abc7 news reporter marci gonzalez explains how biden's win is now starting to get more republican recognitionfficial. the electoral college voting affirming joe biden as the president-elect of the united states. >> and the will of the people prevail. >> reporter: that will upheld at state capitals across the country from georgia. >> joseph r. biden has received 16 votes for president of the united states. >> reporter: to florida. >> congratulations, electors. you have done it. >> reporter: to california. >> ayes 55. no's, 0. >>. >> reporter: which put biden beyond the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the presidency. biden getting a total of 306 electoral votes, the same number president trump won in 2016. >> at the time, president trump calls the electoral tally a landslide. by his own standards, these numbers represented a clear victory then, and i respectfully suggest they do so now. >> reporter: yet president trump still refuses to accept that he lost the election. fears of a violent response from his supporters forcing arizona to cast its votes in an undisclosed location, and michigan

abc7 news reporter marci gonzalez explains how biden's win is now starting to get more republican recognitionial. the electoral college voting affirming joe biden as the president-elect of the united states. >> and the will of the people prevail. >> reporter: that will upheld at state capitals across the country from georgia. >> joseph r. biden has received 16 votes for president of the united states. >> reporter: to florida. >> congratulations, electors. you have done it. >> reporter: to california. >> ayes 55. no's, 0. >>. >> reporter: which put biden beyond the 270 electoral votes needed to secure the presidency. biden getting a total of 306 electoral votes, the same number president trump won in 2016. >> at the time, president trump calls the electoral tally a landslide. by his own standards, these numbers represented a clear victory then, and i respectfully suggest they do so now. >> reporter: yet president trump still refuses to accept that he lost the election. fears of a violent response from his supporters forcing arizona to cast its votes in an undisclosed location, and michigan to

abc news reporter marci gonzalez has the immense pressure congress now faces. >> reporter: with justwn was set to begin congress buying itself more time, voting to extend the deadline to reach an agreement on a covid releaf deal. >> there's no reason why the federal government funding should lapse while we hammer out our remaining differences. >> we're very close to an agreement but the details really matter. >> reporter: the nearly $900 billion aid package is tied to a larger federal spending bill. congress now has until sunday at midnight for a deal to be struck, dragging out the already months long wait for millions of americans depending on financial help. >> if this country means anything, if democracy means anything, if the u.s. government means anything, it means that we cannot turn our backs on this suffering. >> reporter: the bill is expected to include $300 weekly federal unemployment benefits and a $600 direct payment to many americans. missouri republican senator josh hawley tried and failed to get that direct payment amount raised to the $1,200 given to americans back in

abc news reporter marci gonzalez now has the immense pressure congress faces. >> reporter: with justeft before a partial government shutdown was set to begin congress buying itself more time. voting to extend the deadline to reach an agreement on a covid relief deal. >> there's no reason why the federal government funding should lapse while we hammer out our remaining differences. >> we're very close to an agreement but the details really matter. >> reporter: the nearly $900 billion aid package is tied to a larger federal spending bill. congress now has until sunday at midnight for a deal to be struck, dragging out the already months long wait for millions of americans depending on financial help. >> if this country means anything, if democracy means anything, if the u.s. government means anything, it means that we cannot turn our backs on this suffering. >> reporter: the bill is expected to include $300 weekly federal unemployment benefits and a $600 direct payment to many americans. missouri republican senator josh hawley tried and failed to get that direct payment amount raised to

before they're able to get their box of food. >> reporter: marci gonzalez, abc news, los angeles. >>>ents, the fda is now authorizing that second coronavirus vaccine for emergency use as we mentioned. millions of doses of moderna's vaccine are expected to start shipping out. >> we worked quickly, based on the urgency of this global pandemic, not because of any external pressure. the transparency around our review of moderna -- of the moderna covid-19 vaccine should assure the public that this vaccine met the fda's rigorous standards for quality, safety and efficacy. >> since last friday only pfizer's vaccine has been authorized and remember yesterday governor newsom said california is going to get a lot less in the second allocation of vaccine doses than initially anticipated. >> we were hoping to get vaccination, or rather doses allocated to the state in that second allocation but we were told yesterday by cdc hhs that they're cutting that by 40%. so unfortunately it went from 393,000 down to 293,025. >>> an fda panel found the vaccine more than 94% effective, this is for the moderna

here's abc's marci gonzalez on the special allure of holiday pics. >> reporter: 'tis the season for thoseg to have a christmas museum! >> reporter: where fall he's gather -- >> christmas cookies! >> reporter: hometown hunks wear no masks, and the six feet apart rules don't exist under the mistletoe. >> true love is worth waiting for. >> how do you know when it shows up? >> time will tell. >> reporter: what's been a yearly tradition, this season a pandemic miracle. >> joy, peace, hope. >> it's very much background noise that's comfort food. it's just about christmas and everybody, you know, living happily ever after. >> reporter: this year the options are endless, from netflix -- >> off with their heads. >> reporter: to lifetime -- and the gift that keeps on giving, hallmark channel. this year's countdown to christmas lineup celebrating an all-black leading cast in the channel's favorite franchise. >> at 18 and 19 there was a few christmas movies with people of color as the leads. in 2020 it feels like there's a ways to go, but a giant step forward in making to it where people can see them

. >> marci gonzalez, abc news, los angeles. >>> abc 7 news is going to devote next week to bringing you all the major updates right now in vaccine development. our team of reporters and medical experts will answer the bug questions from safety to distribution to side effects and more. >>> today, the greater sacramento region fell under the 15% icu capacity threshold. now, that triggers the state's new strict stay-at-home order. it joins the southern california and san joaquin valley regions. >>> here in the bay area, even though we're above the threshold, half of the counties have voluntarily adopted the stay-at-home order, and monterey will begin on sunday. outdoor dining is banned in much of the bay area, but that didn't stop people from eating outside one san francisco restaurant tonight. >> it didn't. and abc 7 news reporter j.r. stone got an in your face perspective of people's growing perspective. >> you come up and criticize the public right. [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. >> a restaurant patient at san francisco's joe's reacted to his decision to eat outside with others at a t

. >> marci gonzalez, abc news, los angeles. >>> abc 7 news is going to devote next week to bringing you all the major updates right now in vaccine development. our team of reporters and medical experts will answer the bug questions from safety to distribution to side effects and more. >>> today, the greater sacramento region fell under the 15% icu capacity threshold. now, that triggers the state's new strict stay-at-home order. it joins the southern california and san joaquin valley regions. >>> here in the bay area, even though we're above the threshold, half of the counties have voluntarily adopted the stay-at-home order, and monterey will begin on sunday. outdoor dining is banned in much of the bay area, but that didn't stop people from eating outside one san francisco restaurant tonight. >> it didn't. and abc 7 news reporter j.r. stone got an in your face perspective of people's growing perspective. >> you come up and criticize the public right. [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. [ bleep ]. >> a restaurant patient at san francisco's joe's reacted to his decision to eat outside with others at a t

marcy gonzalez, abc news los angeles. >> there is word of progress coming from overwhelmed hospitals and icus. abc 7 news reporter laura anthony explains improvements in treatment since the pandemic began are allowing more patients to stay off ventilators. >> we learned a lot about the care of covid patients since the beginning. >> reporter: at walnut creek's medical center an old school practice used in a new way is proving to be a valuable tool in keeping covid patients off ventilators. >> prone positioning is literally placing patients face down on their stomach. >> reporter: until now the practice of turning someone overusely with a mechanical bed was done almost exclusively after the patient had been intubated but at john muir, medical staff aren't waiting. >> in fact, we started prone positioning patients not intubated yet not on a breathing machine to allow them to have better oxygen and possibly avoid intubation. >> reporter: there are many other tools, lessons learned from those treating the most seriously ill covid patients. >> now we have a lot more information number one

marci gonzalez, abc7 news, los angeles. >>> the retailers are currently at 20% following the stay-at-home>> there is something fun about going out in ordinary years and doing it in person. >> there was. >> not this year, maybe uit's nt a good idea. >>> as you know this week, many bay area counties are going back into a version of a shutdown, which includes closing dining at restaurants. but some are asking why is it really a risk factor for covid? abc7 news reporter melanie woodrow spoke to a doctor of epidemiology and has more. >> reporter: thfrs the scene this weekend as final restaurant goers enjoyed a night out. they were eating and drinking without a mask. >> it's impossible to eat and drink without a mask on. >> reporter: he's the doctor of epidemiology at university of san francisco. he said while people are trying to get a handle on covid-19, he believes it's appropriate to ban outdoor dining for those restaurants in the appropriate tier. i asked him if covid-19 was dangerous when it comes to transmission. >> if you're sitting outdoors eating alone, no. if you're sitting with your