5 Stories to Watch Next Week | December 10, 2020

5 Stories to Watch Next Week There are simply too many developing stories to follow in the world. To make things easier, we narrowed them down to five that you should really watch next week: Electoral College Meets to Vote Monday The 538 electors nominated by both political parties across the country meet Monday to cast their votes for president – concluding the 2020 presidential election. According to current certifications across American states, Joe Biden will receive 306 electoral votes and be elected president while President Trump will receive 232 electoral votes. However, a pending US Supreme Court case brought by the state of Texas and joined by another 18 states seeks to enjoin the contested states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and Georgia from sending electors to the Electoral College next week. The case argues that, by altering state election laws through nonlegislative actors, those states violated the Electors Clause of the US Constitution. Watch to find out if the high court agrees to hear the case and grants the injunction blocking electors from those four states. Also look to find out if legal challenges continue past the date the Electoral College meets. First COVID-19 Vaccine May Be Distributed Next Week A vaccine candidate developed by pharmaceutical company Pfizer is being considered for emergency use authorization by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If it does gain such authorization, Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar announced that vulnerable populations could start receiving doses as soon as next week. Clinical trials conducted by the FDA showed the vaccine candidate to be 95 percent effective with no fall in potency for the elderly and people with comorbidities. If all goes to plan, Azar estimates administering close to 20 million doses of the vaccine by the end of this year. Watch next week to find out if the vaccine candidate gains emergency use authorization and if administration is able to begin. If it does, also look to find out if there are any reports of adverse reactions to the vaccine that may complicate the distribution process. Senate Hearing to Examine Refugee Policy for Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activists Next Week The US Senate Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration, chaired by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), has scheduled a hearing next Wednesday on potential changes to US refugee policy to accommodate for pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong. Earlier this week, the House passed a bill granting these activists Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which would exempt them from the refugee caps placed by the Trump administration. Reps. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), sponsors of this legislation, argued that it aimed to protect Hong Kongers from Chinese persecution for protesting for their democratic freedoms. Watch next week to find out if senators on the committee commit to passing such an exemption for Hong Kong refugees. Also look to find out if the White House expresses support for this legislation. No-Deal Brexit Looms as Negotiations Appear to Fail Officials familiar with Brexit negotiations indicated that the talks between the United Kingdom and the European Union seemed not to be headed towards a trade deal when the Brexit transition deadline lapses three weeks from now. On Wednesday of this week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson met with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a cordial dinner where they were unable to make any progress towards a final agreement. Previous sticking points, including access to British fisheries and a level playing field for businesses across Europe, still persist and it is unlikely that they will be resolved in time. Watch next week to find out if some last-minute intervention can still salvage a deal or if a no-deal Brexit becomes a reality. Also look to find out the impact either outcome would have on the pound sterling and on European supply chains. Dominion Voting Systems to Testify Before Michigan Senate Next Week John Poulos, CEO of Dominion Voting Systems, wrote a letter this week to the chairman of the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee, Ed McBroom, signaling that he was willing to testify and clear any misunderstandings about his company’s involvement in the election. The Trump campaign and its allies have accused Dominion of a wide variety of election irregularities, including manipulating vote totals through algorithms. Poulos’ testimony would constitute the first time a representative of his company has testified before a state legislative body despite numerous requests to do so. Watch next week to find out how Poulos responds to the charges leveled against him by the Trump campaign. Also look to find out if Michigan legislators respond to his testimony by calling for audits or subpoenaing additional witnesses. Newt's Latest Podcasts: Order Newt's Latest Book: https://www.gingrich360.com/trump-and-the-american-future

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