While you were sleeping, we compiled the biggest stories of the day in one place. Each story has a quick and easy summary, so you're prepared for whatever the day brings. Just click on the links if you want to know more!
1. Deadline for food and rental assistance in Palm Beach County on Thursday
Time is running out to apply for food and rent assistance, if you are Palm Beach County resident impacted by the pandemic. The deadline is 5 p.m. on Thursday.
Aide is being funded through the CARES Act- Coronavirus Relief Fund Rental, Utilities, and Food Assistance Program.
If approved, you'll receive a one time pre-paid debit card to buy food. The amount is up to $1000 based on the size of your household. You can apply at the link above.
2. Election 2020 Latest: Biden wins Electoral College formally, Barr resigns
On Monday, electors gathered to formally affirm that President-elect Joe Biden was indeed the victor of the 2020 Presidential Election.
Typically, the Electoral College vote is little more than a rubber stamp approval of the November election. However, the post-electoral government machinery has received more attention than in elections past due to President Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Attorney General William Barr, one of President Donald Trump's staunchest allies, is resigning amid lingering tension with the president over the president's baseless claims of election fraud and the investigation into President-elect Joe Biden's son.
3. Coronavirus vaccine rolls out as U.S. and Florida hit grim milestones
Florida's coronavirus deaths passed 20,000, taking just 9 days to record more than 1,000 as U.S. fatalities surpassed 300,000.
Following Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA and a formal recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) over the weekend, the first Americans began receiving Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday.
Florida received 97,500 doses for hospitals, 60,450 doses for CVS and Walgreens pharmacies to use in long-term care facilities and 21,450 doses directly to the Florida Department of Health.
4. Gators basketball star able to follow simple commands after collapse
Florida standout forward Keyontae Johnson has been transferred to a Gainesville hospital after he collapsed on the court during a game against rival Florida State last weekend.
"He continues in critical but stable condition, is following simple commands and undergoing further tests," the statement, posted to the team's official Twitter account, went on to say.
However, Johnson's grandfather, Larry DeJarnett, told USA Today that his grandson was in a medically induced coma and that doctors hoped to bring him out of it Monday afternoon.
— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) December 14, 2020
5. 12 Strays of Christmas: Your furry new family member waits at the Humane Society
The shelter hopes to find their longest 12 shelter residents a home for the holidays with a second special holiday program the "12 Strays of Christmas" countdown.
"Some of the dogs just get overlooked unfortunately. Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason as to why. Some of [the animals] are here a little longer because they have special needs," Rinder said. "Come on and stop by! Take some babies home. We have plenty of them. Cats, rabbits, dogs, we've got a lot."
To learn more about the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast, click here.
Today's Forecast
Can you believe there's only 6 days until winter? It won't feel like it.
Get your complete hour-by-hour forecast here.
On This Day In History
On December 15, 1973, Jean Paul Getty III, the grandson of American billionaire J. Paul Getty, is found alive near Naples, five months after his kidnapping by an Italian gang.
J. Paul Getty, who became the richest man in the world in 1957, had initially refused to pay his 16-year-old grandson’s $17 million ransom but finally agreed to cooperate after the boy’s severed right ear was sent to a newspaper in Rome. He eventually secured his grandson’s release by paying just $2.7 million, the maximum amount that he claimed he was able to raise.
Remember, you can join Mike Trim and Ashleigh Walters every weekday on WPTV NewsChannel 5 beginning at 4:30 a.m. And you can always watch the latest news from WPTV anytime on your favorite streaming device. Just search for "WPTV."
