Photo: ReutersUS President-elect Joe Biden has been formally given the go-ahead by a federal agency to begin his transition to the White House, shortly after the battleground state of Michigan certified him as the winner there. The US General Services Administration, an independent agency, on Monday informed Biden, a Democrat, that his transition - leading up to January's inauguration - could officially begin. A statement by the Biden transition said meetings would begin with federal officials on Washington's response to the coronavirus pandemic, along with discussions of national security issues. The GSA had said Murphy, who was appointed to her job by Trump in 2017, would "ascertain" or formally approve, the transition when the winner was clear. Trump's fellow Republicans have slowly broken from the president in recent days to urge the transition process to start.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 23, 2020 23:37 UTC