10 things you need to know today: December 4, 2020

Biden asks all to wear masks for his 1st 100 days, California imposes stay-at-home order in areas with overwhelmed hospitals, and more

Biden puts on his mask
(Image credit: Mark Makela/Getty Images)

1. Biden calls for Americans to wear masks for his 1st 100 days

President-elect Joe Biden said Thursday that he would call on all Americans to wear masks for his first 100 days in office as part of a national campaign to curb the spread of the coronavirus. "Just 100 days to mask, not forever," Biden told CNN's Jake Tapper. Biden is preparing to take office as coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths surge to record levels despite positive news about potential vaccines. His approach marks a shift from that of President Trump, who has downplayed the importance of wearing face coverings. In another contrast, Biden said he had asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, whom Trump has criticized, to stay on as the government's top infectious disease specialist and to become "chief medical adviser for me as well."

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.