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President-elect Joe Biden released 500 names that will be part of his transition teams this week, including two University of Texas professors.
Norma Cantú, professor of law and education, will serve on the Department of Education transition team, whereas Mary Wakefield, professor of nursing, will serve on the Department of Health and Human Services transition team.
The president's transition team is responsible for laying the groundwork and preparing the new administration for office. Transition teams normally consist of industry leaders, healthcare professionals and experts.
The two UT professors weren't the only professors from Texas shortlisted—Texas Tech University law professor Vickie Sutton was also circulating but she has yet to receive or accept an official notice.
As for the professors officially chosen to serve on Biden's teams, this is not their first rodeo.
Cantú graduated from Harvard Law School when she was 22 and served as Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights in Bill Clinton's presidential cabinet for all eight years of his presidency. Cantú will take a temporary leave of absence at UT for the position.
Wakefield, a registered nurse, is a UT alumna and has a Ph.D in nursing. In 2019, Wakefield was honored with The American Academy of Nursing's "Living Legend" award, which is reserved for individuals who have spearheaded "extraordinary contributions" to the nursing profession.
Because transition teams can begin working anytime after election results are released, Biden has already started rolling out policies to implement. Some policies include plans to institute a national mask mandate, reversal of President Donald Trump's immigration policies and rejoining the Paris Climate Accords.
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Citing a 77% decline in new COVID cases nationally since early January, Dr. Martin Makary, a surgical oncologist and professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, expects COVID-19 "will be mostly gone by April, allowing Americans to resume normal life."
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Late (Tuesday) the City of Austin's outside attorney filed a response to the plaintiffs' (called relators in legal terms) request for a writ of mandamus to force the City Council to amend ballot language for Proposition B.
Proposition B will be on the May 1 ballot as a result of Save Austin Now's petition drive. If voter approved, the resulting ordinance would ban: camping in a public areas, soliciting in designated areas and sitting or lying down on public sidewalks.
Read the full story at The Austin Bulldog.
The city has reopened the Barton Springs Pool after shutting it down during the winter storm.
Austinites can shake off their winter boots and take a dip at two reopened city pools, the city of Austin announced.
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