here's rachel scott. >> reporter: tonight, president trump blasting the supreme court for throwing out his latest bid to overturn the election. >> i am so disappointed in them. no judge, including the supreme court of the united states, has had the courage to allow it to be heard. >> all: usa! >> reporter: thousands of his supporters flooding the capital, cheering as marine one flew overhead. at night, the demonstrations turning violent. at least four people stabbed. more than 30 arrested. the president defiant. tweeting, "we have just begun to fight." but in reality, he's lost nearly 50 cases in federal and state courts.

for the latest, let's go to rachel scott in washington. we're hearing from so many americans who are suffering. many of them wondering, what's happening next? especially with the president tweeting just moments ago. zbrnch zbrnchts. >> reporter: lawmakers will be returning to washington to consider overriding the president just days after he vetoed the defense spending bill. leaders say that money is for the military. if successful it would be the first successful veto of the trump administration. >> rachel scott, thanks for keeping us up to date. >>> mounting concerns, a spike in holiday travel may accelerate another surge in the new year. december is now the deadliest month of the pandemic -- more than 63,000 covid-19 fatalities with the total u.s. lives lost closing in now on 333,000. tonight, new restrictions to prevent that dangerous variant of the virus found in the uk, despite the reality that it's likely already here. here's abc's trevor ault. >> reporter: tonight, millions of holiday travelers have health officials fearing an impe

>> rachel scott for us tonight. rachel, thank you. >>> we turn now to an ugly confrontation -- actually, we're turning to the weather right now. a major storm blowing coast to coast, as the year comes to an end. heavy rain in southern california. this swift water rescue on the l.a. river. a semi jackknifing in the rain and wind. the system reaching the northeast by new year's eve and then a second storm brewing for new year's day. abc's ginger zee is tracking it all. ginger, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, tom. from death valley to mt. pleasant, michigan, the first storm has snow, ice and rain. so, we've got a little bit of everything to cover. let's start with that shield of snow from nevada right through utah and colorado. that's tonight. talking about more than a foot in some places. iowa, minneapolis, up to five inches. southwest wisconsin, you'll get hit. chicago starts as soon but that warm front passes and looks like you'll change back over to rain. now focus on the next low in southeastern texas. str

abc's rachel scott has the latest. >> with the country on the verge of a government shutdown, president trump finally signing the nearly $900 billion package congress approved last week. it took congress more than six months to negotiated this bipartisan stimulus bill to get aid to the american people. the president's own team, including treasury secretary steve mnuchin helped negotiate the bill. but when the president tweeted i simply want to get our great people $2,000 instead of the $600 that was in the bill. >> if the president wants to come up with more money to help more people, terrific, let's sign this bill now so we can start getting our unemployment checks out right away and quickly sign another bill. >> senator bernie sanders says he has reservations about is size of the checks, but this bill needs to be signed. given the terrible economic crisis facing this country, yes, we do need to get $2,000 out to every individual working class in this country, $500 per kid, but you can't digiter around with the unemployment bill. >> in just a few days, the federal moratorium on evictio

rachel scott, abc news washington. >>> california is still setting coronavirus records. over the holiday weekend, the state how its hospitalizations go up, edging closer to 19,000. there has been a new daily record every day since december 9th. and every day since december 3rd, the number of people in the icu has set a new high. today it topped 4,000. the total number of new cases is a little more than 30,000. now, the bay area also saw its icu capacity rise from yesterday. it was 9.8%. a southern california and san juaquin valley regions are still at 0%. northern california remains above the 15% threshold, and the only region without a stay-at-home order. >>> well, the message has been clear in the bay area. stay home to stop the spread. signs like this are up on the roads to encourage drivers to stay out of the stores and to enjoy the holidays safely. now, despite the sobering covid-19 numbers, shoppers were out on this day after christmas on the hunt for sales and making those annual gift returns. once again, abc 7 news reporter joins us live in the news room with mor

and when they do, i hope that he puts the country first. >> rachel scott joins us now. i want to turn to other news. there are new reports that senior government officials will be among the first to receive the coronavirus vaccine, including white house staffers? >> reporter: that's right. but the timing is really unclear. we do not know how many officials will be vaccinated or when. but the white house is confirming that senior officials across all three branches of government will be receiving the vaccines. advisers to the cdc have long recommended that health care workers and the elderly should be first in line, and that everybody else should have to wait. tom? >> rachel, thank you. >>> sticking in washington, there is also news of a cyber attack targeting the u.s. treasury and commerce departments. a source at the commerce department telling abc news their systems were breached, possibly by foreign hackers. no word on what was accessed. homeland and security and the fbi now investigating. >>> next tonight, winter storms expected to deliver a one/two punch this week.

>> rachel scott with us tonight. rachel, thank you. >>> when we come back here, the developing headline here in new york city. when a driver heads into a crowd of protesters, several hit. the video coming in and late reporting in a moment. cutting edge made user friendly. in other words, we want a hybrid. and so do retailers. which is why they're going hybrid, with ibm. a hybrid cloud approach with watson ai helps manage supply chains while predicting demands with ease. from retail to healthcare, businesses are going with a smarter hybrid cloud, using the tools, platform and expertise of ibm. who've got their eczema under control. with less eczema, you can show more skin. so roll up those sleeves. and help heal your skin from within with dupixent. dupixent is the first treatment of its kind that continuously treats moderate-to-severe eczema, or atopic dermatitis, even between flare ups. dupixent is a biologic, and not a cream or steroid. many people taking dupixent saw clear or almost clear skin, and, had significant

rachel scott joins us now live from washington. and rachel, the president-elect with that stark warning today, predicting 400,000 americans could die from covid before he even takes office? >> reporter: yeah, top. the president-elect tonight saying that the country appears to be on track to reach that grim milestone before the inauguration. that is only three weeks away. biden saying that he does expect the death toll to continue to rise in january and february and that things may not start to turn around until march, and that even under his plan, it will be months before the majority of americans are vaccinated. tom? >> okay, rachel, thank you. >>> we turn now to capitol hill. president trump tonight attacking his own party over the $900 billion covid relief package. the president saying unless senate republicans have a death wish, they will approve the $2,000 stimulus checks being pushed by him and the democrats. treasury secretary steve mnuchin says the first $600 checks are going out tonight, but will they be increased? abc's s

here's abc's white house correspondent rachel scott. >> reporter: tonight, with relief for millions in jeopardy and the nation at risk of a government shutdown, president trump leaving the white house, heading to florida for the holidays. behind closed doors for days, the president last night posting this message on twitter, blasting that massive bipartisan stimulus package, demanding congress increase direct payments from $600 to $2,000. >> send me a suitable bill or else the next administration will have to deliver a covid relief package. >> reporter: members of his own administration had promised money would be in americans' pockets before the new year. >> people are going to see this money the beginning of next week. >> reporter: even one of the president's closest allies, senator lindsey graham, calling the bill imperfect, but saying the sooner the bill becomes law, the better. democrats say the president should have weighed in earlier. >> they didn't get any feedback from the president. people are hurting right now. >> reporter: also uncertain, federal unemployment benefits and e

rachel scott is with us in washington tonight. and rachel, that covid relief bill flown tonight to the president in florida. the big question now, will he sign it? >> reporter: whit, there are a number of scenarios at play here. the president could sign the bill or he could veto it. that would force lawmakers back to washington to try to override the president. but if he does absolutely nothing over the course of the next ten days, that bill will expire and then it will be up to the next congress to try and pass another round of coronavirus relief to get to the american people. whit? >> something we will all be watching very closely. rachel, thank you. >>> next tonight, the family of an unarmed black man fatally shot by a white police officer in columbus, ohio, speaking out for the first time. body cam video shows that andre hill was shot just moments after police approached him and they made no attempt to render him aid as he lay dying. and late today, the chief of police taking action. here's abc's more us c b kb c'c. >> reporte

rachel scott, jonathan swan, and susan davis. really appreciate it. and thank you all for joining us this evening. make sure to check our extra. we will dig into the emerging biden cabinet. who's in and what matters? you can find it on our social media and on our website. but before we go, i wanted to share a personal note. i will be leaving "washington week" at the end of the year. i'm going to co-author a book with bob woodward. i'll share more details about that soon. but i look forward to seeing you next week and on january 1. i'm robert costa. good night from washington. announcer: corporate funding for "washington week" is provided by -- >> for 25 years, consumer cellular's goal has been to provide wireless service that helps people communicate and connect. we offer a variety of no contract plans and our u.s.-based customer service team can help find one that fits you. to learn more, visit consumercellular.tv. announcer: additional funding is provided by the estate of arnold adams and koo and patricia yuen through the yuen foundation. committed

>> rachel scott, thank you. >>> and you heard the president-elect put pressure on president trump to call out russia after the cyber attacks. we also did not hear from president trump before the cameras this week on this new covid deal. so, let's bring in our chief kwhous correspondent jonathan karl tonight. jon, what are you hearing from your sources about president trump this week? >> reporter: david, the president has been essentially m.i.a. for ten days, even with all that's been going on, the big covid deal with congress, the surging death toll, the hack. he has not been seen at all on any of that. he has been busy behind closed doors, but focused on other things. he's been meeting with republican lawmakers and some of his most hard core supporters, trying to plot one last futile effort to overturn an election that he lost. and david, the president is expected soon to go to mar-a-lago, to go to florida for the christmas holiday. but we just have not seen him for ten full days. >> all right, jon karl with us live tonight. thank you, jon. >>> we're going to move onto other news th

>> rachel scott tonight, thank you. and of course, there's that late news coming in tonight from the white house. late decisions from president trump tonight and here's our chief white house correspondent jonathan karl. >> reporter: with just four weeks left in his presidency, president trump late tonight granted 15 pardons and five commutations. among them, full and unconditional pardons for two congressmen who have had been forced to resign, including chris collins of new york, who was the first member of congress to endorse trump's first presidential campaign. he is currently serving a 26-month prison sentence for insider trader. and former representative duncan hunter of california, another trump supporter who had pleaded guilty of misusing campaign funds. the president is also granting a full pardon to two of those charged in connection with robert mueller's special counsel investigation. george papadopoulos and alex vander swan. also on the list, four members of the blackwater company committed of atrocities in ir

help for millions of americans impacted by the pandemic now suddenly in limbo and abc's rachel scott racking the very latest. rachel, good morning to you. >> reporter: dan, good morning. and this is the relief that the americans have now been waiting months for. that stimulus package would provide aid for millions out of work and fearing eviction, but all of that is up in the air with a threat from the president. this morning, president trump signaling he won't sign that covid relief package set to provide aid for millions of americans. >> send me a suitable bill or else the next administration will have to deliver a covid relief package. >> reporter: the president labeling the bipartisan bill a "disgrace," demanding congress increase the amount of those stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000. but the president's new threat coming after lawmakers have already left washington for the holidays and after the trump administration had promised those checks would be in the mail as soon as next week. >> let me emphasize, that people are going to see this money the beginning of next week. >> rep

with the government poised to shut down at midnight tomorrow, our white house correspondent rachel scott has the latest. good morning, rachel. >> reporter: jon, good morning. that coronavirus relief bill is in the president's hands. he still has not signed it. the stakes are high. up to 14 million americans have lost their unemployment benefits. to make matters worse, the government will shut down tomorrow at midnight. the federal moratorium on evictions expires in a few days. president trump spent the weekend doubling down on his demands for congress to increase the amount of stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000. this is the bill his own team helped to negotiate. his secretary of the treasury indica indica indicated those checks would go out as soon as this week. the president is now coming in at the 11th hour making these demands. they already tried to get a measure passed that would increase the amount of the checks, but republicans rejected it. they wanted to keep the price tag of this bill down. the bottom line here is that time is running out and relief for millions of americans is

abc7 news reporter rachel scott tells us both the president and some democrats agree on one thing about the measure, that the unemployment payment is just too low. >> reporter: with the country on the verge of a government shutdown, president trump finally signing the nearly $900 billion package congress approved last week. it took congress more than six months to negotiate this bipartisan stimulus bill to get aid to the american people. the president's own team, including treasury secretary steve mnuchin, helped negotiate the bill. but when the president demanded last-minute changes, tweeting, i simply want to get our great people $2,000 rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill, some republicans criticized him for not raising his objections sooner. >> if the president wants to come up with more money to help more people, terrific. let's sign this bill now so we can start getting unemployment benefits out right away and then quickly pass another bill. >> reporter: senator bernie sanders said he also has reservations about the size of the checks, but that this bill needs to be

rachel scott, abc news. >>> holidays heroes is two days away.s year's event will be virtual with lots of surprises. >>> and here is a live look of the golden gate bridge this morning. businesses today are looking to tomorrsetting the course.ating. but new ways of working demand a new type of network. one that's more than just fast. you need flexibility- to work from anywhere and manage from everywhere. advanced technology. with serious security. and reliable coverage, nationwide. forward-thinking enterprises deserve forward-thinking solutions. and that's what we deliver. so bounce forward, with comcast business. health insurance shouldn't be one of them. at covered california, every plan is comprehensive, covering everything from preventive care to mental health. covered california is the only place that offers financial help for health insurance, and now, there's more help for more people. and free assistance from experts to get more californians covered. starting with you. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 15

rachel scott, abc news, washington. >>> president-elect joe biden announced his pick for secretary ofrgy yesterday, former michigan governor jennifer granholm, who currently teaches at uc berkeley. she discussed the fight against climate change on "this week with george stephanopoulos." >> climate change is such an economic opportunity. every country is going to be buying solar panels and they're going to be buying wind turbines and electric vehicles and the batteries. we could be producing that material, those products, here in the united states. we need to be the leader. >> granholm says if the united states does not take leadership, china and other countries will corner the market instead. she says while biden is focused on the threat climate change poses on an environmental level, he also sees opportunities to create jobs and strengthen the economy. >>> a family's holiday display at their peninsula home is a known favorite among the neighborhood kids. after it was hit by vandals, the community has come together to so what christmas spirit is all about. abc news anchor dion lim has

rachel scott tells us, there is a bipartisan push to get the president to take action. >> reporter: the roughly $900 billion stimulus package congress approved earlier this week is awaiting president trump's signature. president-elect joe biden c criticizing him. the president has been critical of the bill, which includes aid for struggling americans and $1.4 trillion in government funding. >> it really is a disgrace. >> reporter: the president tweeting he has had many calls and meetings, demanding congress increase the amount of the stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000, writing, give our people the money. but his own team helped negotiate that bill. steve mnuchin made this promise earlier this week. >> people are going to see this money the beginning of next week. >> reporter: both republicans and democrats urging the president to sign the bill. >> when we finally thought we'd be able to give people hope! that's what people need, hope! >> i hope the president looks at this again and reaches the conclusion that the best thing to do is to sign the bill. >> reporter: paymenaid ends today.

abc news reporter rachel scott has the latest from washington. >> reporter: this morning, the nation on the verge of a government shutdown. funding runs out at midnight tomorrow. for millions of americans, unemployment benefits have now expired. and in just a few days, the federal moratorium on evictions will too. in iowa, amanda drennan lost her job of 16 years in march. >> i don't know what is ahead for me and my family. >> reporter: now she is struggling to put food on the table for her two children. >> i have not been sleeping well the last few nights. like, i could do this to make money, i could consign some clothes, i could donate plasma. >> reporter: after six months, congress finally passed the bipartisan stimulus package to get relief to the american people. the president's own team helped negotiate the bill and even signaled he would seen it. but now the president is demanding last-minute changes, tweeting, "i simply want to get our great people $2,000, rather than the measly $600 that is now in the bill." some americans agree $600 just isn't enough. >> $600 is very insigni

abc's rachel scott is on the story from washington, d.c. rachel, good morning to you. >> reporter: dan, good morning, and that is the question. that covid relief bill was flown to florida where president trump is spending the holidays but he still has not signed it and this delay will have dire effects for millions of americans out of work and on the brink of eviction. this morning, as covid relief hangs in the balance, millions of americans out of work will lose their unemployment benefits today. president trump spending the christmas holiday on the golf course, as seen in this photo obtained by cnn. the bipartisan package still awaiting his signature. trump taking to twitter, saying, he had many calls and meetings, demanding congress increase the amount of the stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000 writing, give our people the money, but this is a bill his own team helped negotiate. here is his secretary of treasury days ago promising those stimulus checks would go out next week. >> people will see this money the beginning of next week. >> re

here's rachel scott with the benefits millions of americans will lose today. >> reporter: this mornings covid relief hangs in the balance, millions of americans out of work will lose their unemployment benefits today. president trump spending the christmas holiday on the golf course, as seen in this photo on cnn. trump taking to twitter saying he had many calls and meetings demanding congress increase the amount of the stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000, writing "give our people the money." but this is a bill his own team helped negotiate. here is his secretary of treasury days ago promising those stimulus checks will go out next week. >> people are going to see this money the beginning of next week. >> reporter: leaders from both parties are asking the president to sign the bill. >> i beg the president to know how many people in this country are scared. >> i hope the president looks at this again and reaches that conclusion that the best thing told is to sign the bill. >> reporter: unemployment benefits expire today. if the president continues to hold off, the government shuts down m

abc's rachel scott has more. >> reporter: president trump blasting the supreme court for throwing out his latest bid to overturn the election. >> i am so disappointed in them. no judge including the supreme court of the united states has had the courage to allow it to be heard. >> reporter: thousands of his supporters flooding the capital. at night, the demonstrations turning violent. at least four people stabbed, more than 30 arrested. the president defiant, tweeting we have just begun to fight. but in reality, he's lost nearly 50 cases in federal and state courts. this wisconsin state justice outraged. >> what you want is you want us to overturn this election so that your king can stay in power. >> reporter: many top gop leaders are still in lockstep with the president and 126 house republicans supported that failed lawsuit in the supreme court to throw out millions of votes. but retiring republican senator lamar alexander telling the president ahead of tomorrow's electoral college vote it's time to accept defeat. >> it looks very much like the electors will vote for joe biden. when

abc's rachel scott joins us from washington, d.c. with the very latest. rachel, good morning to you. >> reporter: whit, good morning. and it's been more than six months since congress passed a stimulus package, but lawmakers say they are finally close to getting that deal across the finish line. with just hours to spare until a government shutdown, congress finally reaching a compromise on a stimulus package clearing the way for a vote in the house and senate as early as today. >> if things continue on this path and nothing gets in the way, we'll be able to vote tomorrow. >> reporter: at stake relief for millions of americans out of work and fearing eviction. >> the american people cannot feed their families or pay their bills with congress good faith discussions. they need us to act. >> reporter: ricardo ramirez says he's barely getting by, now at risk of possibly losing everything if those unemployment benefits expire in less than two weeks. >> it's about time for them to do something for the community. >> reporter: lawmakers working through the weekend

rachel scott, abc news, washington. >>> ahead, making history on the next mission to the moon. >>> and live look outside right now. you can see raindrops there and cloudy, gray. it's just one of those days. than a holiday dinner table. gives you more options pick the speed that's right for you, with options faster than gig. and get reliable internet with top-notch coverage. plus, help keep your data safe and private with security included. no antlers on the table. how come you get to eat first? get started with this great offer, or ask about our fastest speed, 2 gig up and down. switch today. with the kids at home and less money coming in, there'd be no way we could afford health insurance. my kids think i'm a superhero. but even superheroes need help sometimes. we found help at covered california. and not just us. 9 out of 10 people who enrolled got financial help. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll now at coveredca.com >>> a live look from live doppler 7. you can see rain throughout much of the bay area this morning. good to see it for sure. >>> ghirardelli choc

so let's go to abc's rachel scott who is right there in washington, d.c., covering this. rachel, good morning to you. >> reporter: dan, good morning. it was down to the wire. congress averting that government shutdown but this is just a quick fix. it simply buys lawmakers the weekend to try and hash out details on a coronavirus stimulus package before aid runs out for millions of americans at the end of the year. with just hours before a government shutdown, congress scrambling to fund the government for two more days. the bill landing on the president's desk before the midnight deadline. but the fight on capitol hill is far from over. >> we cannot turn our backs on this suffering. >> i voted for the $2.2 trillion c.a.r.e.s. act but i also am concerned about our children's future. >> reporter: that measure only a temporary fix giving them another 48 hours to try to finalize a covid relief package. earlier in the day, senate majority leader mitch mcconnell signaled a deal was close. >> bipartisan bicameral framework for a major rescue is very close at hand. >> reporter: but

abc's rachel scott joins us from washington, d.c., with more, good morning to you, rachel. >> reporter: eva, good morning. for the second time this week, the supreme court rejecting a case tied to the president's failed fight to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election. the president lashing out at the high court but also blasting the fda too accusing them of moving too slow when it came to authorizing that vaccine. overnight, president trump celebrated the news americans had been waiting for. >> we have delivered a safe and effective vaccine in just nine months. >> reporter: the green light from the fda came hours after the president blasted the agency for not moving faster calling it one "big, old, slow turtle" and urging commissioner stephen hahn to "stop playing games and start saving lives." in a phone call earlier friday, sources say white house chief of staff mark meadows even suggested hahn could be fired if that vaccine wasn't approved soon, a conversation the fda disputes. meanwhile, president-elect joe biden told americans to ignore the politics and put their trust i

abc's rachel scott starts us off from the fda headquarters in washington. good morning, rachel. >> reporter: george, good morning. it is the news americans are waiting for, and while we'll mark a significant turning point, the fight against covid-19 is far from over. nine months into this deadly pandemic, we are now headed into what could be the most dangerous period yet. >> december and january and february are going to be rough times. >> reporter: each week another grim milestone, another record high. over 100,000 americans now hospitalized. roughly 2,000 lives lost each day. >> i'm had an ungodly amount of people in body bags that i wasn't prepared to do. >> reporter: our greatest hope in these small vials, our country creating the pfizer vaccine. here at home, 40 million vaccine doses, enough for 20 million americans could be distributed by the end of the year, but first it will need to be approved by the fda. the agency meeting thursday on the pfizer vaccine and again a week later on a candidate made by moderna. >> when the decision comes, distribution

abc's rachel scott is in d.c. with this story. good morning to you, rachel. >> reporter: eva, good morning. as president-elect joe biden urges congress to act, democrats say the course of his presidency will depend on the outcome of those georgia runoffs where republicans are fighting to keep two seats and control of the senate. with coronavirus cases on the rise and federal aid almost out, president-elect joe biden warned the country will be in dire trouble if congress does not act. >> if we don't act now, the future will be very bleak. americans need help and they need it now. and they need more to come early next year. >> reporter: as lawmakers try to find common ground on the stimulus package, president trump will be back out on the campaign trail to rally support for kelly loeffler and david perdue in two senate runoff. >> all eyes are on georgia. >> reporter: those races will decide control of the senate. >> what i'm trying to help you see is that you have power and it would be a shame if come january 5th you did not exercise

abc news reporter rachel scott breaks down the special senate elections and the attempt at a new federal stimulus bill this morning. >> reporter: with coronavirus cases on the rise and federal aid almost out president-elect joe biden warned the country will be in dire trouble if congress does not act. >> if we don't act now the future will be very bleak. americans need help, and they need it now. and they need more to come earlier next year. >> reporter: as lawmakers try to find common ground on a stimulus package president trump will be back out on the campaign trail to rally support for kelly loeffler and david perdue in two senate runoffs. >> all eyes in this country are on georgia. >> reporter: those races will decide control of the senate. >> it would be a shame if come january 5th you did not exercise that power, are you ready to stand up one more time? >> reporter: some republicans fear the president's repeated false claims that the presidential election was rigged will backfire. >> they don't want to lose the trump supporters, by acting this way, they're going to lose another tru

abc's rachel scott has the latest from washington for us. rachel, good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the whiplash kept americans on edge for days. after throwing relief for millions into jeopardy the president finally relenting and signing that coronavirus relief bill that he called a disgrace. overnight, president trump changing course again, finally signing the $2.3 trillion spending and stimulus relief bill with just 24 hours to go until a government shutdown. the president's reversal came after he held on to the bill for nearly a week letting unemployment benefits run dry for millions. while for days he blasted the the deal his own team helped negotiate. >> it really is a disgrace. >> reporter: but under pressure from lawmakers, he suddenly decided to move forward getting relief into the hands of americans like amanda drinnin. who lost her job of 16 years back in march. >> i worry and care about myself and my family. we need covid relief so bad. >> reporter: the package includes $600 checks for americans who earn less than $75,000 a

rachel scott is live in washington with the very latest. chel, good morning. >> reporter: whit, good morning. some americans will be waking up this morning with that $600 stimulus already in their bank account. the treasury department says they started sending out those $600 stimulus checks yesterday. so if you have direct deposit set up with the irs for your tax returns, you can expect the money to go straight into your bank account. otherwise, you will be receiving a paper check. those are set to go out later today. americans who earned $75,000 or less can expect to receive the full $600 stimulus check. that means couples making a combined income of $150,000 a year will be receiving $1,200, plus an additional $600 per child. so a family of four will be getting as much as $2400. whit. >> many families are desperate to get any help they can. and rachel, as those payments finally start going out though, the push to increase them is hitting another roadblock on capitol hill. >> yeah. that's exactly right, whit. the house has passed a measure t

let's get right to rachel scott with new details just coming in. rachel? >> reporter: tom, tonight we're learning the president's personal lawyer, rudy giuliani, has been admitted to georgetown university hospital after testing positive for covid-19. his condition is unclear, but we know he's 76 years old. he's considered high risk, and he does have a history of health complications. including a battle with prostate cancer. he did a television interview earlier this morning, but he's been cris-crossing the country, leading the president's fight to try and overturn the results of the 2020 election. last seen in georgia thursday inside the state's capitol without a face mask. in fact, almost every time we've seen him in recent weeks, he's not been wearing a face mask. tonight, he's just the latest in the president's inner circle to have tested positive for the virus. >> rachel, thank you. >>> now to the emergency actions to try to slow the spread of the virus, while the u.s. awaits a vaccine that may arrive this week. a sweeping new lockdown taking effect in

rachel scott tonight, thank you. >>> president-elect joe biden, who has vowed to make the pandemic his top priority, announcing the leaders of his health team. biden dominating the california attorney general for health and human services secretary. vivek murphy for. the biden transition team says it will announce no, ma'am nomi attorney general and secretary of defense later this week. >>> when we come back here on a monday night, the virginia military understand constitute removing the statue of stonewall jackson. >>> and news tonight about bob >>> and news tonight about bob dylan and stevie nicks. i now earn even more cash back? oh i got to tell everyone. hey, rita! you now earn 3% on dining, including takeout! bon appetit. hey kim, you now earn 5% on travel purchased through chase! way ahead of you! hey, neal! you can earn 3% at drugstores. buddy, i'm right here. why are you yelling? because that's what i do! you're always earning with 5% cash back on travel purchased through chase, 3% at drugstores, 3% on dining including takeout, and 1.5% on everything else you buy. chase. make m

rachel scott with the late-breaking details. >> reporter: tonight, a breakthrough in congress. after more than six months of failed negotiations, finally striking a deal to get much-needed relief to the american people. >> we can finally report, more help is on the way. >> reporter: images like this across the country -- long lines at food banks. 885,000 americans filing for unemployment within the last week. lawmakers scrambling to reach a compromise just hours before a government shutdown. the roughly $900 billion package expected to include $300 billion in aid to businesses, $300 in weekly federal unemployment benefits, and $600 in direct payments for millions of americans. half of what the government sent out back in march. >> $600 is nothing. it's like a slap in our face. >> reporter: lisa mistretta is a hospice nurse in new york, but her health conditions left her too high-risk to work during the pandemic. a single mom already behind in rent, worried she won't be able to pay for next month either. >> i'm behind about $6,000 in bills. it's not our fault that we can't work.

abc's rachel scott has the details. >> reporter: overnight, the $900 billion coronavirus relief billida where president trump is spending the holidays, but it's still unclear if he will sign it. just days before christmas, blasting the stimulus package his own team helped negotiate. >> it really is a disgrace. >> reporter: the president taking to the golf course while relief for millions hangs in limbo. this christmas, many americans are barely scraping by. angela moore had covid-19. then she lost her job. now holding her breath, waiting to see if that critical aid comes through. >> i just feel like we have been treated like a yo-yo, like we're being pawned between republicans, democrats and the president, and it's going to be too late. >> reporter: in just 24 hours, 14 million will lose unemployment benefits, the federal moratorium on evictions expires next week, and the government will shut down on monday. >> i beg the president to know how many people in this country are scared. >> reporter: the president demanded congress increase the amount of the stimulus checks from $600 to $2

so let's join rachel scott from washington with the latest. rachel, the question now is will senate republicans increase these checks or are they going to break with the president? >> reporter: mary, good morning. it will face an uphill battle in the senate and it's unclear if republicans will even bring the measure up. overnight, president trump still demanding that lawmakers increase the amount of those stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000. and this is actually an area where democrats and republicans agree. so in the house last night, we saw them pass this measure that would boost those check toes $2,000. but the vast majority of republicans are still against this. and this was one of the major sticking points in negotiations on capitol hill. republicans want to keep the overall spending on this bill down. so it's likely these checks will just stay at $600. americans who earn 75,000 or less can expect to receive one. so now is the question on when will they start getting those checks. well, the trump administration is now scrambling to get tho

for the latest, let's go to abc's rachel scott in d.c. good morning, rachel. >> reporter: eva, good morning. those demonstrations turning violent overnight. the electoral college is 24 hours away from officially cementing joe biden's victory, and it will bookend a week's long legal effort by the president that has been rejected by state and federal judges and even the supreme court. overnight, tense clashes in washington as thousands of trump supporters rallied ahead of the electoral college vote. violence erupting between pro and anti-trump demonstrators. leading to dozens of arrests. here a female officer being assisted as she limps away from the protest zone. four people reportedly stabbed. earlier in the day, demonstrators marched from the white house to the supreme court, calling for the election results to be overturned. but the president's legal fight has failed. just days ago, the supreme court rejecting a second lawsuit aimed at tossing out millions of votes. president trump outraged. >> no judge, including the supreme court of th

abc's rachel scott is in washington, d.c. with more. rachel, good morning. >> reporter: janai, good morning. the stakes are high. at least 14 million americans have already lost their unemployment benefits, and to make matters worse, the government will shut down tomorrow at midnight. that bill is a lifeline for so many americans and it's in the president's hands awaiting a signature. the nation on the verge of a this morning, the nation on the verge of a government shutdown. funding runs out at midnight tomorrow. for millions of americans unemployment benefits have now expired, and in just a few days, the federal moratorium on evictions will too. in iowa amanda drinnen lost her job of 16 years back in march. >> i don't know what's ahead for me and my family. >> reporter: now she's struggling to put food on the table for her two children. >> i've not been sleeping well the last few nights. i could do this to make money. i could consign some clothes. i could donate some plasma. >> reporter: after more than six months, congress finally pas

n one flu pandemic and the challenges that they faced then and trying to get people vaccinated rachel scott has the story. a lot of the challenges was rolling out the covid-19 vaccine or similar to what health care with the h one n one flu vaccine. >>supply issues delays one big difference. now i'm told covid is a much greater and more urgent threat. the idea that history repeats itself lots of similarities to we're dealing with now is an often applied to a global pandemic lasted about that is so strange strange that around this time in 2009 people like doctor michelle barron we're navigating the h one n one flu vaccine. >>people lined up to get the limited number of doses and this guy was on your screen is a gap between supply and demand initial supplies for the h one n one vaccine were limited so only high-risk populations like kids and young people received that first according to a 2010 brief from the state legislature. colorado initially got about 250,000 doses of the vaccine. but by the end of 2009 distributed over 1 million to county health departments and other providers that was ne

abc's rachel scott is in washington with the latest. chel, good morning. >> reporter: whit, good morning. at a rally meant to drum up support for republicans fighting to keep their seats and control of the senate, the president spent a lot of time focused on his own fight to overturn an election he already lost. [ crowd chanting ] overnight in georgia, president trump taking to the stage to campaign for two republican senators, but before he said a single word about the upcoming runoffs, he was already pushing false claims about an election he overwhelmingly lost. >> we've never lost an election. we're winning this election, and you look at all the corruption and all the problems having to do with this election, all i can do is campaign, and then i wait for the numbers. >> reporter: the numbers are in, and they show joe biden defeated president trump by more than 6 million votes, including right there in georgia where election workers recounted every single vote by hand, and the outcome did not change. still the president speaking to a l

rachel scott rachel introduces us to a woman who says despite recovering from covid she's still dealing with the issues that affect her everyday life. there's nothing like the smell of freshly brewed coffee like something dead and horrible and like it makes want to vomit unless you're britney hansen over the summer and my husband put his coffee machine, bigger eyes, they just can't i can't handle it add that to the list of things that now produce a pretty unpleasant smell and taste to her like most top foods and drinks as well as meet its heart, i mean it's hard for me to cook mine. >>family my husband and son are big meat eaters so it's just sometimes they wear a mask doctors say this is a neurological side effect of covid-19 we see that quite in the in the larger studies are the gun doctor david an early infectious disease expert at u c health. >>estimates about 25% of covid patients he seen reports some kind of taste or smell abnormality in the most basic terms. he says studies show the virus can cause nerve damage in the upper part of the sinuses and that was likely contributing to

abc's rachel scott has more. >> reporter: we are learning the president's personal lawyer rudy giulianiity medical center here in washington, d.c. after testing positive for covid-19. giuliani is 76 years old. he is considered high risk and he does have a history of health complications including a battle with prostate cancer. he did a television interview earlier, but in recent weeks he has been crisscrossing the country leading the president's fight to overturn the results of the 2020 election. last seen there in georgia inside the state's capitol without a face mask. in fact, almost every single time we have seen giuliani in recent weeks he has not been wearing a face mask. he is just the latest in the president's inner circle to have tested positive for the virus. >> rachel, thank you. >> with coronavirus cases climbing across the country, the cdc issued a blunt message. it reads in part, quote, just wear the mask in all caps, followed by basic suggestions for staying safe. that tweet came as more than 101,000 people in the u.s. are hospitalized with the virus and at least 282,000 p

supreme court and all 50 states have now certified their results formally sealing biden's win, and rachel scott is tracking that. good morning, rachel. >> reporter: good morning. it was a quick and blistering defeat. the order just one sentence, denied. it took the supreme court just 34 minutes to reach this decision, flat out rejecting a request to throw out more than 2 million ballots in pennsylvania. no reason given. no dissent from any justices on the bench including those president trump appointed, but it sends a clear message the outcome of the election will not change. he lost this election by more than 7 million votes. courts across the country have dismissed the president's lawsuits for lack of any credible evidence and now the supreme court is making it clear they want no hand in this either. robin? >> they did make it very clear, rachel. thank you. >>> now to the shakeup at ft. hood. more than a dozen officers and enlisted soldiers at the texas army base either fired or suspended following a rash of violent incidents there, including the murder of vanessa guillen. stephanie ramos has