COVID’s Terrible New Milestone; Season 4 Of 'The Crown' Shines; Could There Be A 'Biden Boom'?

Plus, how Kamala Harris' win is inspiring so many young girls. by Korva Coleman and Jill Hudson First Up [President Trump's refusal to OK a handover of power is in contrast with 2008 when the General Services Administration "immediately ascertained" President Barack Obama had won, says John Podesta, who co-chaired Obama's transition team.]( Alex Wong/Getty Images Here's what we're following today. A growing number of Republican lawmakers are calling for the Trump administration to give President-elect Joe Biden intelligence briefings. Biden received intelligence briefings as a candidate, [but they were limited and occasional](. The White House's stonewalling of Biden's transition team poses a serious risk to the U.S. — [particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic]( says former Obama transition team leader John Podesta. Committees within the Department of Homeland Security say there’s no evidence that the U.S. election was compromised in any way. In a statement, they also called the 2020 election [the "most secure in American history."]( The number of coronavirus cases continues to soar in the U.S. More than 153,000 cases were reported on Thursday; that's a record high for daily cases. California is the second state to surpass a million cases. Texas reached that mark earlier this week. Economists are optimistic that a successful COVID-19 vaccine could usher in a "Biden Boom" by the time spring arrives. [Pent-up demand]( from households that have been cooped up over the past eight months could drive a spending boom, though it may take time before people feel safe going out again. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Today's Listens [Kamala Harris poses with the Isiserettes, a legendary drill-and-drum team, at the Polk County Steak Fry in Iowa in 2019.]( Cory Williams When Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivered her victory speech on Saturday night, she spoke directly to a certain slice of the population. "Every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities," she said. Throughout her primary campaign, Harris was known to pay special attention to girls who came to her events, at times offering advice on leadership or encouraging ambition. [Click here to listen]( or [read the story](. In the two decades since the Taliban lost power, Afghan women have made enormous progress. Today, they play soccer in a Kabul stadium but fear the government will cave in to Taliban demands. [Listen to their story](. [Emma Corrin plays Princess Diana in the latest season of The Crown.]( Des Willie/Netflix The Crown, Netflix's endlessly enticing drama about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, is entering its fourth season. The series has now reached the 1980s and sees the introduction of two major characters: Princess Diana and Margaret Thatcher. NPR's critic-at-large John Powers says it may be the show's best and deepest season yet. [Listen to his review]( or [read it](. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, doctors and nurses around the country are managing overwhelming caseloads. Intensive care unit nurse Lydia Mobley works at a hospital in central Michigan, where protesters have demanded an end to mask mandates. When people ill with COVID-19 reach her unit, some acknowledge they didn't take the warnings seriously and wish they’d believed the coronavirus is real. [Listen here]( or [read about it](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Music, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Daily News emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]