cnbc--2020-11-12--Biden campaign officials criticize how Facebook handled the election and its aftermath

In this photo illustration , Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg seen on a mobile screen as he remotely testifies during the hearing of U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce , Science , and Transportation titled `` Does Section 230 's Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior ? ''
on Capitol Hill in Washington , D.C. , the United States .
Several Biden campaign officials have criticized Facebook 's handling of the 2020 election , suggesting that the incoming administration may not go easy on the company , which has come under increasing government scrutiny in recent years .
Facebook already faces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and state agencies .
Among them is the Federal Trade Commission , which is likely to sue Facebook for antitrust violations before the end of the month , according to a report last week from Politico .
Since first testifying before Congress in 2018 about the Cambridge Analytica scandal , Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been called to explain his company 's actions to government officials multiple times .
In 2020 alone , he has testified before the House Antitrust Subcommittee , Senate Commerce Committee and the FTC .
On Wednesday , Megan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the campaign , criticized Facebook 's choice of words indicating that Biden had won the election .
Two days earlier , Bill Russo , deputy communications director for the Biden campaign , went on a 10-tweet condemnation of Facebook 's handling of misinformation : In response to these tweets , a Facebook spokesman noted that others , albeit no Biden campaign officials , have praised the company 's handling of the election .
Biden campaign digital director Rob Flaherty has also posted several tweets criticizing company 's policies on political ads .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused Facebook of providing no clarity regarding its policy decision to against allowing any new political ads a week prior to the election .
The policy was plagued by a technical issue that improperly blocked ads that were submitted before the deadline .
Flaherty on Wednesday once again criticized Facebook 's ad policies , this time taking issue with the company 's decision to not allow any political ads until December — a decision that impacts the campaigns for the two unsettled Senate races in Georgia .
The state has a runoff set @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management director Rob Leathern tweeted that the company did not have the technical capabilities to allow ads in one specific state while blocking them in others , Flaherty responded with a link to a Facebook statement from December 2018 in which the company announced that it would not allow local political ads in the state of Washington .
Biden officials have made other complaints against Facebook well before the election .
In September , the campaign sent a letter to Zuckerberg accusing the platform of backsliding on its work to protect democracy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticized Facebook 's decision against prohibiting a video posted on the Trump campaign 's Facebook page featuring Donald Trump Jr. claiming without evidence that his father 's opponents have a plan `` to add millions of fraudulent ballots that can cancel your vote and overturn the election . ''
`` No company that considers itself a force for good in democracy , and that purports to take voter suppression seriously , would allow this dangerous claptrap to be spread to millions of people , '' Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should have been the easiest of easy calls under your policies , yet it remains up today . ''

In this photo illustration, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg seen on a mobile screen as he remotely testifies during the hearing of U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation titled "Does Section 230's Sweeping Immunity Enable Big Tech Bad Behavior?" on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States.
Several Biden campaign officials have criticized Facebook's handling of the 2020 election, suggesting that the incoming administration may not go easy on the company, which has come under increasing government scrutiny in recent years.
Facebook already faces antitrust probes and investigations from several federal and state agencies. Among them is the Federal Trade Commission, which is likely to sue Facebook for antitrust violations before the end of the month, according to a report last week from Politico. Since first testifying before Congress in 2018 about the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been called to explain his company's actions to government officials multiple times. In 2020 alone, he has testified before the House Antitrust Subcommittee, Senate Commerce Committee and the FTC.
Now, Biden officials have signaled they're paying close attention.
On Wednesday, Megan Clasen, a senior paid media advisor for the campaign, criticized Facebook's choice of words indicating that Biden had won the election.
Two days earlier, Bill Russo, deputy communications director for the Biden campaign, went on a 10-tweet condemnation of Facebook's handling of misinformation:
In response to these tweets, a Facebook spokesman noted that others, albeit no Biden campaign officials, have praised the company's handling of the election.
Biden campaign digital director Rob Flaherty has also posted several tweets criticizing company's policies on political ads.
In an Oct. 29 statement, Flaherty accused Facebook of providing no clarity regarding its policy decision to against allowing any new political ads a week prior to the election. The policy was plagued by a technical issue that improperly blocked ads that were submitted before the deadline.
Flaherty on Wednesday once again criticized Facebook's ad policies, this time taking issue with the company's decision to not allow any political ads until December — a decision that impacts the campaigns for the two unsettled Senate races in Georgia. The state has a runoff set for Jan. 5. After Facebook product management director Rob Leathern tweeted that the company did not have the technical capabilities to allow ads in one specific state while blocking them in others, Flaherty responded with a link to a Facebook statement from December 2018 in which the company announced that it would not allow local political ads in the state of Washington.
Biden officials have made other complaints against Facebook well before the election. In September, the campaign sent a letter to Zuckerberg accusing the platform of backsliding on its work to protect democracy in the U.S.
Specifically, the campaign criticized Facebook's decision against prohibiting a video posted on the Trump campaign's Facebook page featuring Donald Trump Jr. claiming without evidence that his father's opponents have a plan "to add millions of fraudulent ballots that can cancel your vote and overturn the election."
"No company that considers itself a force for good in democracy, and that purports to take voter suppression seriously, would allow this dangerous claptrap to be spread to millions of people," Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon wrote in the letter. "Removing this video should have been the easiest of easy calls under your policies, yet it remains up today."


cnbc--2020-11-12--Democratic megadonors target Georgia U.S. Senate fight after helping Joe Biden

Democratic candidates for Georgia senate Rev .
Raphael Warnock , right , and Jon Ossoff , attend a drive-in rally with Muscogee County Democrats at the Civic Center in Columbus , Ga. , on Thursday , October 29 , 2020 .
Now that President-elect Joe Biden has defeated President Donald Trump , Democratic megadonors are shifting gears toward the U.S. Senate fights in Georgia , which will decide the balance of power in the upper chamber .
The race between Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock has been deemed a runoff by NBC News .
The other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Republican Sen. David Perdue has yet to be called by NBC News , although Georgia 's secretary of state has said it would be going to a runoff .
In recent days , Democratic leaders , including those within the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee , have reached out to some of the top donors and bundlers in the party to help with the two races .
The Georgia campaign is expected to cost over $ 100 million .
For Republicans , the Senate Leadership Fund , a super PAC run by allies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-Ky. , will be leading the way in outside spending .
`` The DSCC will play a pivotal role in Democrats ' [ get out the vote ] programs in Georgia and we need your help to maximize our efforts , '' the committee told donors and financiers in a recent email that also points contributors to the Ossoff-Warnock Victory Fund .
The fund is a joint fundraising committee between Ossoff , Warnock and the DSCC , where donors can write big checks .
Representatives for Warnock and Ossoff did not return requests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money Democratic donors has been freed up to help in these races in the wake of their efforts in Biden 's successful run for president .
Many of the donors now getting involved were listed as helping raise over $ 100,000 for Biden .
The wealthy donors ' involvement in Georgia also comes after several spent millions on a string of Senate races that , in some cases , ended up going toward Republicans .
Georgia will hold a hand recount of the presidential race as Biden holds a lead of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the state 's nearly 5 million votes counted .
The winners of the Georgia contests will decide who controls the Senate .
As of now , the GOP will hold at least 50 seats in the Senate in January , according to NBC projections .
If Democrats end up winning both Georgia races , they will have the majority due to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris ' tiebreaking vote .
Media moguls Jeff Katzenberg and Byron Allen are two of the co-hosts for a virtual fundraiser for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefed on the matter .
Tickets start at $ 54 and go up to $ 15,600 , according to an invitation , which does not say the names of those hosting the virtual gathering .
The funds will go toward the Georgia Senate Victory Fund , another joint fundraising committee between Warnock and Ossoff .
Those who declined to be named in this story did so in order to speak freely .
Reid Hoffman , a co-founder of LinkedIn and a partner at venture capital firm Greylock Partners , has started encouraging those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the battle in Georgia , according to another person familiar with the matter .
Hoffman did not return a request for comment .
Ron Conway , a longtime Silicon Valley investor , is also raising money for the two contenders , according to another source with direct knowledge of the matter .
Haim Saban , a film and television producer who brought the `` Mighty Morphin ' Power Rangers '' to the United States , is leaving the door open to helping raise campaign cash in Georgia .
`` I will always stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Saban told CNBC .
He also expressed a sense of frustration with Democratic losses both in the House and in key Senate races .
Democrats were expecting to make many more gains from contests in Maine , Iowa , Montana and North Carolina .
They ended up losing those races .
Saban did not blame the outside groups that he contributed to for the losses , such as the House Majority PAC and Senate Majority PAC .
Instead , he blamed progressives and their messaging that he says impacted moderate candidates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ far-left fringe of the party pushing an agenda ... allowed Trump and Republicans to gleefully paint Democrats as socialists , '' Saban said .
`` These actions have potential to hamstring the Biden-Harris administration before it gets off the ground , and those responsible should be held accountable . ''
Progressive leaders , including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , have defended the way those on the left handled the 2020 election and argue that issues such as `` Medicare for All '' helped in swing districts .
`` All of the Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All co-sponsors won their re-elections , and all-but one of the Democrats in swing districts who are Green New Deal co-sponsors won their re-elections , '' the Justice Democrats and other progressive groups said in a post-election memo .
Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , said in an op-ed published Wednesday that `` corporate Democrats '' are attacking policies he has championed .
`` Now , with the blame game erupting , corporate Democrats are attacking so-called far-left policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal for election defeats in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead wrong , '' he said .
One megadonor who might not help Democrats in the Peach State is billionaire Mike Bloomberg .
When CNBC asked one of his top political lieutenants whether he will give big during the Jan. 5 Georgia runoff , the advisor said Bloomberg had already given $ 5 million to Georgia Democratic activist Stacey Abrams ' Fair Fight organization .
Records show that donation came late last year .
Bloomberg has a net worth of just under $ 55 billion , according to Forbes .

Democratic candidates for Georgia senate Rev. Raphael Warnock, right, and Jon Ossoff, attend a drive-in rally with Muscogee County Democrats at the Civic Center in Columbus, Ga., on Thursday, October 29, 2020.
Now that President-elect Joe Biden has defeated President Donald Trump, Democratic megadonors are shifting gears toward the U.S. Senate fights in Georgia, which will decide the balance of power in the upper chamber.
The race between Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democratic challenger Raphael Warnock has been deemed a runoff by NBC News. The other Senate race, involving Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Sen. David Perdue has yet to be called by NBC News, although Georgia's secretary of state has said it would be going to a runoff.
In recent days, Democratic leaders, including those within the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, have reached out to some of the top donors and bundlers in the party to help with the two races.
The Georgia campaign is expected to cost over $100 million. For Republicans, the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC run by allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., will be leading the way in outside spending.
"The DSCC will play a pivotal role in Democrats' [get out the vote] programs in Georgia and we need your help to maximize our efforts," the committee told donors and financiers in a recent email that also points contributors to the Ossoff-Warnock Victory Fund.
The fund is a joint fundraising committee between Ossoff, Warnock and the DSCC, where donors can write big checks.
Representatives for Warnock and Ossoff did not return requests for comment.
A number of big money Democratic donors has been freed up to help in these races in the wake of their efforts in Biden's successful run for president. Many of the donors now getting involved were listed as helping raise over $100,000 for Biden.
The wealthy donors' involvement in Georgia also comes after several spent millions on a string of Senate races that, in some cases, ended up going toward Republicans.
Georgia will hold a hand recount of the presidential race as Biden holds a lead of more than 14,000 votes with more than 99% of the state's nearly 5 million votes counted.
The winners of the Georgia contests will decide who controls the Senate. As of now, the GOP will hold at least 50 seats in the Senate in January, according to NBC projections. If Democrats end up winning both Georgia races, they will have the majority due to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' tiebreaking vote.
Media moguls Jeff Katzenberg and Byron Allen are two of the co-hosts for a virtual fundraiser for Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock on Tuesday, according to a person briefed on the matter. Tickets start at $54 and go up to $15,600, according to an invitation, which does not say the names of those hosting the virtual gathering. The funds will go toward the Georgia Senate Victory Fund, another joint fundraising committee between Warnock and Ossoff.
Those who declined to be named in this story did so in order to speak freely.
Reid Hoffman, a co-founder of LinkedIn and a partner at venture capital firm Greylock Partners, has started encouraging those in his extensive network to give to the battle in Georgia, according to another person familiar with the matter.
Hoffman did not return a request for comment.
Ron Conway, a longtime Silicon Valley investor, is also raising money for the two contenders, according to another source with direct knowledge of the matter.
Haim Saban, a film and television producer who brought the "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" to the United States, is leaving the door open to helping raise campaign cash in Georgia.
"I will always stand ready to help Democrats get elected," Saban told CNBC. He also expressed a sense of frustration with Democratic losses both in the House and in key Senate races. Democrats were expecting to make many more gains from contests in Maine, Iowa, Montana and North Carolina. They ended up losing those races.
Saban did not blame the outside groups that he contributed to for the losses, such as the House Majority PAC and Senate Majority PAC. Instead, he blamed progressives and their messaging that he says impacted moderate candidates.
"Fault lies with those on the far-left fringe of the party pushing an agenda ... allowed Trump and Republicans to gleefully paint Democrats as socialists," Saban said. "These actions have potential to hamstring the Biden-Harris administration before it gets off the ground, and those responsible should be held accountable."
Progressive leaders, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have defended the way those on the left handled the 2020 election and argue that issues such as "Medicare for All" helped in swing districts.
"All of the Democrats in swing districts who are Medicare for All co-sponsors won their re-elections, and all-but one of the Democrats in swing districts who are Green New Deal co-sponsors won their re-elections," the Justice Democrats and other progressive groups said in a post-election memo.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said in an op-ed published Wednesday that "corporate Democrats" are attacking policies he has championed.
"Now, with the blame game erupting, corporate Democrats are attacking so-called far-left policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal for election defeats in the House and the Senate. They are dead wrong," he said.
One megadonor who might not help Democrats in the Peach State is billionaire Mike Bloomberg. When CNBC asked one of his top political lieutenants whether he will give big during the Jan. 5 Georgia runoff, the advisor said Bloomberg had already given $5 million to Georgia Democratic activist Stacey Abrams' Fair Fight organization. Records show that donation came late last year.
Bloomberg has a net worth of just under $55 billion, according to Forbes.


cnbc--2020-11-12--Koch network plans for life after Trump following Joe Biden's victory

In this February 26 , 2007 file photograph , Charles Koch , head of Koch Industries , talks passionately about his new book on Market Based Management .
The political advocacy organization backed by billionaire Charles Koch is preparing for life after President Donald Trump as the libertarian-leaning group looks at policies where they may push back and seek possible alliance with President-elect Joe Biden .
The Koch network has had a mixed relationship with the Trump administration .
They cheered for Trump 's tax cuts , business deregulation , push for criminal justice reform and his nominees to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implementation of tariffs and the way he treated those participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals , or DACA , program .
The network has been open to backing Democrats in congressional races and refused to help Trump 's bid for reelection .
A Koch-backed group known as the Libre Initiative recently supported Democrats , including Rep. Henry Cuellar , D-Texas , during his successful primary earlier this year .
The Koch-linked Americans for Prosperity , or AFP , backed Republican Senate candidates in 2020 .
Still , that slight change of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a different relationship with Biden compared with the often tense battles they had with the former vice president 's old boss , President Barack Obama .
The group spent millions against Obama during his 2012 reelection campaign and pushed back on a wide array of his proposals , including the Affordable Care Act .
`` It 's a very different Koch network that Biden did n't see much of during his years under Obama , '' a longtime associate of the organization told CNBC .
Those who declined to be named in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freely .
The network is keeping a close eye on the Georgia Senate fight to determine its priorities in the coming months , according to others briefed on the matter .
At least one Senate race in that state , between Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock , has been called by NBC News to go to a runoff in January .
NBC News has yet to determine whether the other race , between Democrat Jon Ossoff and GOP Sen. David Perdue , will also go to a runoff .
Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved with an Ossoff-Perdue runoff .
Both races could decide the fate of which party controls the Senate 's agenda .
AFP declined to comment for this story .
A spokesman for the Biden transition team did not return a request for comment .
Dan Garza , president of the Libre Initiative , pointed to Biden 's goal of reaching across the aisle to Republicans as a good sign for his organization .
He said further reforms to the criminal justice code , immigration policies and trade proposals could be some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president-elect .
Issues of concern , Garza said , include Biden 's proposal to raise taxes , any move to pack the Supreme Court and what he called a `` war on energy production . ''
`` I see opportunity , but I do see areas where we are going to have to resist , '' Garza said in an interview with CNBC .
Some of Biden 's reported goals in his first 100 days in office seem to be at least partially aligned with what the Koch orbit has been pushing for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term .
Biden , according to The Wall Street Journal , is expected to review the tariffs levied by the Trump administration on a variety of European and Chinese goods .
CBS News reported that Biden plans to fully restore the Obama-era DACA program after Trump 's unsuccessful attempts to end it .
Though Trump did sign a criminal justice reform bill known as the First Step Act , Biden appears to want to build off that .
His campaign 's plan mentions the idea of creating a `` new $ 20 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shift from incarceration to prevention '' and the need to incentivize states to focus on creating jobs and mentorships as a solution to youth incarceration .
A person familiar with the network pointed to Obama 's remarks in 2015 mentioning the Koch network for its efforts on criminal justice reform as a sign that Biden could find a way to work with them .
`` You 've got the NAACP and the Koch brothers , '' Obama said at the NAACP annual convention , referring to Charles and his late brother David , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you 've got to give them credit .
You 've got to call it like you see it , '' he said when discussing the groups working to fix the criminal justice system .
Grover Norquist , the president of the conservative Americans for Tax Reform , told CNBC he 's known the Koch brothers for over 40 years .
He supported Trump 's tax cuts and has seemingly opposed all of Biden 's economic proposals .
Yet even he admitted that criminal justice reform could be where the Koch network finds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hinted , however , that outside of trade agreements , a Biden White House could see a plethora of disagreements with the Koch network .
`` Some trade agreements possible .
But not much , '' Norquist told CNBC when asked where Biden and Koch could see eye to eye .
Dan Eberhart , a Republican donor who has attended Koch seminars in the past , says the network might ultimately focus on pushing its goals on trade and protect its other gains .
`` Koch will seek to protect the gains made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulatory reform through the Senate majority , '' Eberhart told CNBC .
`` They may try to reset the trade agenda under Biden , who is certainly more committed to free trade than the Trump administration has been . ''

In this February 26, 2007 file photograph, Charles Koch, head of Koch Industries, talks passionately about his new book on Market Based Management.
The political advocacy organization backed by billionaire Charles Koch is preparing for life after President Donald Trump as the libertarian-leaning group looks at policies where they may push back and seek possible alliance with President-elect Joe Biden.
The Koch network has had a mixed relationship with the Trump administration. They cheered for Trump's tax cuts, business deregulation, push for criminal justice reform and his nominees to the Supreme Court. They fought against his implementation of tariffs and the way he treated those participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program.
The network has been open to backing Democrats in congressional races and refused to help Trump's bid for reelection. A Koch-backed group known as the Libre Initiative recently supported Democrats, including Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, during his successful primary earlier this year. The Koch-linked Americans for Prosperity, or AFP, backed Republican Senate candidates in 2020.
Still, that slight change of tune by the network could lead to a different relationship with Biden compared with the often tense battles they had with the former vice president's old boss, President Barack Obama. The group spent millions against Obama during his 2012 reelection campaign and pushed back on a wide array of his proposals, including the Affordable Care Act.
"It's a very different Koch network that Biden didn't see much of during his years under Obama," a longtime associate of the organization told CNBC.
Those who declined to be named in this story did so in order to speak freely.
The network is keeping a close eye on the Georgia Senate fight to determine its priorities in the coming months, according to others briefed on the matter.
At least one Senate race in that state, between Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock, has been called by NBC News to go to a runoff in January. NBC News has yet to determine whether the other race, between Democrat Jon Ossoff and GOP Sen. David Perdue, will also go to a runoff. Americans for Prosperity recently announced it will be involved with an Ossoff-Perdue runoff.
Both races could decide the fate of which party controls the Senate's agenda.
AFP declined to comment for this story. A spokesman for the Biden transition team did not return a request for comment.
Dan Garza, president of the Libre Initiative, pointed to Biden's goal of reaching across the aisle to Republicans as a good sign for his organization. He said further reforms to the criminal justice code, immigration policies and trade proposals could be some of the areas where the network may support the president-elect.
Issues of concern, Garza said, include Biden's proposal to raise taxes, any move to pack the Supreme Court and what he called a "war on energy production."
"I see opportunity, but I do see areas where we are going to have to resist," Garza said in an interview with CNBC.
Some of Biden's reported goals in his first 100 days in office seem to be at least partially aligned with what the Koch orbit has been pushing for in the later stages of Trump's term.
Biden, according to The Wall Street Journal, is expected to review the tariffs levied by the Trump administration on a variety of European and Chinese goods. CBS News reported that Biden plans to fully restore the Obama-era DACA program after Trump's unsuccessful attempts to end it.
Though Trump did sign a criminal justice reform bill known as the First Step Act, Biden appears to want to build off that. His campaign's plan mentions the idea of creating a "new $20 billion competitive grant program to spur states to shift from incarceration to prevention" and the need to incentivize states to focus on creating jobs and mentorships as a solution to youth incarceration.
A person familiar with the network pointed to Obama's remarks in 2015 mentioning the Koch network for its efforts on criminal justice reform as a sign that Biden could find a way to work with them.
"You've got the NAACP and the Koch brothers," Obama said at the NAACP annual convention, referring to Charles and his late brother David, who died in 2019. "No, you've got to give them credit. You've got to call it like you see it," he said when discussing the groups working to fix the criminal justice system.
Grover Norquist, the president of the conservative Americans for Tax Reform, told CNBC he's known the Koch brothers for over 40 years. He supported Trump's tax cuts and has seemingly opposed all of Biden's economic proposals. Yet even he admitted that criminal justice reform could be where the Koch network finds common ground with Biden.
He also hinted, however, that outside of trade agreements, a Biden White House could see a plethora of disagreements with the Koch network.
"Some trade agreements possible. But not much," Norquist told CNBC when asked where Biden and Koch could see eye to eye.
Dan Eberhart, a Republican donor who has attended Koch seminars in the past, says the network might ultimately focus on pushing its goals on trade and protect its other gains.
"Koch will seek to protect the gains made under the Trump administration on taxes and regulatory reform through the Senate majority," Eberhart told CNBC. "They may try to reset the trade agenda under Biden, who is certainly more committed to free trade than the Trump administration has been."


cnbc--2020-11-13--Billionaire Trump donors Liz and Dick Uihlein test positive for coronavirus

Elizabeth Uihlein ( L ) and Jacob Peters arrive for the State Dinner at The White House honoring Australian PM Morrison on September 20 , 2019 in Washington , DC .
Liz and Dick Uihlein , billionaire owners of the shipping supply company Uline and two of the Republican Party 's biggest donors , have tested positive for the coronavirus , a family spokesman confirmed Thursday to CNBC .
Liz Uihlein , who with her husband is a prominent backer of President Donald Trump , has been critical of government restrictions issued in response to the Covid-19 pandemic .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After all these long months , I thought we 'd never get it , '' Liz Uihlein , Uline 's president and CEO , wrote employees in a statement Wednesday , which was obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel .
Liz Uihlein 's statement referenced Trump 's own infection with the coronavirus last month , in the weeks before the presidential election .
`` Well , Trump [ got ] it ...
If we had not been around people with COVID , we would not have been tested , '' she wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prairie , Wisconsin .
A Uihlein family spokesman told CNBC , `` The email being reported in the media is authentic and was distributed to Uline staff on Nov. 11 on behalf of Liz Uihlein . ''
`` Liz was exposed to Covid-19 by a personal friend , '' the spokesman said .
`` Upon the discovery of the exposure , Liz was tested . ''
The spokesman also said that , despite media reports to the contrary , `` Neither Liz nor Dick attended an event at the White House on Nov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party was held in the East Room of the White House on that day .
Since then , several people who did attend that event have tested positive for Covid-19 .
They include White House chief of staff Mark Meadows , Trump campaign advisor Corey Lewandowski , Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson , conservative activist David Bossie and White House political affairs director Brian Jack .
The Uihleins , who are in their 70s , are ranked by the donation-tracking site OpenSecrets.org as the fifth-largest donors in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contributed a whopping $ 62.8 million to conservative groups this election cycle .
In 2018 , when the Uihleins donated almost $ 40 million to such groups , The New York Times published a profile of them under the headline , `` The Most Powerful Conservative Couple You 've Never Heard Of . ''
Richard Uihlein is a descendant of a founder of the Schlitz beer company .
Liz Uihlein , in an interview with The Guardian newspaper in April , criticized Wisconsin 's stay-at-home orders issued in the early weeks of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's overhyped , '' Uihlein said of the virus in that interview .
`` And I do n't wish anybody ill will .
You know I do n't wish that , but I think it hurts certain ages in certain places and largely in a lot of parts of the world .
In the country it 's not as rampant as the press would have you make it . ''
That interview came weeks after the Times reported in late March — as numerous countries around the world told workers to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Uline had `` kept its work force going through the week , despite complaints from employees , including those crowded into its call centers , working side-by-side in cubicles . ''
`` Nothing 's really changed , '' said a Uline worker quoted by the Times .
`` It 's just nerve-racking . ''
The Times reported in that same article that Uline employees had received an email from the Uihlein family touting `` huge orders '' from the White House in the past week .
On the same day as that email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call center manager sent workers a note saying , `` If you , or family members , are under the weather with cold/allergies — or anything aside from Covid-19 ... please do NOT tell your peers about the symptoms & your assumptions .
By doing so , you are causing unnecessary panic in the office . ''
In August , Liz Uihlein was reportedly granted an exemption from Canada 's two-week mandatory quarantine for foreign visitors when she flew there on a private jet to visit a Uline office and warehouse .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Liz Uihlein and two company executives were given formal exemptions from the rules , which had been in effect since March .
Canada 's minister of public safety later said that the decision to allow Uline executives to visit without quarantining was made by Canada Border Services Agency officers and that their `` entry should not have been provided . ''
`` CBC News has learned that Halton Regional Police officers were sent to the Uline offices in Milton on the morning of Aug. 26 to follow up on a complaint that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meetings where no one was wearing a mask , '' the outlet reported .
In a statement issued to CNBC on Thursday , before the family spokesman issued the statement confirming that the Uihleins have Covid-19 , Uline said , `` The health and safety of Uline employees continues to be our top priority . ''
`` Uline has instituted numerous changes to normal operating policies to respond to COVID-19 with health and safety in mind , '' the company said .
`` As we are made aware of positive cases among Uline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ others who may be exposed to the virus , so the proper protocols can be quickly put into place , '' the company said .
Trump tested positive for Covid-19 in early October , as did first lady Melania Trump , their son Barron , and more than 30 other people connected to the White House , to the president 's reelection campaign and to a White House event held in late September formally announcing his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court .
Trump has been blasted since early this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis , which has led to more than 10 million infections and more than 240,000 deaths in the United States .
In the past week , the number of daily new cases of Covid-19 has shattered records .
Trump , who originally said the virus would not spread , has said at times that the virus would miraculously disappear , condemned state restrictions designed to limit the spread of the virus , and suggested absurd ideas for treating Covid-19 , including injecting disinfectants into people .

Elizabeth Uihlein (L) and Jacob Peters arrive for the State Dinner at The White House honoring Australian PM Morrison on September 20, 2019 in Washington, DC.
Liz and Dick Uihlein, billionaire owners of the shipping supply company Uline and two of the Republican Party's biggest donors, have tested positive for the coronavirus, a family spokesman confirmed Thursday to CNBC.
Liz Uihlein, who with her husband is a prominent backer of President Donald Trump, has been critical of government restrictions issued in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Dick and I tested positive for COVID. After all these long months, I thought we'd never get it," Liz Uihlein, Uline's president and CEO, wrote employees in a statement Wednesday, which was obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Liz Uihlein's statement referenced Trump's own infection with the coronavirus last month, in the weeks before the presidential election.
"Well, Trump [got] it ... If we had not been around people with COVID, we would not have been tested," she wrote. The company is based in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
A Uihlein family spokesman told CNBC, "The email being reported in the media is authentic and was distributed to Uline staff on Nov. 11 on behalf of Liz Uihlein."
"Liz was exposed to Covid-19 by a personal friend," the spokesman said. "Upon the discovery of the exposure, Liz was tested."
The spokesman also said that, despite media reports to the contrary, "Neither Liz nor Dick attended an event at the White House on Nov. 3."
An election night party was held in the East Room of the White House on that day.
Since then, several people who did attend that event have tested positive for Covid-19. They include White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Trump campaign advisor Corey Lewandowski, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson, conservative activist David Bossie and White House political affairs director Brian Jack.
The Uihleins, who are in their 70s, are ranked by the donation-tracking site OpenSecrets.org as the fifth-largest donors in the United States to outside political spending organizations, having contributed a whopping $62.8 million to conservative groups this election cycle.
In 2018, when the Uihleins donated almost $40 million to such groups, The New York Times published a profile of them under the headline, "The Most Powerful Conservative Couple You've Never Heard Of."
Richard Uihlein is a descendant of a founder of the Schlitz beer company.
Liz Uihlein, in an interview with The Guardian newspaper in April, criticized Wisconsin's stay-at-home orders issued in the early weeks of the pandemic in the United States.
"It's overhyped," Uihlein said of the virus in that interview.
"And I don't wish anybody ill will. You know I don't wish that, but I think it hurts certain ages in certain places and largely in a lot of parts of the world. In the country it's not as rampant as the press would have you make it."
That interview came weeks after the Times reported in late March — as numerous countries around the world told workers to stay home because of Covid-19 concerns — that Uline had "kept its work force going through the week, despite complaints from employees, including those crowded into its call centers, working side-by-side in cubicles."
"Nothing's really changed," said a Uline worker quoted by the Times. "It's just nerve-racking."
The Times reported in that same article that Uline employees had received an email from the Uihlein family touting "huge orders" from the White House in the past week.
On the same day as that email, the newspaper reported, a Uline call center manager sent workers a note saying, "If you, or family members, are under the weather with cold/allergies — or anything aside from Covid-19 ... please do NOT tell your peers about the symptoms & your assumptions. By doing so, you are causing unnecessary panic in the office."
In August, Liz Uihlein was reportedly granted an exemption from Canada's two-week mandatory quarantine for foreign visitors when she flew there on a private jet to visit a Uline office and warehouse.
A company spokesman told CBC News in Canada that Liz Uihlein and two company executives were given formal exemptions from the rules, which had been in effect since March.
Canada's minister of public safety later said that the decision to allow Uline executives to visit without quarantining was made by Canada Border Services Agency officers and that their "entry should not have been provided."
"CBC News has learned that Halton Regional Police officers were sent to the Uline offices in Milton on the morning of Aug. 26 to follow up on a complaint that the American visitors were holding large group meetings where no one was wearing a mask," the outlet reported.
In a statement issued to CNBC on Thursday, before the family spokesman issued the statement confirming that the Uihleins have Covid-19, Uline said, "The health and safety of Uline employees continues to be our top priority."
"Uline has instituted numerous changes to normal operating policies to respond to COVID-19 with health and safety in mind," the company said.
"As we are made aware of positive cases among Uline personnel, we continue to promptly notify others who may be exposed to the virus, so the proper protocols can be quickly put into place," the company said.
Trump tested positive for Covid-19 in early October, as did first lady Melania Trump, their son Barron, and more than 30 other people connected to the White House, to the president's reelection campaign and to a White House event held in late September formally announcing his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
Trump has been blasted since early this year for his handling of the coronavirus crisis, which has led to more than 10 million infections and more than 240,000 deaths in the United States. In the past week, the number of daily new cases of Covid-19 has shattered records.
Trump, who originally said the virus would not spread, has said at times that the virus would miraculously disappear, condemned state restrictions designed to limit the spread of the virus, and suggested absurd ideas for treating Covid-19, including injecting disinfectants into people.


cnbc--2020-11-13--Biden advisors are increasingly concerned about the lack of intel briefings and Covid-19 coordinatio

Biden advisors are increasingly concerned about the lack of intel briefings and Covid-19 coordination

U.S. president elect Joe Biden and Vice president-elect Kamala Harris appear on video screens as they hold a virtual meeting with their coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) advisory council in Wilmington , Delaware , U.S. November 9 , 2020 .
WASHINGTON — Top advisors on President-elect Joe Biden 's transition team spoke of their growing concerns Friday over the Trump administration 's continued refusal to allow Biden to receive briefings on national security and on the federal coronavirus response .
During a briefing with reporters six days after independent news organizations called the presidential race for Biden , senior transition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy had yet to perform the customary duty of ascertaining that Biden had indeed won the race .
`` We 're not interested in having a food fight with the GSA administrator , or anyone really , we just want to get access to intelligence information , to threat assessments , and to the ongoing work on Covid , so that we can prepare to govern , to bring the American people together and to get the pandemic under control , '' said Psaki .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider taking legal action against the GSA , Psaki refused to take any options `` off the table '' but added : `` Our preference would be that the ascertainment happens , that the letter is signed and that we all move forward in preparing President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to govern . ''
President Donald Trump , however , is still claiming the election was `` rigged '' and that he should have won it , despite the fact that he currently trails Biden by nearly 70 electoral votes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuits this week aimed at challenging the election results .
As long as Trump refuses to accept his defeat , federal agencies have been instructed not to engage with anyone from Biden 's transition teams .
In recent days , two types of briefings have emerged as flashpoints in the ongoing deadlock over when Biden 's transition can formally begin : The first is the Presidential Daily Briefing on national security threats ; the other is the internal planning for the government 's Covid-19 response .
With `` each passing day , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or to back-channel conversations that are happening , really puts the American people 's interest as it relates to their national security at risk , '' said Abraham .
States must certify their election results before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14 .
It is unclear if or when Trump might concede or what impact that would have on the GSA ascertainment process .
Biden plans to spend the weekend relaxing at his family 's beach house in Rehobeth , Delaware .
Next week , said Psaki , Biden will bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committed to putting Americans back to work , '' suggesting that economic recovery and stimulus talks could be a top priority .
Psaki declined to provide details on any economic stimulus plans currently being discussed by transition officials , nor would she elaborate on whom , precisely , Biden has been speaking with in the Republican caucus .
Earlier this week , Biden announced a new Covid-19 advisory board of health experts , as well as a 30-person volunteer agency review team focused solely on the Department of Health and Human Services , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the coronavirus pandemic .
New coronavirus infections skyrocketed this week , and on Thursday the nation marked a grim new milestone : Over 150,000 cases were reported in a single day .
Across the country , city and state leaders are weighing calls for new restrictions on schools , indoor dining and private gatherings against the potential damage further shutdowns could inflict on a still-vulnerable economic recovery .
As soon as the first coronavirus vaccine is approved for widespread use , the federal government is expected to launch an unprecedented , quasi-wartime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ millions of doses of the vaccine .
The bulk of this distribution is expected to take place after Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20 , making it all the more important that his incoming staff gets access to the planning and preparations for the vaccine effort .

U.S. president elect Joe Biden and Vice president-elect Kamala Harris appear on video screens as they hold a virtual meeting with their coronavirus disease (COVID-19) advisory council in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. November 9, 2020.
WASHINGTON — Top advisors on President-elect Joe Biden's transition team spoke of their growing concerns Friday over the Trump administration's continued refusal to allow Biden to receive briefings on national security and on the federal coronavirus response.
During a briefing with reporters six days after independent news organizations called the presidential race for Biden, senior transition aides Jen Psaki and Yohannes Abraham lamented the fact that General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy had yet to perform the customary duty of ascertaining that Biden had indeed won the race.
"We're not interested in having a food fight with the GSA administrator, or anyone really, we just want to get access to intelligence information, to threat assessments, and to the ongoing work on Covid, so that we can prepare to govern, to bring the American people together and to get the pandemic under control," said Psaki.
Pressed on whether the Biden campaign would consider taking legal action against the GSA, Psaki refused to take any options "off the table" but added: "Our preference would be that the ascertainment happens, that the letter is signed and that we all move forward in preparing President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to govern."
President Donald Trump, however, is still claiming the election was "rigged" and that he should have won it, despite the fact that he currently trails Biden by nearly 70 electoral votes and his campaign lost a series of lawsuits this week aimed at challenging the election results.
As long as Trump refuses to accept his defeat, federal agencies have been instructed not to engage with anyone from Biden's transition teams.
In recent days, two types of briefings have emerged as flashpoints in the ongoing deadlock over when Biden's transition can formally begin: The first is the Presidential Daily Briefing on national security threats; the other is the internal planning for the government's Covid-19 response.
With "each passing day, the lack of access to current classified operations, or to back-channel conversations that are happening, really puts the American people's interest as it relates to their national security at risk," said Abraham.
States must certify their election results before the Electoral College meets on Dec. 14. It is unclear if or when Trump might concede or what impact that would have on the GSA ascertainment process.
Biden plans to spend the weekend relaxing at his family's beach house in Rehobeth, Delaware.
Next week, said Psaki, Biden will bring Republicans and Democrats together "who are committed to putting Americans back to work," suggesting that economic recovery and stimulus talks could be a top priority.
Psaki declined to provide details on any economic stimulus plans currently being discussed by transition officials, nor would she elaborate on whom, precisely, Biden has been speaking with in the Republican caucus.
Earlier this week, Biden announced a new Covid-19 advisory board of health experts, as well as a 30-person volunteer agency review team focused solely on the Department of Health and Human Services, the lead agency overseeing the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic.
New coronavirus infections skyrocketed this week, and on Thursday the nation marked a grim new milestone: Over 150,000 cases were reported in a single day. Across the country, city and state leaders are weighing calls for new restrictions on schools, indoor dining and private gatherings against the potential damage further shutdowns could inflict on a still-vulnerable economic recovery.
As soon as the first coronavirus vaccine is approved for widespread use, the federal government is expected to launch an unprecedented, quasi-wartime effort to manufacture and distribute hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine.
The bulk of this distribution is expected to take place after Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20, making it all the more important that his incoming staff gets access to the planning and preparations for the vaccine effort.


cnbc--2020-11-13--Trump strikes out in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania ballot challenges, Biden's lead more secure

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the Arizona Grand Resort and Spa in Phoenix , Arizona U.S. , September 14 , 2020 .
President Donald Trump 's already long-shot efforts to reverse an apparent win for President-elect Joe Biden by challenging votes in courts suffered three big setbacks in Arizona , Michigan and Pennylvania on Friday .
But Trump still refused to concede the race , which he has falsely claimed to have won , even as experts say he has little if any hope left of invalidating enough Biden votes — in multiple states — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Electoral College tally .
In Arizona on Friday , Trump 's campaign dropped a legal challenge of a number of ballots in Maricopa County , saying Biden 's overall lead in the state is too large for the disputed ballots to make a difference .
The move came a day after NBC News and other media outlets projected that Biden will win the state 's popular vote .
In Michigan , where Biden last week was projected as the winner , a judge declined a request by Trump backers to block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And in Pennsylvania , Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said she has determined not to order a recount and a recanvass of the election return in 67 counties .
For a recount to be ordered , Trump would have to be losing by less than .5 % of the votes cast .
But Biden 's lead over Trump was 49.8 % to Trump 's 48.9 % , or more than 60,000 votes , as of Friday afternoon in the Keystone State , which has 20 Electoral votes .
Later Friday , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected a request from Trump 's campaign to halt the counting of nearly 600 ballots there , which the campaign claimed were missing their addressess under a signature on the outer envelope .
Court of Common Pleas Judge Richard Haaz in his ruling said that state law does not require a voter to provide an addres on the envelope .
In the Michigan case , the judge rejected allegations by two poll challengers who claimed to have seen irregularities that allowed invalid ballots to be counted .
Timothy Kenny , chief judge of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said those people `` did not have a full understanding '' of the vote counting process and their `` interpretation of events is incorrect and not credible . ''
Biden is ahead of Trump by more than 145,000 votes in Michigan .
In its filing Friday in Maricopa County court , where Trump 's campaign had claimed that numerous voters had their ballots invalidated , the campaign said that `` the tabulation of votes statewide , '' which showed Biden leading by nearly 11,000 votes , has rendered unncessary a judicial ruling as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has 11 votes in the Electoral College .
NBC last week had projected that Biden will win Michigan , which has 16 electoral votes .

U.S. President Donald Trump walks down the West Wing colonnade to the Rose Garden to deliver an update on the so-called "Operation Warp Speed" program, the joint Defense Department and HHS initiative that has struck deals with several drugmakers in an effort to help speed up the search for effective treatments for the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at the White House in Washington, November 13, 2020.
President Donald Trump's already long-shot efforts to reverse an apparent win for President-elect Joe Biden by challenging votes in courts suffered three big setbacks in Arizona, Michigan and Pennylvania on Friday.
But Trump still refused to concede the race, which he has falsely claimed to have won, even as experts say he has little if any hope left of invalidating enough Biden votes — in multiple states — to surpass the former Democratic vice president in the Electoral College tally.
In Arizona on Friday, Trump's campaign dropped a legal challenge of a number of ballots in Maricopa County, saying Biden's overall lead in the state is too large for the disputed ballots to make a difference.
The move came a day after NBC News and other media outlets projected that Biden will win the state's popular vote.
In Michigan, where Biden last week was projected as the winner, a judge declined a request by Trump backers to block the certification of election results in Detroit.
And in Pennsylvania, Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said she has determined not to order a recount and a recanvass of the election return in 67 counties.
For a recount to be ordered, Trump would have to be losing by less than .5% of the votes cast.
But Biden's lead over Trump was 49.8% to Trump's 48.9%, or more than 60,000 votes, as of Friday afternoon in the Keystone State, which has 20 Electoral votes.
Later Friday, a judge in Montgomery County, Pa., rejected a request from Trump's campaign to halt the counting of nearly 600 ballots there, which the campaign claimed were missing their addressess under a signature on the outer envelope.
Court of Common Pleas Judge Richard Haaz in his ruling said that state law does not require a voter to provide an addres on the envelope.
In the Michigan case, the judge rejected allegations by two poll challengers who claimed to have seen irregularities that allowed invalid ballots to be counted.
Timothy Kenny, chief judge of Wayne County Circuit Court in Detroit, said those people "did not have a full understanding" of the vote counting process and their "interpretation of events is incorrect and not credible."
Biden is ahead of Trump by more than 145,000 votes in Michigan.
In its filing Friday in Maricopa County court, where Trump's campaign had claimed that numerous voters had their ballots invalidated, the campaign said that "the tabulation of votes statewide," which showed Biden leading by nearly 11,000 votes, has rendered unncessary a judicial ruling as to the presidential electors."
Arizona has 11 votes in the Electoral College. NBC last week had projected that Biden will win Michigan, which has 16 electoral votes.


cnbc--2020-11-13--Joe Biden is the apparent winner over Trump in Georgia, the first Democrat to take the state since '

Joe Biden is the apparent winner over Trump in Georgia, the first Democrat to take the state since '92

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks during a drive-in campaign rally in the parking lot of Cellairis Ampitheatre on October 27 , 2020 in Atlanta , Georgia .
President-elect Joe Biden is the apparent winner of Georgia 's presidential race , the first Democrat to win that race in the state since 1992 , NBC News projected Friday .
Biden 's victory would give him 16 more Electoral College votes and further solidify an already large lead over President Donald Trump in both the Electoral College and popular vote tallies .
Georgia 's secretary of state has already said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be conducted because of the closeness of the race .
Biden as of Friday was leading Trump by 49.5 % to 49.2 % of the ballots tallied so far , a margin of about 14,000 votes .
Trump on Friday was projected as the winner in North Carolina , the last state to be called in the race for the White House .
Trump was leading North Carolina , which has 15 Electoral College votes , by 50 % of the votes tallied , to 48.6 % for Biden , who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ votes there .
Biden has secured 306 Electoral College votes , compared with 232 such votes for Trump under current projections .
To win the presidency , a candidate must win at minimum 270 votes in the Electoral College .
Biden , a former Democratic vice president , was projected as the winner of the national presidential race Saturday .
As of Friday , Biden had 50.8 % of the national vote , to 47.4 % for Trump , a margin of more than 5 million votes .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden speaks during a drive-in campaign rally in the parking lot of Cellairis Ampitheatre on October 27, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia.
President-elect Joe Biden is the apparent winner of Georgia's presidential race, the first Democrat to win that race in the state since 1992, NBC News projected Friday.
Biden's victory would give him 16 more Electoral College votes and further solidify an already large lead over President Donald Trump in both the Electoral College and popular vote tallies.
Georgia's secretary of state has already said that a hand recount of all ballots statewide will be conducted because of the closeness of the race. Biden as of Friday was leading Trump by 49.5% to 49.2% of the ballots tallied so far, a margin of about 14,000 votes.
Trump on Friday was projected as the winner in North Carolina, the last state to be called in the race for the White House. Trump was leading North Carolina, which has 15 Electoral College votes, by 50% of the votes tallied, to 48.6% for Biden, who was trailing the incumbent by more than 70,000 votes there.
Biden has secured 306 Electoral College votes, compared with 232 such votes for Trump under current projections.
To win the presidency, a candidate must win at minimum 270 votes in the Electoral College.
Biden, a former Democratic vice president, was projected as the winner of the national presidential race Saturday. As of Friday, Biden had 50.8% of the national vote, to 47.4% for Trump, a margin of more than 5 million votes.


cnbc--2020-11-13--Second Georgia Senate race will go to a runoff, setting up showdown for Senate control

David Perdue and Jon Ossoff , candidates for U.S. Senate in Georgia .
Republicans have won 50 Senate seats so far , according to NBC .
Democrats have flipped one net seat for a total of 48 .
Republican Sen. David Perdue will not break the 50 % threshold needed to win outright in this month 's election and will again face Democrat Jon Ossoff next year .
Georgia will host two runoffs on Jan. 5 , the other being a special election between GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock to finish the remainder of retired Sen. Johnny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate race in Georgia will go to a January runoff , setting up a showdown for the Senate majority , according to NBC News .
Winning both Georgia elections would get them to an even split , giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris a tiebreaking vote and Democrats unified control of the White House and Congress .
Both parties focused their attention and money on Georgia when it appeared two runoffs would determine Senate control .
Perdue , the first-term senator and former business executive , faced Ossoff , a former journalist who lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election in 2017 .
Ossoff has criticized Perdue for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic , including federal investigations into his stock trading around the start of the U.S. Covid-19 crisis .
Meanwhile , Perdue has tried to paint Ossoff as pursuing a `` radical socialist agenda . ''
The race drew national attention and extensive funding as Democrats hoped to flip the Senate in 2020 .
Ossoff 's campaign raised more than $ 32.3 million while Perdue 's campaign collected about $ 21.1 million , according to the Center for Responsive Politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator since 1996 , but a growing young and non-White electorate has helped shift the state into battleground status .
Perdue won his 2014 Senate race by a margin of about 8 percentage points .
This is breaking news .
Check back for updates .

David Perdue and Jon Ossoff, candidates for U.S. Senate in Georgia.
Republicans have won 50 Senate seats so far, according to NBC. Democrats have flipped one net seat for a total of 48.
Republican Sen. David Perdue will not break the 50% threshold needed to win outright in this month's election and will again face Democrat Jon Ossoff next year. Georgia will host two runoffs on Jan. 5, the other being a special election between GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler and Democrat Raphael Warnock to finish the remainder of retired Sen. Johnny Isakson's term.
A second U.S. Senate race in Georgia will go to a January runoff, setting up a showdown for the Senate majority, according to NBC News.
Winning both Georgia elections would get them to an even split, giving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris a tiebreaking vote and Democrats unified control of the White House and Congress. Both parties focused their attention and money on Georgia when it appeared two runoffs would determine Senate control.
Perdue, the first-term senator and former business executive, faced Ossoff, a former journalist who lost a tight, high-profile U.S. House special election in 2017.
Ossoff has criticized Perdue for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, including federal investigations into his stock trading around the start of the U.S. Covid-19 crisis. Meanwhile, Perdue has tried to paint Ossoff as pursuing a "radical socialist agenda."
The race drew national attention and extensive funding as Democrats hoped to flip the Senate in 2020. Ossoff's campaign raised more than $32.3 million while Perdue's campaign collected about $21.1 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Georgia has not elected a Democratic senator since 1996, but a growing young and non-White electorate has helped shift the state into battleground status.
Polling averages suggested a close race between Perdue and Ossoff.
Perdue won his 2014 Senate race by a margin of about 8 percentage points.
This is breaking news. Check back for updates.


cnbc--2020-11-14--President Donald Trump is projected to win North Carolina

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign event at the Robeson County Fairgrounds in Lumberton , North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .
President Donald Trump is projected to win the state of North Carolina @ @ @ @ @ .
The call came after NBC and other outlets already projected that Democratic nominee Joe @ @ @ @ @ election overall .
North Carolina has 15 Electoral College votes .
Polling averages had indicated @ @ @ @ @ won the state by 3.6 percentage points in 2016 over Hillary Clinton .
The Tar @ @ @ @ @ the last to be called in the race for the White House , along with @ @ @ @ @ projected to win .
Both candidates had campaigned there heavily in the final weeks of @ @ @

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign event at the Robeson County Fairgrounds in Lumberton, North Carolina, U.S., October 24, 2020.
President Donald Trump is projected to win the state of North Carolina, according to NBC News. The call came after NBC and other outlets already projected that Democratic nominee Joe Biden would win the presidential election overall.
North Carolina has 15 Electoral College votes. Polling averages had indicated a neck-and-neck race. Trump won the state by 3.6 percentage points in 2016 over Hillary Clinton.
The Tar Heel State was one of the last to be called in the race for the White House, along with Georgia, which Biden was projected to win. Both candidates had campaigned there heavily in the final weeks of the election.


cnbc--2020-11-13--Young voters helped propel Biden to victory. Now they're pushing for a more progressive Democratic P

Young voters helped propel Biden to victory. Now they're pushing for a more progressive Democratic Party

Members of the Georgia Tech Women 's basketball team hold voting signs outside of McCamish Pavillion which serves as a polling place on Election Day in Atlanta , Ga. , on Tuesday , November 3 , 2020 .
President-elect Joe Biden was not Sam Weinberg 's first or even second choice for the White House .
Like many young progressives , the 19-year-old Illinois native had supported Sens .
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren during the Democratic primaries .
But in April , when Biden became the last man standing in the Democratic primary , Weinberg decided to back the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not follow suit , he created `` Settle for Biden , '' an Instagram account using what he describes as `` sardonic millennial and Gen Z humor '' to convince young people to , well , settle for Biden .
With catchphrases such as `` Because a C+ is better than an F , '' the campaign focused on mobilizing young people to vote President Donald Trump out of office .
After more than 290,000 followers and millions of likes , comments and shares on the account , Settle for Biden has become @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proven to be an effective rallying cry for young voters .
Other progressive groups have also been organizing young people for political action , including the climate-focused Sunrise Movement , anti-gun violence group March for Our Lives , immigrant advocacy group United We Dream and other movements .
Their efforts may have had an impact on Biden 's victory .
Turnout among voting-eligible Americans ages 18-29 increased significantly from 2016 to 2020 and a majority of them supported Biden , according to preliminary analysis from Tufts University .
Now , youth organizers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more progressive platform .
`` Progressive voters are the future of this country , progressive policies are the future of politics , and we are going to keep fighting to make sure that Biden 's administration is as progressive as possible , '' Weinberg said .
Voters ages 18-29 , particularly young people of color , supported Biden at a greater rate than any other age group , NBC News exit polls show .
Between 73 % and 87 % of Latino , Asian and Black youth supported Biden , compared with 51 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement , or CIRCLE , at Tufts University .
In key swing states such as Arizona , Michigan and Pennsylvania , where NBC News has projected a Biden win , preliminary data shows young people 's support helped push Biden over the margin of victory .
Biden made gains in Michigan and Pennsylvania counties with large college student populations .
`` We won this election for Joe Biden , '' said Nikayla Jefferson , a 24-year-old organizer for the Sunrise Movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let that go .
He definitely owes his administration to us . ''
The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to CNBC 's request for comment .
In April , a coalition of progressive youth groups including the Sunrise Movement , the March for Our Lives Action Fund , United We Dream Action and Justice Democrats penned a letter to Biden asking him to earn the support of young people .
The coalition urged Biden to support policies such as `` Medicare for All , '' canceling student debt , a wealth tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clean energy .
`` We need you to champion the bold ideas that have galvanized our generation and given us hope in the political process , '' the letter read .
On Wednesday , the Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats released a list of recommendations for Biden 's Cabinet , including Warren as Treasury secretary and Sanders as labor secretary .
The move comes as tension grows between the Democratic Party 's moderate and liberal factions .
As Democrats ' House majority is projected to shrink following the 2020 election , centrist Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party seats , including `` Medicare for All '' and the Green New Deal .
Meanwhile , progressive Democrats have criticized moderate Democrats for catering more to center-right voters than those who consistently vote blue .
Prominent figures such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib are urging the party to `` embrace the base . ''
`` It 's important to not ignore who supports you the most , '' said Mary-Pat Hector , a 22-year-old youth voting advocate based in Atlanta .
`` Young people are now officially a huge part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important to talk to them . ''
Hector points to Black female leaders who have rallied youth voters in Georgia for years , including Tamieka Atkins , Helen Butler , Nse Ufot , Deborah Scott and 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams .
`` We really need to be thinking about how to be in conversation with young people , not just in the two to three months before an election like we 're cramming for a test , '' said Abby Kiesa , deputy director of CIRCLE .
`` If we do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like they care about young people , then we 're not going to want to get involved , '' said 20-year-old Emily Zanieski , co-leader of Students for Ossoff , a youth-led initiative to elect Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff .
'We are the future of the party' For many young people , Biden 's campaign promise of a return to `` normalcy '' is not enough .
`` This sense of uncertainty about the future is something we 've been feeling for a long time , and that comes down to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affordability and climate change , '' said Royce Mann , 19 , legislative director for March for Our Lives ' Georgia chapter .
`` The party needs to start listening to its progressive wing and start understanding that a progressive platform aligns with folks who I do n't think a centrist could ever reach , '' said Isabella Guinigundo , an 18-year-old organizer with Ohio Progressive Asian Women 's Leadership .
`` Progressive policies are good policies for anyone interested in good paying jobs and a future that is for all of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Movement and Justice Democrats , Settle for Biden has also released a slate of recommendations for top government posts .
With the fate of the Senate still unknown , youth organizers are urging Biden to use his executive powers in key areas such as the Covid-19 pandemic , climate change and the economy .
`` The work starts now .
We have to hold these people accountable to support the policies that we want to see happen in the future , '' said Marcia Lacopo , 21 , a North Carolina-based organizer with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After propelling Biden to the White House , young progressives expect the president-elect to deliver on the mandate they 've given him .
`` We are the future of the party , '' Sunrise Movement 's Jefferson said .
`` We 've made it very clear that the party is changing and either they come with us or we kick them out of office . ''

Members of the Georgia Tech Women's basketball team hold voting signs outside of McCamish Pavillion which serves as a polling place on Election Day in Atlanta, Ga., on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
Members of the Georgia Tech Women's basketball team hold voting signs outside of McCamish Pavillion which serves as a polling place on Election Day in Atlanta, Ga., on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden was not Sam Weinberg's first or even second choice for the White House. Like many young progressives, the 19-year-old Illinois native had supported Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren during the Democratic primaries. But in April, when Biden became the last man standing in the Democratic primary, Weinberg decided to back the centrist candidate. Fearing his peers might not follow suit, he created "Settle for Biden," an Instagram account using what he describes as "sardonic millennial and Gen Z humor" to convince young people to, well, settle for Biden. With catchphrases such as "Because a C+ is better than an F," the campaign focused on mobilizing young people to vote President Donald Trump out of office. After more than 290,000 followers and millions of likes, comments and shares on the account, Settle for Biden has become an advocacy group and its name has proven to be an effective rallying cry for young voters. Other progressive groups have also been organizing young people for political action, including the climate-focused Sunrise Movement, anti-gun violence group March for Our Lives, immigrant advocacy group United We Dream and other movements. Their efforts may have had an impact on Biden's victory. Turnout among voting-eligible Americans ages 18-29 increased significantly from 2016 to 2020 and a majority of them supported Biden, according to preliminary analysis from Tufts University. Now, youth organizers are pushing the Democratic Party to embrace a more progressive platform. "Progressive voters are the future of this country, progressive policies are the future of politics, and we are going to keep fighting to make sure that Biden's administration is as progressive as possible," Weinberg said.
Young voters' electoral impact
Voters ages 18-29, particularly young people of color, supported Biden at a greater rate than any other age group, NBC News exit polls show. Between 73% and 87% of Latino, Asian and Black youth supported Biden, compared with 51% of White youth, according to data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, or CIRCLE, at Tufts University. In key swing states such as Arizona, Michigan and Pennsylvania, where NBC News has projected a Biden win, preliminary data shows young people's support helped push Biden over the margin of victory. Biden made gains in Michigan and Pennsylvania counties with large college student populations.
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Young Black voters played a crucial role in flipping Georgia, a traditionally Republican stronghold, where Biden currently holds a narrow lead. Voters ages 18-29 made up 21% of the state's voter share — 5% higher than the youth voter share nationwide. About 90% of young Black voters supported Biden, compared with 34% of White youth and 57% of all youth voters in Georgia.
"We won this election for Joe Biden," said Nikayla Jefferson, a 24-year-old organizer for the Sunrise Movement. "We're not going to let that go. He definitely owes his administration to us." The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
A divided party
In April, a coalition of progressive youth groups including the Sunrise Movement, the March for Our Lives Action Fund, United We Dream Action and Justice Democrats penned a letter to Biden asking him to earn the support of young people. The coalition urged Biden to support policies such as "Medicare for All," canceling student debt, a wealth tax and the Green New Deal commitment to clean energy. "We need you to champion the bold ideas that have galvanized our generation and given us hope in the political process," the letter read. On Wednesday, the Sunrise Movement and Justice Democrats released a list of recommendations for Biden's Cabinet, including Warren as Treasury secretary and Sanders as labor secretary. The move comes as tension grows between the Democratic Party's moderate and liberal factions. As Democrats' House majority is projected to shrink following the 2020 election, centrist Democrats have blamed progressive policies for costing the party seats, including "Medicare for All" and the Green New Deal. Meanwhile, progressive Democrats have criticized moderate Democrats for catering more to center-right voters than those who consistently vote blue. Prominent figures such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib are urging the party to "embrace the base." "It's important to not ignore who supports you the most," said Mary-Pat Hector, a 22-year-old youth voting advocate based in Atlanta. "Young people are now officially a huge part of their base, so it's important to talk to them." Hector points to Black female leaders who have rallied youth voters in Georgia for years, including Tamieka Atkins, Helen Butler, Nse Ufot, Deborah Scott and 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. "We really need to be thinking about how to be in conversation with young people, not just in the two to three months before an election like we're cramming for a test," said Abby Kiesa, deputy director of CIRCLE. "If we don't have politicians in there that seem like they care about young people, then we're not going to want to get involved," said 20-year-old Emily Zanieski, co-leader of Students for Ossoff, a youth-led initiative to elect Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff.
'We are the future of the party'


cnbc--2020-11-13--Trump takes no questions in first public remarks since losing election

President Trump took no questions Friday during his first in-person speaking appearance before the press since NBC News and other outlets projected Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election .
Trump , who still has not conceded to Biden nearly a week after outlets said the race was over , did not acknowledge that a Biden administration was just around the corner .
But he came close , appearing to stop himself from making such an admission as he touted his administration 's efforts to have a coronavirus vaccine quickly developed and distributed .
`` Ideally we wo n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not go -- this administration will not be going to a lockdown , '' Trump said in the Rose Garden .
`` Hopefully the , the -- whatever happens in the future , who knows which administration will be .
I guess time will tell , But I can tell you this administration will not go to a lockdown . ''
Trump , Vice President Mike and other administration officials spoke at the event , which focused almost entirely on Operation Warp Speed 's achievements and scarcely made mention of the record-high levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Rose Garden speech marked Trump 's first in-person public comments in over a week .
Trump had spoken to reporters two days after the Nov. 3 election in the White House briefing room , where he made a variety of unsubstantiated claims about election fraud before leaving without taking questions .
The update on Operation Warp Speed also comes five days after pharma giant Pfizer and German biotech company BioNTech announced that their leading vaccine candidate is more than 90 % effective against Covid-19 , based on preliminary phase three tests .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-caps tweet , declaring it `` SUCH GREAT NEWS '' that the vaccine is `` COMING SOON . ''
President-elect Biden offered a more measured response , noting that it would still be months before a vaccine could be distributed throughout the country .
Trump , without evidence , later accused the Food and Drug Administration of withholding the vaccine results until after the election in order to hurt his chances against Biden .
For days , Trump has falsely claimed he won the election against Biden , who is now president-elect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracies about widespread fraud , despite assurances from his own administration that no such fraud exists .
Meanwhile , the Trump campaign 's efforts to challenge states ' election results in court suffered multiple setbacks earlier Friday .
The campaign dropped a legal challenge in Arizona , and a judge in Michigan denied a request to block that state from certifying its election results .
In Pennsylvania , the state that put Biden over the top , Commonwealth Secretary Kathy Boockvar announced that she would not order a recount of the ballots .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia 's race , netting the Democrat 16 more electoral votes and flipping a state that has reliably voted for the GOP 's presidential nominee for decades .
Trump will win North Carolina , NBC also projected Friday afternoon .

President Trump took no questions Friday during his first in-person speaking appearance before the press since NBC News and other outlets projected Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election.
Trump, who still has not conceded to Biden nearly a week after outlets said the race was over, did not acknowledge that a Biden administration was just around the corner.
But he came close, appearing to stop himself from making such an admission as he touted his administration's efforts to have a coronavirus vaccine quickly developed and distributed.
"Ideally we won't go to a lockdown. I will not go -- this administration will not be going to a lockdown," Trump said in the Rose Garden. "Hopefully the, the -- whatever happens in the future, who knows which administration will be. I guess time will tell, But I can tell you this administration will not go to a lockdown."
Trump, Vice President Mike and other administration officials spoke at the event, which focused almost entirely on Operation Warp Speed's achievements and scarcely made mention of the record-high levels of Covid-19 cases currently being reported.
The Rose Garden speech marked Trump's first in-person public comments in over a week. Trump had spoken to reporters two days after the Nov. 3 election in the White House briefing room, where he made a variety of unsubstantiated claims about election fraud before leaving without taking questions.
The update on Operation Warp Speed also comes five days after pharma giant Pfizer and German biotech company BioNTech announced that their leading vaccine candidate is more than 90% effective against Covid-19, based on preliminary phase three tests.
Trump had celebrated that breakthrough in an all-caps tweet, declaring it "SUCH GREAT NEWS" that the vaccine is "COMING SOON."
President-elect Biden offered a more measured response, noting that it would still be months before a vaccine could be distributed throughout the country.
Trump, without evidence, later accused the Food and Drug Administration of withholding the vaccine results until after the election in order to hurt his chances against Biden.
For days, Trump has falsely claimed he won the election against Biden, who is now president-elect. Trump has floated an array of unsupported conspiracies about widespread fraud, despite assurances from his own administration that no such fraud exists.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign's efforts to challenge states' election results in court suffered multiple setbacks earlier Friday. The campaign dropped a legal challenge in Arizona, and a judge in Michigan denied a request to block that state from certifying its election results. In Pennsylvania, the state that put Biden over the top, Commonwealth Secretary Kathy Boockvar announced that she would not order a recount of the ballots.
NBC projected Friday that Biden would win Georgia's race, netting the Democrat 16 more electoral votes and flipping a state that has reliably voted for the GOP's presidential nominee for decades. Trump will win North Carolina, NBC also projected Friday afternoon.


cnbc--2020-11-13--More than 130 Secret Service officers are isolating due to Covid-19 outbreak, report says

U.S. Secret Service is seen during President Donald Trump campaign speech just four days before Election Day outside of Raymond James Stadium on October 29 , 2020 in Tampa , Florida .
More than 130 U.S. Secret Service officers have been ordered to isolate after testing positive for Covid-19 or being exposed to an infected co-worker , The Washington Post reported Friday .
The sidelined officers make up roughly 10 % of the USSS core security team , according to the Post .
The outbreak is thought to be partially related to President Donald Trump 's campaign rallies , sources @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a busy campaign travel schedule in the weeks leading up to Election Day , hosting large rallies that were criticized for their scant mask-wearing and lack of social distancing .
Covid-19 infections have also recently afflicted prominent figures in the Trump campaign and White House , including Chief of Staff Mark Meadows , campaign advisor Corey Lewandowski and White House political affairs director Brian Jack .
The Post 's report comes as the coronavirus surges across the country , with more than 153,400 new cases on Thursday , according to data compiled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Judd Deere declined to comment and referred questions about the Secret Service outbreak to the USSS .
`` The health and safety of our workforce is paramount for the Secret Service and , as such , we continuously assess the requirements necessary to operate during the pandemic and ensure we remain prepared and fully staffed to carry out our critical integrated protective and investigative missions , neither of which has been degraded by the pandemic , '' a spokesperson for the Secret Service said in a statement .
The spokesperson declined to release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 or quarantined , citing privacy and security reasons .

U.S. Secret Service is seen during President Donald Trump campaign speech just four days before Election Day outside of Raymond James Stadium on October 29, 2020 in Tampa, Florida.
More than 130 U.S. Secret Service officers have been ordered to isolate after testing positive for Covid-19 or being exposed to an infected co-worker, The Washington Post reported Friday.
The sidelined officers make up roughly 10% of the USSS core security team, according to the Post.
The outbreak is thought to be partially related to President Donald Trump's campaign rallies, sources told the paper.
The president maintained a busy campaign travel schedule in the weeks leading up to Election Day, hosting large rallies that were criticized for their scant mask-wearing and lack of social distancing.
Covid-19 infections have also recently afflicted prominent figures in the Trump campaign and White House, including Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, campaign advisor Corey Lewandowski and White House political affairs director Brian Jack.
The Post's report comes as the coronavirus surges across the country, with more than 153,400 new cases on Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
White House spokesman Judd Deere declined to comment and referred questions about the Secret Service outbreak to the USSS.
"The health and safety of our workforce is paramount for the Secret Service and, as such, we continuously assess the requirements necessary to operate during the pandemic and ensure we remain prepared and fully staffed to carry out our critical integrated protective and investigative missions, neither of which has been degraded by the pandemic," a spokesperson for the Secret Service said in a statement.
The spokesperson declined to release how many employees have tested positive for Covid-19 or quarantined, citing privacy and security reasons.


cnbc--2020-11-13--Pelosi insists a smaller House majority will not force her to compromise more

U.S. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) responds to questions as she speaks to reporters about the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) pandemic and the 2020 U.S. presidential election results during her weekly news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington , U.S. , November 13 , 2020 .
Congressional leaders ' refusal to cede ground has manifested most clearly in months of failure to send Americans more aid during the coronavirus pandemic .
Despite House Democrats taking a hit and Republicans losing at least one Senate seat , the dynamic looks unlikely to change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and power is greatly enhanced '' by the victory of President-elect Joe Biden , who will choose whether to sign bills into law .
Two likely Senate runoffs in Georgia in January will decide whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , and the GOP keep control of the upper chamber .
`` No , not at all , '' she told reporters when asked if her party 's expected loss of at least six House districts in the 2020 election will force her to compromise more .
`` We have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will enter January with a narrower Democratic majority , but she contended Friday that fewer seats will not force her to change her strategy .
Biden , who spent more than three decades in the Senate , has vowed to bring back a level of cooperation between the parties unseen in years .
Pelosi and McConnell said this week that they would not yield from their preelection positions on pandemic aid .
House Democrats most recently approved a $ 2.2 trillion stimulus package — opposed by more than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record in competitive 2020 elections .
Both leaders have called for a relief package before the end of the year .
After a Thursday call among Pelosi , Biden and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , the Democratic leaders called for a bipartisan relief plan during the lame duck session before the new Congress and president-elect take office in January .
The push for new aid follows yet another daily record of coronavirus infections , which on Thursday topped 150,000 in the U.S. for the first time .
The raging outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health restrictions at a time when more than 20 million Americans are receiving some form of unemployment assistance .
The parties have another massive task on their plates during the current session .
Congress has to pass a government spending bill by Dec. 11 to avoid a shutdown .
Pelosi said Friday she is optimistic lawmakers can pass a comprehensive bipartisan spending bill .
Failure to strike an agreement before the deadline could mean Congress approves another stopgap measure , as it did earlier this year .
Trump 's willingness to govern has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two months of his tenure .
He has spent the days since the Nov. 3 election raging about the results and alleging unfounded fraud in states that decided the race between him and Biden .

Congressional leaders' refusal to cede ground has manifested most clearly in months of failure to send Americans more aid during the coronavirus pandemic. Despite House Democrats taking a hit and Republicans losing at least one Senate seat, the dynamic looks unlikely to change now.
Pelosi insisted "our leverage and power is greatly enhanced" by the victory of President-elect Joe Biden , who will choose whether to sign bills into law. Two likely Senate runoffs in Georgia in January will decide whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., and the GOP keep control of the upper chamber.
"No, not at all," she told reporters when asked if her party's expected loss of at least six House districts in the 2020 election will force her to compromise more. "We have a president of the United States."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will enter January with a narrower Democratic majority, but she contended Friday that fewer seats will not force her to change her strategy.
Biden, who spent more than three decades in the Senate, has vowed to bring back a level of cooperation between the parties unseen in years.
Pelosi and McConnell said this week that they would not yield from their preelection positions on pandemic aid. House Democrats most recently approved a $2.2 trillion stimulus package — opposed by more than a dozen centrist members who had a mixed record in competitive 2020 elections.
Senate Republicans most recently proposed a $500 billion plan, which Democrats blocked.
Both leaders have called for a relief package before the end of the year. After a Thursday call among Pelosi, Biden and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Democratic leaders called for a bipartisan relief plan during the lame duck session before the new Congress and president-elect take office in January.
The push for new aid follows yet another daily record of coronavirus infections, which on Thursday topped 150,000 in the U.S. for the first time. The raging outbreak has already caused states to tighten public health restrictions at a time when more than 20 million Americans are receiving some form of unemployment assistance.
The parties have another massive task on their plates during the current session. Congress has to pass a government spending bill by Dec. 11 to avoid a shutdown.
Pelosi said Friday she is optimistic lawmakers can pass a comprehensive bipartisan spending bill. Failure to strike an agreement before the deadline could mean Congress approves another stopgap measure, as it did earlier this year.
Trump's willingness to govern has become an open question during the final two months of his tenure. He has spent the days since the Nov. 3 election raging about the results and alleging unfounded fraud in states that decided the race between him and Biden.
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