Friday, December 18 top news briefs

It is Friday, December 18. Here are today’s top news briefs.

ABC News reported that one out every five state and federal prisoners in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus. In some states more than half of prisoners are infected. A total of 1,700 prisoners have died from the virus. What makes matters difficult is that the quality of health care within prison walls is low and prisoners are unable to socially distance. There is an ethical consideration on where they place in the list of groups of people who should get the vaccine.

Politico reported that hackers breached into the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is responsible for managing the U.S.’ nuclear stockpile. Hackers also gained access into at least six federal agencies. It is not clear what information was exposed. The hackers got through via an IT vendor called SolarWinds, a large business that provides services for federal agencies and U.S. businesses. Politico said cybersecurity experts believe the hackers came from Russia’s intelligence services. Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) criticized the Trump administration for being silent about the cyberattacks.

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In Atlantic City, the shuttered Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino is scheduled for demolition on January 29. The city mayor is now holding an auction for the privilege to push the button to implode the building. The auctioneer said the button can be pushed remotely from anywhere in the world or as close to the building as possible. The proceeds from the auction will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City. The mayor said he hopes to get bids over $1 million. The hotel opened in 1984 under the Trump Organization but struggled to make a profit and fell deeper and deeper in debt. Donald Trump sold most of his stake in the hotel. It was closed in 2014 and in recent months pieces of the building started to fall off, and because of the danger, it is destined to be dynamited. Will someone actually bid $1 million just to push the button? The property is owned by billionaire Carl Icahn and he said he hopes to build some kind of family attraction on the property.

Vice President Mike Pence received the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine this morning at the White House. It was filmed. Pence said he didn’t feel a thing and hopes that Americans will feel comforted and confident about the vaccine. His wife, Karen, was also vaccinated.

The U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams was also vaccinated and he said that it’s OK to have questions, but it is not normal to let misinformation or mistrust cause you to make a decision that is bad for your health.

That’s all the top news briefs for this week. Check out our other videos. Have a great weekend. Stay with the light.

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/prisoners-us-covid-19-1700-died-74797059

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/17/nuclear-agency-hacked-officials-inform-congress-447855

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/12/18/vice-president-mike-pence-karen-pence-covid-19-vaccine/3948306001/

https://twitter.com/JeromeAdamsMD/status/1339940377378365440

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/17/947540932/atlantic-city-is-offering-bidders-the-chance-to-blow-up-a-former-trump-casino

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/188301_implode-trump-plaza-for-charity/