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Biden inauguration: Donald Trump's last full day as US president - live updates Biden inauguration: Donald Trump's last full day as US president - live updates
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President expected to issue 100 pardons as Covid cases reach 24 millionPresident expected to issue 100 pardons as Covid cases reach 24 million
When Joe Biden is sworn in as president on Wednesday, he plans to trigger a range of executive orders aimed at solving two of the biggest crises facing the country: the economic downturn and the coronavirus pandemic.
The president-elect’s team has been floating its ideal scenario for how Biden’s first hundred days in office will go. That includes almost a dozen executive orders and pushing for a massive $1.9tn coronavirus and economic stimulus plan. The Biden team is also planning another proposal aimed at reinforcing the economy.
The executive orders concern fighting climate change, battling Covid, pausing payments on student loans, rejoining the Paris climate agreement, and ending the travel ban from Muslim-majority countries. He also plans to quickly take steps to change the country’s criminal justice system and expanding healthcare to low-income Americans.
“President-elect Biden is assuming the presidency in a moment of profound crisis for our nation. We face four overlapping and compounding crises: the Covid-19 crisis, the resulting economic crisis, the climate crisis, and a racial equity crisis,” Biden’s incoming chief of staff, Ron Klain, circulated in a memo the campaign released to the public over the weekend.
Klain added: “All of these crises demand urgent action. In his first 10 days in office, President-elect Biden will take decisive action to address these four crises, prevent other urgent and irreversible harms, and restore America’s place in the world.”
On immigration, Biden is aiming to end some of the hardline immigration policies of the Trump administration. He plans to unveil proposals that will offer a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and foreign aid to countries in Central America. At the same time, however, a Biden official cautioned to NBC that did not mean the next administration would grant entry to all asylum seekers coming to the country.
In laying out his agenda, Biden has worked to frame it as more of a moment for the nation to rally and forget partisan divides. “It’s not hard to see that we’re in the middle of a once-in-several-generations economic crisis with a once-in-several-generations public health crisis,” Biden said during a press conference over the weekend.
“Unity is not some pie-in-the-sky dream, it’s a practical step to getting the things we have to get done as a country get done together.”
Read more of Daniel Strauss’ analysis here: Biden to target Covid and the economy amid stack of orders in first 100 days
Attorneys for former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder have told prosecutors that the Flint water case should be dismissed because he was charged in the wrong county.
Snyder was charged last week with two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty. He was indicted by a Genesee County judge who sat as a grand juror and considered evidence presented by prosecutors.
“Neither of these allegations of non-feasance, or failure to act, occurred while the former Governor was in the City of Flint. At all times set forth in the Indictment, our client was the presiding governor of the State of Michigan with the Executive Office of the Governor located at the Romney Building in downtown Lansing,” attorney Brian Lennon said in a letter to prosecutors.
Associated Press report that the letter was attached to a request for documents and other evidence possessed by prosecutors, a typical step by the defense in a criminal case. Lennon indicated in the letter that he soon would formally ask Judge William Crawford to dismiss the case against the former Republican governor.
Snyder was one of nine people charged in a new investigation of the Flint water crisis. The catastrophe in the impoverished, majority-Black city has been described as an example of environmental injustice and racism.
The city, under Snyder-appointed emergency managers, used the Flint River for drinking water in 2014-15 without properly treating it to reduce corrosion. Lead from old pipes contaminated the system. Separately, the water was blamed by some experts for an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, which killed at least 12 people in the area and sickened dozens more.
By the way, aside from the expected issuing of a list of pardons – including to rapper Lil Wayne – the total extent of Donald Trump’s official diary engagements for his last full day in office reads: “President Trump will work from early in the morning until late in the evening. He will make many calls and have many meetings.”
It is the same precise wording that has been used for pretty much every single day in January so far.
One problem that will immediately land in Antony Blinken’s in-tray is the US-Uganda relationship, which has been tested this week in the aftermath of last week’s Uganda’s disputed election.
Reuters report this morning that Uganda accused the US ambassador in the country of seeking to subvert the presidential election by trying to visit the main opposition candidate at his home, which has been surrounded by security forces since the vote.
Troops prevented pop star-turned-legislator Bobi Wine from leaving his house shortly after he returned from voting in Thursday’s presidential election, in which he ran against incumbent Yoweri Museveni. On Tuesday Wine said he and his wife had run out of food, and milk for her 18-month-old niece.
The US embassy said late on Monday that Ambassador Natalie Brown had been stopped from visiting Wine, who it referred to by his real name, Robert Kyagulanyi, at his residence in a suburb in the northern outskirts of the capital. The mission said Brown wanted to check on his health and safety given that he was effectively unable to leave his home.
Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said Brown had no business visiting Wine, who the army says is being held to prevent potential unrest breaking out in the wake of the result. “What she has been trying to do blatantly is to meddle in Uganda’s internal politics, particularly elections, to subvert our elections and the will of the people,” he said. “She shouldn’t do anything outside the diplomatic norms.”
Opondo said, without providing any evidence, that Brown had a track record of causing trouble in countries where she has worked in the past. The government was watching her, he said.
The US embassy has said last week’s vote was tainted by harassment of opposition candidates, suppression of media and rights advocates and a nationwide internet shutdown. “These unlawful actions and the effective house arrest of a presidential candidate continue a worrying trend on the course of Uganda’s democracy,” it said in the statement.
The public rebuke to the United States from the Ugandan government is relatively unusual as the two nations are allies. Washington supports Ugandan soldiers serving in an African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia and has donated about $1.5 billion to Uganda’s health sector in the past three years.
The man whose responsibility it will be to try and re-build some of those bridges with Europe is Antony Blinken, Joe Biden’s pick for secretary of state, who will be up before a Senate committee today as part of his confirmation process. Humeyra Pamuk writes for Reuters this morning that Blinken will use the opportunity to vow to revitalize those alliances and US leadership:
Read more here: Reuters – Biden’s top diplomat, Blinken, vows to revitalize alliances, US leadership
A majority of Europeans believe America’s political system is broken, that China will be the world’s leading power within a decade, and that Joe Biden will be unable to halt his country’s decline on the world stage, according to a report.A majority of Europeans believe America’s political system is broken, that China will be the world’s leading power within a decade, and that Joe Biden will be unable to halt his country’s decline on the world stage, according to a report.
While many welcomed Biden’s victory in November’s US election, more Europeans than not feel that after four years of Donald Trump the US cannot be trusted, according to the study by the European Council on Foreign Relations.While many welcomed Biden’s victory in November’s US election, more Europeans than not feel that after four years of Donald Trump the US cannot be trusted, according to the study by the European Council on Foreign Relations.
“Europeans like Biden, but they don’t think America will come back as a global leader,” said the thinktank’s director, Mark Leonard. “When George W Bush was president, they were divided about how America should use its power. With Biden entering the White House, they are divided about whether America has power at all.”“Europeans like Biden, but they don’t think America will come back as a global leader,” said the thinktank’s director, Mark Leonard. “When George W Bush was president, they were divided about how America should use its power. With Biden entering the White House, they are divided about whether America has power at all.”
The survey of 15,000 people in 11 European countries, conducted at the end of last year, found that the shift in European sentiment towards the US in the wake of the Trump presidency had led to a corresponding unwillingness to support Washington in potential international disputes.The survey of 15,000 people in 11 European countries, conducted at the end of last year, found that the shift in European sentiment towards the US in the wake of the Trump presidency had led to a corresponding unwillingness to support Washington in potential international disputes.
At least half of respondents in all 11 countries surveyed felt, for example, that their government should remain neutral in any conflict between the US and China, while no more than 40% in any country said they would back Washington against Russia.At least half of respondents in all 11 countries surveyed felt, for example, that their government should remain neutral in any conflict between the US and China, while no more than 40% in any country said they would back Washington against Russia.
Just over 32% of all respondents – and a startling 53% of respondents in Germany – felt that after voting for Trump, Americans could not be trusted.Just over 32% of all respondents – and a startling 53% of respondents in Germany – felt that after voting for Trump, Americans could not be trusted.
“It’s clear that the tumultuous Trump presidency has left an indelible imprint on Europe’s attitude towards the US,” said Ivan Krastev, chair of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, an NGO in Sofia, and an ECFR board member. “The majority of Europeans are now sceptical about the capacity of the US to shape the world. It makes many, rightly or wrongly, want to opt for a more independent role for the EU in the world.”“It’s clear that the tumultuous Trump presidency has left an indelible imprint on Europe’s attitude towards the US,” said Ivan Krastev, chair of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, an NGO in Sofia, and an ECFR board member. “The majority of Europeans are now sceptical about the capacity of the US to shape the world. It makes many, rightly or wrongly, want to opt for a more independent role for the EU in the world.”
Read more of Jon Henley’s report here: Majority of Europeans fear Biden unable to fix ‘broken’ USRead more of Jon Henley’s report here: Majority of Europeans fear Biden unable to fix ‘broken’ US
One feature of the ceremonies leading up to Joe Biden taking his oath tomorrow has been the ‘Field of flags”. Intended to represent the American people who were unable to travel to Washington, nearly 200,000 flags are on display at the National Mall.One feature of the ceremonies leading up to Joe Biden taking his oath tomorrow has been the ‘Field of flags”. Intended to represent the American people who were unable to travel to Washington, nearly 200,000 flags are on display at the National Mall.
Last night, the Presidential Inaugural Committee lit up the “Field of Flags” with 56 pillars of light that represent the 50 states and US territories.Last night, the Presidential Inaugural Committee lit up the “Field of Flags” with 56 pillars of light that represent the 50 states and US territories.
Let’s not forget that hot on the heels of the Biden inauguration on Wednesday we are likely to see the spectacle of Donald Trump’s unprecedented second impeachment trial. Andrew Desiderio and Kyle Cheney at Politico have pulled out five things to look out for, including:Let’s not forget that hot on the heels of the Biden inauguration on Wednesday we are likely to see the spectacle of Donald Trump’s unprecedented second impeachment trial. Andrew Desiderio and Kyle Cheney at Politico have pulled out five things to look out for, including:
Can the Senate even hold a trial for an ex-president? Opinion is of course divided.Can the Senate even hold a trial for an ex-president? Opinion is of course divided.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, says no: “The Founders designed the impeachment process as a way to remove officeholders from public office — not an inquest against private citizens.”Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, says no: “The Founders designed the impeachment process as a way to remove officeholders from public office — not an inquest against private citizens.”
Steve Vladeck, a University of Texas law professor, disagrees, saying the Constitution doesn’t just provide for removal but also for the Senate to bar that former president from ever holding federal office again.Steve Vladeck, a University of Texas law professor, disagrees, saying the Constitution doesn’t just provide for removal but also for the Senate to bar that former president from ever holding federal office again.
How likely is a conviction? Desiderio and Cheney point out one element that is very different from Trump’s previous impeachment trial:How likely is a conviction? Desiderio and Cheney point out one element that is very different from Trump’s previous impeachment trial:
They also point out the disarray on the president’s legal team. Desiderio and Cheney write:They also point out the disarray on the president’s legal team. Desiderio and Cheney write:
Read more here: Politico – 5 things to watch at Donald Trump’s second impeachment trialRead more here: Politico – 5 things to watch at Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial
Poppy Noor reports for us this morning on Rep. Cori Bush’s first two weeks in the House. She tells of what it was like to be in the Capitol during the attack, getting booed for denouncing white supremacy, and the Republicans who mistook her for Breonna Taylor:Poppy Noor reports for us this morning on Rep. Cori Bush’s first two weeks in the House. She tells of what it was like to be in the Capitol during the attack, getting booed for denouncing white supremacy, and the Republicans who mistook her for Breonna Taylor:
Being mistaken for Breonna Taylor was … Disappointing. We had just arrived to the auditorium, people were getting settled, walking around and introducing themselves. I was wearing a Breonna Taylor mask. Someone walked up to me and said “Hello Breonna,” and it stunned me. I paused, thinking, did I hear them correctly? I turned my head to make sure no one else was standing there. And then it happened again, and again, and again.Being mistaken for Breonna Taylor was … Disappointing. We had just arrived to the auditorium, people were getting settled, walking around and introducing themselves. I was wearing a Breonna Taylor mask. Someone walked up to me and said “Hello Breonna,” and it stunned me. I paused, thinking, did I hear them correctly? I turned my head to make sure no one else was standing there. And then it happened again, and again, and again.
That told me a lot. [The Republican party] dismissed the Black Lives Matter protests publicly, and yet [these representatives] didn’t even understand why we were protesting. Shouldn’t they be paying attention to what’s happening around the country?That told me a lot. [The Republican party] dismissed the Black Lives Matter protests publicly, and yet [these representatives] didn’t even understand why we were protesting. Shouldn’t they be paying attention to what’s happening around the country?
Being in the Capitol when white supremacists stormed it was … What I was trained for. I come from the movement – we’ve faced tanks, police dogs, teargas, rubber bullets, you name it. We came here to fight for the people of St Louis, and we were not going to be intimidated by these insurrectionists. We locked ourselves in the office and got to work.Being in the Capitol when white supremacists stormed it was … What I was trained for. I come from the movement – we’ve faced tanks, police dogs, teargas, rubber bullets, you name it. We came here to fight for the people of St Louis, and we were not going to be intimidated by these insurrectionists. We locked ourselves in the office and got to work.
Calling to expel the Republicans who tried to overturn the election was … something I never thought would be my first piece of legislation. This is a sad moment in our nation’s history, but it calls for us to act urgently in defense of democracy. Section 3 of the 14th amendment is clear: no person who works in rebellion against the United States government can hold the office of representative, senator or president. I’m proud to lead my colleagues in holding them accountable.Calling to expel the Republicans who tried to overturn the election was … something I never thought would be my first piece of legislation. This is a sad moment in our nation’s history, but it calls for us to act urgently in defense of democracy. Section 3 of the 14th amendment is clear: no person who works in rebellion against the United States government can hold the office of representative, senator or president. I’m proud to lead my colleagues in holding them accountable.
Read more here: ‘We weren’t intimidated’: A diary of Cori Bush’s first two weeks in the HouseRead more here: ‘We weren’t intimidated’: A diary of Cori Bush’s first two weeks in the House
Five of president-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees will be up before Senate panels today, in the first step of the confirmation process. Biden will take office tomorrow without key members of the cabinet in place, after the Republican controlled Senate has dragged its heels over scheduling confirmation hearings.Five of president-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees will be up before Senate panels today, in the first step of the confirmation process. Biden will take office tomorrow without key members of the cabinet in place, after the Republican controlled Senate has dragged its heels over scheduling confirmation hearings.
One hearing planned for last week for the appointment of Avril Haines as National Intelligence director was cancelled after one Senator refused to hold the process remotely.One hearing planned for last week for the appointment of Avril Haines as National Intelligence director was cancelled after one Senator refused to hold the process remotely.
Today’s plan sees nominees for secretary of state, secretary of the treasury, director of national intelligence, defense secretary and secretary of Homeland Security.Today’s plan sees nominees for secretary of state, secretary of the treasury, director of national intelligence, defense secretary and secretary of Homeland Security.
At 10am ET (that’s 3pm GMT if, like me, you are in London), Janet Yellen will appear before the Senate Finance Committee, Avril Haines will appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee and Alejandro Mayorkas will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.At 10am ET (that’s 3pm GMT if, like me, you are in London), Janet Yellen will appear before the Senate Finance Committee, Avril Haines will appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee and Alejandro Mayorkas will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Then at 2pm, Antony Blinken, Biden’s proposed replacement for Mike Pompeo as secretary of state will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.Then at 2pm, Antony Blinken, Biden’s proposed replacement for Mike Pompeo as secretary of state will appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Finally, at 3m, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee to be considered for secretary of defense.Finally, at 3m, retired Gen. Lloyd Austin will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee to be considered for secretary of defense.
That may be the testiest of sessions, as Austin has not been retired long enough to count as a civilian – and it is quite rare for a non-civilian to be placed at the head of the Pentagon. Having said that, Republican Senators recently granted Donald Trump dispensation to appoint Gen. James Mattis into the same role, so it would be seen as hypocritical to now object to Austin on these grounds.That may be the testiest of sessions, as Austin has not been retired long enough to count as a civilian – and it is quite rare for a non-civilian to be placed at the head of the Pentagon. Having said that, Republican Senators recently granted Donald Trump dispensation to appoint Gen. James Mattis into the same role, so it would be seen as hypocritical to now object to Austin on these grounds.
It is possible, though not guaranteed, that some of these could be confirmed in their roles by the Senate tomorrow.It is possible, though not guaranteed, that some of these could be confirmed in their roles by the Senate tomorrow.
Music stars including Alicia Keys, Mary J Blige and TI have called for the establishment of a US government commission on racial justice within 100 days of the start of the Biden administration.Music stars including Alicia Keys, Mary J Blige and TI have called for the establishment of a US government commission on racial justice within 100 days of the start of the Biden administration.
In 2016, Keys led a video entitled 23 Ways You Could Be Killed By Being Black in America, in which celebrities such as Beyoncé and Bono recited the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Black Americans including Sandra Bland and Philando Castile.In 2016, Keys led a video entitled 23 Ways You Could Be Killed By Being Black in America, in which celebrities such as Beyoncé and Bono recited the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Black Americans including Sandra Bland and Philando Castile.
A new video entitled 17 Ways Black People Are Killed in America follows the same format, with musicians including Khalid, Summer Walker and Migos rappers Quavo and Offset describing the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and more.A new video entitled 17 Ways Black People Are Killed in America follows the same format, with musicians including Khalid, Summer Walker and Migos rappers Quavo and Offset describing the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and more.
The video asks for the establishment of a commission first proposed in the US House of Representatives in June 2020 by northern California representative Barbara Lee, entitled the United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation. Lee’s proposal was that the commission would “properly acknowledge, memorialise, and be a catalyst for progress, including toward permanently eliminating persistent racial inequities”.The video asks for the establishment of a commission first proposed in the US House of Representatives in June 2020 by northern California representative Barbara Lee, entitled the United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation. Lee’s proposal was that the commission would “properly acknowledge, memorialise, and be a catalyst for progress, including toward permanently eliminating persistent racial inequities”.
Keys and others call for the commission to be established within 100 days of Biden taking office on Wednesday, to bring about “restorative and reparative action in order to achieve racial justice”.Keys and others call for the commission to be established within 100 days of Biden taking office on Wednesday, to bring about “restorative and reparative action in order to achieve racial justice”.
Keys campaigned with incoming vice-president Kamala Harris at a rally in Arizona in October, telling the crowd: “We’re the bosses of these candidates, which is a 100% true. We hire them! We are allowed to feel the joy in all the rights that have been fought for for so many years.”Keys campaigned with incoming vice-president Kamala Harris at a rally in Arizona in October, telling the crowd: “We’re the bosses of these candidates, which is a 100% true. We hire them! We are allowed to feel the joy in all the rights that have been fought for for so many years.”
Read more of Ben Beaumont-Thomas’ report here: Music stars led by Alicia Keys call for Biden commission on racial justiceRead more of Ben Beaumont-Thomas’ report here: Music stars led by Alicia Keys call for Biden commission on racial justice
Some delicious gossip in Politico’s Playbook this morning which may raise a smile. It appears that Sean Spicer, who was press secretary and White House communications director at the start of Trump’s reign, has applied to join the White House Correspondents’ Association:Some delicious gossip in Politico’s Playbook this morning which may raise a smile. It appears that Sean Spicer, who was press secretary and White House communications director at the start of Trump’s reign, has applied to join the White House Correspondents’ Association:
It’s a bold step from a man who opened his time as White House mouthpiece by arguing with reality about the size of the crowd that came to Donald Trump’s inauguration. We are not anticipating the first Joe Biden administration press call with Jen Psaki to go the same way.It’s a bold step from a man who opened his time as White House mouthpiece by arguing with reality about the size of the crowd that came to Donald Trump’s inauguration. We are not anticipating the first Joe Biden administration press call with Jen Psaki to go the same way.
California has become the first US state to record more than 3 million known coronavirus infections, as the embattled state grapples with an unprecedented surge of cases that has left hospitals overwhelmed. If California was a country, it would have the sixth highest total caseload in the world, behind only the US, India, Brazil, Russia and the UK.California has become the first US state to record more than 3 million known coronavirus infections, as the embattled state grapples with an unprecedented surge of cases that has left hospitals overwhelmed. If California was a country, it would have the sixth highest total caseload in the world, behind only the US, India, Brazil, Russia and the UK.
That remarkable figure, which comes from Johns Hopkins university, was not entirely unexpected for the nation’s most populous state – but the speed at which it arrived has been stunning.That remarkable figure, which comes from Johns Hopkins university, was not entirely unexpected for the nation’s most populous state – but the speed at which it arrived has been stunning.
The first coronavirus case in California, home to 40 million people, was confirmed on 25 January 2020. It took 292 days to get to 1 million infections, on 11 November, and then just 44 days to hit 2 million, a milestone reached on 24 December. The state hit 3 million just weeks later.The first coronavirus case in California, home to 40 million people, was confirmed on 25 January 2020. It took 292 days to get to 1 million infections, on 11 November, and then just 44 days to hit 2 million, a milestone reached on 24 December. The state hit 3 million just weeks later.
The count is also far ahead of other large states, such as Texas, with more than 2 million, and Florida, which has topped 1.5 million.The count is also far ahead of other large states, such as Texas, with more than 2 million, and Florida, which has topped 1.5 million.
So far more than 33,600 Californians have died due to Covid-19.So far more than 33,600 Californians have died due to Covid-19.
Southern and central California have been the hardest hit. In Los Angeles county, the nation’s most populous and the current center of the state’s pandemic, scientists estimate that one in three residents have been infected with Covid-19 at some point since the beginning of the pandemic.Southern and central California have been the hardest hit. In Los Angeles county, the nation’s most populous and the current center of the state’s pandemic, scientists estimate that one in three residents have been infected with Covid-19 at some point since the beginning of the pandemic.
Air quality regulators have recently lifted the limits on the number of cremations that can be performed in Los Angeles county, citing a death rate that is more than double the pre-pandemic norm and an unmanageable backlog of dead bodies.Air quality regulators have recently lifted the limits on the number of cremations that can be performed in Los Angeles county, citing a death rate that is more than double the pre-pandemic norm and an unmanageable backlog of dead bodies.
On average, California has seen about 500 deaths and 40,000 new cases daily for the past two weeks. Although hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions remained on a slight downward trend, officials have warned that could reverse when the full impact from transmissions during Christmas and New Year’s Eve gatherings is felt.On average, California has seen about 500 deaths and 40,000 new cases daily for the past two weeks. Although hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions remained on a slight downward trend, officials have warned that could reverse when the full impact from transmissions during Christmas and New Year’s Eve gatherings is felt.
Read more here: California is first state to pass 3m Covid casesRead more here: California is first state to pass 3m Covid cases
A quick Covid snap from Reuters here, that grocery retailer Aldi has said today it would give US employees up to four hours of pay if they get a Covid-19 vaccination, nearly a week after retailer Dollar General provided a similar incentive.A quick Covid snap from Reuters here, that grocery retailer Aldi has said today it would give US employees up to four hours of pay if they get a Covid-19 vaccination, nearly a week after retailer Dollar General provided a similar incentive.
The German supermarket chain, which has more than 2,000 stores in 37 states, said it would cover costs associated with vaccine administration and implement on-site vaccination clinics at its warehouse and office locations.The German supermarket chain, which has more than 2,000 stores in 37 states, said it would cover costs associated with vaccine administration and implement on-site vaccination clinics at its warehouse and office locations.
Dollar General Corp said last week it would offer frontline employees four hours worth of pay after they get the vaccine. Walmart has agreements with states to administer the vaccine to its employees should they choose to receive it once they are eligible.Dollar General Corp said last week it would offer frontline employees four hours worth of pay after they get the vaccine. Walmart has agreements with states to administer the vaccine to its employees should they choose to receive it once they are eligible.
Coronavirus deaths are rising in nearly two-thirds of American states as a winter surge pushes the overall death toll toward 400,000 amid warnings that a new, highly contagious variant is taking hold.
David Crary writes for Associated Press that as Americans observed Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pleaded with federal authorities to curtail travel from countries where new variants are spreading.
Referring to new versions detected in Britain, South Africa and Brazil, Cuomo said: “Stop those people from coming here.... Why are you allowing people to fly into this country and then it’s too late?”
The new variant seen in Britain is already spreading in the US, and the Centers for Disease Control and Protection has warned that it will probably become the dominant version in the country by March. The CDC said the variant is about 50% more contagious than the virus that is causing the bulk of cases in the US. While the variant does not cause more severe illness, it can cause more hospitalizations and deaths simply because it spreads more easily.
As things stand, many US states are already under tremendous strain. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths is rising in 30 states and the District of Columbia, and this morning the US death toll reached 398,686 according to data collected by Johns Hopkins university. It is by far the highest recorded death toll of any country in the world. The US has now seen over 24 million cases.
Ellie Murray, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health, said cases have proliferated in part because of gatherings for Christmas and New Year and compounded previous surges from Thanksgiving and the return of students to schools and universities in the fall.
One of the states hardest hit during the recent surge is Arizona, where the rolling average has risen over the past two weeks from about 90 deaths per day to about 160 per day on 17 January.
“It’s kind of hard to imagine it getting a lot faster than it is right now, because it is transmitting really fast right now,” Dr. Joshua LaBaer, director of the Biodesign Institute research center at Arizona State University told Associated Press. “But there is some evidence that Thanksgiving didn’t help things.”
In other areas of the country, officials are working to ensure that people take the vaccine once they’re offered it amid concerns that many people are hesitant. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, in a livestreamed event on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, received a shot, and urged other Marylanders to do likewise.
“We’re all looking forward to the day we can take off and throw away our masks,” Hogan said. “The only way we are going to return to a sense of normalcy is by these Covid-19 vaccines.”
Arwa Mahdawi writes for us this morning about the legacy of the other Trump woman in the White House – Ivanka:
Ivanka Trump has wound up her time in the White House in the most fitting way possible: with a scandal about a $3,000-a-month toilet. Members of the Secret Service, it was recently reported, were banned from using any of the bathrooms in Jared Kushner and Ivanka’s Washington DC mansion and, instead, had to rent an apartment to relieve themselves in (although Jared and Ivanka have denied this). Talk about flushing taxpayers’ money down the drain.
One imagines Ivanka did not plan to spend her final days in DC dealing with the fallout from a violent insurrection and battling embarrassing leaks about her loos. When she appointed herself special adviser to the president, Ivanka was a handbag and shoe saleswoman bursting with ambition. She was going to empower women everywhere! Little girls around the world would read about Saint Ivanka for decades to come. She would be a role mogul: her branded bags would fly off the shelves.
Four years later, Ivanka’s clothing line has shut down and her personal brand has been damaged enough for a university to cancel her as a speaker. It seems she is persona non grata in New York and her dad has been banned from parts of the internet for inciting violence. By rights, Ivanka should be sobbing into her sheets wondering how everything has gone so wrong.
But Ivanka is a Trump: narcissism and self-delusion are in her DNA. As DC braces for pre-inauguration chaos Ivanka has been blithely tweeting her “achievements” and retweeting praise in an attempt to convince us she has left an important legacy.
According to her Twitter feed, one thing Americans should all be thanking Ivanka for is paid family leave, which has been one of her marquee issues. And, to be fair, if Ivanka is to be praised for anything, it’s for pushing Donald Trump to pass a bill giving federal employees 12 weeks of paid parental time off. Would that have happened without Ivanka? I don’t know. But she facilitated it. Does it make up for the many odious things Ivanka also facilitated? No.
Another of Ivanka’s big projects was the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) initiative, which aims to reach 50 million women in the developing world by 2025 and … well, I’m not sure exactly what’s supposed to happen then. The initiative is so buzzword-laden that it’s somewhat hard to understand. You get the impression Ivanka launched it via vague instructions to “empower women in powerful ways via strategic pillars of empowerment”.
Read more of Arwa Mahdawi’s column here: What is Ivanka Trump’s legacy? Enabling her father’s odious actions
The US first lady said farewell to her role yesterday as she thanked Americans for the ‘greatest honour of my life’ in a recorded video she posted on Twitter.
Melania Trump said: “The past four years have been unforgettable, as Donald and I conclude our time in the White House. I think of all of the people I have taken home in my heart and their incredible stories of love, patriotism and determination.”
Melania Trump was criticised for a statement she released in the wake of the Capitol riots which complained about treatment of her before condemning violence. It also mentioned the name of the police officer killed by the pro-Trump mob in the same sentence as the protestors who had been killed while trying to storm the seat of the US government.
Domenico Monanaro reports for NPR this morning that most Americans think Trump will be remembered as a subpar president. And the comparison with former president Barack Obama is liable to sting:
Read more here: NPR – Most Americans think Trump will be remembered as a subpar president
Joe Biden is set for a flurry of action to combat the climate crisis on his first day as US president by immediately rejoining the Paris climate agreement and blocking the Keystone XL pipeline, although experts have warned lengthier, and harder, environmental battles lie ahead in his presidency.
In a series of plans drawn up by Biden’s incoming administration for his first day in office, the new president will take the resonant step of bringing the US back into the Paris climate accords, an international agreement to curb dangerous global heating that Donald Trump exited.
The Democrat, who will be sworn in on Wednesday, is also set to revoke a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, a controversial cross-border project that would bring 830,000 barrels of crude oil each day from Alberta, Canada, to a pipeline that runs to oil refineries on the US’ Gulf of Mexico coast. The president-elect is also expected to reverse Trump’s undoing of rules that limited the emission of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from oil and gas drilling operations.
“Day one, Biden will rejoin Paris, regulate methane emissions and continue taking many other aggressive executive climate actions in the opening days and weeks of his presidency,” said Paul Bledsoe, who was a climate advisor to Bill Clinton’s White House, now with the Progressive Policy Institute.
Bledsoe said Biden’s nominees to tackle the climate crisis, spearheaded by the former secretary of state John Kerry, who will act as a climate “envoy” to the world, is “by far the most experienced, high-level climate team US history. They intend to hit the ground running.”
The aggressive opening salvo to help address the climate crisis, which Biden has called “the existential threat of our time”, is set to include various executive orders to resurrect a host of pollution rules either knocked down or weakened by the Trump administration.
The US will convene an international climate summit in Biden’s first few months in the White House and is set to join a global effort to phase out the use of hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, which are used in refrigeration and air conditioning and contribute to the heating of the planet.
Read more of Oliver Milman’s report here: Biden to ‘hit ground running’ as he rejoins Paris climate accords
Donald Trump is widely expected to mark his final full day in office as US president by issuing around 100 pardons. The recipients of the presidential pardon are expected to include high profile names like that of rapper Lil Wayne.
However, sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters have suggested that neither the president himself, nor Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani or ex-aide Steve Bannon will be on the list. Neither will members of Trump’s family get pre-emptive pardons.
While the constitutional legality of a presidential self-pardon remains untested, aides have cautioned Trump that pardoning himself and members of his family may imply guilt that becomes a liability in future state or civil lawsuits against the Trump family and businesses.
It has also been suggested that a self-pardon could antagonise some Republican Senators who will be voting during the second Trump impeachment trial, expected later this month.
Lil Wayne pleaded guilty last month to possessing a loaded, gold-plated handgun when his chartered jet landed in Miami in December 2019. He faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison at a 28 January hearing in Miami.
The rap star appeared to support Trump during last year’s presidential campaign when he tweeted a photo of himself with the president and said he backed Trump’s criminal justice reform program and economic plan for African Americans.
The New York Times reports that the list of pardons and commutations is expected to include former New York Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver, 76, who was convicted of corruption charges in 2015. After a lengthy legal process, Silver was sentenced in July 2020 to 6-and-a-half years in prison and a $1 million fine. He is currently held in the federal prison at Otisville, New York.
Also said to be under consideration for a pardon is Sholam Weiss. Weiss was sentenced to 835 years in prison in 2000 for crimes including racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering. It is frequently described as the longest ever sentence imposed in the US for a “white collar” crime.
Steve Bannon, 66, who has pleaded not guilty to charges that he defrauded donors to “We Build the Wall,” an online fundraising campaign that raised $25 million, is not expected to be on the list. Neither is Rudy Giuliani.
It is reported that Giuliani has fallen out with the president over unpaid legal fees, and the lawyer has already recused himself from defending Donald Trump in his upcoming Senate impeachment trial, since Giuliani was also involved in the rally on 6 January that preceded a pro-Trump mob ransacking the US Capitol.
Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder, another name frequently mentioned in connection to a possible Trump pardon, was also not expected to be on the list.
The list of pardons has been prepared over the weekend in a series of meetings involving White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
It is traditional for US presidents to issue pardons and clemency at the end of their term in office. Barack Obama commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning in 2017, George W. Bush commuted the sentence former staffer Lewis “Scooter” Libby who had been found guilty of perjury, and Bill Clinton controversially pardoned Marc Rich in a move widely criticised as being corrupt after Rich’s ex-wife had made substantial donations to Clinton-related causes.
Amid the heightened security, though, there will still be plenty of traditional show. Here are some of the pictures to come out of yesterday’s rehearsal for Joe Biden’s inauguration.
There’s one very obvious and immediate legacy of Trump’s presidency and the 6 January storming of the US Capitol that it inspired. Joe Biden’s inauguration tomorrow will take place amid the tightest security measures in Washington in recent memory.
25,000 National Guard soldiers from across the east coast are stationed in the city. The streets around the Capitol remain eerily empty as all but the most determined protesters have stayed away.
The FBI has even been forced to vet all troops who are guarding the event because of fears of an insider attack on the president-elect.
In a cold, sombre, damp Washington four years ago this Wednesday, Donald Trump took the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States and delivered an inaugural address now remembered for two words: American carnage.
He delivered, but not as he promised. Trump pledged to end the carnage of inner-city poverty, rusting factories, broken schools and the scourge of criminal gangs and drugs. Instead his presidency visited upon the nation the carnage of about 400,000 coronavirus deaths, the worst year for jobs since the second world war and the biggest stress test for American democracy since the civil war.
“It’s not just physical carnage,” said Moe Vela, a former White House official. “There’s also mental carnage and there’s spiritual carnage and there’s emotional carnage. He has left a very wide swath of American carnage and that is the last way I would want to be remembered by history, but that is how he will be remembered.”
Trump campaigned for president as a change agent but millions came to regard him as an agent of chaos. His line-crossing, envelope-pushing, wrecking-ball reign at the White House crashed in a fireball of lies about his election defeat and deadly insurrection at the US Capitol. Future generations of schoolchildren will read about him in textbooks as a twice-impeached one-term president.
It all began in earnest in June 2015 when the property tycoon trundled down an escalator at Trump Tower in New York and announced a presidential run based on “America first” nationalism and building a border wall. Exploiting white grievance, economic dislocation and celebrity culture, he clinched the Republican nomination and promised: “I alone can fix it.” He lost the national popular vote to Hillary Clinton but lucked his way to victory in the electoral college.
The first person elected to the White House with no previous political or military experience, he represented a shock to the system and rebuke to the establishment.
Read more of David Smith’s analysis of Donald Trump’s reign: Lights go out on Trump’s reality TV presidency but dark legacy remains
Welcome to our live coverage of US politics on the day before Joe Biden becomes president.
It is Donald Trump’s last full day in office. At some point we are expecting around a hundred pardons from the president.
His administration haven’t slowed down – there will be a final deportation flight today, bound for Haiti with passengers including a man who is not a Haitian citizen, and who has never been there.
Yesterday the US recorded 137,885 new Covid cases and 1,381 further deaths. That took the total caseload for the US over 24 million.
Experts predict 500,000 Americans will probably be killed by Covid-19 before the end of February, and perhaps before, in an acceleration of deaths expected to crest in March.
Kamala Harris formally resigned from the US Senate. In an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle, she wrote: “This is not goodbye. As I resign from the Senate, I am preparing to take an oath that would have me preside over it.”
Thousands of military personnel guarding Joe Biden’s inauguration tomorrow are being vetted by the FBI amid fears of an insider attack.
Federal authorities have arrested a woman whose ex-partner says she took a laptop from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the riot at the US Capitol.
Donald Trump on Monday issued an executive order directing the building of a National Garden of American Heroes, “to reflect the awesome splendour of our country’s timeless exceptionalism”