The transition moves ahead

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VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE TUE, NOV 24, 2020 CNBC POLITICS EDITOR'S NOTE Hello,   It's official. The transition from the Trump administration to the Biden administration is under way, over two weeks after the election was called.   On Monday evening, General Services Administration chief Emily Murphy finally informed President-elect Joe Biden that she would move ahead with the formal process of releasing funds and other assistance to his transition team. Her letter to Biden was accompanied by a pair of tweets from President Trump in which he offered probably the closest thing to a concession we can expect from him.   Trump said he had given his blessing to Murphy to commence the process. This even as he vowed to continue his legal fight over the election result, which he falsely calls "rigged." Indeed, the president was back at it Tuesday morning, tweeting more false claims about the vote.   The Biden camp was moving ahead anyway. Already this week, the president-elect revealed several key Cabinet picks, including Antony Blinken for secretary of State, Alejandro Mayorkas for Homeland Security chief and Avril Haines for director of national intelligence. Biden is set to introduce this group Tuesday.   And while Biden hasn't officially announced it yet, CNBC is reporting that former Fed Chair Janet Yellen is the president-elect's pick to run the Treasury Department. Arguably, it's Biden's most important role to fill.   The economy has recovered in some ways, but as Covid-19 spreads uncontrollably, new virus restrictions threaten the rebound. Yellen, who would make history as the first female Treasury secretary, is facing a herculean task if she's confirmed. Given her experience and expertise, she should be more than up to it.   Thoughts? Email Mike Calia at CNBCPolitics@nbcuni.com.   Have friends or colleagues who might like this newsletter? They can sign up here.    Subscribe to CNBC's daily new podcast The News with Shepard Smith, which provides deep, non-partisan coverage and perspective on the day's most important stories. Mike Calia @Michael_Calia KEY STORIES  Trump administration officially begins transition to Biden after weeks of delay GSA chief Emily Murphy told President-elect Joe Biden that the Trump administration is making resources available for his transition into office. Biden chooses former Fed Chair Janet Yellen to be Treasury secretary Yellen, if confirmed by the Senate, would be the first woman to lead the Treasury Department. A top Democrat on the House antitrust panel sets sights on Big Pharma after wrapping up tech probe Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., wants the committee to examine the FTC's common approach to approving pharmaceutical mergers. Almost no Trump voters consider Biden the legitimate 2020 election winner, poll says A mere 3% of Donald Trump voters think Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election as the president makes unsubstantiated claims of fraud. Top Biden aide Ricchetti will be a White House liaison for Congress and business community Steve Ricchetti is in line to become a key contact for business leaders looking to make inroads with Joe Biden's administration. Biden team denies president-elect wants Democrats to accept smaller relief deal Joe Biden's transition team says he supports Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer's push for a stimulus plan that costs at least $2.2 trillion. Joe Biden names picks for secretary of State, Homeland Security chief, director of national intelligence Biden will nominate Alejandro Mayorkas to lead the Department of Homeland Security and Avril Haines to be the director of national intelligence. Doctors say CDC should warn people the side effects from Covid vaccine shots won't be 'a walk in the park' Doctors urge the CDC to be transparent about the side effects people may experience after getting their first shot of a coronavirus vaccine.     Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Terms of Service Join the CNBC Panel Digital Products Feedback Privacy Policy   © 2020 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBCUniversal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS