Welcome to Thursday, December 17th, shakes and fries...

Congressional leaders have vowed to stay in D.C. until they reach deals on government funding & COVID-19 relief.

"We need vaccine distribution money, we need to re-up the Paycheck Protection Program to save jobs, we need to continue to provide for laid-off Americans. Congressional leaders on both sides are going to keep working until we get this done," Senate Majority Mitch Leader McConnell (R-KY) said Wednesday.

A day earlier, the majority leader said "we are not going to leave here without” a deal on an omnibus spending bill for FY2021 and a COVID-19 package.

The text of both bills are still in flux, but leadership has agreed that they will likely be combined in a single package to speed Congress’s consideration of the legislation, which the House is expected to consider first.

Should Congress stay in session until it passes government funding & COVID-19 relief?

"The Wrath of Mark"

The Federal Trade Commission and 48 attorneys general have unveiled blockbuster lawsuits accusing Facebook of crushing competition and demolishing privacy. Is forcing Zuck to part with Instagram and WhatsApp the answer?

Check out our explainer video here.

Here's a preview:

Do you support the lawsuit against Facebook?

Swalwell Caught In Suspected Chinese Spy Plot

Following an investigative report by Axios that revealed a suspected Chinese spy’s relationship to Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Republican members of Congress have called for Swalwell to be investigated and removed from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

The spy’s efforts are part of a broader effort by China to influence U.S. lawmakers and encourage them to take positions favorable to the regime in Beijing.

The alleged Chinese agent - a woman in her late 20’s or early 30’s called Christine Fang, or Fang Fang - sought to obtain political intelligence on rising politicians and came to know Swalwell while he was serving as a city councilor in Dublin, California, prior to his election to Congress in 2012.

Should Swalwell be removed from the House Intelligence Committee?

And, in the End…

Get your waffles ready, it's National Maple Syrup Day.

Native Americans in the northeastern part of the continent were the first to make the sweetener, which they did by cutting the bark on sugar maple trees and letting the sap drip out.

If you're ever in Vermont, can I highly recommend not trying maple-syrup pop ("soda")?

—Josh Herman

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