Biden's transition shadowed by virus concerns

Joe Biden will receive his first classified briefing as president-elect and announce his economic team next week.

Biden transition adviser Jen Psaki says Biden, on Monday, will receive his first presidential daily briefing, the regular briefing on the most sensitive intelligence offered to top U.S. officials.

Biden had been blocked from receiving intelligence briefings and his team members had been blocked from contact with their counterparts in the Trump administration due to the General Services Administration’s refusal to ascertain that Biden won the election while Trump campaign legal challenges against the vote continued. That ascertainment came Monday, lifting those roadblocks to cooperation.

Transition adviser Kate Bedingfield says the Biden team will begin briefings with the Trump administration on vaccine distribution, testing and the personal protective equipment supply chain on Wednesday.

Bedingfield says the team has been in touch with FBI and Department of Justice officials about coordinating expedited background checks for Biden’s senior White House staffers and the Cabinet nominees he announced Tuesday.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is headed to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to continue his fight to overturn the results of the election and secure Trump a second term.

Pennsylvania has already certified its results and awarded its 20 electors to Democrat Joe Biden, who was declared the winner of the Nov. 3 election.

Giuliani is leading legal challenges to the balloting in Pennsylvania and other states as the Republican president seeks to maintain his base of supporters and keep his options open for opportunities post-presidency.

In response to a reporter's question about the Giuliani event, Bedingfield described it as a "sideshow"

"Look, the the election is over," she said. "Virtually everyone on Earth has accepted that truth except for Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani."

(Image credit: AP)