it's friday, december 18th, 2020. this is the "cbs morning news." another shot in the arm. a second coronavirus vaccine is on the cusp of being approved for emergency use. what you need to know about the major decision that could speed up our road to recovery. much needed relief. congress is closing in on a coronavirus stimulus deal that would bring financial help to struggling americans. and cyber warfare. a suspected russian hack attack is more serious than previously thought. the latest government agency to be impacted. ♪ good morning. very good to be with you, i'm anne marie green.

we begin with more help on the way in the fight against the coronavirus, with the expected approval of a second vaccine. the fda could green light moderna's vaccine as early as today after an advisory panel recommended it for emergency use. it would join pfizer's vaccine, initially going to front line health workers and nursing home residents. the additional vaccine could not come quick enough as the number of coronavirus cases in the u.s. surpasses 17 million, with another 233,000 just yesterday. the state of california alone has seen more than 1,000 covid-related deaths in the past five days. debra alfarone is in washington now with the very latest on this. it looks like at least a little bit of good news. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, anne marie. you could call it the light at the end of a really long dark tunnel. this would mean that millions of people in rural and suburban areas are getting that much closer to getting a vaccine. >> looks like we have a favorable vote. >> reporter: an fda advisory

panel is recommending moderna's coronavirus vaccine be authorized for emergency use. >> it looks like the benefits outweigh the risks from what i've seen. >> reporter: it comes one week after the same group of scientists endorsed pfizer's vaccine. >> our vote was even more overwhelming tonight. >> reporter: the fda says it will work rapidly to authorize moderna's vaccine, nearly 6 million doses could start shipping out in the days ahead. >> when people go to get their vaccine right now it won't be a choice whether, you know, i want pfizer or i want moderna. >> reporter: moderna's vaccine doesn't require the ultra cold storage that pfizer's does, meaning it can better reach rural communities. >> we have finally turned the corner from just a defensive strategy around covid-19 to, in fact, an offensive strategy. >> reporter: the attending physician here on capitol hill told members of congress they should unequivocally be vaccinated. pfizer's doses are being made available to all three branches

under government continuity requirements. >> i look forward in the days ahead to receiving the vaccine myself. > reporter: vice president mike pence and second lady karen pence will be vaccinated today. president-elect joe biden will get his as soon as next week. >> i don't want to get to the head of the line but i want to make sure that we demonstrate to the american people that it is safe to take. >> reporter: federal officials hope 50 million americans will have gotten at least their first shot by february. experts say we still have to wash hands, still have to wear a mask, still have to social distance and with the holidays coming up stay home, don't get together with other people, don't invite people over. we still have a lot more in this long tunnel to go through, anne marie. >> yeah, that is a good reminder. it's good advice. i hope people take it. debra alfarone in washington. thank you. so tonight marks the deadline for congress to pass another spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.

it comes as lawmakers appear to be on the verge of passing a new pandemic relief measure. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell said that the senate won't leave on holiday break until a deal is passed. >> families across the nation have waited far too long already for another significant dose of assistance. the senate is not going anywhere until we have covid relief out the door. >> michael george shows us what the economic relief package could include. >> reporter: lawmakers on capitol hill are said to be nearing an agreement on a new coronavirus relief bill. >> we have a responsibility to get this right. people's lives depend upon it. >> reporter: it's been seven months since congress passed its last covid spending package. now they're under pressure to get something done soon. >> i don't have a job. i don't have nothing. i have five kids. >> reporter: hundreds of people lined up in miami just for a chance to receive a free

supermarket gift card. last week some 885,000 americans filed new unemployment claims. that number rising for the second straight week to a level not seen since september. >> the american people wait for more emergency assistance ought to be over. >> reporter: the senate bill includes a $300 weekly federal unemployment benefit for four months. the roughly $908 billion measure would put money in most americans' pockets in the form of a stimulus check of up to $700. the bill also contains rental assistance, food assistance, money for schools and vaccine distribution and $300 billion in aid for small businesses. here in wilmington, delaware, president-elect biden said he's encouraged by what he's hearing about the bill. in the meantime the incoming administration continues to take shape. cbs news has learned that biden plans to nominate michael regan to lead the environmental protection agency. if confirmed, the 44-year-old will become the first black man

to run the epa. biden is also going to name deb holland as his interior secretary. the new mexico congresswoman would be the first native american to serve in the cabinet. michael george, cbs news, wilmington, delaware. and president-elect biden also plans to nominate jennifer granholm to be the secretary of energy. a close adviser to president-elect biden has tested positive for covid-19, louisiana congressman cedric richmond developed symptoms wednesday and later tested positive. he recently came into contact with mr. biden at a campaign event in atlanta. a spokesperson said of all their interactions they were short and they happened in an open-air environment while both men were wearing masks. meantime, health and human services secretary alex azar says that his wife jennifer has been infected with the coronavirus and he said that she suffered mild symptoms but is otherwise doing well. and we are learning the

scope of a likely russia-based cyber attack against the u.s. government. it is larger than we initially thought. as catherine herridge reports there are growing concerns about what may come next. >> reporter: a stark warning as hackers thought to be linked to russian intelligence are now feared to be deep inside american infrastructure networks. across the u.s. government, and including the nation's top nuclear laboratory. u.s. officials called the hack a grave risk. >> this is an attack on the united states. it's an attack on our infrastructure, our government, our private sector. >> reporter: cbs news has learned evidence of the hack has been detected at the department of energy, which maintains the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile and operates the los alamos national lab in new mexico. it's unclear what, if any, damage has been done. while vladimir putin's government denies responsibility, the evidence continues to mount. >> the keys of the kingdom have been taken. >> this hack gave a foreign

adversary the capability to destroy government networks or turn off critical infrastructure. >> yeah, absolutely. so it's not as easy as flipping a light switch, but they absolutely did have access into many sensitive infrastructure sites. >> reporter: the hackers made their move as early as march, breaking into solar winds, a texas-based software company that serves government agencies and many fortune 500 companies, but officials now say the hackers also used other methods to breach the networks making the hack even wider in scope. >> we have to imagine that they're everywhere. >> that was catherine herridge reporting. at least five people are dead after a powerful nor'easter. there was a deadly 66-vehicle pile up in pennsylvania involving 55 trucks and 11 cars. it happened wednesday on interstate 80 in clinton county. one person was killed, several

others were injured. the storm broke a record in binghamton, new york. here is what one resident found when she opened her front door to her home, the city had 41 inches of snow. so coming up on the "cbs morning news," free uber rides. how the ride hailing service is making it easier for you to get the coronavirus vaccine. this is the "cbs morning news." listerine® cleans virtually 100%. helping to prevent gum disease and bad breath. never settle for 25%. always go for 100. bring out the bold™ only nature's bounty does. new immune twenty-four hour plus has longer lasting vitamin c. plus, herbal and other immune superstars. only from nature's bounty. tand take an extra 20 or 15%.. and otheoff!...e superstars. kitchenaid stand mixer is $279.99...

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don't use if you're allergic to dupixent. serious allergic reactions can occur, including anaphylaxis, which is severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems, such as eye pain or vision changes, or a parasitic infection. if you take asthma medicines, don't change or stop them without talking to your doctor. so help heal your skin from within, and talk to your eczema specialist about dupixent. alfarone. . we may be able to help. some suspected criminals were on santa's naughty list during a drug raid in perú. members of the national police disguised themselves as santa claus and an elf as they raided a house in lima earlier this week. inside police say they found drugs and guns and four people were arrested. another suspect in the jeffrey epstein investigation was taken into custody and members of a pharmaceutical family were grilled during a hearing. those are some of the headlines

on the morning newsstand. the "washington post" reports two members of the sackler family which owns oxycontin maker purdue pharma denied responsibility for the opioid crisis. testifying virtually before a congressional committee yesterday david and kathy sackler apologized to victims of the opioid epidemic but stopped short of accepting personal responsibility. one representative told david sackler watching him testify made his blood boil. the company is accused of contributing to the opioid epidemic with misleading marketing. "the new york times" reports an ex-modeling agent and associate of jeffrey epstein is under arrest in france. french prosecutors say 74-year-old jean-luc brunel was detained wednesday as part of an investigation into alleged sexual assault and child trafficking. he has not been charged. at least one of epstein's accusers says brunel used his position to procure minors for the billionaire. the "wall street journal"

says 38 states have joined together in an antitrust suit against google. they claim google has an illegal monopoly over the internet search market through anti-competitive contracts and conduct. the states allege google's acquisition and use of consumer data denies users the price benefits of competition. this suit is similar to another lawsuit filed by the justice department earlier this year. still to come, a lesson in caring. we will meet a teacher who donated a special gift to the school custodian. into a smaller life? are your asthma treatments just not enough? then see what could open up for you with fasenra. it is not a steroid or inhaler. it is not a rescue medicine or for other eosinophilic conditions. it's an add-on injection for people 12 and up with asthma driven by eosinophils. nearly 7 out of 10 adults with asthma may have elevated eosinophils. fasenra is designed to target and remove eosinophils,

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by a third grade teacher in minnesota after she donated her kidney. erin durga saw a facebook message posted by pat merten's daughter asking for help on his behalf. she quickly realized she could be the perfect match. >> i turned to my husband who was sitting in the chair next to me and i said pat needs a kidney, it has to be o type blood and i think it's going to be me. >> the july transplant was a success and both were well enough to return to work in august. on the "cbs moneywatch" uber is rolling out free rides for people getting the covid vaccine and spotify is debuting in the home of k-pop. diane king hall is in new york with those stories and more. good morning, diane. >> good morning. stock futures are mixed after the three major indexes ended yesterday's session at new record highs. the dow rallied 148 points, the nasdaq jumped 106 hitting both an intra day and closing record high along with the s&p 500 which gained 21 points.

uber will give you a free ride if you are on your way to get the coronavirus vaccine. the ride sharing service says it will offer 10 million free or discounted rides for people who want to get the shot. uber says it will supply transportation to and from their destination as well as rides for their second dose. no word on when the service will begin. thousands of jobs are on the chopping block at coca-cola. the beverage giant says it is laying off 2,200 workers worldwide as part of a restructuring plan. the atlanta-based company says around half the layoffs will happen in the u.s., that's about 12% of the company's u.s. workforce. the pandemic has hammered the company's business with sales at places like stadiums and movie theaters drying up due to lockdowns. and people in south korea can soon jam out to spotify just like us. the music streaming service will launch there early next year. korean artists will be able to reach their local fans along with spotify's 320 million listeners globally.

the company debuted it's first k-pop play list in 2014. the share of k-pop listening has increased by 2,000% in the past six years. anne marie? >> all right. diane king hall in new york. diane, thank you so much. >> you got it. up next, nba investigation. the los angeles clippers is reportedly being sued over the recruitment of one of its biggest stars. of one of its biggest stars. where can a healthier heart lead you? for people with heart failure taking entresto, it may lead to a world of possibilities. entresto is a heart failure medicine prescribed by most cardiologists. it was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. heart failure can change the structure of your heart so it may not work as well. entresto helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body. and with a healthier heart, there's no telling where life may take you.

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here is a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. ♪ ♪ there is nothing like a surprise visit from batman and superman to lift your spirits, especially if you are a sick kid. window washers dressed as the superheroes and repelled down the outside of the university of texas md anderson cancer center in houston yesterday. they waved to the children from outside their windows as santa handed out gifts inside. the nba is reportedly investigating allegations against the los angeles clippers and team executive jerry west involving the signing of free agent superstar kawhi leonard last year. the allegations are part of a lawsuit filed by johnny wilks. he says west promised him $2.5 million for helping the clippers sign leonard but he never received the money.

if true, it would violate league policy. west and the clippers deny the allegations. russia's four-year ban from the olympics for tampering with athletes' drug tests has been cut in half. the court of arbitration for sport ruled russia will not be able to use its name, flag and anthem at the next games in tokyo and the 2020 winter games in beijing. russian athletes and teams will still be able to compete. the name russia can be on their uniforms if the word "neutral" is also displayed. and a 14-year-old georgia boy is relishing how well his hotdog business is doing. mason wright became the youngest restaurant owner in the state when he opened mason's super dogs in october. he transformed his business from hotdog carts to a restaurant serving more than 400 customized hotdogs and vegan dogs. he got the idea to start his own business when he was visiting

new york city at the age of nine and saw long lines around hotdog carts. coming up on "cbs this morning," a look back at the major news events of the year, 2020. i'm anne marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." 2020. i'm anne marie green. this is the "cbs morning news." here's to the duers. to all the people who realize they can du more with less asthma thanks to dupixent, the add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. dupixent isn't for sudden breathing problems. it can improve lung function for better breathing in as little as 2 weeks and help prevent severe asthma attacks. it's not a steroid but can help reduce or eliminate oral steroids. dupixent can cause serious allergic reactions including anaphylaxis. get help right away if you have rash, shortness of breath, chest pain, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection and don't change or stop your asthma treatments, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. are you ready to du more with less asthma?

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our top stories this morning, the fda could approve a second coronavirus vaccine as early as today. a panel of experts voted to recommend the moderna vaccine for emergency use yesterday. pfizer's vaccine got the green light last week. the move comes as the number of covid infections in the u.s. surpasses 17 million with another 233,000 just yesterday. and tonight marks the deadline for congress to pass another spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. it comes as lawmakers appear to be close to an agreement on a new covid-19 relief package. it includes a new round of $600 paychecks to americans. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell said lawmakers won't

leave on holiday break until a deal is passed. this sunday country music stars garth brooks and tricia yearwood will celebrate the holiday season with a live concert special. danya bacchus spoke to the couple about what we can expect. >> reporter: garth brooks and trisha yearwood have been making music together for decades and they're hoping this year their music has the power to heal. >> everybody is tired of covid. everybody wants to be done with it, but we're not done, so our job is to say here is how we can be together and be apart, stay diligent, stay at home. >> reporter: the country music power couple is hosting a live holiday special on cbs from their home recording studio with no set list they are taking requests through the social media #garthandtrishalive. >> getting some participation, you're accepting requests from people who want to hear certain songs. how are you navigating all of that? >> we're not. we have no idea what we're doing. we have a rough list of about 15,000.

>> they say in that space you can do somewhere between 12, 15 songs. i have 12 or 15 trisha yearwood songs i'm going to ask her to do. >> reporter: even though this year the holidays will not be the same they're focusing on the positive. >> are there any traditions you are looking forward to celebrating and maybe any new ones that you're going to be incorporating, because the holiday is going to look a little different? >> the biggest thing we've done differently in year is decorate every square inch of the inside and outside of the house. i'm usually pretty subtle about decorating, but the house looks like a landing strip for an airplane. >> reporter: and they're hoping their concert special will help keep the holiday spirit alive. >> we're going to try to give you some -- an hour to escape and hello joy and get out of what's happening in the world right now. >> reporter: danya bacchus, cbs news, los angeles. coming up on "cbs this morning," an update on the investigation into that botched police raid in chicago where an innocent woman was handcuffed naked in her home.

plus tony dee koppel conducts an unscientific social experiment involving lost wallets to test the goodness in people. we will show you the results. and from the presidential election to the covid crisis, a look back at the major news events of the year 2020. that's the "cbs morning news" for this friday. thank you so much for watching. i'm anne marie green. have a great weekend.