First Thing: Trump team hits turbulence as Giuliani admitted to hospital

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Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has said he is “feeling good” after news broke that he had contracted coronavirus. Giuliani, 76, is perhaps the biggest proponent of Trump’s baseless election fraud claims, other than the president himself. The attorney said that he was “recovering quickly and keeping up with everything”. Giuliani was admitted to Georgetown University medical center in Washington, according to multiple reports.

The news caused Arizona to close its legislative chambers following a visit from Giuliani last week, but officials in Michigan and Georgia might also have cause for concern – Giuliani appeared indoors without a mask in both states last week.

• A psychiatrist who called Trump “dangerous” and “destructive” has died of coronavirus aged 89. Jerrold M Post was a pioneer in his field, whose assessments of Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi and Kim Jong-il helped guide presidents.

Did Trump’s press secretary just admit a Biden victory?

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany appeared to admit that Trump had lost the election on Sunday. In an interview on Fox News, McEnany said that if the Republicans lost both the Senate seats, Kamala Harris would cast “the deciding vote in this country” – seemingly a tacit admission that the Democrats would be governing from January.

But Georgia’s Republican senator, Kelly Loeffler, is still sticking to her guns, refusing to concede Biden’s win three times this weekend. Her denial came during a tense debate, ahead of crucial Senate run-off races in Georgia in January, which will decide which party takes control of the Senate.

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‘A coward’: Jon Ossoff addresses empty podium as Senator David Perdue skips Georgia debate – video

On Sunday, Republican sitting senator David Perdue declined to show up for his pre-election debate, amid accusations of corruption in connection to his stock market trading during the pandemic. This led Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff to debate with an empty podium.

Lower wage earners and racial minorities should be included in early vaccinations, a top vaccine adviser said

Dr José Romero, the chair of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine advisory panel, has said that lower wage earners and those from minority backgrounds should be included in the early coronavirus vaccinations. The panel has recommended healthcare workers and long-term care residents as the earliest priority group, but Romero said that the healthcare personnel also includes the administrative and logistical roles in hospitals.

Meanwhile, the US health secretary, Alex Azar, insisted that the Trump administration had a plan to distribute coronavirus vaccines, after Biden said he had not seen a detailed blueprint. Azar said the distribution programme was being run by the military and private sector, and would use retail pharmacies, public health departments and community health centers.

• California went back into lockdown last night, but new coronavirus cases remained above 200,000 on Saturday and the state recorded more than 2,000 deaths. The measures will see more than 23 million people under strict new restrictions.

Biden pushes on with his cabinet, but prepares to play hardball

Joe Biden has reportedly chosen California’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, as his health secretary. Becerra is an advocate of the Affordable Care Act, and would oversee the Biden administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. If confirmed he would be the first Latino in the role. But if the Republicans win the Senate and decide to stonewall Biden’s cabinet picks, the president elect might Joe Biden may decide to take a leaf out of Trump’s presidential playbook, giving cabinet officials “acting” monikers to sidestep them having to be confirmed.

For Nesrine Malik, Biden’s drive for diversity isn’t all that it seems. He argues that the picks don’t offer any meaningful change, instead being hired to make the government appear progressive without altering its behaviour.

Diversity in government isn’t about solidarity, it’s used as proof of the soundness of the system: the elevation of women in particular as “girl boss feminists” who will not be interrupted, the reduction of the deeply serious business of government to inspiration politics.

In other news …

• A man found dead in Texas may have been killed by a mountain lion, local county officials have said. The 28 year old man, Christopher Allen Whiteley, was found dead in a wooded area in rural Texas, and an autopsy returned a preliminary finding that an animal attacked and killed Whiteley.

• Floyd Mayweather will return to the boxing ring in February to fight YouTube personality Logan Paul. The men stand to make millions from the contest, with viewers paying up to $69.99 to watch the fight.

• The co-owner of a bar that allegedly defied coronavirus restrictions was arrested after running over a deputy while he was trying to escape police. Danny Presti, who owns Mac’s Public House in New York, continued to drive for around 100 yards, even with the deputy hanging on to the hood of the car. Police were attempting to detain him for for illegally serving patrons.

Stat of the day: Only 27 of 249 Republicans in congress admit Biden won

According to a survey of Republicans in the House and Senate carried out by the Washington Post, just 27 of the 249 Republicans in Congress are willing to admit that Joe Biden won November’s presidential election. In response, Trump said he was “surprised so many” people in his party thought he had lost the election, and asked for a list of the politicians he called “Rinos,” an acronym for “Republicans in name only.”

Don’t miss this: Millions stand to lose financial support from the government

More than 7.3 million freelancers, artists and self-employed people will lose their weekly benefits if the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance programme ends after Christmas, as is planned. A second programme is also scheduled to expire 26 December, ending federal benefits for 4.6 million laid-off workers who were considered employees. Steven Greenhouse speaks to some of those who will be impacted.

Last Thing: A man with serious shark bite injuries swam back to shore and walked 300m for help

A south Australian surfer swam back to shore alone and walked 300m for help after suffering “extraordinary” and “serious” injuries from a shark bite. In a handwritten note after the incident, the surfer said the attack was like “being hit by a truck.” He thanked the emergency services for their help, and said he was feeling “incredibly lucky and grateful.” Paramedics hailed the 29 year olds survival as “remarkable.”

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