US Capitol on lockdown and inauguration rehearsal evacuated after fire causes security alert
On his way out of the White House, Donald Trump lifted Covid-related travel restrictions on the UK, Ireland, the European Union, and Brazil. The incoming Biden administration hit back almost immediately, saying it wasn’t the time to ease restrictions.
It wasn’t the only Easter egg being left by the outgoing administration, with Nancy Pelosi raising the alarm of a “Trump loyalist” being installed just days before the president leaves office.
While Trump won’t attend the inauguration of the next president, he is reportedly planning to host a farewell ceremony for himself at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland early on Wednesday morning before jetting out to Mar-a-Lago in Florida to return to life as a private citizen.
In one of his last official moves as president, Trump is tipped to issue 100 pardons and commutations to allies, with The New York Times reporting that his allies have accepted tens of thousands of dollars from clients lobbying for a reprieve.
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Woman accused of stealing laptop from Pelosis office is arrested
The FBI has arrested a woman whose former romantic partner says she took a laptop from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the riot at the US Capitol earlier this month.
Riley June Williams was arrested Monday, according to a Justice Department official. It’s not yet known when her initial court appearance will be.
The FBI said in an arrest warrant Sunday that Williams hasn’t been charged with theft but only with illegally entering the Capitol and with disorderly conduct.
Officials said a caller claiming to be an ex of Williams said friends of hers showed him a video of her taking a laptop computer or hard drive from Pelosi’s office. 
The caller alleged that she intended to send the device to a friend in Russia who planned to sell it to that country’s foreign intelligence service, but that plan fell through and she either has the device or destroyed it. The FBI says the matter remains under investigation.
Joe Middleton19 January 2021 07:32
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Biden to propose 8-year citizenship path for immigrants
President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration hoping to provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal status, a massive reversal from the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies.
The legislation puts Biden on track to deliver on a major campaign promise important to Latino voters and other immigrant communities after four years of President Donald Trump s restrictive policies and mass deportations. 
President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration
Joe Middleton19 January 2021 07:15
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Trump furious so many celebrities performing for Biden
Donald Trump is reported to be furious that so many top celebrities, including Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez  and Tom Hanks, are going to feature at president-elect Joe Bidens inaugural celebrations on Wednesday.
Its in stark contrast to his own event four years ago.
Many A-list stars have maintained distance from Trump since his 2016 campaign
Adam Withnall19 January 2021 06:50
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Meet Bidens climate crisis army
The hopes of millions of Americans demanding climate action now rest with president-elect Joe Biden and after four years of Donald Trumps rampant regulatory rollbacks and cynical climate misinformation, the list of priorities is a long one.
The new presidents executive orders on day one are expected to include instructions to rejoin the 2015 Paris Climate Accord and cancel the Keystone XL oil pipeline permit. 
I believe in this team, and together, we will show the world that America is once again ready to take a leading role in the fight against climate change, Mr Biden said
Adam Withnall19 January 2021 06:33
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Biden should not, under any circumstances, pardon Trump
ForIndependent Voices, Nathan Place writes an alarming number of people have offered president-elect Biden some peculiar advice: Pardon Donald Trump.
But hed better not. For so many reasons, a presidential pardon would do more dividing than healing. First of all, it would alienate all the far-left progressives who voted for Biden solely out of their hatred for Trump. This would shatter the delicate coalition of Democrats Biden will need to get reelected. And most importantly, were all safer with Trump spending his time fending off lawsuits instead of inciting violence and plotting his return in four years.
The new president-elect wants to save the soul of this nation, and many are now urging him to consider a pardon for his predecessor. But the country is safer with Trump tied up in court
Justin Vallejo19 January 2021 06:15
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The first three things Biden should do in office
For Independent Voices, Carli Peterson writes Joe Biden is walking into a s**t show on 20 January.
With so much to do, its hard to know what president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris should address first. But there are three specific pieces of legislation that the incoming administration needs to immediately work on pushing through. There are also a fewvery fewkey players on the other side of the aisle that might help them do it in a Democratically controlled Congress.
The amount that needs to be rolled back seems overwhelming. Here are three clear policy areas the Biden-Harris administration should focus on
Justin Vallejo19 January 2021 05:15
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Pence mocked after bragging that US did not enter new war under Trump
Vice President Mike Pence tried to sing the praises of Donald Trump on Sunday, boasting that the president was the first in decades to keep the US from engaging in a war.  
“I’m proud to report with just a few days left in our administration, our administration is the first in decades that did not get America into a new war,” Mr Pence said during a speech at Fort Drum. “That’s Peace through Strength.”  
The vice president did not mention the Capitol riot 
Justin Vallejo19 January 2021 04:15
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From Bush Sr to Trump: Read the last five presidents inauguration speeches in full
As Joe Biden prepares to becomes the 46th president of the US, read the inauguration speeches given by the previous five commanders in chief as they took office
Leaders show different styles as they address the nation
Justin Vallejo19 January 2021 03:15
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Joe Biden has spent the Martin Luther King Day of Service volunteering alongside his family at the Philabundance food bank in South Philadelphia, while urging Americans across the country to participate in acts of community service.
Donning a baseball cap, face mask and sunglasses, the president-elect and his family was seen loading boxes of canned goods onto conveyer belts at the food bank, located less than 30 miles from his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
Before volunteering at the food bank, Mr Biden recorded a video calling on Americans to participate in the national day of service in their own local communities, posting the message to Twitter with a caption that read: Service is a fitting way to start to heal, unite, and rebuild this country we love.
President-elect says in a statement to supporters: Service is a fitting way to start to heal, unite, and rebuild this country we love
Justin Vallejo19 January 2021 02:15
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From Cawthorn to Cruz, Republicans who voted to block 2020 election results are attending Biden inauguration
From fiery House freshmen such as North Carolina Congressman Madison Cawthorn to longtime Senate demagogues like Ted Cruz of Texas, Republicans who voted against certifying Joe Bidens 2020 election victory are nonetheless attending his inauguration ceremony later this week.  
Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smiths office confirmed her planned attendance in a statement to The Independent on Monday, making her the fifth of the eight GOP senators who voted against one or both of the Electoral College submissions from Arizona and Pennsylvania but will be in Washington to see Mr Biden sworn in as the 46th president.
Other outlets have previously reported that Mr Cruz as well as Senators Rick Scott of Florida, Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama will also attend.
Regardless of which party holds the presidency, respect for the office is not optional, freshman Republican says of decision to attend inauguration
Justin Vallejo19 January 2021 01:15