News Information and Media Site: Top Biden health official talks vaccine timeline ... and Romney criticizes Trump's Russia "blind spot"

From NBC's Ben Kamisar

If it's Sunday, Americans want to know when they'll be vaccinated for Covid-19.

It's been a historic few weeks in the fight against the virus, with two vaccines approved for emergency use and vaccine already in the arms of tens of thousands of Americans.

That progress, vaccinating health care workers and those with higher risks, will be key. But many Americans are wondering when their turn will be.

On Sunday's "Meet the Press," Dr. Vivek Murthy, President-elect Joe Biden's designee for surgeon general, said that while everyone wants the vaccine "to be delivered as quickly, as fairly as possible" that it's important to be "realistic" about "the timeline."

"We may see a circumstance where by late spring, people who are in lower-risk categories can get this vaccine. But that would really require everything to go exactly on schedule. I think it's more realistic to assume that it may be closer to mid-summer or early fall when this vaccine makes its way to the general population."

—Dr. Vivek Murthy, former surgeon general and Biden surgeon general designee, on "Meet the Press."

Murthy also said that while Biden's goal of 100 million vaccinations in his presidency's first 100 days is "doable," that "we've got to prepare and be ready to execute."

Also on "Meet the Press," two former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staffers detailed the political pressure they saw being prioritized over the science.

Click on the photo below to watch the full interview with Murthy, and here to watch the full segment with the CDC whistleblowers.

Romney warns about Trump's Russia "blind spot" amid historic hack

President Trump entered the White House downplaying the Russian election interference in 2016, and he appears to be leaving it by downplaying a major hack being attributed to Russia.

U.S. officials believe Russian intelligence was behind the hack that infiltrated many government agencies and contractors, a belief shared by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

But Trump cast doubt on the assessment in a weekend tweet. The president floated the possibility that China was behind the hack and tried to connect it to his unfounded claims he won the election.

On Sunday's "Meet the Press," Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said the response was proof of Trump's Russia "blind spot."

"He doesn't want to recognize Russia as the problem they are and the extraordinarily bad actor they are on the world stage, because it reflects poorly on him — at least, perhaps, in his own mind."

—Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney on "Meet the Press."

Click on the photo below to watch the full interview, where Romney also discusses the coronavirus pandemic and the future of his party.

TWEETS OF THE DAY: It ends as it began

DATA DOWNLOAD: Did Biden win by a lot or a little?

Yes.

Thanks to vast differences between the Electoral College result and the popular vote, the answer to the question of whether Biden won the presidency by a little or a lot is: Yes.

The Democrat's 4.5-point popular vote margin is the second-largest since 2000, but Biden won the states that put him over the top in the Electoral College by fewer votes than Trump did in 2016.

Click on the graphic below to read more in today's Data Download.

ICYMI: Is a Covid-19 relief deal on the horizon?

Congress appears to have made key progress on Covid relief talks overnight, with leadership coming to a key compromise that could grease the wheels for an agreement soon.

Now, it appears a vote could come as soon as Sunday after a stalemate that's lasted for months.

Click on the photo below to read the latest from NBC News.