“Joe Biden said Thursday that he will ask Americans to commit to 100 days of wearing masks as one of his first acts as president, stopping just short of the nationwide mandate he’s pushed before to stop the spread of the coronavirus,” the AP reports.

President-elect Joe Biden told CNN that he has asked Dr. Anthony Fauci to be a chief medical adviser and part of his Covid-19 response team when his administration begins next year.

“President-elect Joe Biden has officially selected Brian Deese, who played a leading role in bailing out the automotive industry and negotiating the Paris climate agreement under President Barack Obama, to head the National Economic Council,” the New York Times reports.

“The appointment, which does not require Senate confirmation, highlights Mr. Biden’s plans to use economic policy initiatives to drive climate policy. It also defies pre-emptive criticism from some environmental groups, who have targeted Mr. Deese for his work in recent years as the sustainability director for asset-management giant BlackRock.”

“Joe Biden is facing dueling headwinds as he looks to fill out his Cabinet: Senate Republicans want the President-elect to consult with them and choose nominees who could win their support, while liberal Democrats are pushing him to name progressives who could shape the policies of his government,” CNN reports.

“And Republicans, if they keep control of the chamber, are not committing to scheduling votes on nominees they consider out of the mainstream, nor are they vowing to quickly let Biden’s picks get confirmed in the first days of his administration despite the private and public lobbying by top Democrats.”

“President-elect Joe Biden is rapidly assembling a team of Washington hands with deep experience, projecting an image of cohesion in contrast to the savage infighting often at play around President Donald Trump,” USA Today reports.

“But below the surface of his tightly scripted events, tensions simmer as factions within Biden’s decades-old orbit jockey for jobs and outside figures grow increasingly vocal in questioning some of the early choices for top positions within the administration.”

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) turned down an offer to serve in President-elect Joe Biden’s Cabinet as Interior secretary, a source close to the transition told The Hill. 

Politico: “Now that he’s chosen a big chunk of his Cabinet nominees, President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team is focusing increasingly on selecting candidates for government positions that do not require Senate confirmation.”

“Concerned about Republicans slow-walking confirmation hearings for Cabinet appointees and hollowed-out federal agencies, Biden and his aides are eager to place mid- to lower-level officials across the federal government, particularly in national security roles, to ensure his administration can begin to enact his agenda immediately, according to three people familiar with the situation.”

“By quickly selecting candidates for slots that don’t require Senate confirmation, such as deputy assistant secretaries, the transition team also can try to ensure that many of those hired can obtain security clearances by the time Biden takes office.”

The Hill: Republican frustration builds over Biden’s cabinet picks.

“President Trump is discussing possibly launching a 2024 campaign to retake the White House on Inauguration Day and skipping the swearing-in of his successor,” NBC News reports.

“Regardless of the timing of a campaign announcement, Trump is not expected to attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden… He also does not plan to invite Biden to the White House or even call him.”

CNN: “Inside his transition team, there is a real recognition of how difficult it would be to choose a Senate Democrat for any role, given how closely divided the upper chamber will be next year.”

“And the narrowing Democratic majority in the House has made it far less likely that he would be able to easily turn to any House members for posts in the administration.”

“A first-rate team that’s going to get us through this ongoing economic crisis and help us build the economy back, not just build it back, but build it back better than before… Our message to everybody struggling right now is help is on the way.”

— President-elect Joe Biden, quoted by CBS News, while introducing his economic team.

President-elect Joe Biden announced Tuesday that the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers would have a seat on his Cabinet, The Hill reports.

Biden described Cecilia Rouse, his pick for CEA chair, as “one of the most distinguished economists in the country.”

Former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, vowed there would be a “smooth” and “seamless” transition to President-elect Joe Biden’s administration, even as President Trump continues to fight the election result, the Dallas Morning News reports.

“The Republican’s comments, delivered at a news conference in Brussels, put her at odds with many of her GOP counterparts, who’ve mostly refused to acknowledge Biden’s victory.”

Said Hutchison: “We are going to work in a transition for a new administration coming in. We are going to make sure it’s smooth. That’s what we have in democracies, and that’s what we are going to produce.”