Senin, 30 November 2020

Trump lashes out at Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey after he 'ignored' a call from the White House - Daily Mail

Trump lashes out at Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey for 'rushing to put a Democrat in office' after he appeared to IGNORE a call from the White House during press conference certifying Biden's win

  • Arizona Gov Doug Ducey appeared to ignore call from White House Monday  
  • Video showed him receiving a call while trying to certify state's vote for Biden
  • Trump later lashed out at Ducey for 'rushing to put a Democrat in office'
  • Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis appeared at a hearing-style event in Arizona on Monday as the state certified its election results that favored Biden 
  • Trump called into the event about 7pm, saying: 'The 2020 election was rigged it was a scam and the whole world is watching and they're laughing at our country'
  • Giuliani said thousands of illegal immigrants voted in Arizona without evidence
  • Meanwhile, Wisconsin officials also certified state's presidential election results 
  • Biden's victory in battleground Wisconsin was certified following a partial recount that only added to his 20,600-vote margin over Trump
  • Gov Tony Evers signed a certificate that completed the process after the canvass report showing Biden as the winner following the recount was approved 

President Donald Trump lashed out at Arizona Gov Doug Ducey Monday night for 'rushing to put a Democrat in office' as a video appeared to show him ignore a call from the White House during a press conference where he certified the state's vote for Joe Biden. 

Just a few seconds into the press conference, Ducey is seen pulling a cellphone from his coat pocket. 

He then appears to ignore the call that was reportedly from the White House. 

'HE'LL GET BACK TO YOU Back in July, Gov. Ducey said he changed his White House ringtone to "Hail to The Chief" so he wouldn't miss a call from Trump/Pence. Guess who called while Ducey was certifying Arizona's election? (7 secs in),' NBC reporter Brahm Resnik tweeted. 

Trump later wrote in the caption of the video of Ducey during the press conference: 'Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office, especially when so many horrible things concerning voter fraud are being revealed at the hearing going on right now.

'@OANN What is going on with @dougducey? Republicans will long remember!'  

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President Donald Trump lashed out at Arizona Gov Doug Ducey (pictured) Monday night for 'rushing to put a Democrat in office' as a video appeared to show him ignore a call from the White House during a press conference where he certified the state's vote for Joe Biden

President Donald Trump lashed out at Arizona Gov Doug Ducey (pictured) Monday night for 'rushing to put a Democrat in office' as a video appeared to show him ignore a call from the White House during a press conference where he certified the state's vote for Joe Biden

Just a few seconds into the press conference, Ducey is seen pulling a cellphone from his coat pocket. He then appears to ignore the call that was reportedly from the White House

Just a few seconds into the press conference, Ducey is seen pulling a cellphone from his coat pocket. He then appears to ignore the call that was reportedly from the White House

Trump then retweeted a claim that Ducey had 'betrayed the people of Arizona,' and commented: 'TRUE!'

He also shared a post that asked: 'Who needs Democrats when you have Republicans like (Georgia Gov) Brian Kemp and Doug Ducey?'

Earlier on Monday, Trump dialed into an Arizona 'hearing' on election fraud that went on for more than eight hours, claiming the election was 'rigged' and bashing Ducey for certifying the state's vote for Biden.

'The 2020 election was rigged it was a scam and the whole world is watching and they're laughing at our country,' Trump said, phoning into the hearing-style event after 7pm. 

'We got 74 million [votes] and we didn't win. But I know that we won Arizona and we won Michigan and we won Georgia and we won Pennsylvania and we won Wisconsin. But what they did is they played games,' he said.  

'This is the greatest scam ever perpetrated on our country,' said Trump. He called it 'the big one' after 'Russia Russia Russia' and what he called the 'phony impeachment'.

Trump took aim at Ducey (pictured) on social media and during a 'hearing' on Monday

Trump took aim at Ducey (pictured) on social media and during a 'hearing' on Monday 

'Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office, especially when so many horrible things concerning voter fraud are being revealed at the hearing going on right now,' the president wrote in the caption of a video of Ducey during the press conference

'Why is he rushing to put a Democrat in office, especially when so many horrible things concerning voter fraud are being revealed at the hearing going on right now,' the president wrote in the caption of a video of Ducey during the press conference

Trump then retweeted a claim that Ducey had 'betrayed the people of Arizona,' and commented: 'TRUE'

Trump then retweeted a claim that Ducey had 'betrayed the people of Arizona,' and commented: 'TRUE'

He attacked Ducey for certifying the vote – which also sent Democratic Sen Mark Kelly to Washington after his defeat of Sen Martha McSally.

'We're going to win this thing. We're not giving up ever,' Trump said. 

'He just rushed to sign certificates so that Kelly gets into the senate as soon as possible. What's that all about?' Trump said.

'Why would you sign when you have these incredible hearings going on that show such corruption and such incredible fraud,' he said. 

Also on Monday, Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani made the trip to Arizona to outline a conspiracy involving foreign powers, Democrats and voting machines that he said made the election 'illegitimate'.

Arizona secretary of state State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, provided the certification, which also got a sign-off from the state's Republican governor, Governor Doug Ducey.

All of the state's 11 electoral votes will go Biden, who secured 306 electoral votes to President Trump's 232.

The news, yet another blow for the president's legal strategy seeking to overturn the vote in states that voted for Biden, came as Trump railed against 'corruption' in the state. 

Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani revisited his allegations of a conspiracy calling the election 'illegitimate' as Arizona certified its vote for Democratic President-elect Joe Biden

Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani revisited his allegations of a conspiracy calling the election 'illegitimate' as Arizona certified its vote for Democratic President-elect Joe Biden

Giuliani and Jenna Ellis appeared at another hearing-style event to make their case for widespread election fraud.

As at one last week in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the event was an unofficial hearing in a hotel lobby featuring only Republican lawmakers without witnesses being put under oath.

Giuliani repeated many of his earlier allegations, throwing in a few new details, such as a reference to Hunter Biden's laptop, the focus of his pre-election corruption charges that has virtually vanished following the November 3 election. 

'I call this the McCarthy era on steroids,' Giuliani said, noting that lawyers from a prominent firm quit Trump's legal team after facing pressure. 

'I think the pandemic released the tendencies of left-wing socialist leaning socialist governors, congressmen, senators,' he said immediately afterward.

'It began with the revelation of the hard drive that proves substantial major crimes on behalf of the Biden's family,' Giuliani said, referencing Hunter's laptop, which he provided to media outlets weeks before Election Day.

'This election was the subject of a conspiracy that goes back before the election,' he said.

Once again, witnesses organized by Giuliani put forward unsupported claims about Dominion Voting Systems machines, including a claim tying allegations of election fraud to the Hugo Chavez regime in Venezuela. Chavez is deceased.

Giuliani claimed it was 'hatched by the crooked leaders of the Democratic party' and said: 'We have an illegitimate election.'

'In probably at least 100,000 situations Maricopa,' he said of the populous Arizona County. 'The key fraud is the mail-in ballot. That was the backup in case they fell too far behind,' he said. 

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, left, and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey bump elbows as they meet to certify the election results for federal, statewide, and legislative offices and statewide ballot measures at the official canvass at the Arizona Capitol Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, in Phoenix

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, left, and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey bump elbows as they meet to certify the election results for federal, statewide, and legislative offices and statewide ballot measures at the official canvass at the Arizona Capitol Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, in Phoenix

Speaking in state on the southern border, Giuliani introduced a new element of the conspiracy: illegal immigrant voters. 

'Let's say there are 5 million illegal aliens in Arizona. It is beyond credulity that a few hundred thousand didn't vote,' he said. 

President Trump promoted the event online, tagging his new favorite network One America News, which provided wall-to-wall coverage.

'@OANN  WOW, total election corruption in Arizona. Hearing on now! Why isn't @FoxNews covering the Arizona hearings?' he tweeted.

At the all-Republican hearing-style event, Giuliani questioned retired Army Col Phil Waldron, who also was featured at the Pennsylvania event.

He claimed a '1.9 million vote fraud potential' based on a Maricopa County official saying some ballot signatures were not verified.

It was one of several times when officials hedged their claims, such as when Giuliani said there were 'probably at least 100,000 situations Maricopa' County.

Meanwhile, Biden's victory in battleground Wisconsin was certified Monday following a partial recount that only added to his 20,600-vote margin over Trump, who has promised to file a lawsuit seeking to undo the results.

Gov Tony Evers, a Democrat, signed a certificate that completed the process after the canvass report showing Biden as the winner following the recount was approved by the chairwoman of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission. 

Meanwhile, Biden's victory in battleground Wisconsin was certified Monday following a partial recount that only added to his 20,600-vote margin over Trump, who has promised to file a lawsuit seeking to undo the results

Meanwhile, Biden's victory in battleground Wisconsin was certified Monday following a partial recount that only added to his 20,600-vote margin over Trump, who has promised to file a lawsuit seeking to undo the results

Evers' signature was required by law and is typically a procedural step that receives little attention.

'Today I carried out my duty to certify the November 3rd election,' Evers said in a statement.

'I want to thank our clerks, election administrators, and poll workers across our state for working tirelessly to ensure we had a safe, fair, and efficient election. Thank you for all your good work.'

The action Monday now starts a five-day deadline for Trump to file a lawsuit, which he promised would come no later than Tuesday. 

Biden's campaign has said the recount showed that Biden won Wisconsin decisively and there was no fraud. 

Even if Trump were successful in Wisconsin, the state's 10 Electoral College votes would not be enough to undo Biden's overall victory as states around the country certify results.

'There's no basis at all for any assertion that there was widespread fraud that would have affected the results,' Wisconsin's Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement Monday. 

He noted that Trump's recount targeted only the state's two most populous counties where the majority of black people live. 

'I have every confidence that this disgraceful Jim Crow strategy for mass disenfranchisement of voters will fail,' Kaul said. 'An election isn't a game of gotcha.'

State law gives the power to confirm the election results to the chair of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission. 

The position rotates between Republicans and Democrats and is currently held by Ann Jacobs, a Democrat. She signed the canvass statement certifying Biden as the winner over objections from Republicans who wanted to wait until after legal challenges were exhausted.

Under state law, the elections staff next sent a certificate to Evers to sign and send to the US administrator of general services - a procedural step since the law says the governor 'shall sign' it. Evers did so about an hour after the canvassed results were confirmed.

Trump's legal challenges have failed in other battleground states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania. 

Two lawsuits from others seeking to disqualify ballots in Wisconsin were filed last week with the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which has not taken action.

Trump paid $3million for recounts in Dane and Milwaukee counties, the two largest Democratic counties in Wisconsin, but the recount ended up increasing Biden's lead by 74 votes. Biden won statewide by nearly 20,700 votes. 

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2020-12-01 05:46:00Z
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Brazil's Amazon: Deforestation 'surges to 12-year high' - BBC News

An aerial view of a deforested plot of the Amazon at the Bom Futuro National Forest in Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil, September 3, 2015
Reuters

Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has surged to its highest level since 2008, the country's space agency (Inpe) reports.

A total of 11,088 sq km (4,281 sq miles) of rainforest were destroyed from August 2019 to July 2020. This is a 9.5% increase from the previous year.

The Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming.

Scientists say it has suffered losses at an accelerated rate since Jair Bolsonaro took office in January 2019.

The Brazilian president has encouraged agriculture and mining activities in the world's largest rainforest.

The Amazon is home to about three million species of plants and animals, and one million indigenous people.

  • Amazon under threat: Fires, loggers and now virus
  • Deforested Amazon areas 'net emitters of CO2'

The latest data marked a major increase from the 7,536 sq km announced by Inpe in 2018 - the year before Mr Bolsonaro took office.

The new figures are preliminary, with the official statistics set to be released early next year.

Brazil had set a goal of slowing the pace of deforestation to 3,900 sq km annually by 2020.

In addition to encouraging development in the rainforest, President Bolsonaro has also cut funding to federal agencies that have the power to fine and arrest farmers and loggers breaking environmental law.

Mr Bolsonaro has previously clashed with Inpe over its deforestation data. Last year, he accused the agency of smearing Brazil's reputation.

Brazil's deforestation in charts

In a statement, Brazilian non-governmental organisation Climate Observatory said the figures "reflect the result of a successful initiative to annihilate the capacity of the Brazilian State and the inspection bodies to take care of our forests and fight crime in the Amazon".

But some officials said the fact that the rate of increase was lower than that recorded last year was a sign of progress.

"While we are not here to celebrate this, it does signify that the efforts we are making are beginning to bear fruit," Vice-President Hamilton MourĂ£o told reporters.

2px presentational grey line

Bolsonaro's hand

Analysis box by David Shukman, science editor

The scale of destruction in the Amazon rainforest is hard to comprehend.

Last year I experienced the silent aftermath of deforestation where huge trees had been bulldozed and would later be burned.

This is done to create fields for cattle grazing and soya cultivation - big earners for Brazil.

At the time it was said that an area of forest the size of a football pitch was cleared every single minute.

But soon that calculation was overtaken, and this year has seen the largest fires for a decade.

None of this should be a surprise: Jair Bolsonaro, was elected on a promise of development.

Keen to promote mining as well as agriculture, he described the Amazon as "a periodic table" of valuable minerals, and he resents what he sees as outside interference.

But climate scientists say the billions of trees are a vast store of carbon and, without them, the rise in global temperatures will accelerate.

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2020-11-30 22:33:00Z
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Biden to nominate Janet Yellen as US treasury secretary - BBC News

Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks during a panel discussion in Atlanta, Georgia
Reuters

US President-elect Joe Biden has named ex-Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as his nominee for treasury secretary.

If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first woman ever to hold the post.

She was among several women chosen for top economic positions. The Biden transition team said others were set to break racial barriers if confirmed.

Mr Biden has pledged to build a diverse administration. He earlier appointed an all-female senior press team.

His transition team said his picks for senior economic roles would help "lift America out of the current economic downturn and build back better".

Mr Biden has also announced the formation of a Presidential Inaugural Committee ahead of his swearing-in on 20 January. The committee will be responsible for organising inauguration-related activities.

The nominations come as Arizona and Wisconsin officially certified Mr Biden as the winner in those states. President Donald Trump is expected to issue legal challenges to the vote in both states.

Who is Janet Yellen?

Ms Yellen had been widely tipped for the nomination in media reports prior to Monday's announcement.

The 74-year-old economist has served as head of America's central bank and as a top economics adviser to former President Bill Clinton.

She is credited with helping steer the economic recovery after the 2007 financial crisis and ensuing recession.

As chair of the US Federal Reserve, Ms Yellen was known for focusing more attention on the impact of the bank's policies on workers and the costs of America's rising inequality.

Mr Trump bucked Washington tradition when he opted not to appoint Ms Yellen to a second four-year term at the Fed. Starting with Bill Clinton in the 1990s, presidents kept on bank leaders appointed by their predecessors in an effort to de-politicise the bank.

Since leaving the bank in 2018, Ms Yellen has spoken out about climate change and the need for Washington to do more to shield the US economy from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
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In a tweet following Monday's announcement, Ms Yellen said: "We face great challenges as a country right now. To recover, we must restore the American dream - a society where each person can rise to their potential and dream even bigger for their children.

"As Treasury Secretary, I will work every day towards rebuilding that dream for all."

President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde praised Mr Biden's choice, writing in a tweet: "Her intelligence, tenacity and calm approach make Janet a trailblazer for women everywhere."

Republican Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Chuck Grassley said that he expects Ms Yellen to "get a favourable view" during confirmation hearings before his committee.

What about the other names?

The Biden transition team said the senior economic team is set to include "several historic trailblazers".

Picks include former Obama administration official Wally Adeyemo as deputy treasury secretary and economist Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. If confirmed, Mr Biden's team said both would be the first African Americans in those roles.

Mr Biden will nominate Neera Tanden, who worked with the Obama administration on the creation of Obamacare, to head the Office of Management and Budget. If confirmed, she would be the first woman of colour and first South Asian American to lead the agency.

Center for American Progress Action Fund president Neera Tanden speaks on the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 27, 2016.
Reuters

But she is likely to be the hardest confirmation fight in the Senate.

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Neera Tanden pick draws controversy

Analysis box by Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter

Joe Biden might have his first big presidential appointment fight on his hands.

The president-elect's choice of Neera Tanden, a longtime Democratic operative, to be his White House budget office director - which requires Senate confirmation - is getting sharp attacks from the left and the right.

Grass-roots liberals don't like Tanden because of her outspoken criticism of the party's progressive movement and its standard-bearer, former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. Conservatives don't like her because of her personal jabs at their leaders.

And Tanden's views are well-documented, given that some of her most incendiary comments came on social media.

Concern about problematic tweets might seem quaint after four years of Donald Trump's presidency, of course. And the Senate's 2018 confirmation of Ric Grenell - a notorious Twitter provocateur - to be Trump's ambassador to Germany suggests that inflammatory social media posts are not by themselves disqualifying.

Grenell, however, had a Republican majority supporting his nomination. Pending the outcome of Georgia's Senate races, Biden could face a chamber controlled by the opposition - and a left flank disinclined to help.

Biden has touted his ability to work with the Senate to get things done. If he wants Tanden, this will be an early test of his skills.

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2020-11-30 22:06:00Z
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Brazil's Amazon: Deforestation 'surges to 12-year high' - BBC News

An aerial view of a deforested plot of the Amazon at the Bom Futuro National Forest in Porto Velho, Rondonia State, Brazil, September 3, 2015
Reuters

Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has surged to its highest level since 2008, the country's space agency (Inpe) reports.

A total of 11,088 sq km (4,281 sq miles) of rainforest were destroyed from August 2019 to July 2020.

The Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming.

Scientists say the Amazon has suffered losses at an accelerated rate since Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019.

The Brazilian president has encouraged agriculture and mining activities in the world's largest rainforest.

The Amazon is home to about three million species of plants and animals, and one million indigenous people.

The latest data from Inpe shows that deforestation increased by 9.5% compared to the previous 12 months.

  • Amazon under threat: Fires, loggers and now virus
  • Deforested Amazon areas 'net emitters of CO2'

It also marked a major increase from the 7,536 sq km announced by Inpe in 2018 - the year before Mr Bolsonaro took office.

The new figures are preliminary, with the official statistics set to be released early next year.

Brazil had set a goal of slowing the pace of deforestation to 3,900 sq km annually by 2020.

In addition to encouraging development in the rainforest, President Bolsonaro has also cut funding to federal agencies that have the power to fine and arrest farmers and loggers breaking environmental law.

Mr Bolsonaro has previously clashed with Inpe over its deforestation data. Last year, he accused the agency of smearing Brazil's reputation.

Brazil's deforestation in charts

In a statement, Brazilian non-governmental organisation Climate Observatory said the figures "reflect the result of a successful initiative to annihilate the capacity of the Brazilian State and the inspection bodies to take care of our forests and fight crime in the Amazon".

But some officials said the fact that the rate of increase was lower than that recorded last year was a sign of progress.

"While we are not here to celebrate this, it does signify that the efforts we are making are beginning to bear fruit," Vice-President Hamilton MourĂ£o said, according to Reuters news agency.

2px presentational grey line

Bolsonaro's hand

Analysis box by David Shukman, science editor

The scale of destruction in the Amazon rainforest is hard to comprehend.

Last year I experienced the silent aftermath of deforestation where huge trees had been bulldozed and would later be burned.

This is done to create fields for cattle grazing and soya cultivation - big earners for Brazil.

At the time it was said that an area of forest the size of a football pitch was cleared every single minute.

But soon that calculation was overtaken, and this year has seen the largest fires for a decade.

None of this should be a surprise: Jair Bolsonaro, was elected on a promise of development.

Keen to promote mining as well as agriculture, he described the Amazon as "a periodic table" of valuable minerals, and he resents what he sees as outside interference.

But climate scientists say the billions of trees are a vast store of carbon and, without them, the rise in global temperatures will accelerate.

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2020-11-30 21:31:00Z
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Biden to nominate Janet Yellen as US treasury secretary - BBC News

Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks during a panel discussion in Atlanta, Georgia
Reuters

US President-elect Joe Biden has named ex-Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as his nominee for treasury secretary.

If confirmed by the Senate, she would be the first woman ever to hold the post.

She was among several women chosen for top economic positions. The Biden transition team said others were set to break racial barriers if confirmed.

Mr Biden has pledged to build a diverse administration. He earlier appointed an all-female senior press team.

His transition team said his picks for senior economic roles would help "lift America out of the current economic downturn and build back better".

Mr Biden has also announced the formation of a Presidential Inaugural Committee ahead of his swearing-in on 20 January. The committee will be responsible for organising inauguration-related activities.

The nominations come as Arizona officially certified Mr Biden as the state's winner. Wisconsin is also expected to certify the president-elect later on Monday. President Donald Trump is expected to issue legal challenges to the vote in both states.

Who is Janet Yellen?

Ms Yellen had been widely tipped for the nomination in media reports prior to Monday's announcement.

The 74-year-old economist has served as head of America's central bank and as a top economics adviser to former President Bill Clinton.

She is credited with helping steer the economic recovery after the 2007 financial crisis and ensuing recession.

As chair of the US Federal Reserve, Ms Yellen was known for focusing more attention on the impact of the bank's policies on workers and the costs of America's rising inequality.

Mr Trump bucked Washington tradition when he opted not to appoint Ms Yellen to a second four-year term at the Fed. Starting with Bill Clinton in the 1990s, presidents kept on bank leaders appointed by their predecessors in an effort to de-politicise the bank.

Since leaving the bank in 2018, Ms Yellen has spoken out about climate change and the need for Washington to do more to shield the US economy from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
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In a tweet following Monday's announcement, Ms Yellen said: "We face great challenges as a country right now. To recover, we must restore the American dream - a society where each person can rise to their potential and dream even bigger for their children.

"As Treasury Secretary, I will work every day towards rebuilding that dream for all."

President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde praised Mr Biden's choice, writing in a tweet: "Her intelligence, tenacity and calm approach make Janet a trailblazer for women everywhere."

Republican Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee Chuck Grassley said that he expects Ms Yellen to "get a favourable view" during confirmation hearings before his committee.

What about the other names?

The Biden transition team said the senior economic team is set to include "several historic trailblazers".

Picks include former Obama administration official Wally Adeyemo as deputy treasury secretary and economist Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. If confirmed, Mr Biden's team said both would be the first African Americans in those roles.

Mr Biden will nominate Neera Tanden, who worked with the Obama administration on the creation of Obamacare, to head the Office of Management and Budget. If confirmed, she would be the first woman of colour and first South Asian American to lead the agency.

Center for American Progress Action Fund president Neera Tanden speaks on the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. July 27, 2016.
Reuters

But she is likely to be the hardest confirmation fight in the Senate.

Presentational grey line

Neera Tanden pick draws controversy

Analysis box by Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter

Joe Biden might have his first big presidential appointment fight on his hands.

The president-elect's choice of Neera Tanden, a longtime Democratic operative, to be his White House budget office director - which requires Senate confirmation - is getting sharp attacks from the left and the right.

Grass-roots liberals don't like Tanden because of her outspoken criticism of the party's progressive movement and its standard-bearer, former presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. Conservatives don't like her because of her personal jabs at their leaders.

And Tanden's views are well-documented, given that some of her most incendiary comments came on social media.

Concern about problematic tweets might seem quaint after four years of Donald Trump's presidency, of course. And the Senate's 2018 confirmation of Ric Grenell - a notorious Twitter provocateur - to be Trump's ambassador to Germany suggests that inflammatory social media posts are not by themselves disqualifying.

Grenell, however, had a Republican majority supporting his nomination. Pending the outcome of Georgia's Senate races, Biden could face a chamber controlled by the opposition - and a left flank disinclined to help.

Biden has touted his ability to work with the Senate to get things done. If he wants Tanden, this will be an early test of his skills.

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2020-11-30 20:17:00Z
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