Politics live updates: Senators say COVID relief.
By: Phong Nguyen Hoai
Tags: Voting, Family, Life, Coronavirus, Politics

USA TODAY’s coverage of the 2020 election and President-elect Joe Biden’s transition continues this week as he rolls out more of his picks for top jobs in his administration and prepares to take the oath of office Jan. 20. The Electoral College affirmed Biden’s win Monday, officially giving Biden enough electoral votes to defeat President Donald Trump. Congress will count and certify the results in a joint session Jan. 6.

Trump has cleared the way for Biden’s team to use federal resources and get briefings during the transition, although Trump has yet to formally concede the race and continues to challenge the results.

Be sure to refresh this page often to get the latest information on the election and the transition.

Regan, who is head of North Carolina’s environmental agency, was one of several contenders whose name emerged only in recent days. Biden’s pick was confirmed Thursday by a person familiar with the selection process who was not authorized the discuss the matter publicly before the official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.

California clean-air regulator Mary Nichols had faced increasing objections from progressive groups, who said Nichols had not done enough to address the disproportionate harm low-income and minority communities face from living next to oil and gas installations, factories and freeways.

https://privilege.narayanahealth.org/pro/video-fra-v-cro-tv01.html

https://privilege.narayanahealth.org/pro/video-fra-v-cro-tv02.html

https://privilege.narayanahealth.org/pro/video-fra-v-cro-tv03.html

http://animalcare.folio3.com/voc/max/video-fra-v-cro-tv01.html

http://animalcare.folio3.com/voc/max/video-fra-v-cro-tv02.html

http://animalcare.folio3.com/voc/max/video-fra-v-cro-tv03.html

https://privilege.narayanahealth.org/pro/video-f-v-c-fr01.html

http://animalcare.folio3.com/voc/max/video-f-v-c-fr02.html

http://animalcare.folio3.com/voc/max/video-f-v-c-fr01.html

https://www.askdrshah.com/kxt/video-n-v-d-tv04.html

https://www.askdrshah.com/kxt/video-n-v-d-tv03.html

https://privilege.narayanahealth.org/pro/video-n-v-d-tv04.html

https://twitter.com/superbowllvfree

https://twitter.com/ufc257streaming

https://twitter.com/mmastreamsufc

https://twitter.com/floydvloganfree

Regan became environmental chief in North Carolina in 2017. State officials there are grappling with contamination from PFAS industrial compounds and other industrial polluters. Regan points to his efforts to hold accountable Chemours, which is the main business blamed for the toxic PFAS pollution, and other work ranging from improving regulation of the state’s giant hog farms to releasing a plan to cut climate-damaging fossil fuel pollution from power plants by 70 percent within 10 years.

He previously spent almost a decade at the federal EPA, including managing a national program for air-pollution issues. His past jobs included serving as an associate vice president for climate and energy issues at the Environmental Defense Fund advocacy group and as head of his own environmental and energy consulting firm.

Regan, who is Black, has a bachelor’s degree from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, which is a historical black university, and a master’s from George Washington University.

The second-ranking Senate Republican, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, told reporters Republicans were trying to minimize the overall cost of stimulus payments, perhaps through income benchmarks.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also cautiously expressed optimism, saying “we’re close to an agreement, but the details really matter.” He cited several remaining differences on unemployment insurance, direct payments, and aid to small businesses.

Congress also faces a shutdown deadline this Friday. Government funding was set to lapse last Friday, but Congress passed a short-term bill extending funding for one week to give lawmakers more time to negotiate. Top lawmakers warned they might need to punt the shutdown deadline a few days more to give them time to finish their stimulus bill.