Here's what's happening Tuesday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.:

THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY

— COVID-19 shots to their workers in a rapid expansion of the U.S. vaccination drive Tuesday, while a second vaccine moved to the cusp of government authorization.

— Across the U.S., state and local public health officials have found themselves at the . Some have become the target of far-right activists, conservative groups and anti-vaccination extremists, who have coalesced around common goals — fighting mask orders, quarantines and contact tracing with protests, threats and personal attacks.

— fairly between rich nations and the rest are fading fast, some experts say.

THE NUMBERS: The seven-day rolling positivity rate for testing in the U.S. rose over the past two weeks from 9.7 on Nov. 30 to 11.4 on Monday.

DEATH TOLL: The U.S. death toll climbed to 300,886, approaching the population of Cincinnati.

QUOTABLE: “I’m happy that in another month and a half I won’t have to be afraid to go into a room anymore. I won’t have to be afraid to perform chest compressions or be present when they’re intubating a patient." — Maritza Beniquez, a nurse at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, and the first person to receive the vaccine in the state.

ICYMI: This year’s edition of of previous incarnations, but the mission of delivering gifts in Alaska and two other largely Alaska Native villages was completed with COVID-19 safety precautions in place.

ON THE HORIZON: A panel of outside experts is expected to vote to recommend Moderna's vaccine formula Thursday, with the Food and Drug Administration's green light coming soon thereafter.

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