Bill Barr surrenders to reality

Bill Barr says there's no evidence of voter fraud, a CDC panel votes on who gets the coronavirus vaccine first, Elliot Page comes out as trans

THE BIG STORY Bill Barr said there's no evidence of voter fraud to change the election outcome   "To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have affected a different outcome in the election," Attorney General Barr told the Associated Press, becoming the latest official in President Donald Trump's administration to undermine his baseless claims that the election was rigged against him.   His statements come weeks after Trump fired Christopher Krebs, the former head of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, who had repeatedly shot down claims of voting fraud during the election, and as President-elect Joe Biden's transition to country's highest office moves forward.   Over the summer, Barr pushed the baseless claim that foreign powers could manipulate mail-in ballots and therefore create widespread voter fraud. He never offered any evidence to support that idea. STAYING ON TOP OF THIS Healthcare workers and nursing home residents should be first in line for a coronavirus vaccine, a CDC panel says   If the panel's recommendations are approved by CDC Director Robert Redfield, they become agency guidelines. The government will distribute the first vaccines to states based on their populations, Alex Azar, head of the Department of Health and Human Services, said last week. Individual governors will then decide who gets the vaccine first, he added.   There are some 21 million healthcare personnel in the US and 3 million residents of nursing homes. Operation Warp Speed hopes to have shots ready for about 20 million Americans before the end of the year. CDC officials said at the meeting they initially expect to distribute 5 million to 10 million doses of the vaccine a week in 2021. 👉 The UK has become the first western country to approve a coronavirus vaccine. Workers decontaminating a nursing home in Seattle in March. Jason Redmond / Reuters SNAPSHOTS   A Georgia election official angrily urged President Trump to "stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence" and blasted politicians who have remained silent about the results while election officials, workers, and their families have faced multiple threats.   A startup called The U Experience is trying to create "a safe, contained, and fun way for students to experience college during the COVID-19 pandemic." The cost to attend the experimental campus during a pandemic? A $9,900 minimum housing and meal package. The tools a marketing company used to trick people into enrolling into subscriptions on Facebook are still on the platform, underscoring how the social media network is unable to completely remove scammers. THE MUELLER MEMOS   The last batch of FBI memos from the Mueller probe have been released   BuzzFeed News sued the federal government to get these summaries of witness interviews — known as 302s — from the two-year probe into the 2016 election. They were documents excerpted throughout the Special Counsel Robert Mueller's final 448-page report, which was released in April 2019.    Over 13 months, we received over 5,000 pages of documents that contained many details never before been revealed to the public, such as assertions by Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, that it was "not his idea" to write a statement to Congress that contained lies about the Trump Tower Moscow project.   The government is still obliged by court order to turn over other related documents, including emails, letters, and memos, which were gathered as part of the probe, along with FBI agents' handwritten notes. Those are expected to be released on a rolling basis beginning early next year. "A GIFT TO THIS WORLD"   Elliot Page, the star of Juno and The Umbrella Academy, just came out as trans In a statement posted to Twitter, Elliot wrote that he feels "overwhelming gratitude for the incredible people who have supported me along this journey," and that he "can't express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self." Fellow celebrities responded with messages of love and support.   And among Elliot's supporters was his wife, dancer and choreographer Emma Portner, who reposted his statement on her own Instagram account alongside a sweet message: "I am so proud of @elliotpage," she wrote. "Trans, queer and non-binary people are a gift to this world. ... Shine on sweet E. Love you so much." Every day's a new chance to be who you are, Brandon P.S. If you like this newsletter, help keep our reporting free for all. Support BuzzFeed News by becoming a member here. 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