The president was initially scheduled to return to Washington from Florida on Friday, but instead is returning on Thursday. Source

The U.S. recorded 3,744 COVID-19 deaths Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University, marking the highest one-day total. CBS News’ Debra Alfarone joined CBSN with the latest on the virus and efforts to fight it and its effects on the economy. Source

This New Year’s Eve is being celebrated like no other, with pandemic restrictions limiting crowds and many people bidding farewell to a year they’d prefer to forget. Source

A new, potentially more contagious variant of the coronavirus first reported in the U.K. has been discovered in California and Colorado. Dr. Stanley Perlman, a pediatric infectious diseases physician and professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa, joins CBSN to answer key questions about this new virus strain. Source

The number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S. — more than 342,000 to close out 2020– is rapidly increasing. Only about 2.8 million people have received the first dose of the vaccine, far short of the government’s goal of 20 million people vaccinated by the end of the year, as the highly infectious U.K. variant is being reported in at least two states. Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, discusses with Jamie Yuccas on CBSN. Source

The numbers are used to divvy up congressional seats. Source

Samuel Little, the man the FBI calls the “most prolific serial killer in U.S. history,” died Wednesday in California. He was 80 years old. Little was serving three consecutive sentences of life without parole. He confessed to murdering 93 people, more than Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer combined. Source

A new round of paycheck protection program loans gives special leeway to restaurants — but might not save eateries hanging on by a thread. Source

Democratic strategist and CBS News political contributor Joel Payne joins “CBS This Morning” to talk about the state of the Georgia Senate races. Source

In September, prosecutors dropped all charges against a Mississippi man who had been tried six times for a quadruple murder. 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi spoke with Curtis Flowers about his experience. Source