TAMPA, Fla. — Happy Tuesday, Tampa Bay! Can you believe we've made it to December?!
Let's get your day started with the stories you need to know about.
Giving Tuesday 💗
In a season where we give gifts to family, friends and loved ones, nonprofit organizations hope to make your giving list too.
Giving Tuesday takes place the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. It's described as, "A global generosity movement that unleashes the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and their world."
You can donate to any cause that you feel passionately about, from animal shelters to education efforts.
This year especially, food banks and meal programs have been touched by the COVID-19 pandemic and have seen a growing need in the people they serve as well as a growing need for donations and volunteers.
If you do plan to donate today, there's a simple way to do it. Go to GivingTuesday.org and put the name of the organization where you want your money to go.
What's Santa up to? 🎅
Santa doesn't start his rounds for another 24 days, but the NORAD Santa Tracker is set to launch on Tuesday with information and games ahead of the big night.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the North American Aerospace Defense Command will track Santa just as it has done for 65 years. But there will be some changes: Not every child will be able to get through to a volunteer at NORAD’s call center to check on Santa’s whereabouts, as they have in years before.
Normally, 150-160 volunteers crowd into a conference room at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, taking two-hour shifts to answer the phones as eager children call to see if Santa and his sleigh have reached their rooftops.
This year, due to safety restrictions forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of volunteers has been drastically cut to what NORAD expects will be fewer than 10 people per shift.
So, some callers may be able to once again get through to a member of the military or other volunteer when they dial the NORAD Tracks Santa toll-free number, 1-877-Hi-NORAD. But others will get a recorded update on Santa’s current location.
RELATED: NORAD Santa Tracker launches Tuesday
Does it matter which COVID-19 vaccine I get? 💉
While there are minor differences between COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer, virologists say those preparing to take the shot should not worry about choosing one over the other.
Both vaccines rely on messenger RNA technology to stimulate the immune system and fight the coronavirus, and neither of the vaccines uses the live virus.
There are some other differences between the vaccines when it comes to distribution and storage. Both vaccines are more than 90-percent effective, but doctors call the Moderna vaccine more "stable."
This doesn't have to do with how it works in your body, just how it's stored. Hospitals can store the Moderna doses at regular freezer temperatures, whereas the Pfizer vaccine needs to stay at negative 94 degrees.