Joe Biden to encourage mask-wearing early in his term
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden says he’ll take the COVID vaccine and will ask Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days of his administration.
Georgia officials Monday said they planned to re-certify President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory in Georgia after a second recount reaffirmed – again – the Democrat won the state and its 16 electoral votes.
The latest recount found Biden defeated President Donald Trump in Georgia by 11,769 votes, a narrower margin than the 12,284-vote advantage Biden had going into the second recount. The state is waiting on recount results from one county before officially recertifying but is expected to do so Monday.
“We have now counted legally cast ballots three times and the results remain unchanged,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said at a news conference.
Raffensperger also said “disinformation regarding election administration should be condemned and rejected.”
“I know there are people who are convinced that the election was fraught with problems, but the evidence – the actual evidence, the facts – tell us a different story.”
Gov. Brian Kemp, who must sign off on the certification by state law, has resisted calls from Trump and his allies to call a special legislative session to overturn the election and submit a new slate of Trump electors for the Electoral College.
Kemp and Raffensperger, who are both Republicans, have faced intense scrutiny from Trump as the president, who has refused to concede his election loss, has leveled baseless claims of widespread voter fraud.
Biden’s win in Georgia is a major accomplishment for Democrats, who hadn’t had a presidential candidate carry Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992.
The secretary of state’s office ordered an initial hand recount prior to the first certification of Biden’s victory that trimmed Biden’s lead from more than 14,000 votes to 12,284 after uncounted ballots were found in four counties.
The second recount, which was conducted by rescanning all paper ballots, was requested by the Trump campaign, which had the right to ask the recount because the margin of Biden’s victory was within .5%. Raffensperger last week said the second recount would show “no substantial changes.”
— Joey Garrison
A Michigan federal judge has ruled against a sweeping legal bid to overturn election results in the state, determining the lawsuit brought by an ally of President Donald Trump was riddled with “theories, conjecture and speculation” but little evidence of wrongdoing.
U.S. District Judge Linda V. Parker ruled against a request from Sidney Powell – an attorney disavowed by the Trump campaign who still champions its causes – to force the state to award its electoral votes to Trump despite President-elect Joe Biden winning Michigan by nearly 155,000 votes.
“In fact, this lawsuit seems to be less about achieving the relief Plaintiffs seek – as much of that relief is beyond the power of this Court – and more about the impact of their allegations on People’s faith in the democratic process and their trust in our government,” reads a portion of the 36-page opinion.
“Plaintiffs ask this Court to ignore the orderly statutory scheme established to challenge elections and to ignore the will of millions of voters. This the Court cannot, and will not, do. The people have spoken.”
This is the latest in a series of legal flops from the Trump campaign or supporters. Judges throughout Michigan and the U.S have rejected their claims, noting there is no evidence of widespread fraud.
– Dave Boucher, Detroit Free Press
PHOENIX – The Arizona Legislature will close for a week “out of an abundance of caution” after Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, possibly exposed several Republican lawmakers to COVID-19.
The president announced Giuliani had tested positive for the virus Sunday afternoon, less than a week after the former New York City mayor visited Arizona as part of a multistate tour aimed at contesting 2020 election results. The 76-year-old was later admitted to Georgetown University Medical Center.
Giuliani had spent more than 10 hours discussing election concerns with Arizona Republicans — including two members of Congress and at least 13 current and future state lawmakers — at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix last Monday. He led the meeting maskless, flouting social distancing guidelines and posing for photos.
Giuliani also met privately with Republican lawmakers and legislative leadership the next day, according to lawmakers’ social media posts.
– Maria Polletta, Arizona Republic
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris announced the chair and co-chairs for their inaugural committee to help plan the Jan. 20 event.
Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. will serve as the committee’s chairman; Reps. Cedric Richmond, D-La., and Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., will join Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as co-chairs, the committee said in a statement.
“Kamala and I are honored and grateful to these leaders for joining our inaugural committee as co-chairs and helping to organize a safe inauguration for all Americans,” Biden said. “These leaders reflect the strength, spirit, and diversity of America and have always held a steadfast commitment to restoring the soul of the nation, building back the middle class, and unifying the country.”
All were strong proponents of Biden during the campaign. Clyburn is widely credited with breathing life into what was a floundering primary campaign for the former vice president. Richmond has been named to serve as a senior White House adviser and director of the Office of Public Engagement in the incoming administration. Blunt Rochester, a longtime friend of the Biden family, served on the committee that helped choose Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to be the then-nominee’s running mate.
The inaugural committee works in coordination with Congress’ planning group on the arrangements for the Capitol ceremony, and organizes inaugural balls and other events surrounding the swearing-in. The format of those events is up in the air amid the global coronavirus pandemic, which has surged across the country.
Last week, Biden named Delaware State University president Tony Allen to serve as CEO of the inaugural committee and campaign chief operating officer Maju Varghese as the group’s executive director.
Because of concerns about the spread of COVID-19, Biden’s inauguration is expected to be a scaled-down affair. Biden said Friday he expects it will primarily be a virtual event with a “more imaginative” format than in previous years.
“It is highly unlikely that there will be a million people on the mall,” Biden said. “My guess is that there will not be a gigantic inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.”
– William Cummings
President-elect Joe Biden unveiled his team of top health officials Monday morning, a key announcement for an administration that will immediately have to wrestle with the COVID-19 pandemic that is infecting an average of more than 200,000 Americans every day.
Biden’s announcement confirmed Sunday’s reports that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is his pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Becerra would be tasked with leading Biden’s fight to contain the virus, including the massive logistical operation that will be required to quickly distribute the coming vaccines to the U.S. population.
If confirmed by the Senate, Becerra, 62, would be the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services, a $1-trillion-plus agency with 80,000 employees and a portfolio that includes drugs and vaccines, leading-edge medical research and health insurance programs covering more than 130 million Americans.
Anthony Fauci, who has served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, will act as Biden’s chief medical adviser.
Biden’s pick to replace Robert Redfield as the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is Rochelle Walensky, the head infectious disease doctor at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Harvard Medical School professor.
Biden also tapped former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to return to the role he held for the last three years of the Obama administration.
Jeff Zients, who served as director of the National Economic Council during the Obama administration will act as White House counselor and COVID-19 response coordinator. Former White House adviser Natalie Quillian will serve as deputy coordinator. Marcella Nunez-Smith will chair Biden’s COVID-19 equity task force, which will work to address the disproportionate impact of the virus on minority communities.
– William Cummings
Rudy Giuliani tests positive for COVID-19
Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City and President Donald Trump’s personal attorney, has tested positive for COVID-19. Trump shared the news by tweet, writing “Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!”
Giuliani was taken to Georgetown University Medical Center on Sunday where his son Andrew Giuliani said he is “resting, getting great care and feeling well.”
Since the presidential election, Giuliani, 76, has traveled the country challenging the election results and integrity of the electoral system itself. During much of his travels, Giuliani was seen not wearing a mask and flouting social distancing guidelines.
Along with a cadre of lawyers affiliated with the Trump campaign, Giuliani has held regular news conferences claiming, without evidence, various conspiracy theories and baseless allegations of mass voter fraud.
The former New York City mayor has had an eventful year. Prior to the election, Giuliani was central to a story alleging criminal intent on the part of President-elect Joe Biden’s son, Hunter. Giuliani was also briefly featured in the sequel to the movie “Borat” in a sordid scene he later called “a hit job.”
– Matthew Brown
Contributing: Meredith Newman, Delaware News Journal; The Associated Press
Source: – USA TODAY
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