POLITICO Playbook: December, man.

Presented by the Financial Services Forum

DRIVING THE DAY

BREAKING OVERNIGHT … WE’RE GETTING OUR WORLD BACK ... WSJ: “Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 Vaccine Wins U.K. Authorization,” by Bojan Pancevski, Jenny Strasburg and Jared Hopkins in London: “The U.K. became the first Western nation to grant emergency-use authorization for a Covid-19 vaccine, clearing a shot developed by Pfizer Inc. of the U.S. and BioNTech SE of Germany to be distributed in limited numbers within days. The two-shot vaccine is also being reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S., where a similar authorization could come later this month and a rollout before the end of the year.

“The U.K. green light on Wednesday punctuates a monthslong sprint by the two drugmakers, which teamed up earlier this year and then pulled ahead of two other Western pharmaceutical giants, each with its own promising shot. Vaccines typically take years to bring to market.

“It also marks a key milestone in efforts to translate a promising new vaccine technology into a widely available shot. It was developed, tested, authorized and is now poised to be distributed amid a pandemic that has sickened tens of millions of people and killed more than 1.4 million around the world.”

-- DAN DIAMOND, ADAM CANCRYN and SARAH OWERMOHLE: “Trump to FDA: Why is Europe beating us on vaccine?”

IF THERE’S ONE THING WE KNOW ABOUT DECEMBER IN WASHINGTON, it’s that it gets really … interesting. Every year. Without fail. Chaos. Madness. On the brink of a holiday.

-- THE PRESIDENT is considering preemptively pardoning much of his immediate family. NYT

-- PROSECUTORS “have been pursuing an investigation into potential bribery in connection with an effort to secure a pardon from President Donald Trump.” Josh Gerstein

-- A.G. BILL BARR appointed JOHN DURHAM to be a special counsel to investigate the origins of the Russia probe. AP

-- BARR gave an interview to the AP, saying that the DOJ has not found any evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. AP … A DOJ spokesman reached out to us late Tuesday to say: “Some media outlets have incorrectly reported that the Department has concluded its investigation of election fraud and announced an affirmative finding of no fraud in the election. That is not what the Associated Press reported nor what the Attorney General stated. The Department will continue to receive and vigorously pursue all specific and credible allegations of fraud as expeditiously as possible.”

WSJ EDITORIAL BOARD: “We’re open to evidence of major fraud, but we haven’t seen claims that are credible. Now comes Mr. Barr, who has no reason to join a coverup. He likes his job. He wanted Mr. Trump to win. As the election timetable closes, Mr. Trump should focus on preserving his legacy rather than diminishing it by alleging fraud he can’t prove.”

-- RUDY GIULIANI is running around America speaking to what appear to be hotel ballrooms filled with Republican officials, offering non-specific conspiracy theories about the election.

-- THE PRESIDENT says he will veto the always-bipartisan NDAA -- which sets defense policy -- unless Congress repeals Section 230, which governs social media. In other words, DONALD TRUMP is threatening to hold up Pentagon policy over social media concerns. This, of course, will not happen, but it fits in TRUMP’S M.O. Connor O’Brien’s story … Trump’s tweets

-- THE GOVERNMENT runs out of money in 9 DAYS, and negotiators on Capitol Hill tell us they are not on track for a omnibus spending bill -- but instead may well have to revert to a stopgap measure.

-- SUDDENLY, CONGRESS IS CONSIDERING coronavirus relief. Senate Majority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL circulated a bill Tuesday to his GOP colleagues, which he said should become the basis of negotiations. There’s a good chance MCCONNELL will try to jam Speaker NANCY PELOSI by attaching his bill to a must-pass government funding measure, and dare her to try to strip it out or vote it down with a shutdown looming.

DECEMBER, man. 2020.

Good Wednesday morning.

SPOTTED: Barr and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo having dinner at Mele Bistro on Tuesday night in Arlington.

TOP TALKER … JOE BIDEN spoke to TOM FRIEDMAN of the NYT: “Biden: ‘We’re Going to Fight Like Hell by Investing in America First’”: “Biden’s top priority, he said, is getting a generous stimulus package through Congress, even before he takes office. … But the big question is whether he can get it past McConnell today or tomorrow if the Republicans continue to hold the Senate. A significant number of Republican senators could decide that they want to become deficit hawks again under a President Biden, after four years of uncontrolled spending under Trump that has brought the national debt to record highs.

“Biden was careful about how he talked about McConnell, who has been careful not to call Biden ‘president-elect.’ Biden obviously wants to keep the prospects of cooperation open — but also make clear that he may have more leverage with the American people than the G.O.P. realizes if Senate Republicans opt for full-on obstruction.

“‘Let me put it this way,’ he said, ‘There are a number of things that when McConnell controlled the Senate that people said couldn’t get done, and I was able to get them done with [him]. I was able to get them to, you know, raise taxes on the wealthy.’ ‘I think there are trade-offs, that not all compromise is walking away from principle,’ Biden added. ‘He knows me. I know him. I don’t ask him to embarrass himself to make a deal.’ …

“On China, he said he would not act immediately to remove the 25 percent tariffs that Trump imposed on about half of China’s exports to the United States — or the Phase 1 agreement Trump inked with China that requires Beijing to purchase some $200 billion in additional U.S. goods and services during the period 2020 and 2021 — which China has fallen significantly behind on. ‘I’m not going to make any immediate moves, and the same applies to the tariffs,’ he said. ‘I’m not going to prejudice my options.’”

-- FT: “Joe Biden considers appointing a White House tsar for Asia,” by Demetri Sevastopulo

WELL SAID, from NYT’S CARL HULSE and EMILY COCHRANE on A15 about the nomination of NEERA TANDEN to OMB: “In the 11 years since President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. served in the [Senate], partisanship has intensified, and nominations -- once an area dominated by courtesy, comity and a presumption of accommodation -- have become just another brutal battlefield.

“Republicans will not be eager to accede to Mr. Biden’s choices if they can find reason for opposition. And disparaging comments about Republicans on Twitter from Ms. Tanden, a longtime Democratic policy adviser and head of a liberal think tank, were enough for many Republicans to threaten the nomination well before it was made official on Tuesday.” NYT

-- WAPO’S ANNIE LINSKEY and MATT VISER: “Seven civil rights groups want a meeting with Joe Biden. The agenda: Appointing Black officials in top roles, not lower-ranking ones.”: “Representatives from seven of the country’s leading civil rights organizations are pressing to meet with President-elect Joe Biden in coming days, escalating pressure on him to appoint Black nominees to the remaining high-profile Cabinet posts amid concern that White nominees have dominated so far.

“Biden has rolled out a diverse set of appointments but reserved the initial marquee slots in the Cabinet and White House for White candidates, prompting worry that Biden is failing to make good on his promises to promote Black leaders to prominent jobs.

“Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, said Tuesday that he was baffled that Biden has failed to confirm a meeting with the civil rights groups nearly a month after Election Day. ‘We have not had any communication with the president-elect, so we have no concept of what to expect next,’ Johnson said, noting that Biden has been a longtime member of the organization and that the NAACP pushed hard for his election. ‘That’s somewhat concerning to us.’”

TAKE THAT, SENATE REPUBLICANS -- “Anticipating Senate bottlenecks, Biden plans a nomination workaround,” by Nahal Toosi, Tyler Pager and Andrew Desiderio: “Now that he’s chosen a big chunk of his Cabinet nominees, President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team is focusing increasingly on selecting candidates for government positions that do not require Senate confirmation.

“Concerned about Republicans slow-walking confirmation hearings for Cabinet appointees and hollowed-out federal agencies, Biden and his aides are eager to place mid- to lower-level officials across the federal government, particularly in national security roles, to ensure his administration can begin to enact his agenda immediately, according to three people familiar with the situation.

“By quickly selecting candidates for slots that don’t require Senate confirmation, such as deputy assistant secretaries, the transition team also can try to ensure that many of those hired can obtain security clearances by the time Biden takes office.”

HE’LL BE BACK … ALEX ISENSTADT: “Trump teases 2024 run at White House event”: “President Donald Trump hinted to supporters Tuesday evening at a White House Christmas party that he is looking to wage a 2024 comeback campaign, the most public comments he’s made about seeking another term since losing the 2020 election.

“‘It’s been an amazing four years. We are trying to do another four years. Otherwise, I’ll see you in four years,’ Trump told a crowd of mostly Republican National Committee members, who immediately erupted in cheers, according to video of the remarks viewed by POLITICO.”

TEAM BIDEN MOVES … CNN: “Biden fills out his inauguration team,” by Sarah Mucha, Arlette Saenz and Fredreka Schouten: “Alana Mounce, who served as the campaign’s Nevada state director during the general election, will be chief of staff. She is joined by incoming White House deputy communications director Pili Tobar, who will serve as the committee’s communications director.

“Katie Petrelius, who was the national finance director for the campaign since its launch, will take the same role on the inauguration committee, and Christian Tom, the campaign’s director of digital partnerships, will act as digital director. Adrienne Elrod, who served as director of surrogate operations and strategy for the campaign, will take the helm of talent and external relations, a role that will involve booking celebrity guests and performers, as is customary during an inauguration.”

TRUMP’S WEDNESDAY -- The president is having lunch with POMPEO at 12:30 p.m. in the private dining room.

VP MIKE PENCE and second lady KAREN PENCE will deliver remarks at 12:15 p.m. at a virtual military spouse employment business summit. Pence will participate in Arizona Democrat Mark Kelly’s swearing-in ceremony at 12 p.m. in the Capitol.

BIDEN and VP-elect KAMALA HARRIS will receive the President’s Daily Briefing. Biden will also participate in a virtual roundtable with workers and small business owners affected by the economic crisis in Wilmington, Del.

PLAYBOOK READS

JOHN F. HARRIS column: “The Left’s Stupid Second-Guessing Of Biden”

THE CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO RAGE … 13.7 MILLION Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus. … 270,669 Americans have died.

-- “Health-care workers and nursing home residents should be the first to get coronavirus vaccines, CDC advisory group says,” by WaPo’s Lena Sun and Isaac Stanley-Becker

BUSINESS BURST -- “Salesforce Confirms Deal to Buy Slack for $27.7 Billion,” by WSJ’s Aaron Tilley: “Salesforce.com Inc. agreed to buy messaging company Slack Technologies Inc. in a $27.7 billion deal that shows how the biggest players in cloud computing are racing to add muscle amid the pandemic’s remote-work boom.

“The cash-and-stock deal, announced Tuesday, is the biggest move yet by Salesforce Chief Executive Marc Benioff, a pioneer in selling subscriptions for software run on remote servers, to turn the company he co-founded 21 years ago into a broad-reaching powerhouse in tech tools for businesses. The deal is almost twice as large as Salesforce’s largest acquisition so far and would turn the combined company into a more formidable competitor to Microsoft Corp. and Google parent Alphabet Inc.The Wall Street Journal previously reported Salesforce and Slack were in advanced deal talks.” WSJ

WEDNESDAY LISTEN -- In the newest episode of POLITICO’s “GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS” podcast, hosts Luiza Savage and Ryan Heath look at cobalt and how supply challenges could affect tech and the green energy transition. Listen and subscribe

MEDIAWATCH -- Eric Bates is joining Insider as an editor. He previously was executive editor at Vanity Fair. Talking Biz News

PLAYBOOKERS

Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at [email protected].

SPOTTED at the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition’s virtual tribute celebration honoring Anthony Fauci, David Beasley and Henrietta Fore on Tuesday night: Barbara Bush, George Shultz, Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Robert Gates, Jim Mattis, Elton John, Téa Leoni, José Andrés, Deborah Birx, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Craft, Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) …

… Brent McIntosh, Sean Cairncross, Loyce Pace, Eric Goosby, Reps. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), Jim Baird (R-Ind.), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Mark Green, Raj Shah, Steve Hadley, Jack Lew, Sylvia Burwell, Bill Burns, Elizabeth Cousens, Julie Gerdberding, Selina Jackson, Sarah Thorn, Nancy Schlegel, Janti Soeripto, Rye Barcott and Liz Schrayer.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- Lilah Pomerance will be COS for Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). She previously was chief of campaigns at the Center for Popular Democracy and is an SEIU alum.

TRANSITIONS -- Sen. David Perdue’s (R-Ga.) runoff campaign has added Austin Chambers as senior strategist and Dave Abrams as senior comms adviser. Chambers previously was president of the Republican State Leadership Committee, and Abrams previously was deputy executive director at the RSLC. … Zac Rutherford will be COS for Rep.-elect Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.). He previously was her campaign manager. …

… Amanda Brown Lierman will be executive director of Supermajority starting Jan. 1, as Cecile Richards steps down. Brown Lierman is currently managing director of politics and organizing. … Conner Swanson is now comms director for Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.). He previously was deputy press secretary at the Interior Department. … Mercedes LeGrand is now managing director at Raines International, co-leading its aerospace, defense and government services practice. She most recently headed Russell Reynolds’ aviation, aerospace and defense practice.

ENGAGED -- Raj Shah, SVP at Fox Corp., and Shivali Haribhakti, regional director for Senior Planet Montgomery, got engaged Saturday. The two chartered a seaplane from Tavares to Winter Park, Fla., where he proposed in front of Hillstone Restaurant. They met through a mutual friend who knew they both went to Cornell and loved politics. Pic

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Justin Wein, COS to Rep. David Price (D-N.C.), and Natalie LaLonde Wein, branch chief for IT customer engagement at USCIS, welcomed Lauren Abigail Wein on Monday. She came in at 7 lbs, 2 oz, and joins big brother Dylan. Pic

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Kelly Klass, principal at Locust Street Group. A trend she thinks doesn’t get enough attention: “There is a lot of focus on the impact Covid-19 is having on mental health, and rightfully so. However, I also think that many people are finding the importance of self-care and reevaluating priorities during this time -- whether that is spending more time with family, meditating, finding new hobbies or picking up old ones, adopting animals, engaging more in the community, etc.” Playbook Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) is 6-0 … former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is 81 … former A.G. Edwin Meese is 89 … Cal Thomas is 78 … Bob Carey … Glover Park Group’s Mina Moore … Dan Puskar, president and CEO of the Public Lands Alliance, is 42 … Chris Berend, EVP of NBC News Digital … Brad Mielke, ABC reporter and host of the “Start Here” podcast … Mairéad Lynn, deputy director of campaign comms at EMILY’s List … Andrew Howell, partner at Monument Advocacy … Patricia Rojas-Ungár, VP at Strategic Marketing Innovations … John Bodnovich, executive director of the American Beverage Licensees, is 41 (h/t Laura Chadwick) …

… Mark Irion, head of strategic comms at Hogan Lovells … Carrie Wofford … Lauren Cross is 29 … Marc La Vorgna … Nancy Haberman … Emily Schultheis … former Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) is 77 … former Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) is 68 … former Rep. Pete Gallego (D-Texas) is 59 … Sam Schneider … Stone Phillips is 66 … Ken Babby … POLITICO’s Miller Weglein … Franke Wilmer … Grant Starrett … Alex Short … Eleanor Schiff … Christina McSween … Caroline Gangware … Erin Bailey … John Hollis, author and comms manager at GMU … Conyers Davis … Rayshon Payton … Evan Walker … Shannon Kiely Heider … Mark A. Shiffrin … Celeste Brown