the spring or summer.
Key workers regularly exposed to the public, such as police officers, firefighters, teachers and grocery-store employees, will be next in line for a COVID-19 vaccine priority, based on a recommendation Sunday by a CDC panel. They would follow front-line health care workers and staff and residents in long-term care facilities in receiving vaccines, possibly as early as February. The panel also voted in favor of those age 75 and older to be part of that vaccine phase.
"Essential workers are at high risk because of exposure, by virtue of being in contact with others, in performing their duties. Prevention of disease in essential workers may reduce transmission to others," said Dr. Kathleen Dooling, a CDC physician who is co-lead on the advisory panel.
– Elizabeth Weise
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says “postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.” More than 1 million people in the U.S. ignored that advice and took to the skies both Friday and Saturday, according to Transportation Security Administration figures.
Saturday's total of about 1.07 million air travelers was 57% below last year's figure at the same time, but still represents the largest surge in daily traffic at U.S. airports since Nov. 22 as people began their Thanksgiving getaways.
That's raising concerns among public health officials as the country continues to get staggered by the biggest spike in infections, hospitalizations and deaths since the pandemic began. Some of that dramatic growth has been blamed on Thanksgiving travel and gatherings. Experts note the upcoming holiday period from Christmas to New Year’s Day covers a longer stretch timespan than the Thanksgiving break.
Even prominent health officials struggle to abide by the recommendations to avoid travel and gatherings with people from outside the home. The Associated Press reports that Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force, traveled to one of her vacation properties in Delaware the day after Thanksgiving along with three generations of her family from two households.
After years of isolationist and punitive immigration policies from the Trump administration, many immigrants – whose physical and fiscal health has, along with many people of color, been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic – might be unwilling to come forward and get vaccinated. COVID-19 has been particularly merciless to Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans for reasons that include poverty, preexisting health conditions and front-line jobs. This demographic includes many immigrants; the vast majority of those undocumented are from Mexico and Central America. Many of them are critical to farming and meatpacking, and their illness and death represent both a human tragedy and an economic blow.
“The vaccine must be fully available to undocumented Americans, if not, it will put all of us at risk,” said Manuel Pastor, head of the Equity Research Institute at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, which uses data and analysis to dissect equity issues. Read more here.
– Marco della Cava, Daniel Gonzalez and Rebecca Plevin, USA TODAY Network
Contributing: The Associated Press


usatoday--2020-12-20--First Moderna COVID-19 vaccines roll out of distribution center in Mississippi

First Moderna COVID-19 vaccines roll out of distribution center in Mississippi The vaccines were prepared for shipments at the McKesson @ @ @ @ @ , Miss .

First Moderna COVID-19 vaccines roll out of distribution center
The vaccines were prepared for shipments at the McKesson distribution center in Olive Branch, Miss.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-20--Georgia Governor Brian Kemp attends WH Christmas party despite President Trump attacks

President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced his disapproval of the Georgia governor .

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tweets from WH Christmas party
President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced his disapproval of the Georgia governor.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-12-21--NFL Week 15 winners and losers: Against uneven Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints were outmatche

The final stretch of the NFL season is upon us , and it 's crunch time for teams looking to clinch playoff berths .
After Monday night 's game between the Steelers and Bengals , each franchise will have just two games left to make their case .
Six teams ( the Chiefs , Steelers and Bills in the AFC and the Packers , Saints and Seahawks in the NFC ) have already claimed their spots , leaving eight still up for grabs .
It 's also time for players to wrap up their arguments for individual awards with some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible in the MVP battle and defensive rookie of the year .
Here are the Week 15 winners and losers .
On a day in which they got pasted by the Ravens , 40-14 , arguably no team may have won bigger than Jacksonville , who may have secured the No .
1 overall draft selection .
That 's because the Jets pulled off the upset of the year , stunning the nine-win Rams , 23-20 .
Because of a strength of schedule tiebreaker , the Jaguars , who are tied with New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that top spot , for the time being , in the draft order .
The Jaguars still have to play the Bears ( 7-7 ) and the Colts ( 10-4 ) .
The Jets have the Browns ( 10-4 ) and the Patriots ( 6-8 ) , so this can still change .
But Clemson 's Trevor Lawrence is widely viewed as a generational , franchise-altering type of quarterback who is the presumptive No .
1 pick .
To be sure , Jacksonville could also prefer Ohio State 's Justin Fields , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold , the Jags will have the flexibility to choose whomever they want .
And for a team searching for its first franchise quarterback since Mark Brunell , literally the first full-time starter the team had in its history , this could be a huge step to pull the Jaguars back to relevance .
It has been a rare occurrence to see the Cowboys on this side of this list , but after topping the 49ers , 41-33 , to earn their second consecutive victory , Dallas is now one game back of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Cowboys have actually won three of their last five and their defensive improvement has been a big reason why .
To be fair , the unit still allows too many big plays and a ton of points .
But there are two specific areas that should give Cowboys fans optimism for an improbable , but potential trip to the playoffs .
Firstly , the Cowboys are forcing turnovers .
In its last three games , Dallas has forced eight turnovers .
The Cowboys are also making teams to settle for field goals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cowboys have allowed teams to score touchdowns in the red zone in five of 11 trips .
To be fair , their last two opposing quarterbacks were Brandon Allen of the Bengals and Nick Mullens of the 49ers .
The Cowboys need to prove they can do this against better offenses , but what was once looking like a lost season might be salvageable .
COWBOYS : Why Mike McCarthy says Dallas ’ Week 15 win gave them ‘ big chunk of confidence ’ This was a Miami offensive line that , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yet , despite it being a statistical flaw for this team , the Dolphins rode their rushing game to a 22-12 victory against the Patriots that ended New England 's 11-year streak of playoff trips .
The Dolphins entered Sunday ranked 27th in rushing offense , picking up just 95.2 rushing yards a game and dead last in yards per carry ( 3.63 ) .
They mauled the Patriots ' front seven to the tune of 250 rushing yards and 6 yards per carry .
That helped keep third downs to a manageable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 12 ( 58.3 % ) tries .
While the Dolphins are now 5-2 in games that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has started , the rookie passer has been inconsistent and Miami 's offense has often stalled .
The emergence of a reliable rushing offense could be a massive boost as the team prepares for a potential trip to the postseason .
But Miami needs to show a lot more consistency on the ground .
If they can couple that with a defense that has now forced a turnover in 20 straight games , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them a tough out in January : a clock-chewing offense that can sustain drives opposite a defense that constantly gives them the ball back .
The Bears have won two in a row , their latest a 33-27 victory against the NFC North rival Vikings , and coach Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky might be doing just enough to save their jobs .
While the performances have n't been entirely clean , they allowed Chicago to surge past Minnesota in the playoff picture , where the Bears are now the first team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trubisky has completed 72.2 % of his passes for 469 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in his last two games .
Those numbers still are n't quite what the team would expect in Year 4 , but they have shown slight progress from his earlier line that led to his eventual benching .
Still , the inconsistency remains .
Trubisky did throw an interception that could 've been far more costly , as he forced a throw from inside the 10 into double coverage late in the fourth quarter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bears won , but Trubisky has to eliminate those mistakes if he wants to secure his future in Chicago .
Nagy , meanwhile , has relied on running back David Montgomery ( 317 total yards and three total touchdowns in his last two games ) to give this offense more balance .
Some Bears fans will still want an overhaul in the offseason , but if the team keeps winning , stability might end up being the result .
New Orleans lost to the Chiefs by just three points in what many had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preview , but this defeat felt far more lopsided than the box score indicated .
Quarterback Drew Brees , while he should be given a bit of the benefit of the doubt as he 's clearly still recovering from broken ribs and a punctured lung , put up a mixed performance .
He started the game with six incompletions , including an interception and did n't connect on a pass until midway through the second quarter .
He would help bring New Orleans back in it late , but the slow start was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Thomas now on injured reserve , there are more questions about how New Orleans will sustain drives .
Against the Chiefs , the Saints converted just one of their 11 third down attempts .
On the other side of the ball , New Orleans 's defense — a unit that had been excelling as of late — gave up 179 rushing yards and allowed nine of 18 third-down conversions .
The Saints were outgained 411-285 .
Kansas City possessed the ball for 41:14 ; New Orleans had it just 18:46 .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold a tiebreaker on head-to-head matchups , the Saints ( 10-4 ) are essentially two games back of the No .
1 seed in the NFC .
If the Saints struggled this much against the Super Bowl favorites at home , it looks like New Orleans might need vintage Brees performances to overcome their flaws .
But now 41 and still hobbled , that might be too much to ask for .
OPINION : Saints must regain health , mojo to live up to Super Bowl aspirations Yes , the Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game against a division opponent , keeping their standing in the wild-card picture .
So Sunday , on the whole , was a good day for the Bucs .
But in their 31-27 victory against the Falcons , there were some signs of concern .
Atlanta came into Sunday with the 28th-ranked total defense , one that had allowed 390.6 yards a game .
At the end of the first half , the Buccaneers had been shutout , gained just 60 and faced that 17-point hole .
The second half was a different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after intermission and quarterback Tom Brady completed 21 of 29 passes for 320 yards and two scores in the final two periods .
Slow starts have been a recurring issue for Tampa .
It was promising that they were able to overcome that , but consider the opponent , a Falcons team that has a history of blowing leads .
Over their last nine games , the Buccaneers have now scored 17 total points in the first quarters of those games .
As coach Bruce Arians said after the game : `` You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good teams playing this way .
We ’ ve got to play better in the first half than we played today . ''
OPINION : Tom Brady 's vintage comeback win for Bucs also cruel irony for Bill Belichick , Patriots It 's becoming pretty clear that , barring any injury issues , Wentz has almost certainly played his last down for the Eagles this season .
Though Philadelphia lost to the Cardinals , 33-26 , quarterback Jalen Hurts again showed that the Eagles offense is far better with the rookie under center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accounted for 401 total yards and four total touchdowns in the loss and had Philadelphia in position to tie the game late .
In fact , the Eagles were hurt by their missing a two-point conversion early in the game and then when tight end Zach Ertz botched a snap on an extra point .
While Wentz is blessed with financial security after he signed a four-year extension in June 2019 , it becomes almost cost-prohibitive in terms of dead cap space for the Eagles to cut him .
That means that as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's a good chance Wentz might be relegated to serve as a backup .
Wentz reportedly would want to be traded if he 's not the starter .
But that also presents its own issues .
Namely , a team would need to be convinced to give up assets in a trade for Wentz , while taking on that massive contract .
All of this makes it look like Wentz is in a spot with no good outcome : slumping , stuck and disgruntled .
With the Washington Football Team 's loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sneak back into first place in the NFC East , via a tiebreaker of head-to-head victories .
Instead , the Giants fell to the Browns , 20-6 , in a game in which they were overmatched .
That allowed Washington to hold onto the lead in the division and helped bring the Cowboys within striking distance .
Now , New York has lost two in a row , erasing the momentum of a four-game winning streak .
Worse yet , the traits that made that winning streak possible , a steady rushing game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have vanished .
Against the Browns , the Giants gained just 74 rushing yards and sacked Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield only once .
Compare that to New York 's average of 162.3 rushing yards a game during their four-game winning streak and 12 sacks in the same span .
Now , with games left against the Ravens and Cowboys , New York 's playoff dream looks like it 's done .
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NFL Week 15 winners and losers: Against uneven Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints were outmatched
Show Caption Hide Caption NFC Week 15 overreactions: Is anyone good besides the Packers? SportsPulse: No team other than the Green Bay Packers inspired much confidence this week that they can make a legit Super Bowl run. Mackenzie Salmon reacts to the biggest storylines in the NFC after Week 15. USA TODAY
The final stretch of the NFL season is upon us, and it's crunch time for teams looking to clinch playoff berths.
After Monday night's game between the Steelers and Bengals, each franchise will have just two games left to make their case. Six teams (the Chiefs, Steelers and Bills in the AFC and the Packers, Saints and Seahawks in the NFC) have already claimed their spots, leaving eight still up for grabs.
It's also time for players to wrap up their arguments for individual awards with some of the tighter races in recent memory possible in the MVP battle and defensive rookie of the year.
Here are the Week 15 winners and losers.
WINNERS
Jacksonville Jaguars
On a day in which they got pasted by the Ravens, 40-14, arguably no team may have won bigger than Jacksonville, who may have secured the No. 1 overall draft selection. That's because the Jets pulled off the upset of the year, stunning the nine-win Rams, 23-20. Because of a strength of schedule tiebreaker, the Jaguars, who are tied with New York at 1-13, now slide into that top spot, for the time being, in the draft order.
The Jaguars still have to play the Bears (7-7) and the Colts (10-4). The Jets have the Browns (10-4) and the Patriots (6-8), so this can still change. But Clemson's Trevor Lawrence is widely viewed as a generational, franchise-altering type of quarterback who is the presumptive No. 1 pick. To be sure, Jacksonville could also prefer Ohio State's Justin Fields, or even another player. But if results hold, the Jags will have the flexibility to choose whomever they want. And for a team searching for its first franchise quarterback since Mark Brunell, literally the first full-time starter the team had in its history, this could be a huge step to pull the Jaguars back to relevance.
Dallas Cowboys
It has been a rare occurrence to see the Cowboys on this side of this list, but after topping the 49ers, 41-33, to earn their second consecutive victory, Dallas is now one game back of first place in the NFC East. The Cowboys have actually won three of their last five and their defensive improvement has been a big reason why.
The Cowboys woke up this morning last in the NFC East. They'll go to sleep in second. Rankings:
Washington 6-8
Cowboys 5-9
Giants 5-9
Eagles 4-9-1 — Jori Epstein (@JoriEpstein) December 21, 2020
To be fair, the unit still allows too many big plays and a ton of points. But there are two specific areas that should give Cowboys fans optimism for an improbable, but potential trip to the playoffs. Firstly, the Cowboys are forcing turnovers. In its last three games, Dallas has forced eight turnovers. The Cowboys are also making teams to settle for field goals; in their last three, the Cowboys have allowed teams to score touchdowns in the red zone in five of 11 trips. To be fair, their last two opposing quarterbacks were Brandon Allen of the Bengals and Nick Mullens of the 49ers. The Cowboys need to prove they can do this against better offenses, but what was once looking like a lost season might be salvageable.
COWBOYS: Why Mike McCarthy says Dallas’ Week 15 win gave them ‘big chunk of confidence’
Dolphins' O-line and rushing game
This was a Miami offensive line that, because of injuries, started three rookies. Yet, despite it being a statistical flaw for this team, the Dolphins rode their rushing game to a 22-12 victory against the Patriots that ended New England's 11-year streak of playoff trips. The Dolphins entered Sunday ranked 27th in rushing offense, picking up just 95.2 rushing yards a game and dead last in yards per carry (3.63). They mauled the Patriots' front seven to the tune of 250 rushing yards and 6 yards per carry. That helped keep third downs to a manageable distance and Miami capitalized, converting seven of 12 (58.3%) tries.
Dolphins RB Salvon Ahmed had 122 Rush yds against the Patriots.
According to @EliasSports, the Dolphins entered today with a streak of 31 straight games without a 100-yard rusher, which was the longest active streak in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/Szplwk6bxw — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 20, 2020
While the Dolphins are now 5-2 in games that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has started, the rookie passer has been inconsistent and Miami's offense has often stalled. The emergence of a reliable rushing offense could be a massive boost as the team prepares for a potential trip to the postseason. But Miami needs to show a lot more consistency on the ground. If they can couple that with a defense that has now forced a turnover in 20 straight games, the Dolphins could have blueprint that makes them a tough out in January: a clock-chewing offense that can sustain drives opposite a defense that constantly gives them the ball back.
Matt Nagy and Mitchell Trubisky
The Bears have won two in a row, their latest a 33-27 victory against the NFC North rival Vikings, and coach Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky might be doing just enough to save their jobs. While the performances haven't been entirely clean, they allowed Chicago to surge past Minnesota in the playoff picture, where the Bears are now the first team out of the postseason in the NFC.
Trubisky has completed 72.2% of his passes for 469 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in his last two games. Those numbers still aren't quite what the team would expect in Year 4, but they have shown slight progress from his earlier line that led to his eventual benching. Still, the inconsistency remains. Trubisky did throw an interception that could've been far more costly, as he forced a throw from inside the 10 into double coverage late in the fourth quarter.
Cam Dantzler comes up CLUTCH with an end zone INT. #SKOL
📺: #CHIvsMIN on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/EJLjYXQNy2 pic.twitter.com/FCxRor1Z6N — NFL (@NFL) December 20, 2020
The Vikings didn't capitalize and the Bears won, but Trubisky has to eliminate those mistakes if he wants to secure his future in Chicago. Nagy, meanwhile, has relied on running back David Montgomery (317 total yards and three total touchdowns in his last two games) to give this offense more balance. Some Bears fans will still want an overhaul in the offseason, but if the team keeps winning, stability might end up being the result.
LOSERS
The Saints as a juggernaut
New Orleans lost to the Chiefs by just three points in what many had been billing as a potential Super Bowl preview, but this defeat felt far more lopsided than the box score indicated. Quarterback Drew Brees, while he should be given a bit of the benefit of the doubt as he's clearly still recovering from broken ribs and a punctured lung, put up a mixed performance. He started the game with six incompletions, including an interception and didn't connect on a pass until midway through the second quarter.
Drew Brees went 210 games without completing lower than 45% of his passes.
He completed less than 45% today against the #Chiefs, the first time he's done that since December 24, 2006. #Saints #ChiefsKingdom — Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrCBS) December 21, 2020
He would help bring New Orleans back in it late, but the slow start was too much to overcome. With receiver Michael Thomas now on injured reserve, there are more questions about how New Orleans will sustain drives. Against the Chiefs, the Saints converted just one of their 11 third down attempts. On the other side of the ball, New Orleans's defense — a unit that had been excelling as of late — gave up 179 rushing yards and allowed nine of 18 third-down conversions. The Saints were outgained 411-285. Kansas City possessed the ball for 41:14; New Orleans had it just 18:46. And, because the Packers (11-3) hold a tiebreaker on head-to-head matchups, the Saints (10-4) are essentially two games back of the No. 1 seed in the NFC. If the Saints struggled this much against the Super Bowl favorites at home, it looks like New Orleans might need vintage Brees performances to overcome their flaws. But now 41 and still hobbled, that might be too much to ask for.
OPINION: Saints must regain health, mojo to live up to Super Bowl aspirations
Buccaneers' slow starts
Yes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers erased a 17-point deficit and won their game against a division opponent, keeping their standing in the wild-card picture. So Sunday, on the whole, was a good day for the Bucs. But in their 31-27 victory against the Falcons, there were some signs of concern. Atlanta came into Sunday with the 28th-ranked total defense, one that had allowed 390.6 yards a game. At the end of the first half, the Buccaneers had been shutout, gained just 60 and faced that 17-point hole.
The Bucs defeated the Falcons 31-27 after trailing 17-0 at the half
Tom Brady has 4 career wins (incl. playoffs) after trailing by 17+ at half, the most by any QB in the SB era
Brady’s most recent such comeback was SB LI vs the Falcons (trailed 21-3 at half, won 34-28 in OT) — NFL Research (@NFLResearch) December 20, 2020
The second half was a different story. Tampa Bay gained 356 yards after intermission and quarterback Tom Brady completed 21 of 29 passes for 320 yards and two scores in the final two periods. Slow starts have been a recurring issue for Tampa. It was promising that they were able to overcome that, but consider the opponent, a Falcons team that has a history of blowing leads. Over their last nine games, the Buccaneers have now scored 17 total points in the first quarters of those games. As coach Bruce Arians said after the game: "You’re not going to beat those good teams playing this way. We’ve got to play better in the first half than we played today."
OPINION: Tom Brady's vintage comeback win for Bucs also cruel irony for Bill Belichick, Patriots
Carson Wentz
It's becoming pretty clear that, barring any injury issues, Wentz has almost certainly played his last down for the Eagles this season. Though Philadelphia lost to the Cardinals, 33-26, quarterback Jalen Hurts again showed that the Eagles offense is far better with the rookie under center than it is with Wentz. Hurts accounted for 401 total yards and four total touchdowns in the loss and had Philadelphia in position to tie the game late.
In fact, the Eagles were hurt by their missing a two-point conversion early in the game and then when tight end Zach Ertz botched a snap on an extra point. While Wentz is blessed with financial security after he signed a four-year extension in June 2019, it becomes almost cost-prohibitive in terms of dead cap space for the Eagles to cut him. That means that as long as Hurts continues to shine, there's a good chance Wentz might be relegated to serve as a backup. Wentz reportedly would want to be traded if he's not the starter. But that also presents its own issues. Namely, a team would need to be convinced to give up assets in a trade for Wentz, while taking on that massive contract. All of this makes it look like Wentz is in a spot with no good outcome: slumping, stuck and disgruntled.
New York Giants
With the Washington Football Team's loss, the Giants had the chance to sneak back into first place in the NFC East, via a tiebreaker of head-to-head victories. Instead, the Giants fell to the Browns, 20-6, in a game in which they were overmatched. That allowed Washington to hold onto the lead in the division and helped bring the Cowboys within striking distance.
Now, New York has lost two in a row, erasing the momentum of a four-game winning streak. Worse yet, the traits that made that winning streak possible, a steady rushing game and a disruptive pass rush, seemed to have vanished. Against the Browns, the Giants gained just 74 rushing yards and sacked Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield only once. Compare that to New York's average of 162.3 rushing yards a game during their four-game winning streak and 12 sacks in the same span. Now, with games left against the Ravens and Cowboys, New York's playoff dream looks like it's done.
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usatoday--2020-12-21--Front-line health care workers: If COVID-19 kills me, take care of my dog

With front-line workers now receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine , my thoughts return to the early days of the pandemic : the initial uncertainty and the marker that will be forever remembered as before and after the coronavirus .
Shortly after Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer issued lockdown orders on March 16 , my colleagues and I sat in an office and discussed the unspeakable : What if coronavirus made one of us critically ill ?
“ Here ’ s my brother ’ s phone number , ” I told my team .
“ He ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reach my family .
He ’ s out of state though , so I will need someone to take care of my son until he gets here.
” “ If I get too sick to take care of my dog , ” added nurse practitioner Reem Ismail , her voice trailing off before completing the sentence .
“ Don ’ t worry , ” I said , “ I ’ ve got her .
She ’ ll come stay with me and I ’ ll take care of her.
” Dr. Bryan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get sick and need to be in the hospital , I want to be admitted to one closer to home so that none of you would have to take care of me .
The burden of that would be too much .
Especially if I die .
I couldn ’ t put you through that kind of devastation.
” Then he added : “ I also couldn ’ t live with myself if I knew I ’ d exposed any of you.
” Sitting in that office surrounded by my work family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mortality .
We then knew even less about COVID-19 than we know now .
We went to work each day not knowing whether that would be the day we ’ d be exposed and bring it home to loved ones .
In the early weeks , we noticed COVID-19 took a greater toll on older people with other underlying health issues .
I reassured myself , “ Don ’ t worry , you ’ re young and healthy .
Even if you get it , it will be mild.
” I was brought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in her 20s was dying of respiratory failure on a ventilator .
Her nails were painted , and she had the most beautiful eyelashes .
Her family had given us pictures to hang in her room .
She was full of life and vitality , yet there she was , slowly dying despite all our efforts to save her .
Why was she dying ?
Why couldn ’ t we save her ?
How would we tell the family that their daughter and sister , who still had her whole life to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to die ?
How would we tell them over the phone , that her young life was nearing its end and that they couldn ’ t be with her ?
While we had all developed a bond with her , we were not her family .
She died without the people who loved her most in the world .
Each death was difficult , but hers crushed us .
It felt personal .
She represented how nondiscriminatory this virus is and how no one is safe .
She was each of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m forced to confront mortality — others ’ as well as my own .
COVID-19 has made me face mortality unlike anything else .
My 7-year-old son asked me repeatedly in the beginning whether I was going to die .
What would happen to him if I died , he wondered .
More recently , he heard me telling a friend I was having arthralgias , or joint pain , and asked me whether that 's from COVID .
Do arthralgias kill people ?
As a single mother , my heart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry .
Seeing pictures of me in my personal protective equipment , and knowing that these were the precautions I was taking every day to stay safe , seemed to temporarily reassure him .
Help us help you It ’ s these experiences that leave so many of us in the medical field feeling frustrated and betrayed by the politicization of this pandemic .
Intentionally disregarding necessary precautions like wearing a mask or social distancing feels like a personal assault .
Not only are people putting themselves at risk , but they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elderly , those with chronic conditions and our own families .
Report for America : North Carolina fast-food workers demanded — and won — COVID protections from management As hospitals across the country are nearing a breaking point , many people don ’ t seem to understand or care .
Masks and social distancing are not a cure , but they mitigate the spread of infection until we have widely available vaccines , better therapies or both .
The vaccines are now being administered to front-line workers , providing us with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will become infected in the meantime , and some will die , we can decide how horrific the next few months will be .
We need you to wear a mask , social distance , avoid indoor gatherings and forgo holiday celebrations this year .
Please .
Dr. Sara Hegab ( @ SaraHegabMD ) is a specialist in pulmonary disease and critical care medicine with the Henry Ford Health System and the associate director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program , medical director of the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team , and assistant professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Detroit .
This column is part of the # Rona4Real public education campaign in Michigan .

Front-line health care workers: If COVID-19 kills me, take care of my dog Here's my brother's contact info; here's the hospital I should be transferred to; here's where I keep the dog food. We have to look out for each other.
With front-line workers now receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, my thoughts return to the early days of the pandemic: the initial uncertainty and the marker that will be forever remembered as before and after the coronavirus. Shortly after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued lockdown orders on March 16, my colleagues and I sat in an office and discussed the unspeakable: What if coronavirus made one of us critically ill?
“Here’s my brother’s phone number,” I told my team. “He’s my emergency contact and will know how to reach my family. He’s out of state though, so I will need someone to take care of my son until he gets here.”
“If I get too sick to take care of my dog,” added nurse practitioner Reem Ismail, her voice trailing off before completing the sentence. “Don’t worry,” I said, “I’ve got her. She’ll come stay with me and I’ll take care of her.”
Dr. Bryan Kelly told us, “If I get sick and need to be in the hospital, I want to be admitted to one closer to home so that none of you would have to take care of me. The burden of that would be too much. Especially if I die. I couldn’t put you through that kind of devastation.”
Then he added: “I also couldn’t live with myself if I knew I’d exposed any of you.”
Mortality — mine, and my patients'
Sitting in that office surrounded by my work family, I was forced to confront my own mortality. We then knew even less about COVID-19 than we know now. We went to work each day not knowing whether that would be the day we’d be exposed and bring it home to loved ones.
In the early weeks, we noticed COVID-19 took a greater toll on older people with other underlying health issues. I reassured myself, “Don’t worry, you’re young and healthy. Even if you get it, it will be mild.”
I was brought back to reality when a young woman in her 20s was dying of respiratory failure on a ventilator. Her nails were painted, and she had the most beautiful eyelashes. Her family had given us pictures to hang in her room. She was full of life and vitality, yet there she was, slowly dying despite all our efforts to save her.
Why was she dying? Why couldn’t we save her? How would we tell the family that their daughter and sister, who still had her whole life to live, who brought them joy, was going to die? How would we tell them over the phone, that her young life was nearing its end and that they couldn’t be with her? While we had all developed a bond with her, we were not her family. She died without the people who loved her most in the world.
Each death was difficult, but hers crushed us. It felt personal. She represented how nondiscriminatory this virus is and how no one is safe. She was each of us.
Patent problems: How to protect taxpayers' investments in COVID-19 vaccines
As an intensive care unit physician I’m forced to confront mortality — others’ as well as my own. COVID-19 has made me face mortality unlike anything else. My 7-year-old son asked me repeatedly in the beginning whether I was going to die. What would happen to him if I died, he wondered. More recently, he heard me telling a friend I was having arthralgias, or joint pain, and asked me whether that's from COVID. Do arthralgias kill people? As a single mother, my heart broke knowing he's burdened with such worry. Seeing pictures of me in my personal protective equipment, and knowing that these were the precautions I was taking every day to stay safe, seemed to temporarily reassure him.
Help us help you
It’s these experiences that leave so many of us in the medical field feeling frustrated and betrayed by the politicization of this pandemic. Intentionally disregarding necessary precautions like wearing a mask or social distancing feels like a personal assault. Not only are people putting themselves at risk, but they’re putting vulnerable people at risk — the elderly, those with chronic conditions and our own families.
Report for America: North Carolina fast-food workers demanded — and won — COVID protections from management
As hospitals across the country are nearing a breaking point, many people don’t seem to understand or care. Masks and social distancing are not a cure, but they mitigate the spread of infection until we have widely available vaccines, better therapies or both.
The vaccines are now being administered to front-line workers, providing us with the first glimmer of hope. While many people will become infected in the meantime, and some will die, we can decide how horrific the next few months will be. We need you to wear a mask, social distance, avoid indoor gatherings and forgo holiday celebrations this year. Please.
Dr. Sara Hegab (@SaraHegabMD) is a specialist in pulmonary disease and critical care medicine with the Henry Ford Health System and the associate director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program, medical director of the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team, and assistant professor with Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. This column is part of the #Rona4Real public education campaign in Michigan.


usatoday--2020-12-21--Unnecessary C-sections are a problem in the US. Will publicizing hospital rates change that?

The Joint Commission , the nation ’ s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care , plans to start publicly reporting next year on hospitals with high cesarean section birth rates .
“ We are trying to identify hospitals that have high cesarean section rates as they work to improve , ” said Dr. David Baker , executive vice president for Healthcare Quality Evaluation at TJC .
“ We want to encourage organizations to reduce their C-sections and encourage leaders to do that in a safe way.
” The news comes a few weeks after the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action plan to improve maternal health , which included reducing low-risk C-section delivery rate by 25 % .
Since 1985 , the World Health Organization has considered the ideal rate for C-section births to be between 10 % to 15 % .
However , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 31 % of all deliveries in the U.S. were by C-section in 2018 .
Tricia Elliott , director of Quality Measurement at TJC , says some U.S. hospitals report C-section rates as high as 60 % .
“ C-sections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , but not at 30 % , ” Baker said .
High C-section rates are not the problem , said Dr. William Grobman , professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University 's Feinberg School of Medicine .
The problem is variation between hospitals – low C-section rates in some and high rates in others – with no improved outcome for mother and baby .
“ When you see huge variation without differences in outcome , that points to a more meta-issue of quality ( of care ) , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lowest possible rate that gets the best possible outcome.
” According to the Mayo Clinic , C-sections may be performed if labor isn ’ t progressing , the baby is in distress or in an abnormal position , the mother is carrying more than one baby , there ’ s a problem with the placenta , or other health concerns .
As with any surgery , there are natural risks associated with C-section delivery .
This includes infection , postpartum hemorrhage , a reaction to anesthesia , blood clot or surgical injury .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a higher risk of potentially serious complications in a subsequent pregnancy after a C-section .
Coronavirus : For pregnant and nursing women , risks of COVID-19 probably outweigh risk of vaccine , experts say An observational study published in the peer-reviewed journal CMAJ in 2019 found women who had C-sections were 80 % more likely to have complications than those who delivered vaginally .
Women over the age of 35 who had C-sections were almost three times more likely to have severe complications .
Grobman says this data indicates unnecessary C-sections are an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivery would logically carry less risk to mother and baby than a vaginal birth if the procedure was truly necessary .
In a statement to USA TODAY , the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ( ACOG ) said national target C-section rates should be based on clinical data that has been risk-adjusted specifically to the hospital 's patient population , and that target rates are meant to be calculated across all births , not across hospitals .
`` That being said , health care teams and providers should be working to address @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expert developed and quality improvement , science-based resources such as patient safety bundles and toolkits , '' ACOG said .
The organization adds that while national and regional organizations can take the lead in setting an agenda regarding prevention , it will need to be prioritized at the level of practices , hospitals and health care systems , and it will require `` culture change . ''
ACOG and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine says increasing women ’ s access to non-medical interventions during labor , such as continuous labor support , can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If we just adhere to guidelines consistently , all in the context of patient-centered care , what you would see is that hospitals would begin to look a lot more like each other than different , ” Grobman said .
The Joint Commission echoes this emphasis on patient-centered care , saying lower C-section rates is not always better in some cases and the organization does not want to encourage inappropriately low rates that may be unsafe to patients .
“ We don ’ t want to race to the bottom , ” Baker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you follow these best practices , you will have less times when a woman will need a C-section . ''
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics , Innovation and Competition in Healthcare .
The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input .
Fact check : No , the COVID-19 vaccine doesn ’ t cause infertility in women

Unnecessary C-sections are a problem in the US. Will publicizing hospital rates change that?
Show Caption Hide Caption CDC: Pregnant people with COVID-19 more likely to be hospitalized Breaking from their earlier guidance, the CDC now says pregnant women with COVID-19 are at higher risk than non-pregnant people. USA TODAY
The Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care, plans to start publicly reporting next year on hospitals with high cesarean section birth rates.
“We are trying to identify hospitals that have high cesarean section rates as they work to improve,” said Dr. David Baker, executive vice president for Healthcare Quality Evaluation at TJC. “We want to encourage organizations to reduce their C-sections and encourage leaders to do that in a safe way.”
The news comes a few weeks after the Department of Health and Human Services unveiled an action plan to improve maternal health, which included reducing low-risk C-section delivery rate by 25%.
Since 1985, the World Health Organization has considered the ideal rate for C-section births to be between 10% to 15%.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 31% of all deliveries in the U.S. were by C-section in 2018. Tricia Elliott, director of Quality Measurement at TJC, says some U.S. hospitals report C-section rates as high as 60%.
“C-sections are necessary a significant proportion of the time, but not at 30%,” Baker said.
High C-section rates are not the problem, said Dr. William Grobman, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. The problem is variation between hospitals – low C-section rates in some and high rates in others – with no improved outcome for mother and baby.
“When you see huge variation without differences in outcome, that points to a more meta-issue of quality (of care),” he said. “What people want is the lowest possible rate that gets the best possible outcome.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, C-sections may be performed if labor isn’t progressing, the baby is in distress or in an abnormal position, the mother is carrying more than one baby, there’s a problem with the placenta, or other health concerns.
As with any surgery, there are natural risks associated with C-section delivery. This includes infection, postpartum hemorrhage, a reaction to anesthesia, blood clot or surgical injury. The Mayo Clinic also says mothers face a higher risk of potentially serious complications in a subsequent pregnancy after a C-section.
Coronavirus: For pregnant and nursing women, risks of COVID-19 probably outweigh risk of vaccine, experts say
An observational study published in the peer-reviewed journal CMAJ in 2019 found women who had C-sections were 80% more likely to have complications than those who delivered vaginally. Women over the age of 35 who had C-sections were almost three times more likely to have severe complications.
Grobman says this data indicates unnecessary C-sections are an issue in the U.S. because a C-section delivery would logically carry less risk to mother and baby than a vaginal birth if the procedure was truly necessary.
In a statement to USA TODAY, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said national target C-section rates should be based on clinical data that has been risk-adjusted specifically to the hospital's patient population, and that target rates are meant to be calculated across all births, not across hospitals.
"That being said, health care teams and providers should be working to address the safe reduction of unnecessary cesareans using expert developed and quality improvement, science-based resources such as patient safety bundles and toolkits," ACOG said.
Women's hospital in Pittsburgh dressed up their newborns as presents UPMC Magee-Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh dressed up their newborns in crocheted costumes that made the babies look like Christmas presents. USA TODAY, Storyful
The organization adds that while national and regional organizations can take the lead in setting an agenda regarding prevention, it will need to be prioritized at the level of practices, hospitals and health care systems, and it will require "culture change."
ACOG and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine says increasing women’s access to nonmedical interventions during labor, such as continuous labor support, can reduce the need for C-sections.
“If we just adhere to guidelines consistently, all in the context of patient-centered care, what you would see is that hospitals would begin to look a lot more like each other than different,” Grobman said.
The Joint Commission echoes this emphasis on patient-centered care, saying lower C-section rates is not always better in some cases and the organization does not want to encourage inappropriately low rates that may be unsafe to patients.
“We don’t want to race to the bottom,” Baker said. “The whole idea is if you follow these best practices, you will have less times when a woman will need a C-section."
Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.
Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.
Coronavirus: Pregnant women haven’t been included in promising vaccine trials
Fact check: No, the COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t cause infertility in women


usatoday--2020-12-21--32 things we learned from Week 15 of the 2020 NFL season

The 32 things we learned from Week 15 of the 2020 NFL season : 1 .
The Jets will not become the NFL 's third 0-16 team – leaving the 2008 Lions and 2017 Browns in history 's dustbin – after upsetting the Rams on Sunday afternoon .
1a .
The Jets will probably not be drafting Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence , either .
The Jaguars , 1-13 like the Jets , assume control of the top pick of the 2021 draft as their futility has come with an easier schedule than New York 's .
1b .
Chins up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reeling in 2005 when the team won late in year , costing itself a shot at USC RB Reggie Bush .
But the J-E-T-S wound up drafting LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson and C Nick Mangold ... which worked out pretty well .
2 .
Meanwhile , the Rams must wait a week to clinch a playoff spot and lost first place in the NFC West after failing to handle the previously winless NYJ in one of the bigger stumbles in recent memory .
3 .
In less consequential ( and more unsurprising ) AFC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have officially failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008 – their record 11-year run reaching postseason spiked by the Dolphins on Sunday .
3a .
The Pats dominion over their division was second only to the Atlanta Braves ' 14-year reign over the NL East in terms of major North American team sports .
3b .
The Patriots have lost six of their last eight in Miami .
4 .
Elsehwere , ex-Pat QB Tom Brady led the Buccaneers to the verge of their first postseason trip since 2007 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Atlanta Falcons , who led Tampa Bay 24-7 in the third quarter .
Brady ( 390 yards passing , 2 TDs ) won for the seventh time in his 21-year career despite trailing by at least 17 points , tying Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers for the most such comebacks .
NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE : Seahawks clinch spot , assume first place in NFC West , as Rams stumble 5 .
TB12 found WR Antonio Brown for the game-winning , 46-yard TD in the fourth quarter .
It was AB 's first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one also coming courtesy of Brady when both played for New England in 2019 .
5a .
Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald scored his first TD in 364 days .
5b .
Ravens WR Dez Bryant scored his first TD in 1106 days .
6 .
As long as the Cowboys continue winning and Washington keeps losing , playoff hopes remain alive in Dallas !
7 .
And let 's think twice about flexing another of America 's Team 's game out of prime time , NFL .
Definitely would have been more fun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Browns-Giants snoozefest we got fed instead .
8 .
The Chiefs won the matchup of the day , outlasting the Saints 32-29 , but possibly leaving New Orleans with a decimated backfield after rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire was helped off the field .
RB Le'Veon Bell also looked beaten up by game 's end .
9 .
Not a good day for the Saints , either , QB Drew Brees looking rusty in his return – one that did n't have the benefit of WR Michael Thomas , who landed on injured reserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Is it possible neither K.C .
nor N.O .
will have the gas to get this purported Super Bowl preview to the finish line ?
10 .
Eagles QB Carson Wentz wants out of Philadelphia , per reports , if he loses his job to rookie Jalen Hurts .
But given the way Hurts is playing ( 338 yards passing , 63 rushing , 4 total TDs on Sunday ) , is anyone in the City of Brotherly Love gon na be showing Wentz any love – or attention – if this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday for Hurts , who shared the field with Cardinals QB Kyler Murray , he was not the former Sooner who boomed quite enough .
Murray passed for a career-best 406 yards and three TDs – and ran for another – to keep Arizona in the NFC 's projected playoff bracket .
12 .
The Cardinals were fortunate to draw the NFC East on their schedule this year , finishing a season-long divisional sweep Sunday .
13 .
Baltimore sure seems to be coming together as a team no one will want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ravens make it that far .
They really need either the Browns or Dolphins , who both own better records against AFC competition , to slip up over the final two weeks .
14 .
Lamar Jackson joined Michael Vick as the only quarterbacks with two seasons of at least 800 rushing yards .
15 .
Once on pace for a historically putrid season , the Seahawks D has allowed fewer than 300 yards in three of the past four games and no more than 17 points in any of them – including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington .
Credit the return of S Jamal Adams as the stabilizing factor .
15a .
Adams ' 9½ sacks are a single-season record for an NFL defensive back .
He set another mark for DBs Sunday by notching a sack in four consecutive games .
16 .
Rivers is 47-24 ( .662 ) all-time after November ends .
Who knew ?
His Colts are certainly shaping up as a team no one will want to face in January .
17 .
Titans RB Derrick Henry garners most of the attention Tennessee manages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , now that he has a career-high 1,679 yards and still has a reasonable shot at reaching 2,000 .
His nine 100-yard rushing days in 2020 are the most in the NFL since 2014 .
18 .
But let 's recognize what a fabulous season Titans QB Ryan Tannehill has had in his first year as the team 's full-time starter – especially after he became the first player to pass for three TDs and rush for two in the same game during Sunday 's victory , which kept Tennessee in first place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crown .
19 .
The reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers were officially eliminated from playoff contention Sunday .
If they were n't suffering from a Super Bowl hangover , no reason they ca n't go tie one one now .
20 .
Congratulations to Buffalo and Bills Mafia after the organization secured its first division title since 1995 and first playoff home game since 1996 , when the team suffered a wild-card loss to the Jaguars .
21 .
Only the Browns ( 1989 ) and Lions ( 1993 ) had longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
22 .
Sunday 's matchup between New England 's Cam Newton and Miami 's Tua Tagovailoa was first time an ex-Auburn QB had opposed a former Alabama counterpart in the NFL since at least 1950 .
23 .
Bills WR Stefon Diggs , who has a club-record 111 catches this season , has to be the offseason acquisition of 2020 .
He and QB Josh Allen are the AFC 's version of Rodgers-to-Adams .
24 .
Staying at Lambeau Field , even in a year largely devoid of fans who can attend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bay Packers quite well in the playoffs .
They are a league-best 14-2 at home since the start of last season .
25 .
Pack QB Aaron Rodgers did n't take the opportunity to pull away in the MVP race Saturday , but he did become the first man in league history to throw for 40 TDs in three separate seasons .
26 .
The Bears are 5-2 when QB Mitchell Trubisky starts in 2020 and are only one game out of the NFC 's final playoff spot .
Still , whether this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , seems inevitable it will get smashed in the offseason .
27 .
Number of running backs with at least 80 receptions in their first four seasons ?
It 's a list of one : New Orleans ' Alvin Kamara .
28 .
Chargers QB Justin Herbert remains the front runner for offensive rookie of the year honors , tying the record for most TD passes ( 27 ) posted by a first-year player while breaking Andrew Luck 's freshman record for 300-yard games with his seventh Thursday at Las Vegas .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Herbert ai n't one .
29 .
But Herbert has not yet buried Vikings rookie WR Justin Jefferson , who surpassed 100 receiving yards for the sixth time Sunday – more than all but three rookies in history .
30 .
After 6-4 starts each of the past two years , the Raiders are 2-8 after Week 11 since 2019 .
30a .
Las Vegas coach Jon Gruden has a .377 win percentage ( 23-38 ) in December games and a .500 percentage this week on wearing the correct hat .
31 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mariota , a boyhood hero of Herbert 's and one of the finest guys in the league , play so well in relief of injured starter Derek Carr .
Mariota , who lost his starting job in Tennessee last year , signed with Las Vegas in 2020 and passed for 226 yards and a TD while rushing for a team-best 88 and another score in his Silver and Black debut .
“ It ’ s been a long journey , ” Mariota said Thursday .
“ I ’ ve been through kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of lapses and the confidence thing .
I just truly appreciate the Raiders and the entire organization for kind of helping me through that . ''
32 .
Congrats to Colts P Rigoberto Sanchez , who played less than three weeks after having a malignant tumor removed .
# RigoStrong indeed .
If you love talking football , we have the perfect spot for you .
Join our Facebook Group , The Ruling Off the Field , to engage in friendly debate and conversation with fellow football fans and our NFL insiders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up now !

32 things we learned from Week 15 of the 2020 NFL season
Show Caption Hide Caption AFC Week 15 overreactions: Jets shocking win could cost them for next decade SportsPulse: The Jets pulled off the upset of the year with their shocking win over the Rams. But it's Jets' fans that should be upset that they'll likely lose out on Trevor Lawrence because of it. Mackenzie Salmon reacts to the biggest storylines in the AFC. USA TODAY
The 32 things we learned from Week 15 of the 2020 NFL season:
1. The Jets will not become the NFL's third 0-16 team – leaving the 2008 Lions and 2017 Browns in history's dustbin – after upsetting the Rams on Sunday afternoon.
1a. The Jets will probably not be drafting Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, either. The Jaguars, 1-13 like the Jets, assume control of the top pick of the 2021 draft as their futility has come with an easier schedule than New York's.
1b. Chins up, NYJ fans. You were also reeling in 2005 when the team won late in year, costing itself a shot at USC RB Reggie Bush. But the J-E-T-S wound up drafting LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson and C Nick Mangold ... which worked out pretty well.
Only the Jets could lose by winning pic.twitter.com/EcKjGyRn0k — New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) December 21, 2020
2. Meanwhile, the Rams must wait a week to clinch a playoff spot and lost first place in the NFC West after failing to handle the previously winless NYJ in one of the bigger stumbles in recent memory.
3. In less consequential (and more unsurprising) AFC East matters, the New England Patriots have officially failed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008 – their record 11-year run reaching postseason spiked by the Dolphins on Sunday.
3a. The Pats dominion over their division was second only to the Atlanta Braves' 14-year reign over the NL East in terms of major North American team sports.
With the Bills winning, the Patriots streak of division titles officially ends at 11 straight.
Only the Braves had a longer division title streak in NFL/NHL/MLB/NBA history (14). pic.twitter.com/paYJhDZz4u — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 14, 2020
3b. The Patriots have lost six of their last eight in Miami.
4. Elsehwere, ex-Pat QB Tom Brady led the Buccaneers to the verge of their first postseason trip since 2007 – naturally victimizing his old friends, the Atlanta Falcons, who led Tampa Bay 24-7 in the third quarter. Brady (390 yards passing, 2 TDs) won for the seventh time in his 21-year career despite trailing by at least 17 points, tying Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers for the most such comebacks.
NFL PLAYOFF PICTURE: Seahawks clinch spot, assume first place in NFC West, as Rams stumble
5. TB12 found WR Antonio Brown for the game-winning, 46-yard TD in the fourth quarter. It was AB's first score in 462 days, the previous one also coming courtesy of Brady when both played for New England in 2019.
5a. Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald scored his first TD in 364 days.
5b. Ravens WR Dez Bryant scored his first TD in 1106 days.
Larry Fitzgerald, Antonio Brown and Dez Bryant all have touchdown catches today.
The last time they all had touchdown catches in the same week was Week 13 in 2017.
They all rank top 5 in career touchdown catches among active players. pic.twitter.com/w0gk9r0FIF — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 20, 2020
6. As long as the Cowboys continue winning and Washington keeps losing, playoff hopes remain alive in Dallas!
7. And let's think twice about flexing another of America's Team's game out of prime time, NFL. Definitely would have been more fun to watch the Cowboys and 49ers than that Browns-Giants snoozefest we got fed instead.
8. The Chiefs won the matchup of the day, outlasting the Saints 32-29, but possibly leaving New Orleans with a decimated backfield after rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire was helped off the field. RB Le'Veon Bell also looked beaten up by game's end.
9. Not a good day for the Saints, either, QB Drew Brees looking rusty in his return – one that didn't have the benefit of WR Michael Thomas, who landed on injured reserve Saturday courtesy of his lingering ankle injury. Is it possible neither K.C. nor N.O. will have the gas to get this purported Super Bowl preview to the finish line?
10. Eagles QB Carson Wentz wants out of Philadelphia, per reports, if he loses his job to rookie Jalen Hurts. But given the way Hurts is playing (338 yards passing, 63 rushing, 4 total TDs on Sunday), is anyone in the City of Brotherly Love gonna be showing Wentz any love – or attention – if this keeps up?
11. Unfortunately on Sunday for Hurts, who shared the field with Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, he was not the former Sooner who boomed quite enough. Murray passed for a career-best 406 yards and three TDs – and ran for another – to keep Arizona in the NFC's projected playoff bracket.
12. The Cardinals were fortunate to draw the NFC East on their schedule this year, finishing a season-long divisional sweep Sunday.
13. Baltimore sure seems to be coming together as a team no one will want to draw in the playoffs – assuming the Ravens make it that far. They really need either the Browns or Dolphins, who both own better records against AFC competition, to slip up over the final two weeks.
14. Lamar Jackson joined Michael Vick as the only quarterbacks with two seasons of at least 800 rushing yards.
15. Once on pace for a historically putrid season, the Seahawks D has allowed fewer than 300 yards in three of the past four games and no more than 17 points in any of them – including Sunday's 20-15, playoff-clinching defeat of Washington. Credit the return of S Jamal Adams as the stabilizing factor.
15a. Adams' 9½ sacks are a single-season record for an NFL defensive back. He set another mark for DBs Sunday by notching a sack in four consecutive games.
16. Rivers is 47-24 (.662) all-time after November ends. Who knew? His Colts are certainly shaping up as a team no one will want to face in January.
17. Titans RB Derrick Henry garners most of the attention Tennessee manages to generate nationally – and why not, now that he has a career-high 1,679 yards and still has a reasonable shot at reaching 2,000. His nine 100-yard rushing days in 2020 are the most in the NFL since 2014.
18. But let's recognize what a fabulous season Titans QB Ryan Tannehill has had in his first year as the team's full-time starter – especially after he became the first player to pass for three TDs and rush for two in the same game during Sunday's victory, which kept Tennessee in first place and on course for an AFC South crown.
19. The reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers were officially eliminated from playoff contention Sunday. If they weren't suffering from a Super Bowl hangover, no reason they can't go tie one one now.
20. Congratulations to Buffalo and Bills Mafia after the organization secured its first division title since 1995 and first playoff home game since 1996, when the team suffered a wild-card loss to the Jaguars.
21. Only the Browns (1989) and Lions (1993) had longer divisional title droughts than Buffalo entering 2020.
22. Sunday's matchup between New England's Cam Newton and Miami's Tua Tagovailoa was first time an ex-Auburn QB had opposed a former Alabama counterpart in the NFL since at least 1950.
23. Bills WR Stefon Diggs, who has a club-record 111 catches this season, has to be the offseason acquisition of 2020. He and QB Josh Allen are the AFC's version of Rodgers-to-Adams.
24. Staying at Lambeau Field, even in a year largely devoid of fans who can attend, could still serve the top-seeded Green Bay Packers quite well in the playoffs. They are a league-best 14-2 at home since the start of last season.
25. Pack QB Aaron Rodgers didn't take the opportunity to pull away in the MVP race Saturday, but he did become the first man in league history to throw for 40 TDs in three separate seasons.
26. The Bears are 5-2 when QB Mitchell Trubisky starts in 2020 and are only one game out of the NFC's final playoff spot. Still, whether this glass is half full or half empty, seems inevitable it will get smashed in the offseason.
27. Number of running backs with at least 80 receptions in their first four seasons? It's a list of one: New Orleans' Alvin Kamara.
28. Chargers QB Justin Herbert remains the front runner for offensive rookie of the year honors, tying the record for most TD passes (27) posted by a first-year player while breaking Andrew Luck's freshman record for 300-yard games with his seventh Thursday at Las Vegas. The Bolts have about 99 problems, but Herbert ain't one.
29. But Herbert has not yet buried Vikings rookie WR Justin Jefferson, who surpassed 100 receiving yards for the sixth time Sunday – more than all but three rookies in history.
30. After 6-4 starts each of the past two years, the Raiders are 2-8 after Week 11 since 2019.
30a. Las Vegas coach Jon Gruden has a .377 win percentage (23-38) in December games and a .500 percentage this week on wearing the correct hat.
Jon Gruden had to switch hats real quick 🤣
(📸 @CBSSports) pic.twitter.com/hcMwThDOOV — CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) December 18, 2020
31. Nice to see Raiders backup QB Marcus Mariota, a boyhood hero of Herbert's and one of the finest guys in the league, play so well in relief of injured starter Derek Carr. Mariota, who lost his starting job in Tennessee last year, signed with Las Vegas in 2020 and passed for 226 yards and a TD while rushing for a team-best 88 and another score in his Silver and Black debut. “It’s been a long journey,” Mariota said Thursday. “I’ve been through kind of everything from injuries to surgeries to mental kind of lapses and the confidence thing. I just truly appreciate the Raiders and the entire organization for kind of helping me through that."
32. Congrats to Colts P Rigoberto Sanchez, who played less than three weeks after having a malignant tumor removed. #RigoStrong indeed.
***
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis
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usatoday--2020-12-21--You can get a Staub Dutch oven for 77% off right now—but they're going fast!

— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed ’ s editors .
Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission .
Home chefs know that when it comes to making perfectly cooked stews and soups , braised meats and veggies and more , a Dutch oven is your one-way ticket to endlessly delectable delights .
If you do n't have one or need an upgrade , now 's your chance : A smaller version of the Staub 5.5-quart Dutch oven—a.k.a .
the best Dutch oven we 've ever tested—is on sale at Zwilling in an enameled cast iron @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 77 % off !
Get expert shopping advice delivered to your phone .
Sign up for text message alerts from the deal-hunting nerds at Reviewed .
As part of its Holiday sale , the retailer has whittled the price of this top-rated , 4-quart cookware from $ 429 down to $ 99.99 in black , white and turquoise , with the only difference from our top pick being a little less wiggle room than its larger counterpart .
We gave top testing honors to the slightly bigger 5.5-quart version ( $ 259.99 at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at browning , searing , sautéing and frying , time and time again .
Our testers also praised it for being easy to store thanks to its round shape .
What 's more , we found the heavy-duty French cast-iron to be ideal for even heat distribution and cooking without leaving pockets of scorched or cold food , resulting in dishes that looked and tasted incredible .
This cookware is oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and is dishwasher- and freezer-safe for easy clean-up and leftover storage ( though hand-washing is recommended ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for our weekly newsletter .
It ’ s free and you can unsubscribe at any time .
As one recent happy shopper raved of the 4-quart cocotte , “ They literally broke the mold when they made these . ''
Better yet , customers found that they were easy to clean , while the performance was pretty incredible .
You 'll want to act fast , though—they 've been selling out incredibly fast at this price !
Get the Staub Enameled Cast-Iron 4-Quart Round Cocotte at Zwilling for $ 99.99 ( Save @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered .
Follow Reviewed on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram for the latest deals , reviews , and more .
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time .

You can get a Staub Dutch oven for 77% off right now—but they're going fast!
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
Home chefs know that when it comes to making perfectly cooked stews and soups, braised meats and veggies and more, a Dutch oven is your one-way ticket to endlessly delectable delights. If you don't have one or need an upgrade, now's your chance: A smaller version of the Staub 5.5-quart Dutch oven—a.k.a. the best Dutch oven we've ever tested—is on sale at Saks Fifth Avenue in an enameled cast iron 4-quart round cocotte version for a whopping 77% off!
Get expert shopping advice delivered to your phone. Sign up for text message alerts from the deal-hunting nerds at Reviewed.
The retailer has whittled the price of this top-rated, 4-quart cookware from the manufacturer's original price of $429 down to $99.99 in black, white and turquoise, with the only difference from our top pick being a little less wiggle room than its larger counterpart. (Note that you can get it for the same price at Zwilling.)
We gave top testing honors to the slightly bigger 5.5-quart version ($259.99 at Amazon), as it was great at browning, searing, sautéing and frying, time and time again. Our testers also praised it for being easy to store thanks to its round shape.
What's more, we found the heavy-duty French cast-iron to be ideal for even heat distribution and cooking without leaving pockets of scorched or cold food, resulting in dishes that looked and tasted incredible. This cookware is oven-safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and is dishwasher- and freezer-safe for easy clean-up and leftover storage (though hand-washing is recommended).
Need help finding products? Sign up for our weekly newsletter. It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time.
As one recent happy shopper raved of the 4-quart cocotte, “They literally broke the mold when they made these." Better yet, customers found that they were easy to clean, while the performance was pretty incredible.
You'll want to act fast, though—they've been selling out incredibly fast at this price!
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.


usatoday--2020-12-21--The Democratic left needs Biden to succeed. Stop trashing the winner and help him deliver.

Some prominent figures on the American left don ’ t want to waste time celebrating deliverance from authoritarian rule or figuring out how to make the most of a Biden administration pledged to an accelerating program of renewable energy , raising the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour , paid family leave , support for unions , restoring voting rights and a host of other progressive measures .
As Donald Trump fades in the rear-view mirror , the all-or-nothing caucus has more urgent concerns .
Its idea of the left requires trashing the winner because he was embraced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primaries against candidates further to the left .
Its first mantra is : Moderates will sell you out .
Its second : Half a loaf is much worse than no loaf at all , because it will delude the naive masses into believing that things are moving in the right direction .
The left is on the road to irrelevance Left-wing Yale professor Samuel Moyn , whose cynicism about liberals runs a close second to Rush Limbaugh ’ s , tweets approvingly an article from The New Republic headlined , “ Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the Left , ” failing to note that Biden 's appointments to address climate change put the United States back in line with the European Union and other sane governments working to lower carbon dioxide emissions faster than ever before .
And even as Biden has announced the Democratic Party ’ s most progressive economic and climate teams ever , Bhaskar Sunkara , the founder and editor of Jacobin magazine , frets aloud that “ the Democrats are continuing their steady rebrand from the party of FDR ’ s New Deal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cultural posturing.
” Rather than leverage progressive strength to move Biden policies leftward , Sunkara deplores the way Biden ’ s appointments “ foreground identity '' at the expense of real policy : “ Instead of Democratic leaders actually nourishing the tired , poor and huddled masses with a robust welfare state , we ’ re told to eat diversity instead.
” Painful double standard : Republicans are ramping up hypocrisy and obstruction .
We ca n't let them cripple Biden .
It ’ s as if Biden never promised “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” in infrastructure , health care and renewable energy .
It ’ s as if he opposes progressive taxation .
It ’ s as if he never promised “ further immediate relief to working families , small businesses , and communities , ” including providing “ state , local , and tribal governments with the aid they need so educators , firefighters and other essential workers aren ’ t being laid off , ” “ a comeback package for Main Street businesses and entrepreneurs , ” and to immediately “ put people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic , including through a Public Health Jobs Corps.
” None of this is a secret .
It 's all on his website .
The sure road to irrelevance under a government that brings together disparate forces is to inflame rage at the moderates more intensely than one mobilizes forces to strengthen “ the left wing of the possible , ” in Michael Harrington ’ s memorable phrase .
The unreconciled “ we told you so ” folks are ever ready to call “ Gotcha !
” It ’ s as if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) that progressive congressional candidates are sure to win in moderate distracts .
The chorus must always be tuned up , ready to go , to signal to hyper-alert Democrats that their party is , at bottom , nothing more than the neoliberal Tweedledee to Trump ’ s aspirationally fascist Tweedledum .
Joe Biden : We must urgently root out systemic racism , from policing to housing to opportunity What the “ we told you so caucus ” does not understand is that the whole Democratic Party — moderates as well as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden succeed .
Only if he delivers quickly , beginning next month , can progressive politics come to life .
If the Democrats win the two Georgia runoffs on Jan. 5 , the odds for deep reform are even better , though even if Republicans keep control of the Senate , some doors for progressive change will remain open .
Shouting insults at Biden is not the way to make the most of the Democrats ’ strength .
Neither is cuing up the circular firing squad .
Democratic power can only be anchored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showing that Democratic government works for a majority .
The only way to peel away some of the less fanatical Trump supporters , over time , is to deliver — to put money in their pockets — to demonstrate that Biden policies stand to shore up a big tent that has room for them , too .
Todd Gitlin , a former president of Students for a Democratic Society , is a professor of journalism and sociology at Columbia University and chair of its Ph.D. program in Communications .
His 17 books include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Days of Rage . ''
Follow him on Twitter : @ toddgitlin

The Democratic left needs Biden to succeed. Stop trashing the winner and help him deliver. The all-or-nothing folks say moderates will sell you out and half a loaf is much worse than none. This doesn't help Democrats, America or the left.
Some prominent figures on the American left don’t want to waste time celebrating deliverance from authoritarian rule or figuring out how to make the most of a Biden administration pledged to an accelerating program of renewable energy, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, paid family leave, support for unions, restoring voting rights and a host of other progressive measures.
As Donald Trump fades in the rear-view mirror, the all-or-nothing caucus has more urgent concerns. Its idea of the left requires trashing the winner because he was embraced by party elites and, embarrassingly, won primaries against candidates further to the left. Its first mantra is: Moderates will sell you out. Its second: Half a loaf is much worse than no loaf at all, because it will delude the naive masses into believing that things are moving in the right direction.
The left is on the road to irrelevance
Left-wing Yale professor Samuel Moyn, whose cynicism about liberals runs a close second to Rush Limbaugh’s, tweets approvingly an article from The New Republic headlined, “Joe Biden’s Cabinet Is a Lost Cause for the Left,” failing to note that Biden's appointments to address climate change put the United States back in line with the European Union and other sane governments working to lower carbon dioxide emissions faster than ever before.
And even as Biden has announced the Democratic Party’s most progressive economic and climate teams ever, Bhaskar Sunkara, the founder and editor of Jacobin magazine, frets aloud that “the Democrats are continuing their steady rebrand from the party of FDR’s New Deal and economic redistribution to the party of diversity and cultural posturing.”
Rather than leverage progressive strength to move Biden policies leftward, Sunkara deplores the way Biden’s appointments “foreground identity" at the expense of real policy: “Instead of Democratic leaders actually nourishing the tired, poor and huddled masses with a robust welfare state, we’re told to eat diversity instead.”
Painful double standard: Republicans are ramping up hypocrisy and obstruction. We can't let them cripple Biden.
It’s as if Biden never promised “a plan to create millions of good-paying jobs” in infrastructure, health care and renewable energy. It’s as if he opposes progressive taxation. It’s as if he never promised “further immediate relief to working families, small businesses, and communities,” including providing “state, local, and tribal governments with the aid they need so educators, firefighters and other essential workers aren’t being laid off,” “a comeback package for Main Street businesses and entrepreneurs,” and to immediately “put people to work by enlisting them to help fight the pandemic, including through a Public Health Jobs Corps.”
None of this is a secret. It's all on his website.
The sure road to irrelevance under a government that brings together disparate forces is to inflame rage at the moderates more intensely than one mobilizes forces to strengthen “the left wing of the possible,” in Michael Harrington’s memorable phrase.
Success will strengthen Democrats
The unreconciled “we told you so” folks are ever ready to call “Gotcha!” It’s as if the evidence demonstrates (contrary to fact) that progressive congressional candidates are sure to win in moderate distracts. The chorus must always be tuned up, ready to go, to signal to hyper-alert Democrats that their party is, at bottom, nothing more than the neoliberal Tweedledee to Trump’s aspirationally fascist Tweedledum.
Joe Biden: We must urgently root out systemic racism, from policing to housing to opportunity
What the “we told you so caucus” does not understand is that the whole Democratic Party — moderates as well as the left — shares a stake in helping Biden succeed. Only if he delivers quickly, beginning next month, can progressive politics come to life. If the Democrats win the two Georgia runoffs on Jan. 5, the odds for deep reform are even better, though even if Republicans keep control of the Senate, some doors for progressive change will remain open. Shouting insults at Biden is not the way to make the most of the Democrats’ strength. Neither is cuing up the circular firing squad.
Democratic power can only be anchored, over the longer haul, by showing that Democratic government works for a majority. The only way to peel away some of the less fanatical Trump supporters, over time, is to deliver — to put money in their pockets — to demonstrate that Biden policies stand to shore up a big tent that has room for them, too.
Todd Gitlin, a former president of Students for a Democratic Society, is a professor of journalism and sociology at Columbia University and chair of its Ph.D. program in Communications. His 17 books include "The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage." Follow him on Twitter: @toddgitlin