Happy Monday and welcome back to On The Money. I’m Niv Elis, filling in for Sylvan Lane, with your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line.

See something I missed? Let me know at nelis@thehill.com or tweet me @NivElis. And if you like your newsletter, you can subscribe to it here: http://bit.ly/1NxxW2N.

Write us with tips, suggestions and news: slane@thehill.com, njagoda@thehill.com and nelis@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @SylvanLane, @NJagoda and @NivElis.

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THE BIG DEAL – President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden team wants to understand Trump effort to ‘hollow out government agencies’ Overnight Defense: Trump transgender ban ‘inflicts concrete harms,’ study says | China objects to US admiral’s Taiwan visit Protect our world: How the Biden administration can save lives and economies worldwide MORE will name former Federal Reserve Chair Janet YellenJanet Louise YellenThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC – Trump OKs transition; Biden taps Treasury, State experience The Memo: Trump election loss roils right On The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus MORE as his Treasury secretary nominee, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Yellen, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, would be the first woman to serve as Treasury secretary. She had been seen as a top candidate for the position, and one who could probably be confirmed by the Senate even if it is in GOP hands after the results of two runoff elections in Georgia in January are known.

The Senate in 2014 confirmed Yellen as Fed chair in a 56-26 vote, though many of the Republicans who backed her then are no longer in Congress.

What it means:

• Yellen’s nomination would be the latest signal of Biden’s effort to set up a diverse Cabinet. 
• On Monday he announced he would nominate Alejandro Mayorkas to serve as Homeland Security secretary, Avril Haines to be director of national intelligence and Linda Thomas-Greenfield to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. 
• Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenOn The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus Biden to nominate Janet Yellen as Treasury secretary: report Bottom line MORE (D-Mass.) was seen as a top contender for the post, and some of her supporters are likely to be disappointed that Biden did not choose to nominate her for the position.

The stock market jumped on the news. 

Read more from Sylvan Lane and Ian Swanson here.

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LEADING THE DAY: A slew of expiring emergency programs are setting up an economic “COVID cliff” come 2021, which could see millions of people lose unemployment insurance and get evicted, while a growing wave of small businesses close shop.

March’s CARES Act set up myriad programs to give people economic relief in the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of which are set to expire on Dec. 31.

Unless a divided Congress can reach a deal to extend the programs, the country’s economic suffering could skyrocket.

I have more details for you here.

Democrats face increasing pressure to back smaller COVID-19 stimulus: Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are facing increasing pressure — both internal and external — to accept a smaller coronavirus aid package for the sake of securing another round of emergency relief before year’s end. 

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiVoters want a strong economy and leadership, Democrats should listen On The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus Democrats face increasing pressure to back smaller COVID-19 stimulus MORE (D-Calif.) and Senate Democratic Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerUS national security policy in the 117th Congress and a new administration Voters say Biden should make coronavirus vaccine a priority: poll New York City subway service could be slashed 40 percent, officials warn MORE (N.Y.) have insisted for weeks that the House-passed $2.2 trillion bill is their starting point for any negotiations as they’ve sought to nudge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellFeinstein to step down as top Democrat on Judiciary Committee Voters want a strong economy and leadership, Democrats should listen On The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus MORE (R-Ky.) closer to their position from the $500 billion he’s championed. 

But the Democratic strategy is running into roadblocks as President-elect Joe Biden signals he wants an agreement this year and more and more Democratic lawmakers are opening the door to going below the top leaders’ $2.2 trillion red line. 

More info from the dream team of Mike Lillis, Jordain Carney, and Naomi Jagoda here.

NOT SO FAST – Biden aides dispute push for quicker, pared-down relief deal: President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team on Monday pushed back on a report that he would favor a quicker economic relief deal, even if it meant ceding ground on some Democratic demands.

“This is incorrect. The President-elect fully supports the Speaker and Leader in their negotiations,” transition spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement.

The New York Times reported Sunday that Biden’s advisers were pushing Democratic leaders to broker a quick stimulus deal with Senate Republicans to avoid further strain on the economy as the U.S. faces a worsening coronavirus pandemic.

Brett Samuels has the details here.

On a related note, economists are calling for more stimulus checks, while former Treasury Secretaries from both parties say a deal cannot wait, and is needed in the lame-duck session.

Trump nominee’s long road to Fed may be dead end: Judy Shelton’s long, strange trip to the Federal Reserve Board may have finally reached a dead-end. 

President TrumpDonald John TrumpBiden team wants to understand Trump effort to ‘hollow out government agencies’ Trump’s remaking of the judicial system Overnight Defense: Trump transgender ban ‘inflicts concrete harms,’ study says | China objects to US admiral’s Taiwan visit MORE’s controversial Fed nominee stalled Tuesday when a procedural vote to advance her nomination failed in the Senate. The coronavirus-related absences of Republican Sens. Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyOn The Money: Biden to nominate Yellen for Treasury secretary | ‘COVID cliff’ looms | Democrats face pressure to back smaller stimulus Loeffler to continue to self-isolate after conflicting COVID-19 test results Loeffler isolating after possible COVID-19 infection MORE (Iowa) and Rick Scott (Fla.), both of whom since tested positive for COVID-19, deprived Shelton of two crucial votes that would have sealed her confirmation.

While Shelton seemed to have the necessary support to win a spot on the Fed board when the week started, she now has two exceedingly narrow paths to confirmation — one of which depends on unlikely bipartisanship and the other on unprecedented presidential action.

Sylvan Lane has more here. 

GOOD TO KNOW

• State mask mandates linked to higher consumer confidence: study
• Markets reacted well to news of trials pointing to a third highly effective COVID-19 vaccine.
• Retail group forecasts 30 percent jump in online sales this holiday season. 

OPINION

• Better governance would benefit American business
  
• Sound the alarm on the federal debt
  
• Trump’s — and Biden’s — best choice for comptroller of the currency
  

 

The number of current COVID-19-related hospitalizations in the U.S. surpassed 90,000 for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic.

The U.S. reached the grim milestone on Thursday as the nation celebrated Thanksgiving and health experts expect the holiday gatherings to cause a massive uptick in new cases and hospitalizations. 

The country currently has 90,481 people hospitalized for coronavirus — a record-breaking number for the 17th day in a row, according to the COVID Tracking Project. 

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Out of those, 17,802 people are in the intensive care unit, which is the highest amount documented during the pandemic. A total of 5,979 people are on ventilators. 

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The Covid Tracking Project has noted that it expects states to report less testing, case and death statistics on Thanksgiving and the weekend after as people are focused on the holiday. The experts predict that the numbers will then “catch up” in the following days. 

Still, the U.S. confirmed 125,082 new cases on Thanksgiving, a slight dip from the more than 150,000 new cases reported every day since Nov. 16. 

Several states also either broke records or got close to breaking records for the most cases documented in a single day; Pennsylvania and Massachusetts reached new highs with 8,425 and 3,395 new cases on Thursday, respectively. 

Massachusetts did have an unusual spike of 3,840 new cases on June 1, which data experts have attributed to a “probable data” release, according to The New York Times.

Other states like Ohio and Arkansas reported their second-highest single-day new case count with 10,835 and 2,348 new cases, respectively. New York reached its highest single-day new case count since April with 6,933 new cases on Thanksgiving. 

The U.S. death toll jumped by 1,319 fatalities on Thanksgiving, making the nation’s total reach 254,530 deaths, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans last week not to travel for Thanksgiving to prevent the spread of the virus, but many were still expected to travel for the holiday and gather with family.

Happy Wednesday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I’m Ellen Mitchell, and here’s your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. CLICK HERE to subscribe to the newsletter.

THE TOPLINE: President TrumpDonald John TrumpUSAID administrator tests positive for COVID-19 Kamala Harris, Stacey Abrams among nominees for Time magazine’s 2020 Person of the Year DOJ appeals ruling preventing it from replacing Trump in E. Jean Carroll defamation lawsuit MORE on Wednesday pardoned Michael Flynn, his first national security adviser who pleaded guilty to a charge in connection with former special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation.

Trump announced the decision in a tweet, saying he was honored to grant Flynn a “Full Pardon.” He congratulated his former national security adviser and wished him a Happy Thanksgiving. 

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An expected move: Trump’s decision to pardon Flynn, who was a top surrogate for his 2016 campaign, follows widespread speculation the president would do so and comes in the waning days of his term in the White House. Trump has refused to concede the election despite Joe Biden being projected the winner almost three weeks ago.

The move represents what is likely to be Trump’s closing broadside against the Russia investigation, which dogged his first two years in office and ensnared six of his associates including his campaign chairman and former personal attorney.

Background on the case: The move will bring an end to Flynn’s dramatic case, three years after he originally pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators about his contacts with the top Russian diplomat in the United States and agreed to cooperate with Mueller’s investigation. Flynn pleaded guilty to one count of willingly and knowingly making false statements to the FBI as part of a cooperation deal announced in December 2017.

Flynn moved to withdraw his guilty plea in January 2020, however, after changing his attorneys. The Department of Justice (DOJ) later took the extraordinary step of seeking to drop the charges against the former national security adviser, saying his false statements were not “material” to the investigation.

The case had stalled as Flynn was awaiting sentencing for lying to the FBI. After a failed emergency appeal from Flynn’s legal team, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan had been weighing the question of whether to grant the Justice Department’s sudden motion to drop its charges.

The DOJ reversed course on the prosecution in May, arguing that it no longer had confidence in the FBI investigation that led to Flynn’s interrogation in early 2017. The decision intensified questions about political interference in prosecutorial matters, coming just a few months after the DOJ overruled career prosecutors who had recommended a lengthy prison sentence for another Trump ally, longtime GOP operative Roger Stone, who had just been convicted of lying to Congress and witness tampering.

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Lawmakers lash out: Democrats reacted angrily to Trump’s decision to pardon Flynn. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) accused Trump of abusing his pardon power in granting clemency to Flynn and others who have connections to him.

“There is no doubt that a president has broad power to confer pardons, but when they are deployed to insulate himself, his family, and his associates from criminal investigation, it is a corruption of the Framer’s intent,” Schiff said in a statement.

House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) described the pardon as “undeserved, unprincipled, and one more stain on President Trump’s rapidly diminishing legacy.”

PENTAGON NIXES DINING HALLS FOR TROOPS’ ANNUAL THANKSGIVING MEAL: The Pentagon has sent nearly 51,000 pounds of roasted turkey to U.S. troops stationed overseas, albeit with a twist on how they will be served in light of the coronavirus outbreak.

Thanksgiving meals will be switched to “grab-and-go style takeout instead of large group gatherings in dining facilities” to cut down on the spread of COVID-19, the Defense Department (DOD) said in a statement.

“The holidays will look quite different this year for everyone,” Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support head Army Brig. Gen. Gavin Lawrence said in the statement. “I’m proud that our workforce is doing everything possible to make sure our warfighters get a proper holiday meal, especially since many of us will not be able to be with our family and friends. We want to make sure they get that taste of home no matter where they are in the world.”

How much turkey?: The agency, which coordinates the holiday meal every year, delivered more than 250,000 pounds of traditional Thanksgiving food to service members stationed in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Korea, Japan, Qatar and Honduras, among other locations.

The breakdown includes 9,000 whole turkeys, 51,000 pounds of roasted turkeys, 74,000 pounds of beef, 21,000 pounds of ham, 67,000 pounds of shrimp, 16,000 pounds of sweet potatoes, 19,000 pounds of pies and cakes and 7,000 gallons of eggnog.

Taking precautions: The switch from dining facility gatherings follows the Pentagon’s announcement that it will move to a higher health protection level on Nov. 26, cutting maximum occupancy in the building and increasing the number of temperature checks on workers entering the facility.

It also comes as the military is struggling to stem an increase of new coronavirus cases in its ranks.

The virus most recently has infected temporary Pentagon policy chief Brig Gen. Anthony Tata, and nearly 75,000 coronavirus cases and 11 deaths have been confirmed among members of the military. Tens of thousands more cases have been recorded among DOD family members, contractors and civilian personnel.

ICYMI

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– The Hill: Israeli military instructed to prepare for Trump strike on Iran: report

– The Hill: Navy installations tightening COVID-19 restrictions

– The Hill: House Democrat accuses Air Force of attempting to influence Georgia runoff races

– The Hill: Illinois officials launch investigation into deadly COVID-19 outbreak at veterans home

– The Hill: Russian vessel threatens to ram US warship in disputed waters in Sea of Japan

– The Hill: Terror-related deaths around the world hit five-year low: analysis

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– Military Times: Here’s what you need to know about the military’s coronavirus vaccine roll-out

– The New York Times: Donors Pledge Less Aid to Afghanistan During a Violent Chapter

 

Judy Shelton’s long, strange trip to the Federal Reserve Board may have finally reached a dead-end. 

President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump campaign files for new recount in Georgia GOP senator congratulates Biden, says Trump should accept results FDA grants emergency approval to coronavirus antibody treatment given to Trump MORE’s controversial Fed nominee stalled Tuesday when a procedural vote to advance her nomination failed in the Senate. The coronavirus-related absences of Republican Sens. Chuck GrassleyCharles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyLoeffler isolating after possible COVID-19 infection More GOP governors embrace mask mandates, but holdouts remain Trump nominee’s long road to Fed may be dead end MORE (Iowa) and Rick Scott (Fla.), both of whom since tested positive for COVID-19, deprived Shelton of two crucial votes that would have sealed her confirmation.

While Shelton seemed to have the necessary support to win a spot on the Fed board when the week started, she now has two exceedingly narrow paths to confirmation — one of which depends on unlikely bipartisanship and the other on unprecedented presidential action.

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“Shelton’s nomination isn’t dead quite yet, but it’s running out of time,” wrote Ian Katz, a director at Washington, D.C., research firm Capital Alpha Partners, in a Tuesday research note.

Shelton’s odds for Senate confirmation have bounced between nearly impossible to almost inevitable in the 11 months since Trump nominated her to a seat on the Fed board. 

A former Trump 2016 campaign adviser, Shelton has drawn intense backlash from economists and Fed experts across the ideological spectrum over her unorthodox and inconsistent economic views. Democrats have been universal in their opposition to Shelton, and her inability to soothe the concerns of Republicans during her February confirmation hearing seemed likely to derail her nomination.

Shelton, however, was able to win over several Republican skeptics and seemed to clinch confirmation when Sen. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann MurkowskiGOP senator congratulates Biden, says Trump should accept results Trump nominee’s long road to Fed may be dead end OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Barrasso to seek top spot on Energy and Natural Resources Committee | Forest Service finalizes rule weakening environmental review of its projects | Biden to enlist Agriculture, Transportation agencies in climate fight MORE (R-Alaska), who helped sink two previous Trump Fed nominees, announced on Nov. 12 she would support her nomination. 

Even so, Murkowski’s support was obviated by Grassley and Scott’s exposure to COVID-19, preventing Shelton from pulling off the comeback. She went on to lose the procedural vote by a tally of 47 to 50, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellDivided citizenry and government — a call to action for common ground Prioritizing COVID relief: How to break the stalemate Trump nominee’s long road to Fed may be dead end MORE (R-Ky.) switching his vote to a “no” so he can call another vote on the nomination under Senate rules.

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That setback has left Shelton with few ways to land on the Fed board and Republicans with a dwindling chance of taking a potential Fed appointment away from President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenTrump campaign files for new recount in Georgia GOP senator congratulates Biden, says Trump should accept results Judge dismisses Trump camp’s Pennsylvania lawsuit in scathing ruling MORE.

“It’s possible and I think many Republicans would like to take that seat away from Biden, so if they can get her confirmed they would like to, even if it’s really late in the game,” Katz said in an email. 

Republicans currently control the Senate with a 52 to 48 majority, so four Republican defectors would sink her nomination. GOP Sens. Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyGOP senator congratulates Biden, says Trump should accept results Trump nominee’s long road to Fed may be dead end The Memo: Trump plows ahead with efforts to overturn election MORE (Utah), Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsGOP senator congratulates Biden, says Trump should accept results Trump nominee’s long road to Fed may be dead end Money can’t buy the Senate MORE (Maine) and retiring Lamar AlexanderAndrew (Lamar) Lamar AlexanderTrump nominee’s long road to Fed may be dead end GOP lawmaker patience runs thin with Trump tactics Former GOP senator: Republicans cannot let Trump’s ‘reckless’ post-election claims stand MORE (Tenn.) already oppose Shelton’s nomination, making one more Republican objection fatal to her bid.

The Senate is on recess until Nov. 30 — the same day Arizona is set to certify election results that will allow Sen.-elect Mark KellyMark KellyMcSally, staff asked to break up maskless photo op inside Capitol McSally’s final floor speech: ‘I gave it my all, and I left it all on the field’ The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC – Dems push McConnell on COVID-19 relief; Grassley contracts COVID-19 MORE (D) to be sworn in and immediately replace GOP Sen. Martha McSallyMartha Elizabeth McSallyTrump nominee’s long road to Fed may be dead end McSally, staff asked to break up maskless photo op inside Capitol McSally’s final floor speech: ‘I gave it my all, and I left it all on the field’ MORE. That would make the current number of Republican objectors enough to block Shelton’s confirmation if Kelly voted with every other Democrat.

Shelton’s only hope of being confirmed in 2020 may be if Grassley and Scott can both recover from COVID-19 in time to hold a vote before Kelly replaces McSally. A spokesman for McConnell did not say when or if the leader would bring up Shelton’s nomination again.

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Once Kelly is sworn in, Shelton’s confirmation would depend on Republicans successfully defending at least one of Georgia’s two Senate seats in January runoff elections and Trump renominating her when the new Congress convenes just weeks before he is set to leave office.

If that scenario holds, the GOP would maintain a narrow majority and Alexander’s replacement by Sen.-elect Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) would allow Pence to break a tie and confirm Shelton if Romney and Collins are the only nonparty-line votes. 

Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor and expert in presidential appointments, said Shelton’s viability in that scenario depends largely on how far Republican senators are willing to go for a departing president who has sought to overturn the results of an election he lost.

“He’s the lamest of ducks at that point and he’s been so anti-democratic, I think it’s gonna be really hard for him to get much sympathy,” Tobias said. “I suppose it could happen. But it would be very, very rare — if it’s ever been done.”

The White House declined to say whether Trump would reappoint Shelton in the waning days of his presidency and referred to a Tuesday statement expressing confidence she would be confirmed whenever the Senate reconsiders her nomination.

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The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. topped 12 million Saturday amid a third wave of infections that is anticipated to be exacerbated in the coming winter months.

A database run by The New York Times showed the case total surpassing 12 million less than a week after the total number of cases hit 11 million, underscoring the rapidity with which the highly infectious virus is spreading. The weekly average of new cases has exceeded 100,000 for the past two weeks, and daily case counts routinely approach 200,000. 

The virus has spread more quickly in recent days than in past weeks, with the country taking over two weeks to go from 8 million to 9 million cases, 10 days to go from 9 million to 10 million and just six days to go from 10 million to 11 million cases.

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The new spike in cases has put immense stress on hospital systems across the country and led to an array of states reimplementing coronavirus restrictions on business and gatherings that had been relaxed during the fall months, including 10 p.m. curfews and business, school closures and, in some states, mask mandates. 

Public health officials have warned that the winter months will be difficult in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, given that social events will largely move to indoor settings where the virus can more easily spread. Experts have also voiced concerns that national travel during Thanksgiving could spark an even faster spread of the virus, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week recommending people avoid traveling to see friends and family.

“As we’re seeing exponential growth in cases, and the opportunity to translocate disease or infection from one part of the country to another, leads to our recommendation to avoid travel at this time,” Henry Walke, COVID-19 incident manager at the CDC, said in a press call with reporters Thursday, saying that Thanksgiving should only be spent among people who are already living together.

The alarming surge in cases has increased pressure on Congress to craft a coronavirus relief package, but it is unclear what kind of deal President TrumpDonald John TrumpBen Carson says he’s ‘out of the woods’ after being ‘extremely sick’ with COVID-19 Biden will receive @POTUS Twitter account on Jan. 20 even if Trump doesn’t concede, company says Trump to participate in virtual G-20 summit amid coronavirus surge MORE would sign into law. Besides touting two vaccine candidates that studies show are roughly 95 percent effective, the president has focused much of his attention on his attempts to overturn the White House election results despite President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenOutside groups flood Georgia with advertising buys ahead of runoffs Biden will receive @POTUS Twitter account on Jan. 20 even if Trump doesn’t concede, company says Trump to participate in virtual G-20 summit amid coronavirus surge MORE holding substantial leads in the popular vote and Electoral College.

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A federal judge in San Jose, Calif., has ordered Google to hand over emails from the son of Russian oligarch Farkhad Akhmedov, a billionaire who has been embroiled in a four-year, $600 million divorce battle with his ex-wife. 

According to Bloomberg, Tatiana Akhmedova alleges that her former husband transferred assets to their son, Temur, to avoid paying a London court’s divorce judgment that she says remains “almost entirely unsatisfied.”

The London court earlier awarded 450 million pounds ($601 million) to the oligarch’s ex-wife, most of which Tatiana Akhmedova claims remains unpaid due to an alleged fraudulent transfer of assets. 

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U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia M. DeMarchi said she would enforce the London court’s ruling allowing Tatiana Akhmedova to obtain her son’s emails from Google. 

The London case was brought to San Jose, where the closest federal court to Google’s Mountain View headquarters is located, in order to pursue the legal action against the multinational search engine and technology company. 

Tatiana Akhmedova noted in her subpoena request that she wants Google to release “all metadata and subscriber information” and “all emails, documents or information” associated with the accounts held by Temur Akhmedov. 

The information from the emails will be used to determine whether Temur helped his father in the fraudulent transfer of millions of dollars in assets, Bloomberg reported. 

Tatiana Akhmedova’s legal team previously led a search of Temur’s apartment, as permitted by a London judge who had accused the son of destroying evidence in connection with the divorce case. 

A spokesperson for Temur Akhmedov said in a statement to The Hill that the U.S. lawsuit is an attempt “to find ‘evidence’ against him which simply does not exist.”

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“Despite their vastly expensive wild goose chase around the world’s courts, they know Temur has nothing to hide,” the spokesperson asserted. “Yet, they continue in their attempts to drag him into his mother’s wrongful and misguided case against his father, seemingly with the aim of intimidating him and trying to smear his good name.”

“As a result of this latest Google hearing, Temur hopes his mother and her backers will enjoy reading the contents of his old high school email account,” the spokesperson added.

However, Google has argued that it is prohibited by U.S. law from releasing emailed communications without the “express consent” of the user. 

Julie E. Schwartz, a lawyer for Google, told DeMarchi that if Google releases the requested information, it would have “broader implications than just this case here today,” including the potential for Google to be legally punished for releasing information in violation of its content policy.

Updated 2:16 p.m. 

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Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoPompeo says Mideast strategy will be Trump administration policy ‘until our time is complete’ Trump administration pulls out of Open Skies treaty with Russia Tibetan political leader makes visit to White House for first time in six decades MORE said Sunday that no shift in U.S. policy towards Iran would occur in the remaining months of President TrumpDonald John TrumpBiden to nominate Linda Thomas-Greenfield for UN ambassador: reports Scranton dedicates ‘Joe Biden Way’ to honor president-elect Kasich: Republicans ‘either in complete lockstep’ or ‘afraid’ of Trump MORE‘s term in the White House.

During an interview with Saudi-owned broadcaster Al-Arabiya, which is based in Dubai, Pompeo said the Trump administration’s policy singling out Iran as “the central threat inside the region” would remain unchanged, according to the Associated Press.

“It will be our policy until our time is complete,” said the secretary, who like other members of the president’s inner circle has not acknowledged President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenBiden to nominate Linda Thomas-Greenfield for UN ambassador: reports Scranton dedicates ‘Joe Biden Way’ to honor president-elect Kasich: Republicans ‘either in complete lockstep’ or ‘afraid’ of Trump MORE‘s victory in the 2020 election.

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“Our policies don’t change. Our duty doesn’t change. My responsibilities don’t change,” he continued. “I still have an obligation — every hour, every minute — to defend the American people and to keep them foremost in our efforts, and we’ll do that. We’ll do that to the very last minute.”

Biden has indicated that he will offer Iran’s leadership “a credible path back to diplomacy” should Iran return to compliance with the nuclear agreement struck under the Obama administration in 2015. His policy is a sharp departure from that of the current president, who withdrew the U.S. from the agreement and has directed his administration to pursue a campaign of sanctions dubbed “maximum pressure” aimed at Iran’s government and nuclear program.

The U.S. and Iran have appeared to be on the verge of direct military conflict multiple times throughout Trump’s tenure in the White House, including at one point in 2019 when Iranian forced down a U.S. surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz, and after the U.S. killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, in a Baghdad drone strike in January.

France’s finance ministry has sent out notices to tech companies asking that they pay a new digital service tax next month, Reuters reports. 

France applied a 3 percent tax on revenue from digital services earned in France by companies with revenues of more than 25 million euros there and more than 750 million euros worldwide.

American tech companies, whom the tax would mainly apply to, opposed it, and nations have been negotiating, so far unsuccessfully, for a solution.

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France is asking the companies to pay the tax in December, something it had said it would do.

“Companies subject to the tax have received their notice to pay the 2020 installment,” a ministry official said according to Reuters.

Facebook told the news outlet that it has received notice, and said it will “ensure compliance with all tax laws in the jurisdictions where we operate.” A person at Amazon familiar with the matter told Reuters that the online retail giant has been notified and intends to comply. 

France plans to withdraw the tax as soon as the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reaches a deal to update the rules on cross-border taxation in the internet age, Reuters notes. Officials have said talks stalled as the U.S. became hesitant to sign onto a multilateral agreement. 

The Office of U.S. Trade Representative determined in December that the tax discriminates against U.S. companies, and proposed tariffs of up to 100 percent on $2.4 billion of French products in response.

The following month, the U.S. and France reached an agreement under which France paused the tax and the U.S. held off on imposing tariffs while negotiations with the OECD were ongoing. 

The U.S. later announced plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on about $1.3 billion worth of French products, which are set to take effect on Jan. 6.

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– WWE posted their usual weekly installment of WWE Now, which features Cathy Kelley listing “Things You Need To Know Before Watching Tonight’s SmackDown Live.” Check out the video above.

– WWE broadcast team member and Total Divas cast member Renee Young noted via social media that she missed Monday night’s edition of WWE RAW because she was sick. She noted that she will also be missing tonight’s SmackDown Live show, but will be back in time for WWE Fastlane this Sunday.

– Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson accepted the new “The Razzie Nominee So Rotten You Loved It” award for his film Baywatch from the 2018 Razzie Awards in the following video he released via his official Instagram page.

It’s the #Oscars and Hollywood’s biggest night! So let me go ahead and take this “L” right on the chin for Baywatch. Win some, lose some, but hey… that’s the way love goes. @RazzieAwards #Baywatch #AndTheWinnerLosesOn

A post shared by therock (@therock) on Mar 4, 2018 at 3:58pm PST

• WWE Set To Unveil New Championship Title Belts Next Month!