In other news, Joe Biden has chosen former Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen to serve as the next treasury secretary. She would be the first woman to hold the title.
Meanwhile, Russian president Vladimir Putin says that while their COVID vaccine is safe and effective, he hasn't taken it because it's... not safe?
“We have not yet begun widespread vaccination and the head of state can’t take part in vaccination as a volunteer. It’s impossible,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday, in response to a question on whether Putin had been inoculated. “The president can’t use an uncertified vaccine.”
Finally, OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma has pleaded guilty to bribing doctors to hand out more pills, among other things.
During a court hearing conducted remotely on Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in New Jersey, Purdue pleaded guilty to three felonies covering widespread misconduct.
The criminal violations included conspiring to defraud U.S. officials and pay illegal kickbacks to both doctors and an electronic healthcare records vendor, all to help keep medically dubious opioid prescriptions flowing.
Members of the billionaire Sackler family who own Purdue were not part of Tuesday’s court proceedings and have not been criminally charged. They agreed in October to pay a separate $225 million civil penalty for allegedly causing false claims for OxyContin to be made to government healthcare programs such as Medicare. They have denied the allegations.
Thursday is Thanksgiving and I'm going to start fixing cold dishes tomorrow. I'm also going to take a much-needed mental health break. We'll be back in action here next Monday and then things should be relatively normal until Christmas.
Have a good holiday and good weekend. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. You know the drill.
This has simultaneously been the best and worst year of my life. I think that's been true for a lot of people, but for different reasons. That's what "Fine Line" is about; it's about highs and lows coming in pairs.