Author: PolitCens

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to send an article of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday, accusing the former president of inciting an insurrection during the Jan. 6 mob storming of the Capitol. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this story on why Democrats are still keen to pursue impeachment even with Trump no longer in power.
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The impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump will begin in the Senate the week of February 8, according to an agreement Republicans and Democrats reached Friday.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the schedule after Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had asked for a delay to allow Trump more time to prepare his defense on the sole charge of incitement of insurrection.Trump is accused of inciting the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6.The delayed start of the trial also gives the Senate more time to confirm President Joe Biden’s Cabinet nominations as well as consider Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.Schumer said that until the trial, “the Senate will continue to do other business for the American people, such as Cabinet nominations and the COVID relief bill.”FILE – Capitol Police in riot gear push back demonstrators at the U.S. Capitol, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington.He said of the siege by pro-Trump rioters on the Capitol, “We all want to put this awful chapter in our nation’s history behind us.”However, he said, “healing and unity will only come if there is truth and accountability. And that is what this trial will provide.”’Fair’ dealRepublican South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Judiciary Committee, called the agreement between Schumer and McConnell “fair to all concerned.”“It allows the president’s defense team adequate time to prepare, and for the sake of the country, it moves the process forward,” he said.Earlier Friday, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would send the article of impeachment to the Senate on Monday, setting the process in motion for the Senate trial.FILE – Then-President Donald Trump and then-first lady Melania Trump wave to supporters at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Jan. 20, 2021.Trump is the first U.S. president to be impeached twice and the first to go on trial after leaving office. If he is convicted, he could be barred from holding federal office again.A conviction would require at least 17 Republican Senate votes, but to date, only a handful of Republicans have indicated they would consider convicting Trump, and most have questioned the legality of trying a president after his term has ended. Republicans also have complained a trial would be divisive and distract from the new Biden administration.As preparations for the trial continue, Schumer and McConnell, the Senate’s majority leader until Democrats narrowly won control earlier this month, are vying for advantage in the evenly divided Senate, where Democrats now have an edge because of Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote.’Fight like hell’Shortly before the January 6 insurrection that resulted in the deaths of five people, Trump told thousands of supporters at a rally near the White House to “fight like hell” against his election loss, which Congress was in the process of formally certifying.Thousands of his supporters marched to the Capitol and hundreds of them broke into the building, delaying the certification of the results. A Capitol Police officer was among those who died in the rioting. The House impeached Trump one week later, with the support of 10 Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to impeach.
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U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday will send an article of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate, Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Friday, beginning a trial at which the former president could be convicted of inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.”There will be a trial,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “It will be a full trial. It will be a fair trial.”Democrats rejected Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s request to delay Trump’s impeachment trial until next month on the ground that Trump’s legal team needs more time to develop a defense strategy.Trump is the first U.S. president to be impeached twice and the first to go on trial after leaving office. Schumer did not say when Trump’s second impeachment trial would begin, but if he is convicted of the single charge of incitement of insurrection, he could be barred from holding federal office again.GOP reservationsA conviction would require at least 17 Republican Senate votes, but to date only a handful of Republicans have indicated they would consider convicting Trump, and most have questioned the legality of trying a president after his term has ended. Republicans also have complained a trial would be divisive and distract the new Biden administration.As preparations for the trial continue, Schumer and McConnell, the Senate’s majority leader until Democrats narrowly won control earlier this month, are vying for advantage in the evenly divided Senate, where Democrats now have an edge because of Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote.Shortly before the January 6 insurrection that resulted in the deaths of five people, Trump told thousands of supporters at a rally near the White House to “fight like hell” against his election loss, which Congress was in the process of formally certifying.Thousands of his supporters marched to the Capitol and hundreds of them broke in, delaying the certification of the results. A Capitol Police officer was among those who died in the rioting. The House impeached Trump one week later, with the support of 10 Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to impeach.
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Texas on Friday moved to stop President Joe Biden from allowing a 100-day moratorium on deportations, bringing one of the first lawsuits against his new administration.The lawsuit seeks a halt to the deportation moratorium “for certain noncitizens” that was to begin Friday. Biden has signed a raft of executive orders, including one revoking former President Donald Trump’s mandate that made anyone in the U.S. illegally a priority for deportation.Texas claims the moratorium violates an agreement, signed in the waning weeks of Trump’s presidency, that required the federal government to run changes in immigration enforcement past the state first. BuzzFeed News first reported the Trump administration signing similar agreements with Republican leaders in several states. Legal scholars have expressed doubt that the agreements will be enforceable in court.”Failure to properly enforce the law will directly and immediately endanger our citizens and law enforcement personnel,” Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said.The Department of Homeland Security referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond.The lawsuit, which repeatedly cites Texas’ agreement with the Trump administration, was filed before U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton, a Trump appointee, in the Southern District of Texas.Biden’s actionsSince taking office Wednesday, Biden has shown intent to unwind many of Trump’s immigration crackdowns. His first steps included stopping construction of a border wall with Mexico and lifting a travel ban on people from several predominantly Muslim countries.Biden also says he will push to give legal status and a path to citizenship to anyone in the United States before January 1, an estimated 11 million people.Texas shares more than 1,200 miles of border with Mexico, which the state’s Republican leaders say makes the state particularly invested in the nation’s immigration policies. It also received thousands of refugees annually before Trump virtually ended admissions.FILE – People rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Nov. 12, 2019.The state is leading a fight to overturn the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program former President Barack Obama instituted in 2012 that confers limited protections on immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Friday’s lawsuit echoes many of the same arguments Texas is making against DACA — for instance, that immigrants without authorization drain educational and health care resources. Supporters of immigrant protections say those arguments are flawed and that immigrants help the state’s economy and health care sector, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.In bringing one of the first lawsuits against the Biden administration, Paxton is eager to be seen as a champion for Republicans — not just as Democrats reclaim power in Washington, but as his own career is under dark clouds.The FBI is investigating Paxton, who was a loyal Trump ally, over accusations by top former aides that he abused his office at the service of a donor. Separately, Paxton has pleaded not guilty in state court to felony fraud charges in a five-year-old case.  
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Despite the health and security concerns that kept the usual large crowds away from this week’s swearing-in of a new American president, one Washington community was well represented at the solemn ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol – the diplomatic corps.For many of them, the ceremony was a moving reaffirmation of the strength and durability of American democracy just 14 days after an insurrection that had shaken both the nation and its allies around the world.“There are 190 ambassadors in Washington, I would say there were at least 180 ambassadors there,” Daniel Mulhall, Ireland’s ambassador in the United States, told VOA in a phone interview. “I can’t imagine anybody [who’s invited] not being there, except somebody being sick or something.”Mulhall said he and the other ambassadors were seated directly in front of the Capitol where President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn in. “We had a very good view,” he said. “I certainly was quite moved by the ceremony, by the president’s speech.“I kept thinking about his great-great-grandparents were born in Ireland and all of them left Ireland, in circumstances of difficulty and deprivation; and to think of their descendant becoming U.S. president was quite moving,” Mulhall said.”I see the story of the Blewitts & the Finnegans, brought to light by their great-great grandson’s extraordinary success, as emblematic of the larger saga of Irish immigrants in America.”Amb @DanMulhall’s blog on fellow poetry lover President @JoeBiden👉https://t.co/VJhNVGrTnDpic.twitter.com/0NTguqRYJu— Embassy of Ireland USA (@IrelandEmbUSA) January 20, 2021The ambassador added that an Irish violinist had played a passage written by an Irish composer during a Mass attended by Biden, family members and other luminaries at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle hours before the swearing-in.  The day before, Mulhall had met with the violinist and recorded a duet of poetry reading, accompanied by music, for the incoming president. Irish violinist Patricia Treacy came to the Embassy yesterday and we recorded this W.B. #Yeats poem, ‘Down by the Sally Gardens’ which we dedicate to President @JoeBiden, a fan of Yeats’s work. Patricia will play the violin at today’s #inauguration. @culture_irelandpic.twitter.com/UvBb2Yas4V— Daniel Mulhall (@DanMulhall) January 20, 2021Martin Weiss represents Austria in Washington. Sitting right before the U.S. Capitol, he said, he was struck by the fact that this celebration of democracy was taking place on the very spot where, two weeks earlier, a riotous mob had attempted to force Congress to overturn the result of the November election.  One “can’t just forget what happened on January 6th; we all have the pictures in the back of our heads … We’ve seen the Capitol – just weeks ago, it looked very different on that day.”He observed that many speakers spoke of the tragedy and violence that took place, “but then they moved on – in a very American spirit.”“I was and am deeply moved by the United States of America and the determination of the American people,” said André Haspels, Netherlands’ ambassador, in a written response to questions from VOA. He said he was “impressed by the speed at which the government was able to adapt and produce a ceremony that served to unite the nation as the country makes its way forward.”Haspels described the U.S. Capitol as “a global symbol of democratic norms and values” and remarked that the resilience displayed by all three branches of the American government – the legislative, judicial and executive – at Wednesday’s event “should serve as notice that American democracy is strong.”Two weeks ago, America’s democracy was shaken to its core. But today, the US will show its resilience once more. It’s good to attend today’s ceremony at the Capitol, which is and will always be a worldwide symbol of democratic norms and values. #InaugurationDaypic.twitter.com/UdV8IrPGDG— André Haspels (@NLAmbassadorUSA) January 20, 2021Weiss added that he was heartened by the unity and bipartisanship at the swearing-in ceremony, led by Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar and Republican Senator Roy Blunt. “After January 6th, who would have thought this was even possible?” Weiss reflected.“After such a celebratory moment, you get down to the nitty-gritty of politics, then things often get a very different tone; but this is a moment where you have speakers from the Republican party and the Democratic party, you kind of tie it all together for a moment. I think that’s so important that you see this is possible.”Envoys from around the world posted images of themselves in front of the U.S. Capitol taken on Inauguration Day.Pleasure to attend the historic ceremony ! https://t.co/TweqATUBJV— Taranjit Singh Sandhu (@SandhuTaranjitS) January 20, 2021Honored to represent the people and government of Taiwan here at the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris. pic.twitter.com/KSatj8vIln— Bi-khim Hsiao 蕭美琴 (@bikhim) January 20, 2021Very honored to be attending the inauguration of @JoeBiden as President of the United States. I’m excited to work with his administration to advance a broad and dynamic Brazil-U.S. agenda. @KamalaHarris@ABlinken@Cartajuanero@JohnKerrypic.twitter.com/K53HOS1iiy— Nestor Forster Jr. (@BRAmbassadorUS) January 20, 2021“To witness history and the transfer of American power in the heart of democracy is a privilege,” Haspels said.Ambassadors from nearly 200 countries with missions in Washington didn’t receive their invitations to attend the event until last week.  Weiss said he wouldn’t have been surprised if diplomats had been advised that they would have to participate in the event virtually, as has been the case with so many events over the past year. “In corona time, nothing is taken for granted,” he said.  “I think that was a conscious choice, to include the diplomatic corps,” Weiss said, adding that he viewed the invitation from the State Department’s Office of Protocol as a diplomatic signal that “America is open for international business, for international relations.”The presence of American-born-and-raised global pop culture icons, as well as the country’s youthful energy and talent, were also on display at the inauguration and it did not go unnoticed by the envoys.Haspels said he enjoyed Lady Gaga’s rendition of the national anthem, and “a moment that resonated with me was the extraordinary poem read by the youth laureate poet, Ms. Amanda Gorman.”  Weiss said he thought “the star power” helped to “bring everyone in” and that it was nice to “not have politicians among politicians speaking political language.”  “All in all, it was a beautiful event,” he said, and a “positive and uplifting moment” for those who were there.And – what was a dignified ceremony with many striking moments and a touching speech by President Biden – has come to an end. A true honor to represent Austria on this important day.#Inauguration2021pic.twitter.com/u7xQNC7uVm— Martin Weiss (@martinoweiss) January 20, 2021  
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U.S. president Joe Biden is expected to sign at least two executive orders Friday aimed at providing financial and food security to families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The newly inaugurated president will order the Department of Agriculture to expand benefits in the country’s food program in one of the orders.  Many people who have been laid off from their jobs because of the pandemic have sought help finding food.In addition, the new president is seeking a 15% increase in a school meals program that began after the pandemic. Biden officials say the increase in the school-based program could result in a family with three children receiving more than $100 in extra benefits every two months. Pandemic stimulus checks
An executive order on pandemic stimulus checks seeks to deliver the checks to people who are eligible to receive them but have not.”Many Americans faced challenges receiving the first round of direct payments and as many as eight million eligible households did not receive the payments issued in March,” a White House fact sheet said. Also Friday, Biden will have his first conversation with a foreign leader.  The president is scheduled to have a telephone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.    
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Paul Chavez had no idea where a sculpture of his father, Latino American civil rights and labor leader Cesar Chavez, would end up in the White House.He agreed just this week to lend the bronze bust to President Joe Biden and hustled to get it wrapped up and shipped across the country from California. It was an utter surprise Wednesday when he saw Biden at his desk in the Oval Office, with the bust of the late Cesar Chavez right behind the president.“We’re still smiling cheek to cheek,” Paul Chavez said in an interview Thursday.Biden pressed themes of unity and inclusivity and advocacy for racial justice during the campaign, and Chavez said Biden appeared to be trying to convey that through a series of quick decorative changes he’s made to the world’s most powerful office.Chavez said the prominent placement of his father’s likeness in the White House sends the message that it’s a “new day” following the tenure of Donald Trump and the anti-immigrant policies that he and his advisers pushed. Chavez, who is president and chairman of the board of directors of the foundation named for his father, predicted that “the contributions of working people, of immigrants, of Latinos … will be taken into account” in the new administration.Whenever Biden is seen at his desk, Chavez, a farm worker advocate, will be there, too.Clinton-era rug, drapesBiden revealed his Oval Office touch-up Wednesday as he signed a raft of executive orders and other actions in his first hours as the nation’s 46th president.The most visually striking change is Biden’s choice of a deep blue rug, with the presidential seal in the middle, that was last used by President Bill Clinton, to replace a light-colored rug laid down by Trump. Biden is also using Clinton’s deep gold draperies.Busts of civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are also on display, along with a sculpture of President Harry Truman. Biden removed a bust of Winston Churchill, the former British prime minister.On the wall across from Biden’s desk is a portrait collage of predecessors George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt, along with Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father and former treasury secretary.No longer on display is a portrait of President Andrew Jackson, a Trump favorite who signed the Indian Removal Act that forced tens of thousands of Native Americans out of their homeland.Red button goneBiden is keeping the Resolute desk, so named because it was built using oak from the British Arctic exploration ship HMS Resolute. But he got rid of the red button that Trump had on the desk and would push to have a butler bring him a Diet Coke, his beverage of choice.All presidents tweak the Oval Office decor at the start of their terms to reflect their personal tastes or to telegraph broader messages to the public.The White House maintains a vast collection of furniture, paintings and other artifacts that they can choose from. Presidents are also allowed to borrow items from the Smithsonian and other museums. The White House curator oversees everything, and the makeover is carried out in the hours after the outgoing president leaves the mansion and before the new president arrives.Biden also replaced a row of military service flags Trump used to decorate the office with a single American flag and a flag with the presidential seal, both positioned behind his desk.He also chose a tufted, dark brown leather chair instead of keeping the reddish-brown desk chair Trump used.
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U.S. president Joe Biden is expected to sign at least two executive orders Friday aimed at providing financial and food security to families impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The newly inaugurated president will order the Department of Agriculture to expand benefits in the country’s food program in one of the orders.  Many people who have been laid off from their jobs because of the pandemic have sought help finding food.In addition, the new president is seeking a 15% increase in a school meals program that began after the pandemic. Biden officials say the increase in the school-based program could result in a family with three children receiving more than $100 in extra benefits every two months. Pandemic stimulus checks
An executive order on pandemic stimulus checks seeks to deliver the checks to people who are eligible to receive them but have not.”Many Americans faced challenges receiving the first round of direct payments and as many as eight million eligible households did not receive the payments issued in March,” a White House fact sheet said. Also Friday, Biden will have his first conversation with a foreign leader.  The president is scheduled to have a telephone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.    
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The United States returns to a unified government this week as Joe Biden becomes the 46th president and Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate. With the U.S. House continuing under the Democratic party leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Biden has an opportunity to enact big legislative changes. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson reports.
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President Joe Biden has taken over as America’s leader at a time of sickness, acrimony and division.  VOA’s Carolyn Presutti introduces us to the 78-year-old man who will guide the United States for the next four years. 
Camera: Carolyn Presutti 
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Moving swiftly on her first day as acting CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, journalist Kelu Chao oversaw the removal of the top executive at the Voice of America, reversing a widely criticized appointment by her Trump-appointed predecessor, Michael Pack.Robert Reilly, whom Pack appointed as director of Voice of America in December, was removed along with his deputy, Elizabeth Robbins. Yolanda Lopez, former VOA news director whom Reilly reassigned last week, was named acting director of VOA.With his departure, Reilly made history as the first VOA director to have stood down twice, serving little more than a year during two appointments that were 20 years apart.USAGM emailed staff about the changes Thursday, also confirming that President Joe Biden had selected Chao, a highly regarded veteran of VOA, as acting CEO of USAGM, the parent organization. Pack resigned Wednesday after the new Democratic administration informed him that he would be removed. Brian Conniff, former president of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, was named Chao’s deputy.The announcement added that Jeffrey Shapiro had resigned as director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.Chao, a veteran broadcast journalist who has worked for more than 40 years at Voice of America and the agency, is the first woman to hold the top position at USAGM.In her acting role, Chao will oversee USAGM’s networks and grantees that include VOA, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and the internet freedom nonprofit, the Open Technology Fund. The announcement said Biden was expected to nominate a permanent CEO soon.Reilly’s appointment raised criticism and concern among lawmakers.At least 48 current and former journalists had called for Reilly and Robbins to resign last week, charging that they had violated the network’s journalism code by giving a senior government official “a free platform to speak live on our channels.” They also cited the abrupt reassignment of White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara.Widakuswara was moved to the Indonesian Service, where she started her career at VOA, after attempting to question then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over current news events after a speech delivered in the VOA auditorium.She also confronted Reilly about why he had not used a question-and-answer period afterward to pose questions submitted by newsroom journalists on controversial matters.Footage of her exchange with Reilly shows the director telling Widakuswara she was “not authorized” to ask questions and chastising her for not knowing how to behave. She had followed Pompeo out of the VOA building, calling out questions.Lawmakers and former USAGM officials said last month that Reilly’s public comments and his published books expressing controversial views about homosexuals and Muslims risked causing irreparable harm to the network’s credibility and reputation. When he arrived as VOA director in December, Reilly told staff his previous writings were “irrelevant” to his official duties.Eliot Engel, then the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, disagreed and described Reilly’s appointment as a “disgrace and an embarrassment.”“VOA journalists shouldn’t have to endure the reputational harm of having to work for someone with views so backward and out of step with American values,” Engel, a Democrat from New York, said in a December statement.USAGM provided no explanation for Reilly’s firing.’It must be transparent’Pack’s tenure as the first chief executive of USAGM was tumultuous and led to several whistleblower complaints, an order from the Office of Special Counsel to investigate allegations of mismanagement and separate court orders barring him and his aides from interfering in VOA editorial decisions or installing appointees at the Open Technology Fund, respectively.The former CEO said in interviews he was trying to resolve long-standing security lapses and issues of bias.David Seide, senior counsel of the nonprofit Government Accountability Project, which represents more than 20 whistleblowers at VOA, welcomed the change in leadership.He said the agency should move to reinstate Widakuswara and any other individual found to have been improperly suspended or removed and investigate allegations of mismanagement.”There must be an accounting for what has happened over the past six months. It must be transparent. New leadership’s support will be critical. I am confident they will provide it,” Seide said.During Pack’s tenure last year, lawmakers weakened the CEO position by introducing more checks and balances into the National Defense Authorization Act.The changes will prevent the CEO or federal employees from serving on any grantee board. They will also give the board power to advise the agency head to ensure the integrity and independence of the networks is respected and to approve appointments or dismissals of network heads.The boards will also need to be bipartisan, and the members must have a relevant background in journalism, technology, broadcasting or diplomacy.The changes could affect a new conservative board appointed by Pack before his departure this week. On January 19, he announced new conservative members for the network boards that he had earlier dissolved, including Roger Simon, a contributor to The Epoch Times who falsely described January’s deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol as a “false flag” operation, and Christian Whiton, who has defended Russia’s annexation of Crimea. 
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One critical piece of U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security team came into place Thursday, while the White House and top lawmakers pushed for the swift confirmation of more key nominees to help take on growing international challenges. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines became the first of the president’s picks to take office. The first female DNI, she was sworn in early Thursday, less than 24 hours after being confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 84-10. Shortly after her swearing-in, Haines took part in the president’s daily intelligence briefing and reached out to members of the country’s intelligence agencies, saying in a statement that their work “has never been more vital to our nation’s security or prosperity.” NEW: Avril Haines takes the reins at FILE – Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Jan. 19, 2021.”I am pleased my Senate colleagues joined me in swiftly confirming Director Haines,” Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement before the final tally was in. “Our adversaries will not stand by and wait for the new administration to staff critical positions.” FILE – Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., Jan. 28, 2020.The committee’s top Democrat, Senator Mark Warner, also praised the bipartisan effort to confirm Haines, saying her role as the nation’s top intelligence official is of “critical importance.” “After being deliberately undermined for four years, the intelligence community deserves a strong, Senate-confirmed leader to lead and reinvigorate it,” Warner said. There was also movement Thursday on the nomination of retired General  Lloyd Austin, former commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East and South Asia (U.S. Central Command), to be Biden’s secretary of defense. Austin would be the first Black secretary of defense. Both the House and the Senate voted to grant Austin a legally required waiver to serve in the civilian post less than seven years after retiring from the military, with the Senate setting a final confirmation vote for early Friday. FILE – Secretary of Defense nominee Lloyd Austin, a recently retired Army general, speaks during his conformation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill, Jan. 19, 2021.”Even as power changes hands from one administration to the other, the work of keeping our nation safe must not be paused or be disrupted,” new Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told fellow lawmakers Thursday, urging them to move with haste on the nominations for the top posts at the departments of Homeland Security, State and Treasury. “Foreign adversaries will seek to exploit this period of transition, and we cannot allow America’s military, intelligence and national security policy to be disrupted by staffing delays.” The Senate is also expected to move on other key nominees, such as former Ambassador William Burns, tapped to run the Central Intelligence Agency, Washington’s premiere spy agency. NEW this morning: @Transition46@JoeBiden picks Amb. William Burns to head up @CIABurns “shares my profound belief that intelligence must be apolitical and that the dedicated intelligence professionals serving our nation deserve our gratitude and respect” per Biden statement pic.twitter.com/i8ziwwX27W— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) January 11, 2021Russian threatsAlready, the Biden national security team is facing some key challenges, from both the coronavirus pandemic and U.S. adversaries. The Biden administration announced Thursday that it was seeking a five-year extension of New START, one of the last remaining arms control treaties with Russia. The treaty, which limits the U.S. and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and puts limits on the missile delivery systems, is set to expire in February. White House press secretary Jen Psaki also confirmed Thursday that Biden was asking the intelligence community for assessments on suspect Russian actions, including the SolarWinds cyberhack, interference in November’s presidential election, the use of chemical weapons against opposition leader Alexei Navalny and alleged bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. NEW: @POTUS issuing tasking to intelligence community “for its full assessment of the #SolarWinds#cyber breach, #Russia|n interference in the 2020 election, its use of chemical weapons against opposition leader Alexi Navalny & the alleged bounties of US soldier in #Afghanistan”— Jeff Seldin (@jseldin) January 21, 2021Haines, a former deputy director of the Central Intelligence Agency and a former White House aide, told lawmakers during her confirmation hearing Tuesday that Russia’s use of influence operations, in particular, was a concern. “I’ve certainly seen Russia’s use of active measures in a variety of campaigns to exacerbate the divisions in this country and to promote extremism, in a sense,” Haines said. In his confirmation hearing Tuesday, Austin also warned about the Kremlin, saying that although Russia is a power “in decline,” it can still do “a great deal of damage” in cyberspace. Looking inwardBoth Haines and Austin also told lawmakers that much of their focus would be inward as they seek to help restore trust and confidence in the intelligence community and the military.  “To be effective, the DNI must never shy away from speaking truth to power. Ever. Especially when doing so may be inconvenient or difficult,” Haines said.  For his part, Austin said he would make it a priority to stamp out extremism and illegal behavior within the military. “The job of the Department of Defense is to keep America safe from our enemies, but we can’t do that if some of those enemies lie with our own ranks,” he said. “This [extremism] has no place in the military of the United States of America,” Austin added, describing it as part of a broader battle. “I will fight hard to stamp out sexual assault, and to rid our ranks of racists and extremists, and to create a climate where everyone fit and willing has the opportunity to serve,” he said. VOA’s Katherine Gypson contributed to this report.
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Facebook’s independent oversight board said Thursday that it had accepted the company’s request to review its decision to suspend the accounts of former President Donald Trump.The U.S. social media giant blocked Trump’s access to his Facebook and Instagram accounts after he was accused of inciting a deadly insurrection by his supporters January 6 at the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers were formally certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory.When it made the decision, the company said the suspension would remain in effect at least until the end of Trump’s term on January 20 and possibly indefinitely.The board said a five-member panel would review the case in the coming days and report its findings to the full board.A majority of the members must approve a decision before it can be issued. The board must decide within 90 days, and Facebook is required to act on it within that period. The board’s decisions are nonbinding.Trump’s critics generally applauded Facebook’s decision, but many world leaders and free-speech proponents denounced it, maintaining it sets an alarming precedent against free speech.’Very confident’ decision was rightFacebook global affairs chief Nick Clegg told the Reuters news agency he remained convinced the company acted appropriately when it suspended Trump’s accounts.“I’m very confident that any reasonable person looking at the circumstances in which we took that decision and looking at our existing policies will agree,” Clegg said.But Clegg also said the board might consider wider principles and policies that could influence its decision.In addition to reviewing the decision to suspend Trump’s accounts, Clegg said he asked the board to recommend when political leaders can or should be prohibited from using the company’s platforms.Facebook created the oversight board after being criticized for its management of problematic content. The panel consists of 20 members, including a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, a former prime minister, legal experts and rights advocates.Twitter, Trump’s favorite social media platform, has suspended the former president permanently.  
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World leaders have congratulated Joe Biden following his inauguration Wednesday as the 46th U.S. president. Many allies also offered warm words for Kamala Harris as she became the first woman to serve as vice president.After four years of turbulent transatlantic relations, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered a warm welcome to Biden.“Once again after four long years, Europe has a friend in the White House,” von der Leyen told lawmakers Thursday at the EU Parliament in Brussels. “This new dawn in America is the moment we’ve been waiting for so long. Europe is ready for a new start with our oldest and most trusted partner.”“From climate change to health, from digitalization to democracy, these are global challenges that need renewed and global cooperation, and the European Union and the United States must lead from the front and bring an alliance of like-minded powers with us,” von der Leyen said.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
FILE – Then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his family members walk along the national road named after his late son, Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III, in the village of Sojevo, Kosovo, Aug. 17, 2016.Mayor Lutfi Haziri of the Kosovan town of Gjilan said people there remember the president’s son as “a volunteer in uniform in liberating Kosovo and a volunteer in building up rule of law institutions in the Republic of Kosovo.”  “He has been closely linked to our fight to be free and equal, of course with the influence of his family,” Haziri said.Allies in the Asia-Pacific region welcomed the new U.S. administration. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison made special mention of Kamala Harris.“That is an historic moment, and one that I think, as a father of daughters, you can only celebrate. And I wish her all the best in her very important duties,” Morrison said. He added that Australia and the United States have much to work on together, “whether it is on climate, on energy, on international security and importantly, regional security here in the Indo-Pacific.”Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga echoed his Australian counterpart at a news conference Thursday.“I hope to closely cooperate with the new president to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” he told reporters.FILE – Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga speaks during a press conference at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Jan. 13, 2021.That is a clear reference to the perceived threat from China in the Indo-Pacific region.US-China relationsBeijing on Thursday called for a reset in relations with Washington.”We hope that the new U.S. government will view China and our relations in an objective and rational manner, proceed from the well-being of the two peoples, work with China in the same direction to uphold the spirit of non-conflict and non-confrontation, mutual respect, and win-win cooperation. We hope it will focus on cooperation, manage disputes and strive to bring China-U.S. relations back to the track of healthy and stable development,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Hua Chunying said Thursday.China sanctioned former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and dozens of other Trump administration officials Wednesday in response to Pompeo’s labeling of Beijing’s treatment of Uighur Muslims as genocide. The Trump administration also sanctioned several Chinese officials over Beijing’s military activities in the South China Sea.FILE – This August 18, 2020, image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc. reportedly shows a Chinese submarine (center, bottom) entering an underground base on Hainan Island on the South China Sea.A spokesperson for Biden’s National Security Council said China’s decision to announce the sanctions on the day of Biden’s inauguration was “unproductive and cynical” and “an attempt to play to partisan divides.”When questioned Tuesday at his confirmation hearing by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Secretary of State-designate Antony Blinken, who is likely to take over from Pompeo, agreed with his predecessor that China was carrying out genocide against the Uighur population.China is at the top of Biden’s foreign policy challenges, analyst Norman said. “The incoming administration will also maintain a pretty tough China stance. It’s actually an area where I think we’ll have some bipartisan agreement on that approach. But again, one that is more engaged with allies in doing that,” she said.Iran, RussiaIranian leader Hassan Rouhani said this week the “ball was in Biden’s court” over the future of the 2015 nuclear deal, which the U.S. president has said he wants to rejoin if Tehran meets its commitments under the agreement to limit nuclear enrichment.Trump abandoned the deal in 2018. Iran has since increased its uranium enrichment to 20% and is installing new centrifuges, breaching the deal.Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. said Biden’s inauguration was a “new chapter” in relations with Washington. The Biden administration has demanded the release of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was arrested and jailed on his return to Moscow Sunday after receiving medical treatment in Germany. Navalny survived a poisoning attempt last year and was flown to Berlin for treatment.There was no official response from Russian President Vladimir Putin about Biden’s inauguration.
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U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are putting a large focus of their first full day in office on the federal government’s response to the coronavirus.Biden is scheduled to speak Thursday about the administration’s plans and to sign executive orders and other actions related to combating COVID-19.Both Biden and Harris are then due to be briefed by their coronavirus team, including information about the current state of vaccination programs being carried out throughout the country.Biden set a goal of boosting vaccinations at the start of his term to amass 100 million doses given in the first 100 days.Vaccinations in the United States began in mid-December with a focus on frontline health care workers and those living in long-term care facilities. As of Wednesday morning, 16.5 million doses had been administered, according to data from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention. The two vaccines given emergency approval in the United States each require a two-shot regimen.President-elect Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff salute as they arrive ahead of the inauguration of Biden, in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021.Virtual prayer service
Biden and his wife, Jill, along with Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, are starting Thursday by participating in a virtual Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service hosted by the Washington National Cathedral.Biden was sworn in Wednesday as the 46th U.S. president and called on Americans to unite in support of each other in what he called “a winter of peril and significant possibilities.”At 78, Biden became the country’s oldest leader after serving 36 years as a U.S. senator and eight as vice president. He took the presidential oath of office on the steps of the Capitol on a chilly, wind-swept day.Shortly before, Harris, a former senator from California, was sworn in as vice president, becoming the highest-ranking woman in the country’s history. She is of Black and Indian heritage.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 12 MB480p | 17 MB540p | 23 MB720p | 48 MB1080p | 92 MBOriginal | 104 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioCall for unity
In his inaugural address, Biden promised to be the president of all Americans, not just those who voted for him in his November election victory over former President Donald Trump.Trump became the first president in 152 years to skip his successor’s inauguration and instead left Washington before the ceremony to head to his Florida mansion as his term ended.“To all those who did not support us, let me say this: Hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart. If you still disagree, so be it. That’s democracy,” Biden said.But he said, “We must end this uncivil war” pitting Americans against each other.“We can see each other not as adversaries but as neighbors,” he said. “We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting, and lower the temperature.”He also pledged to be honest with the country as it faces a soaring number of coronavirus infections, a death toll that has topped 400,000 and a battered economy that has brought financial pain to millions of Americans.Biden promised “to defend the truth and defeat the lies.” He did not mention Trump in his address or the former president’s baseless contention that rampant fraud cost him another four-year term in the White House.“The will of the people has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded,” Biden said. “We’ve learned again that democracy is precious, and democracy is fragile. At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.”“This is America’s day,” he said. “This is democracy’s day. A day in history and hope, of renewal and resolve.”Executive orders
Hours after his inauguration, Biden, who served eight years as vice president under former President Barack Obama, signed a number of executive orders and other presidential actions.Among them were reengaging with the World Health Organization, rejoining the Paris climate agreement, reversing Trump’s ban on entry to the United States from several primarily Muslim countries, launching a government effort to advance racial equity in the United States, boosting protections for people who entered the country illegally as minors and challenging Americans to do “their patriotic duty” by wearing masks to combat the spread of the coronavirus.Arriving at the Oval Office Wednesday afternoon, Biden said that Trump had left him a “very generous letter.” Biden refused to give more details, indicating that the letter was “private.”Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 10 MB480p | 15 MB540p | 20 MB720p | 47 MB1080p | 85 MBOriginal | 93 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioFirst press briefing
Later in the afternoon, press secretary Jen Psaki held the administration’s first press briefing, emphasizing that the administration respected a free press and was committed to being transparent.In response to a question on how Biden planned to restore the U.S. reputation globally, Psaki said “his priority is first rebuilding our partnerships and alliances around the world.”White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington.The morning’s swearing-in ceremonies were witnessed by three former presidents — Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton — and former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.Normally, U.S. presidential inaugurations draw thousands of well-wishers, but not this time. Access to the National Mall in front of the Capitol was sharply restricted both for security reasons and the fear that letting people jam together would add to the soaring number of coronavirus infections in the United States. Instead of people on the Mall, thousands of red, white and blue American flags whipped in the wind.The usual throng of Washington dignitaries witnessing a presidential inauguration was sharply limited in the seats behind Biden and Harris. Chairs for some of the invited guests were widely spaced in line with coronavirus restrictions recommended by health authorities, and those attending all wore face masks.Tight security
The ceremony was conducted amid extraordinary security, with tall metal fencing topped by razor wire surrounding the inauguration site after intelligence reports warned that Trump supporters angered by the congressionally certified outcome of the ex-president’s defeat could attempt to disrupt the ceremony.But the day’s events at the Capitol were peaceful.The inauguration took place two weeks to the day after thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.A week ago, the House of Representatives impeached Trump for inciting insurrection by urging thousands of his supporters at a Jan. 6 rally to walk to the Capitol to confront lawmakers. Even though his term has ended, Trump is facing a Senate impeachment trial in the coming days.President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden attend a church service before his presidential inauguration, at St. Matthews Catholic Church in Washington, Jan. 20, 2021.Inauguration day
The Bidens and Harris and her husband began Wednesday attending a church service at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington.  At Biden’s invitation, they were joined by a bipartisan group of congressional leaders, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.By the time the service started, Trump had left the White House.  Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence skipped the Trump sendoff but attended Biden’s inauguration with his wife Karen and exchanged pleasantries with Harris and Emhoff.After the inauguration ceremony, Biden and Harris headed to Arlington National Cemetery, just outside Washington, to take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Bush, Clinton and Obama also participated.Wednesday evening, which is typically filled with extravagant balls on Inauguration Day, instead featured a television special called Celebrating America with musical performances from John Legend, Katy Perry, the Foo Fighters and Justin Timberlake.President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden watch fireworks from the White House, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)Biden addressed the event as well, telling Americans, “I will give my all to you.”“This is a great nation,” he said. “We’re a good people. And to overcome the challenges in front of us requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy, unity. It requires us to come together in common love that defines us as Americans, opportunity, liberty, dignity and respect, and to unite against common foes, hate, violence, disease and hopelessness. America’s story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us, on we the people.”Protests
Wednesday also brought demonstrations by protesters carrying anti-Biden and anti-police signs in the northwestern city of Portland, Oregon.  Some in the group vandalized a Democratic Party office and other buildings. Federal law enforcement officers used tear gas to try to disperse the protesters. 
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Latin American leaders from Peru, Venezuela and Colombia are extending congratulations to U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.Colombian President Ivan Duque described Biden’s inaugural speech as transcending, saying his call for unity among the people of the United States and his call for the construction of common goals in the midst of differences has important repercussions in the world.Duque also said the 200-year-old diplomatic relationship between the United States and Colombia continues to strengthen toward common goals.Peruvian President Francisco Sagest said, his country is optimistic about a future of greater cooperation, investment, and trade with the United States.Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro wished Biden luck with a direct appeal to change the U.S. policies toward Venezuela.Biden has not commented publicly on U.S. policy toward Venezuela since taking office Wednesday, but his nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, showed support for Maduro’s rival, Juan Guaido during his Senate confirmation hearing, according to ABC news.The U.S. and several western nations have favored opposition leader Guaido as Venezuela’s recognized leader, following the disputed 2018 presidential elections.
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U.S. President Joe Biden signed a series of executive orders and other actions Wednesday aiming to address the coronavirus crisis and to reverse a number of policy changes enacted under former President Donald Trump.“There’s no time to start like today,” Biden told reporters at the signing event hours after he was inaugurated.Among the orders, Biden ended a travel ban on some Muslim-majority countries, called for federal agencies to prioritize racial equity, halted wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border, revoked approval for the Keystone XL oil pipeline, reversed a Trump order to exclude noncitizens from the U.S. census, and enhanced anti-discrimination protections based on gender identity or sexual orientation.Biden also signed letters declaring U.S. intent to join the Paris Climate Accord and retracting Trump’s declaration that the country would withdraw from the World Health Organization.Regarding the coronavirus, Biden extended a federal eviction moratorium, mandated wearing masks in federal buildings and created a new office to coordinate the national response to the virus that has killed more than 400,000 people in the United States.Administration aides said Biden would be taking dozens more actions in the next 10 days.
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