Biden to formally introduce cabinet picks as transition finally begins – live updates

GSA declares Biden apparent winner, clearing way for the formal transitionTrump continues to contest election as ‘corrupt’ and ‘fake’Biden picks first women and first Latino for key cabinet rolesFormer Fed chair Yellen set to become first female treasury secretarySign up to receive First Thing – our daily briefing by email 10.29am GMT Thanksgiving is always the final Thursday in November, but this year the timing could not be worse. As the holiday approaches, thousands of college students are going back home for the winter as schools close their campuses, end their semester, or move classes online. What they won’t be ending is the spread of Covid-19.Cases in the US have risen exponentially over the last few weeks, with daily new cases close to 200,000 and current hospitalizations reaching 80,000. Unlike the previous two waves of cases in the spring and summer, the rise in cases is not concentrated in a single region. Cases are rising in most parts of the country. Related: Students going home for Thanksgiving could bring Covid with them 10.19am GMT By the way, if you want to familiarise yourself with Antony Blinken, who Joe Biden has picked to be his secretary of state, then late last night Politico’s European site published this guide.Blinken’s ties to Europe are lifelong, deep and personal — and he is a fierce believer in the transatlantic alliance.“Put simply, the world is safer for the American people when we have friends, partners and allies,” Blinken said in 2016. He has described Europe as “a vital partner” and has dismissed the Trump administration’s plans to remove US troops from Germany as “foolish, it’s spiteful, and it’s a strategic loser. It weakens Nato, it helps Vladimir Putin, and it harms Germany, our most important ally in Europe.” Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2020/nov/24/us-election-donald-trump-joe-biden-coronavirus-covid-19-live-updates #joe_biden #donald_trump #coronavirus #us_news #world_news