After facing criticism for not having any current nurses on the advisory board, the new additions are Jane Hopkins, a registered nurse trained in mental health; Jill Jim, who is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and the executive director of the Navajo Nation Department of Health; and David Michaels, an epidemiologist and professor at George Washington University.
This brings the total number of members on the coronavirus advisory board to 16.
“As COVID-19 surges across the country, I need a team advising me and a transition that offers diverse perspectives and viewpoints,” Biden wrote in a statement. “Ms. Hopkins, Dr. Jim, and Dr. Michaels will strengthen the board’s work and help ensure that our COVID-19 planning will address inequities in health outcomes and the workforce.”
The COVID-19 advisory board will help shape the approach to managing the current surge in coronavirus infections as well as ensuring an eventual vaccine is safe and effective, according to Biden’s transition team.
-ABC News’ Beatrice Peterson
Nov 28, 2020, 1:59 PM EST
Vice President-elect Harris in DC for Small Business Saturday
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, her husband Doug Emhoff and Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser visited a holiday market in the Penn Quarter neighborhood of D.C. for Small Business Saturday.
Harris appeared to be wearing two masks and chatted with a couple of vendors, at one point stopping at a stand and holding up a T-shirt that read “Madam Vice President,” prompting the crowd to cheer.
Harris bought two puzzles at the New York Puzzle Company, which Emhoff paid for as the merchant took a photo of her through the plexiglass barrier.
At Marcella Kriebel Art and Illustration, she eyed a print of different types of coffee. Instead, she picked a print of different kinds of cheeses, while Emhoff bought the “Madam Vice President” T-shirt.
Harris stopped to greet shoppers before speaking with reporters. “We’re here with the great mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser, to celebrate the small businesses that are here, but to celebrate small businesses all over our country. They’re suffering,” she said.
“They are always really part of -- an essential part of the lifeblood of a community, part of the civic and social fabric of a community and, sadly, since COVID started, one in four small businesses in our country has closed,” she added.
Biden tweeted Saturday, “Small businesses are the backbone of communities across the country — and amid the pandemic, they need our help more than ever. Today, and every day, support your neighbors and strengthen your community by shopping small. #SmallBusinessSaturday.”
When asked about Trump and Vice President Pence not participating in the transition, Harris deflected and focused on how she and Biden are going to assist small-businesses during the pandemic.
“We -- and the American people deserve that the incoming administration focuses on what’s important and what is important is getting a handle on this virus, opening back up our small businesses and -- and focusing on -- on the experts in all areas,” she said.
Harris was asked about reports that Trump has expressed a desire to run for president in 2024 and scoffed at the notion.
“Please,” she said, laughing.
-ABC News’ Averi Harper
Nov 28, 2020, 12:21 PM EST
Pennsylvania lawmakers introduce resolution to dispute election results
On Friday, more than 20 Republicans in the Pennsylvania House legislature introduced a resolution that disputes the statewide 2020 election results.
With the Pennsylvania legislative session ending Monday, the move is likely to be vetoed by Democratic Gov Tom Wolf even if it were to move quickly through the state government.
The resolution would also put the state’s Republican majority in jeopardy as it would threaten to invalidate the outcome of several GOP victories.
Saturday morning, Pennsylvania state Sen. Doug Mastriano -- who Trump has taken to retweeting recently -- added to the state Republican voices attempting to challenge the outcome of the election in a series of tweets. Without citing any proof, Mastriano claimed, “there is mounting evidence that the PA presidential election was compromised.”
“If this is the case, under Article II, Section 1.2 of the US Constitution, the state legislature has the sole authority to direct the manner of selecting delegates to the Electoral College,” he said in one of his tweets.
“Therefore, we are introducing a Resolution to exercise our obligation and authority to appoint delegates to the Electoral College,” he said.
Twitter has stamped his tweets with, “This claim about election fraud is disputed.”
-ABC News’ Alisa Wiersema
Nov 28, 2020, 11:46 AM EST
Trump legal team announces hearing in Arizona
As President Trump’s legal team continues to look to state legislatures to overturn election results, Trump Campaign legal adviser Jenna Ellis tweeted on Friday an event invitation to a Monday hearing with members of the Arizona Legislature on election integrity.
Ellis announced that she and Trump Attorney Rudy Giuliani will be “present from DC,” along with members of the Arizona Legislature.
“Arizona State Legislature to hold hearing on election integrity Monday, November 30. Mayor @RudyGiuliani and I will be present on behalf of President @realDonaldTrump,” she tweeted
The hearing is being held from a Phoenix Hyatt Hotel rather than from the state capitol.
The event description falsely claims, “...State Legislatures have the sole authority to select their representatives to the Electoral College.”
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Republican members of the state legislature have publicly shot down those claims.
Trump’s legal team held a similar hearing with Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers on Wednesday, after the Trump campaign touted upcoming state legislature public hearings in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Michigan. The president phoned in to baselessly say he believes the outcome of the 2020 election should be overturned and that he was “cheated” out of a victory.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Giulianipresented a series of witnesses with claims of what they believed to be election irregularities in Pennsylvania.
A spokesperson for Pennsylvania’s secretary of state called the claims “tired conspiracy theories” that have been “debunked and dismissed by the courts.”
Shortly after the Trump Campaign announced a similar hearing in Michigan, Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield told ABC News the House Oversight Committee would not meet for a hearing on the election.
-ABC News’ Will Steakin, Olivia Rubin, Meg Cunningham, Matthew Mosk and Alex Hosenball