Politics & Government

News Brief: McConnell Congratulates Biden, Coronavirus Test, Afghanistan

5:37am December 16, 2020

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally acknowledges Joe Biden's victory. FDA OKs first at-home COVID-19 test without needing a prescription. Afghan civilians worry about U.S. troop drawdown.

Pete Buttigieg, seen in 2019, will be nominated as Joe Biden's transportation secretary, the transition team announced. Buttigieg is a former mayor of South Bend, Ind., and Democratic presidential candidate.

Politics & Government

Biden To Nominate Former Rival Buttigieg As Transportation Secretary

8:29pm December 15, 2020

by Brian Naylor

Onetime presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg will be the first openly LGBTQ person nominated to a permanent Cabinet post.

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm speaks during a TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco in 2019.

Biden Plans To Nominate Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm As Energy Secretary

8:09pm December 15, 2020

by Jennifer Ludden

The former Michigan governor brings experience in promoting clean-energy manufacturing. She worked with the Obama administration on an automaker bailout that pushed investment in green technology.

Gina McCarthy, seen here in January, was head of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Obama administration.

Biden To Name Gina McCarthy, Former EPA Chief, As Domestic Climate Coordinator

8:05pm December 15, 2020

McCarthy has an ambitious assignment: coordinating efforts across the entire federal government aimed at drastically — and quickly — lowering U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.

Chris Worrell jokes with Teresa Jefferson while applying for a 2020 census job in Boston in February before the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on government records, the Census Bureau estimates the U.S. population has grown by as much as 8.7% since 2010.

Census Estimates U.S. Population As High As 336 Million Ahead Of Actual Count

5:33pm December 15, 2020

by Hansi Lo Wang

The Census Bureau has yet to release the 2020 census results, which are undergoing quality checks. Based on government records, it estimates the population has grown by as much as 8.7% since 2010.

Cooper Asks Feds For More Notice On Vaccine Allotment

5:16pm December 15, 2020

by Associated Press

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper wants the federal government to provide more time for the state to plan where it wants doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine sent.

Portrait of American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882 - 1945) sitting behind the wheel of his car outside his home in Hyde Park, New York in the mid 1930s.

Politics & Government

As Biden Prepares To Take Office, FDR's Presidential Transition Offers Lessons

5:05pm December 15, 2020

by Steve Inskeep

President-elect Biden is looking to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's transition to the presidency for inspiration as he and his team prepare to tackle a nation in the middle of numerous crises.

Queue Listen Now

Russian President Vladimir Putin told U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, "For my part, I am ready for interaction and contacts with you," according to the Kremlin.

Putin And Bolsonaro Congratulate Biden On His Victory Over Trump

4:28pm December 15, 2020

by Bill Chappell

The Russian leader contacted U.S. President-elect Joe Biden after the Electoral College affirmed his victory. Putin was one of the last major world leaders to do so.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan is co-chair of the bipartisan group No Labels. Hogan is seen above talking to reporters during a news briefing about the coronavirus pandemic in Annapolis, Md., in April.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Named Co-chair of Bipartisan Group No Labels

4:11pm December 15, 2020

by Brakkton Booker

Hogan, a Republican, will co-chair with former Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman. Together they will push centrist political ideas as new Congress is set to convene early next year.

President-elect Joe Biden, here on Monday, says he plans to get vaccinated publicly for the coronavirus.

Biden, Pence Make Preparations To Get COVID-19 Vaccine

4:02pm December 15, 2020

by Alana Wise

President-elect Joe Biden said he plans to take a vaccine publicly in an effort to promote trust. Vice President Pence and his team are discussing options for how and when he will take it, too.