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"D-Day was a pivotal turning point in World War II. It was the beginning of the end — and that's where we are today," Gen. Gustave Perna said. With the prick of a needle, the battle against Covid-19 took what could be a decisive turn Monday as the first federally approved coronavirus vaccine was injected into an American arm. Sandra Lindsay, an ICU nurse who has been on the front lines of the battle against a virus that's killed over 300,000 people in the United States alone, joined in the applause moments after the first dose was injected into her left arm. "I feel hopeful today, relieved," Lindsay, who works at at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in the New York City borough of Queens, said after the historic moment was livestreamed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. "I feel the healing is coming. I hope this marks the beginning of the end of the very painful time in our history." Cuomo, whose state was among the hardest hit in the earliest days of the pandemic, hailed the vaccine as "the weapon that will end the war." "How fitting that she was the first to get the shot," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said of Lindsay. Within minutes, President Donald Trump posted on Twitter: "“First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations WORLD!” Developed by the German company BioNTech and its U.S. partner Pfizer, the Covid-19 vaccine was given emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday night. The first trucks bearing the doses departed Pfizer's plant in Portage, Michigan on Sunday and the company expects to deliver 2.9 million doses to 636 predetermined locations by the end of this week. By Sunday evening, an American Airlines Boeing 777-200 packed with vaccines had taken off from Chicago O'Hare International Airport bound for Miami, Florida, a state that has reported more than 1.1 million cases of coronavirus, according to the latest NBC News data. "The cavalry is on the way," Dr. Dave Chokshi, the New York City health commissioner, said Monday. It was the start of what is shaping up to be a colossal logistical challenge, with cargo trucks and planes fanning out across the country. All the while, these vaccines must be kept at minus 94 Fahrenheit, transported to their destination in special boxes packed with dry ice. "We now believe that the first individuals will be vaccinated here in the commonwealth tomorrow morning," Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement Sunday. "We are less than 24 hours away from the beginning of the end of this virus." "Everything's on time, no disruptions, and we're very, very excited," said Wes Wheeler, president of UPS Healthcare, which along with rival FedEx is carrying out the mass deliveries. Still, salvation is a long way off. Most Americans won't receive the shots until well into next year. And it will take some time to make even a dent in a pandemic that is killing thousands of people across the U.S. every day — more than ever before. Medical workers will struggle not only to distribute the vaccine to rural areas, but also to convince skeptical members of the public that the shots are safe. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar tried to reassure Americans on Monday, telling the "TODAY" show that the vaccine had "gone through every aspect of the FDA process with integrity and transparent data." "If you are recommended to get it and it's available for you, please do get it, protect yourself and protect those around you," he said. Download the NBC News app for the latest news on the coronavirus Asked exactly how may people would be vaccinated and how quickly, Azar said several times that it was "up to our nation's governors" to decide the specifics. Over the weekend, Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed, likened the distribution operation to the 1944 Normandy landings, the Allied invasion that began the liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe. "D-Day was a pivotal turning point in World War II. It was the beginning of the end — and that's where we are today," Perna told a briefing Saturday. "But make no mistake, it was not the end. Months and months of hard-fought battles occurred and it took diligence, courage and strength to eventually achieve victory." Meanwhile, Congressional leaders have set a Friday deadline to pass legislation to keep the government funded, and they say a Covid-19 aid package should be attached to it. However, Democrats and Republicans remain at odds about exactly what should be included in the deal. The vaccine rollout in the U.S. prioritizes high-risk populations, such as hospital workers and nursing home staff and residents. It's unclear who will be prioritized in the second phase. On Monday, 145 sites will receive the vaccine, 425 Tuesday and 66 Wednesday, making up the rest of the initial shipment, he said. That mirrors what's already happening in the United Kingdom, which last week became the first country to administer a clinically approved vaccine to patients. That appeared to frustrate Trump, calling the FDA "a big, old, slow turtle" in a tweet Friday, and urged its commissioner, Dr. Stephen M. Hahn, to "get the dam vaccines out NOW" and "stop playing games and start saving lives!!!" The FDA has repeatedly denied this. "We do not feel that this could have been out a week earlier," Hahn told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "We followed our process." A member of Pfizer's board has also said the Trump administration passed up the opportunity to buy more of the vaccine when it had the chance. The U.S. has ordered at least 100 million doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine, with the option to buy another 500 million. Of all the vaccines currently in development, it has put in advance orders for 800 million doses — enough to inoculate its population several times over.

Donald Trump is at the Michie Stadium in New York to watch this year's historic Army v Navy football game. The Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen are facing off for the 121st time - and the president held the pre-game coin-toss before watching the drama unfold from the sidelines. Trump took time out from his campaign to overturn the November presidential election result - which he lost to President-elect Joe Biden - to attend the annual military match up.

(CNN) - The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid from Texas' attorney general -- supported by President Donald Trump -- to block the ballots of millions of voters in battleground states that went in favor of President-elect Joe Biden. The court's order, issued with no public dissents, to dismiss the challenge is the strongest indication yet that Trump has no chance of overturning election results in court, and that even the justices whom he placed there have no interest in allowing his desperate legal bids to continue. The Electoral College will convene Monday to affirm Biden's win. he Supreme Court on Friday rejected a bid from Texas' attorney general -- supported by President Donald Trump -- to block the ballots of millions of voters in battleground states that went in favor of President-elect Joe Biden. The court's order, issued with no public dissents, to dismiss the challenge is the strongest indication yet that Trump has no chance of overturning election results in court, and that even the justices whom he placed there have no interest in allowing his desperate legal bids to continue. The Electoral College will convene Monday to affirm Biden's win. "The Supreme Court really let us down. No Wisdom, No Courage!," Trump tweeted around midnight. Mike Gwin, a spokesman for Biden's campaign, said the decision was "no surprise." Paxton, calling the court's order "unfortunate," vowed to fight on. "I will continue to tirelessly defend the integrity and security of our elections and hold accountable those who shirk established election law for their own convenience," he said in a statement. Republican election lawyer Ben Ginsberg said Trump's crusade to undermine the election's results through rhetoric and court challenges "put a huge stress test on our democracy." "The Republicans who did follow Donald Trump really have an obligation now to make the country strong again, to heal the chinks that Donald Trump tried to put in the foundation of the country and the democracy," Ginsberg told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room." Texas denied for lack of standing The court's order Friday night was unsigned, and court did not provide a vote count, but there were no dissents to the order made public. In its short order, the court said that Texas had not demonstrated that it had the legal right to bring the suit because it had not demonstrated a "judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections." The order states: "The State of Texas's motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied for lack of standing under Article III of the Constitution. Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections. All other pending motions are dismissed as moot." In a statement accompanying the order, Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas said they would have allowed the case to be filed, but would grant no other relief. "Even Justice Thomas and Alito, who might otherwise have been sympathetic to these challenges, went out of their way to express that they would grant no relief on the merits," Vladeck said. "Not only did the Court reject Texas's effort to challenge the results in four battleground states, but it did so on a ground that will prevent any other states from doing so," Vladeck added. Another big loss for Trump For the past five weeks, federal and state courts have rejected most of Trump's attempts thoroughly. Hastily-written filings have contained a multitude of elementary errors. Many of the pro-Trump arguments hinged on what was ultimately hearsay or conjecture. And in many of the cases, Trump backers have said they don't have evidence proving their allegations yet, but want to review ballots or confidential elections data more closely to see if they can find proof of fraud. And though Trump has refused to move on, those closest to him -- including the legal team and his family -- are working on their next steps. Multiple sources told CNN earlier this week that Trump's legal team and inside what remains of his campaign staff have been sensing that efforts to overturn or delay the results of the election are coming to an end. White House staffers are resigning or are out the door, and members of Trump's Cabinet have also begun meeting with their Biden administration counterparts. First lady Melania Trump, meanwhile, has begun overseeing shipments of family furniture and art to Mar-a-Lago. And Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are in the final stages of purchasing a plot of land within a Miami enclave known for its privacy and high net worth residents. Presidential pressure Hours ahead of the court's decision, the President called on the Supreme Court to intervene in the election, but seemed to acknowledge that a Biden administration is on its way. "Now that the Biden Administration will be a scandal plagued mess for years to come, it is much easier for the Supreme Court of the United States to follow the Constitution and do what everybody knows has to be done. They must show great Courage & Wisdom. Save the USA!!!" Trump tweeted Friday morning. Each of the four battleground states targeted by the lawsuit -- Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- issued blistering briefs on Thursday, with Pennsylvania officials going so far as to call the effort a "seditious abuse of the judicial process." And although the case started off with Texas challenging four states, it grew into a dispute featuring some 19 Republican attorneys general siding with Texas and 22 Democratic-led states and territories supporting the battleground states that Biden won. In addition, 126 House Republicans signed on to an amicus brief in support of Paxton's motion, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Still, several Republican lawmakers in Washington slammed the basis of the suit, citing federalism concerns and saying Texas shouldn't have a say in how other states hold their elections. This story has been updated with additional details, background information and reaction.