The United States reported more than 5,000 coronavirus deaths Thursday — a world record daily toll since the start of the pandemic.  Daily confirmed cases continue to fall but remain stubbornly high with nearly 130,000 new infections over the most recent 24-hour period.

In related news, Johnson & Johnson asked the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use authorization of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine.  In a large clinical trial, the vaccine prevented 85% of severe cases of the disease and 100% of deaths.