Following the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol by Pro-Trump rioters, serious scrutiny and security concerns have gripped Washington. US defence officials are now worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members securing the Joe Biden's inauguration.

FBI vetting guard troops amid fears of insider attack

The Trump administration is revoking certain licenses to sell the semiconductor products from Chinese firm Huawei and intends to reject dozens of other applications to supply the telecommunications firm.

US government to revoke license to sell products to Huawei

With just about two days left until outgoing US President Donald <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-final-act-outgoing-trump-administration-targets-huawei-suppliers-357438">Trump's</a> term formally ends, Trump has promised to ensure a peaceful transition of power days after his loyalists stormed the US Capitol.

US vice president Mike Pence addressed a crowd of service members at the Lemoore naval air station in California touting the Trump administration's foreign policy achievements.

Pence said that the current administration has always understood that if you want peace, prepare for war.

"Four years ago, we inherited a military that had been hollowed out by devastating budget cuts. our troops hadn't seen a significant pay raise in nearly 10 years. our military lacked equipment at a level that was actually impacting readiness, and our nato allies weren't meeting their commitments to our common defense," Pence said.

"Iran was resurgent across the Middle East and a terrorist organization controlled a landmass the size of Pennsylvania and I couldn't be more proud to stand before all you heroes today and report under the leadership of President Donald Trump we've rebuilt our military, we've restored the arsenal of democracy, and we've enacted the largest increases in our national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan," Pence asserted.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration carried out its 13th federal execution since July just days before president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony. Dustin Higgs was convicted in the killing of three women in 1996. He was the third convict this week to receive a lethal injection at a federal prison in Indiana.

The US Justice department had resumed federal executions last year. The number of federal death sentences carried out under Trump since 2020 is more than in the previous 56 years combined. The number of prisoners on federal death row have been reduced by nearly a quarter.

With just about two days left until outgoing US President Donald Trump's term formally ends, Trump has promised to ensure a peaceful transition of power days after his loyalists stormed the US Capitol.

With just about two days left until outgoing US President Donald Trump's term formally ends, Trump has promised to ensure a peaceful transition of power days after his loyalists stormed the US Capitol. US vice president Mike Pence addressed a crowd of service members at the Lemoore naval air station in California touting the Trump administration's foreign policy achievements. Pence said that the current administration has always understood that if you want peace, prepare for war. "Four years ago, we inherited a military that had been hollowed out by devastating budget cuts. our troops hadn't seen a significant pay raise in nearly 10 years. our military lacked equipment at a level that was actually impacting readiness, and our nato allies weren't meeting their commitments to our common defense," Pence said. "Iran was resurgent across the Middle East and a terrorist organization controlled a landmass the size of Pennsylvania and I couldn't be more proud to stand before all you heroes today and report under the leadership of President Donald Trump we've rebuilt our military, we've restored the arsenal of democracy, and we've enacted the largest increases in our national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan," Pence asserted. Meanwhile, the Trump administration carried out its 13th federal execution since July just days before president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony. Dustin Higgs was convicted in the killing of three women in 1996. He was the third convict this week to receive a lethal injection at a federal prison in Indiana. The US Justice department had resumed federal executions last year. The number of federal death sentences carried out under Trump since 2020 is more than in the previous 56 years combined. The number of prisoners on federal death row have been reduced by nearly a quarter.

We enacted largest increase in national defense since Reagan: Pence to US military

Washington, DC, police officers are speaking out following a riot at the US Capitol which resulted in five deaths.

Washington D.C. police officers describe siege of U.S. Capitol hill | World News

Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Washington were among more than a dozen states that activated their National Guards to strengthen security.

US state capitals, Washington on alert for possible pro-Donald Trump armed protests

Ten days after rioters breached the U.S. Capitol in a deadly attack that stunned the world, cities nationwide were girding for a potential new wave of violent protests over the weekend, erecting barriers and deploying thousands of National Guard troops.

The FBI warned police agencies of possible armed demonstrations outside all 50 state capitol buildings starting Saturday through President-elect Joe Biden`s inauguration on Jan. 20, fueled by supporters of President Donald Trump who believe his false claims of electoral fraud.

Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Washington were among more than a dozen states that activated their National Guards to strengthen security. Meanwhile, downtown Washington, D.C., was virtually empty, with streets near the Capitol closed and battalions of camouflaged National Guard soldiers taking up positions across the city center.

The nationwide security scramble followed the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mix of extremists and Trump supporters, some of whom called for the death of Vice President Mike Pence as he presided over the certification of Biden`s election victory.

The Democratic leaders of four U.S. congressional committees said on Saturday they had opened a review of the events and had written to the FBI and other intelligence and security agencies asking what was known about threats, whether the information was shared and whether foreign influence played any role.

"This still-emerging story is one of astounding bravery by some U.S. Capitol Police and other officers; of staggering treachery by violent criminals; and of apparent and high-level failures — in particular, with respect to intelligence and security preparedness," said the letter.

It was signed by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler.

There were scattered demonstrations on Saturday, but statehouses remained mostly quiet. Law enforcement officials have trained much of their focus on Sunday, when the anti-government "boogaloo" movement made plans weeks ago to hold rallies in all 50 states.

Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in a statement late Friday that intelligence indicated "violent extremists" may seek to exploit planned armed protests in Austin to "conduct criminal acts." Texas closed its Capitol through Inauguration Day.

In Michigan, a fence was erected around the Capitol in Lansing, and troopers were mobilized from across the state to bolster security. The legislature canceled meetings next week, citing concern over credible threats.

In a nod to both the coronavirus pandemic as well as security concerns, festivities around Biden`s inauguration will largely be held online, though the president-elect still plans to be sworn in and deliver his inaugural address at the Capitol.

The inaugural committee`s virtual "welcome event" took place on Saturday evening, featuring appearances from union leaders, activists and celebrities such as actor Whoopi Goldberg.

"Make no mistake, the road ahead - it won`t be easy," Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who closed out the event, told viewers. "But America is ready, and so are Joe and I."

DOMESTIC EXTREMISTS

The perception that the Jan. 6 insurrection was a success could embolden domestic extremists motivated by anti-government, racial and partisan grievances, spurring them to further violence, according to a government intelligence bulletin dated Wednesday first reported by Yahoo News.

The Joint Intelligence Bulletin, produced by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center, further warned that "false narratives" about electoral fraud would serve as an ongoing catalyst for extremist groups.

Thousands of armed National Guard troops were on the streets of Washington in an unprecedented show of force after the assault on the U.S. Capitol. Bridges into the city were to be closed, and the National Mall and other iconic U.S. landmarks were blocked off into next week.

Authorities were on high alert. A Virginia man, Wesley Allen Beeler, was arrested on Friday evening at a security checkpoint after police said he presented an "unauthorized inauguration credential," according to a Capitol Police spokeswoman. Beeler had a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, according to court papers.

A tearful Beeler later told the Washington Post he had been working security in Washington all week and pulled up to the checkpoint after getting lost. He told the paper he forgot the gun was in his truck and denied having so much ammunition.

Beeler was released after an initial court appearance on Saturday and is due back in court in June, records show.

Responding to news of the arrest, Democratic U.S. Representative Don Beyer of Virginia said the danger was real and the city was on edge.

"Anyone who can avoid the area around the Capitol and Mall this week should do so," Beyer wrote on Twitter.

The alarm extended beyond legislatures. The United Church of Christ, a Protestant denomination of more than 4,900 churches, warned its 800,000 members there were reports "liberal" churches could be attacked in the coming week.

Following the Jan. 6 violence in Washington, some militia members said they would not attend a long-planned pro-gun demonstration in Virginia, where authorities were worried about the risk of violence as multiple groups converged on the state capital, Richmond.

Some militias across the country have told followers to stay home this weekend, citing the increased security or the risk that the planned events were law enforcement traps.

Ten days after rioters breached the U.S. Capitol in a deadly attack that stunned the world, cities nationwide were girding for a potential new wave of violent protests over the weekend, erecting barriers and deploying thousands of National Guard troops.

Ten days after rioters breached the U.S. Capitol in a deadly attack that stunned the world, cities nationwide were girding for a potential new wave of violent protests over the weekend, erecting barriers and deploying thousands of National Guard troops. The FBI warned police agencies of possible armed demonstrations outside all 50 state capitol buildings starting Saturday through President-elect Joe Biden`s inauguration on Jan. 20, fueled by supporters of President Donald Trump who believe his false claims of electoral fraud. Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Washington were among more than a dozen states that activated their National Guards to strengthen security. Meanwhile, downtown Washington, D.C., was virtually empty, with streets near the Capitol closed and battalions of camouflaged National Guard soldiers taking up positions across the city center. The nationwide security scramble followed the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mix of extremists and Trump supporters, some of whom called for the death of Vice President Mike Pence as he presided over the certification of Biden`s election victory. The Democratic leaders of four U.S. congressional committees said on Saturday they had opened a review of the events and had written to the FBI and other intelligence and security agencies asking what was known about threats, whether the information was shared and whether foreign influence played any role. "This still-emerging story is one of astounding bravery by some U.S. Capitol Police and other officers; of staggering treachery by violent criminals; and of apparent and high-level failures — in particular, with respect to intelligence and security preparedness," said the letter. It was signed by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, House Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler. There were scattered demonstrations on Saturday, but statehouses remained mostly quiet. Law enforcement officials have trained much of their focus on Sunday, when the anti-government "boogaloo" movement made plans weeks ago to hold rallies in all 50 states. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in a statement late Friday that intelligence indicated "violent extremists" may seek to exploit planned armed protests in Austin to "conduct criminal acts." Texas closed its Capitol through Inauguration Day. In Michigan, a fence was erected around the Capitol in Lansing, and troopers were mobilized from across the state to bolster security. The legislature canceled meetings next week, citing concern over credible threats. In a nod to both the coronavirus pandemic as well as security concerns, festivities around Biden`s inauguration will largely be held online, though the president-elect still plans to be sworn in and deliver his inaugural address at the Capitol. The inaugural committee`s virtual "welcome event" took place on Saturday evening, featuring appearances from union leaders, activists and celebrities such as actor Whoopi Goldberg. "Make no mistake, the road ahead - it won`t be easy," Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, who closed out the event, told viewers. "But America is ready, and so are Joe and I." DOMESTIC EXTREMISTS The perception that the Jan. 6 insurrection was a success could embolden domestic extremists motivated by anti-government, racial and partisan grievances, spurring them to further violence, according to a government intelligence bulletin dated Wednesday first reported by Yahoo News. The Joint Intelligence Bulletin, produced by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center, further warned that "false narratives" about electoral fraud would serve as an ongoing catalyst for extremist groups. Thousands of armed National Guard troops were on the streets of Washington in an unprecedented show of force after the assault on the U.S. Capitol. Bridges into the city were to be closed, and the National Mall and other iconic U.S. landmarks were blocked off into next week. Authorities were on high alert. A Virginia man, Wesley Allen Beeler, was arrested on Friday evening at a security checkpoint after police said he presented an "unauthorized inauguration credential," according to a Capitol Police spokeswoman. Beeler had a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, according to court papers. A tearful Beeler later told the Washington Post he had been working security in Washington all week and pulled up to the checkpoint after getting lost. He told the paper he forgot the gun was in his truck and denied having so much ammunition. Beeler was released after an initial court appearance on Saturday and is due back in court in June, records show. Responding to news of the arrest, Democratic U.S. Representative Don Beyer of Virginia said the danger was real and the city was on edge. "Anyone who can avoid the area around the Capitol and Mall this week should do so," Beyer wrote on Twitter. The alarm extended beyond legislatures. The United Church of Christ, a Protestant denomination of more than 4,900 churches, warned its 800,000 members there were reports "liberal" churches could be attacked in the coming week. Following the Jan. 6 violence in Washington, some militia members said they would not attend a long-planned pro-gun demonstration in Virginia, where authorities were worried about the risk of violence as multiple groups converged on the state capital, Richmond. Some militias across the country have told followers to stay home this weekend, citing the increased security or the risk that the planned events were law enforcement traps.

US state capitals, Washington on alert for possible pro-Trump armed protests

US&nbsp;President-elect Joe Biden will wait for a recommendation from his intelligence advisers on whether to share classified information with President Donald Trump after the Republican leaves office, Biden`s top aide said on Sunday. 
 
Ron Klain, the incoming White House chief of staff, made the comment after former principal deputy director of national intelligence, Sue Gordon, wrote an op-ed arguing against sharing such information with Trump once he has left the presidency. 
 
"With this simple act — which is solely the new president’s prerogative — Joe Biden can mitigate one aspect of the potential national security risk posed by Donald Trump, private citizen," Gordon said in a Washington Post piece headlined "A former president Trump won`t `need to know.` Cut off his intelligence." 
 
Asked about Gordon`s recommendation, Klain told CNN`s "State of the Union" program that Biden would want to hear from his own intelligence professionals before making any decision. 
 
"We`ll certainly look for a recommendation from the intelligence professionals in the Biden administration ... and we will act on that recommendation," he said. 
 
Gordon, who resigned in 2019, said any former president was a foreign intelligence target but Trump "might be unusually vulnerable to bad actors with ill intent," citing, among other things, his business interests abroad. 
 
"It is not clear that he understands the tradecraft to which he has been exposed, the reasons the knowledge he has acquired must be protected from disclosure, or the intentions and capabilities of adversaries," she added. 
 
Democratic House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff was more blunt, telling CBS` "Face The Nation" program, "I don`t think he can be trusted with it."

US President-elect Joe Biden will wait for a recommendation from his intelligence advisers on whether to share classified information with President Donald Trump after the Republican leaves office, Biden`s top aide said on Sunday.

US President-elect Joe Biden will wait for a recommendation from his intelligence advisers on whether to share classified information with President Donald Trump after the Republican leaves office, Biden`s top aide said on Sunday. Ron Klain, the incoming White House chief of staff, made the comment after former principal deputy director of national intelligence, Sue Gordon, wrote an op-ed arguing against sharing such information with Trump once he has left the presidency. "With this simple act — which is solely the new president’s prerogative — Joe Biden can mitigate one aspect of the potential national security risk posed by Donald Trump, private citizen," Gordon said in a Washington Post piece headlined "A former president Trump won`t `need to know.` Cut off his intelligence." Asked about Gordon`s recommendation, Klain told CNN`s "State of the Union" program that Biden would want to hear from his own intelligence professionals before making any decision. "We`ll certainly look for a recommendation from the intelligence professionals in the Biden administration ... and we will act on that recommendation," he said. Gordon, who resigned in 2019, said any former president was a foreign intelligence target but Trump "might be unusually vulnerable to bad actors with ill intent," citing, among other things, his business interests abroad. "It is not clear that he understands the tradecraft to which he has been exposed, the reasons the knowledge he has acquired must be protected from disclosure, or the intentions and capabilities of adversaries," she added. Democratic House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff was more blunt, telling CBS` "Face The Nation" program, "I don`t think he can be trusted with it."

Biden will wait for recommendation on sharing secrets with Trump

US Justice Department investigators have not found any evidence yet that the rioters who ransacked the US Capitol last week intended to capture and kill any lawmakers.

In an Arizona court filing on Friday in the case of Jacob Chansley, federal prosecutors took back an earlier assertion that supporters of President Donald Trump planned to "capture and assassinate elected officials" in the January 6 siege of the US legislature.

The claim was made in arguments to prevent the court from granting bail to Chansley, aka Jake Angeli, seen worldwide in photographs bare-shirted wearing a horned headdress and carrying a spear inside the Capitol.

On Friday, however, the Arizona prosecutors withdrew that claim as the Justice Department said that, despite calls during the attack to capture certain lawmakers and to kill Vice President Mike Pence, no evidence had been found yet to support any serious effort to do so.

"There is no direct evidence at this point of kill-capture teams and assassination," the federal district attorney for Washington DC who is overseeing the investigation of the Capitol attack, told reporters.

Nevertheless, the US Capitol remained on heavy lockdown Saturday ahead of the January 20 inauguration of Joe Biden as president, with security officials worried of potentially violent attacks on the event.

Biden is slated to several executive orders on the first day of his office.

US Justice Department investigators have not found any evidence yet that the rioters who ransacked the US Capitol last week intended to capture and kill any lawmakers.

US Justice Department investigators have not found any evidence yet that the rioters who ransacked the US Capitol last week intended to capture and kill any lawmakers. In an Arizona court filing on Friday in the case of Jacob Chansley, federal prosecutors took back an earlier assertion that supporters of President Donald Trump planned to "capture and assassinate elected officials" in the January 6 siege of the US legislature. The claim was made in arguments to prevent the court from granting bail to Chansley, aka Jake Angeli, seen worldwide in photographs bare-shirted wearing a horned headdress and carrying a spear inside the Capitol. On Friday, however, the Arizona prosecutors withdrew that claim as the Justice Department said that, despite calls during the attack to capture certain lawmakers and to kill Vice President Mike Pence, no evidence had been found yet to support any serious effort to do so. "There is no direct evidence at this point of kill-capture teams and assassination," the federal district attorney for Washington DC who is overseeing the investigation of the Capitol attack, told reporters. Nevertheless, the US Capitol remained on heavy lockdown Saturday ahead of the January 20 inauguration of Joe Biden as president, with security officials worried of potentially violent attacks on the event. Biden is slated to several executive orders on the first day of his office.

US investigating officers find no evidence of murder plot in Capitol attack

The incoming president of the United States, Joe Biden, will sign about a dozen executive orders on his first day in office, his top aide has said.

Incoming Biden chief of staff Ron Klain said in&nbsp;a memo to new White House senior staff that the executive orders would address the pandemic, the ailing US economy, climate change and racial injustice in America.

As he inherits the White House from Donald Trump, Biden's plate is overflowing with acute challenges.

The US is fast approaching 400,000 deaths from the Covid-19 crisis and logging well over a million new cases a week as the coronavirus spreads out of control.

The economy is ailing, with 10 million fewer jobs available compared to the start of the pandemic.

Biden this week unveiled plans to seek $1.9 trillion to revive the economy through new stimulus payments and other aid, and plans a blitz to accelerate America's stumbling Covid vaccine rollout effort.

Biden will also sign orders including ones for the US to rejoin the Paris climate accord and reverse Trump's ban on entry of people from certain Muslim majority countries, Klain said.

Meanwhile, Washington was under a state of high alert after a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6. The assault left five people dead, including a police officer.

The inauguration of the 46th president of the nation is happening amid fears of violence from Trump supporters. To this end, security forces even staged a nationwide security operation ahead of the ceremony.

Authorities in Washington, where Wednesday's inauguration will take place, said they arrested a man with a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition at a security checkpoint, underscoring the tension in the US capital which is resembling a war zone.

However, the man's family told US media he was a security guard, rejecting the idea he was intent on causing harm.

The Virginia man at a security checkpoint tried to use an "unauthorised" credential to access the restricted area where Biden will be inaugurated.

As officers checked the credential against the authorised access list, one noticed decals on the back of Wesley Beeler's pick-up truck that said "Assault Life," with an image of a rifle, and another with the message: "If they come for your guns, give 'em your bullets first," according to a document filed in Washington, DC Superior Court.

Under questioning, Beeler told officers he had a Glock handgun in the vehicle. A search uncovered a loaded handgun, more than 500 rounds of ammunition, shotgun shells and a magazine for the gun, the court document said.

Beeler was arrested on charges including possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.

Security officials have warned that armed pro-Trump extremists, possibly carrying explosives, pose a threat to Washington as well as state capitals over the coming week.

Thousands of National Guard troops have been deployed in Washington and streets have been blocked off downtown with concrete barriers.

In addition to the heavy security presence in Washington, law enforcement was out in force in state capitals around the country to ward off potential political violence.

Mass protests that had been planned for the weekend did not materialise on Saturday, with security far outnumbering Trump supporters at several fortified statehouses, US media reported.

BIDEN'S POA

As previously announced, Biden will ask the Department of Education to extend the existing pause on student loan payments and interest for millions of Americans with federal student loans, re-join the Paris Agreement, and reverse the Muslim Ban.

Biden will launch his "100 Day Masking Challenge" by issuing a mask mandate on federal property and inter-state travel --&nbsp;part of a critical effort to begin to bend the curve on COVID.&nbsp;

The next day, on January 21, Biden will sign a number of executive actions to move aggressively to change the course of the COVID-19 crisis and safely re-open schools and businesses, including by taking action to mitigate spread through expanding testing, protecting workers, and establishing clear public health standards.

On January 22, the president will direct his Cabinet agencies to take immediate action to deliver economic relief to working families bearing the brunt of this crisis.

Klein said that between January 25 and February 1, the president-elect will sign additional executive actions, memoranda and Cabinet directives. The president-elect will fulfil his promises to strengthen Buy American provisions so the future of America is made in America.

He will take significant early actions to advance equity and support communities of colour and other underserved communities. He will take action to begin fulfilling campaign promises related to reforming the criminal justice system.

Biden will sign additional executive actions to address the climate crisis with the urgency the science demands and ensure that science guides the administration's decision making.

He will take first steps to expand access to health care - including for low-income women and women of colour.

(with inputs from agencies)

The incoming president of the United States, Joe Biden, will sign about a dozen executive orders on his first day in office, his top aide has said. Incoming Biden chief of staff Ron Klain said in a memo to new White House senior staff that the executive orders would address the pandemic, the ailing US economy, climate change and racial injustice in America.

The incoming president of the United States, Joe Biden, will sign about a dozen executive orders on his first day in office, his top aide has said. Incoming Biden chief of staff Ron Klain said in a memo to new White House senior staff that the executive orders would address the pandemic, the ailing US economy, climate change and racial injustice in America. As he inherits the White House from Donald Trump, Biden's plate is overflowing with acute challenges. The US is fast approaching 400,000 deaths from the Covid-19 crisis and logging well over a million new cases a week as the coronavirus spreads out of control. The economy is ailing, with 10 million fewer jobs available compared to the start of the pandemic. Biden this week unveiled plans to seek $1.9 trillion to revive the economy through new stimulus payments and other aid, and plans a blitz to accelerate America's stumbling Covid vaccine rollout effort. Biden will also sign orders including ones for the US to rejoin the Paris climate accord and reverse Trump's ban on entry of people from certain Muslim majority countries, Klain said. Meanwhile, Washington was under a state of high alert after a mob of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6. The assault left five people dead, including a police officer. The inauguration of the 46th president of the nation is happening amid fears of violence from Trump supporters. To this end, security forces even staged a nationwide security operation ahead of the ceremony. Authorities in Washington, where Wednesday's inauguration will take place, said they arrested a man with a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition at a security checkpoint, underscoring the tension in the US capital which is resembling a war zone. However, the man's family told US media he was a security guard, rejecting the idea he was intent on causing harm. The Virginia man at a security checkpoint tried to use an "unauthorised" credential to access the restricted area where Biden will be inaugurated. As officers checked the credential against the authorised access list, one noticed decals on the back of Wesley Beeler's pick-up truck that said "Assault Life," with an image of a rifle, and another with the message: "If they come for your guns, give 'em your bullets first," according to a document filed in Washington, DC Superior Court. Under questioning, Beeler told officers he had a Glock handgun in the vehicle. A search uncovered a loaded handgun, more than 500 rounds of ammunition, shotgun shells and a magazine for the gun, the court document said. Beeler was arrested on charges including possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. Security officials have warned that armed pro-Trump extremists, possibly carrying explosives, pose a threat to Washington as well as state capitals over the coming week. Thousands of National Guard troops have been deployed in Washington and streets have been blocked off downtown with concrete barriers. In addition to the heavy security presence in Washington, law enforcement was out in force in state capitals around the country to ward off potential political violence. Mass protests that had been planned for the weekend did not materialise on Saturday, with security far outnumbering Trump supporters at several fortified statehouses, US media reported. BIDEN'S POA As previously announced, Biden will ask the Department of Education to extend the existing pause on student loan payments and interest for millions of Americans with federal student loans, re-join the Paris Agreement, and reverse the Muslim Ban. Biden will launch his "100 Day Masking Challenge" by issuing a mask mandate on federal property and inter-state travel -- part of a critical effort to begin to bend the curve on COVID. The next day, on January 21, Biden will sign a number of executive actions to move aggressively to change the course of the COVID-19 crisis and safely re-open schools and businesses, including by taking action to mitigate spread through expanding testing, protecting workers, and establishing clear public health standards. On January 22, the president will direct his Cabinet agencies to take immediate action to deliver economic relief to working families bearing the brunt of this crisis. Klein said that between January 25 and February 1, the president-elect will sign additional executive actions, memoranda and Cabinet directives. The president-elect will fulfil his promises to strengthen Buy American provisions so the future of America is made in America. He will take significant early actions to advance equity and support communities of colour and other underserved communities. He will take action to begin fulfilling campaign promises related to reforming the criminal justice system. Biden will sign additional executive actions to address the climate crisis with the urgency the science demands and ensure that science guides the administration's decision making. He will take first steps to expand access to health care - including for low-income women and women of colour. (with inputs from agencies)

Biden to sign executive orders on Day 1, security beefed up across Washington

In the aftermath of the violence which rocked US Capitol on January 6, federal authorities have been working to identify and charge the rioters. President Donald Trump is facing a second impeachment owing to his role in leading protesters to the Capitol.&nbsp;

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Now, his supporters who stormed the Capitol are seeking formal pardons from the incumbent president before he leaves office in over three days.

Among them is Jenna Ryan, a real estate agent from Texas who took a private jet to Washington to participate in the riots.

After facing arrest by federal authorities, she hopes Trump will pardon her, and many like her.

“We all deserve a pardon”, she reportedly said after surrendering to the FBI on Friday.

In conversation with CBS, she added that she was facing a prison sentence, and that she does not “deserve that”. “I would ask the president of the United States to give me a pardon”, she added.

The attack on US Capitol on January 6 left five people dead, including a police officer.

According to Ryan, she was “displaying” her patriotism at the Capitol, claiming that she was simply listening to her president who told them “to go to the Capitol”.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/a-man-with-a-gun-arrested-by-capitol-police-calls-it-an-honest-mistake-357287" hreflang="en">A man with a gun arrested by Capitol Police calls it an ‘honest mistake’</a>

Just before the attack, Ryan said the following in a Facebook video - “We’re gonna go down and storm the Capitol. They’re down there right now and that’s why we came and so that’s what we are going to do. So wish me luck.”

“Life or death, it doesn’t matter. Here we go”, her video added.

“We just stormed the Capital [sic]. It was one of the best days of my life”, she tweeted later.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/far-right-activist-baked-alaska-among-latest-capitol-rioters-arrested-357271" hreflang="en">Far-right activist ‘Baked Alaska’ among latest Capitol rioters arrested</a>

Another person - Jacob Chansley who became the most recognisable rioters for his attire including horns, animal skin, and face pain is seeking a pardon as well. 
 
One of his lawyers, Albert Watkins said that the “honourable thing” to do would be to pardon those who had accepted the “president’s invitation”, The Guardian quoted him as saying.

Chansley currently faces six federal charges.

In the aftermath of the violence which rocked US Capitol on January 6, federal authorities have been working to identify and charge the rioters. President Donald Trump is facing a second impeachment owing to his role in leading protesters to the Capitol.

In the aftermath of the violence which rocked US Capitol on January 6, federal authorities have been working to identify and charge the rioters. President Donald Trump is facing a second impeachment owing to his role in leading protesters to the Capitol. Now, his supporters who stormed the Capitol are seeking formal pardons from the incumbent president before he leaves office in over three days. Among them is Jenna Ryan, a real estate agent from Texas who took a private jet to Washington to participate in the riots. After facing arrest by federal authorities, she hopes Trump will pardon her, and many like her. “We all deserve a pardon”, she reportedly said after surrendering to the FBI on Friday. In conversation with CBS, she added that she was facing a prison sentence, and that she does not “deserve that”. “I would ask the president of the United States to give me a pardon”, she added. The attack on US Capitol on January 6 left five people dead, including a police officer. According to Ryan, she was “displaying” her patriotism at the Capitol, claiming that she was simply listening to her president who told them “to go to the Capitol”. Also read: A man with a gun arrested by Capitol Police calls it an ‘honest mistake’ Just before the attack, Ryan said the following in a Facebook video - “We’re gonna go down and storm the Capitol. They’re down there right now and that’s why we came and so that’s what we are going to do. So wish me luck.” “Life or death, it doesn’t matter. Here we go”, her video added. “We just stormed the Capital [sic]. It was one of the best days of my life”, she tweeted later. Also read: Far-right activist ‘Baked Alaska’ among latest Capitol rioters arrested Another person - Jacob Chansley who became the most recognisable rioters for his attire including horns, animal skin, and face pain is seeking a pardon as well. One of his lawyers, Albert Watkins said that the “honourable thing” to do would be to pardon those who had accepted the “president’s invitation”, The Guardian quoted him as saying. Chansley currently faces six federal charges.

Rioters who attacked US Capitol seek pardons from President Trump

Former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) James Comey recently said that he wants US President Donald Trump impeached for inciting a riot at the US Capitol on January 6, but does not want to see him prosecuted. 
 
Comey believes that prosecuting Trump would give him the attention he craves, paving way for years of the “Donald Trump show”, Comey told Sky News.

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He added how his prosecution could overshadow the progress by Joe Biden in attempting to unite America, while saying that it’s what Trump “would want the most”.

"I have never seen an adult with a greater hunger for affirmation than Donald Trump”, he said.

Trump is immune from prosecution as president, but in three days, it could all change, opening pathways for him to be charged for crimes committed before or during his presidential term.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/ex-fbi-director-comey-to-testify-to-us-senate-on-russia-probe-331566" hreflang="en">Ex-FBI Director Comey to testify to US Senate on Russia probe</a>

Comey was fired by Trump while the FBI was investigating the role of Russia in the 2016 presidential elections. Since then, he has become a major critic of Trump.

He also referred to Trump as the “dictionary definition of a demagogue”, while adding that he aimed not just to lie to the people, but also to destroy the idea of the existence of truth.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/ex-fbi-chief-james-comey-violated-policies-with-donald-trump-memos-watchdog-246493" hreflang="en">Ex-FBI chief James Comey violated policies with Donald Trump memos: Watchdog</a>

Recently, US House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump, making it the first such instance in US history that a president has faced impeachment twice.

The attack on US Capitol leave five people, including a police officer dead. Since then, authorities have put out warnings of potential violence leading to the inauguration of Biden as the next president of United States.

Former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) James Comey recently said that he wants US President Donald Trump impeached for inciting a riot at the US Capitol on January 6, but does not want to see him prosecuted.

Former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) James Comey recently said that he wants US President Donald Trump impeached for inciting a riot at the US Capitol on January 6, but does not want to see him prosecuted. Comey believes that prosecuting Trump would give him the attention he craves, paving way for years of the “Donald Trump show”, Comey told Sky News. He added how his prosecution could overshadow the progress by Joe Biden in attempting to unite America, while saying that it’s what Trump “would want the most”. "I have never seen an adult with a greater hunger for affirmation than Donald Trump”, he said. Trump is immune from prosecution as president, but in three days, it could all change, opening pathways for him to be charged for crimes committed before or during his presidential term. Also read: Ex-FBI Director Comey to testify to US Senate on Russia probe Comey was fired by Trump while the FBI was investigating the role of Russia in the 2016 presidential elections. Since then, he has become a major critic of Trump. He also referred to Trump as the “dictionary definition of a demagogue”, while adding that he aimed not just to lie to the people, but also to destroy the idea of the existence of truth. Also read: Ex-FBI chief James Comey violated policies with Donald Trump memos: Watchdog Recently, US House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump, making it the first such instance in US history that a president has faced impeachment twice. The attack on US Capitol leave five people, including a police officer dead. Since then, authorities have put out warnings of potential violence leading to the inauguration of Biden as the next president of United States.

Former FBI chief Comey wants Trump impeached, but not prosecuted

In an effort to wipe-out the Trump-era, US President-elect Joe Biden plans to sign dozens of Executive orders on his first day in the office which includes a stimulus plan and an expansive immigration bill.

Biden plans to roll-out dozens of Executive orders

America is only a few days away from getting their new President, and ahead of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=Amid+security+concerns%2C+Joe+Biden%27s+inauguration+rehearsal+postponed">swearing-in ceremony</a> on Jan. 20, the president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris have released the soundtrack for the inauguration day.&nbsp; 
 
The 46-song playlist consists of current Hits &amp; throwback songs from our favourite singers. The collection features Beyonce's 'Find Your Way Back'&nbsp;and Dua Lipa's 'Levitating', and &nbsp;SZA’s very latest, 'Good Days',&nbsp;as well as the list also consist of classic tunes like The Doobie Brothers' 'What a Fool Believes' and Led Zeppelin's 'Fool in the Rain.'

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/lady-gaga-jennifer-lopez-to-perform-at-diverse-joe-biden-inauguration-356734" hreflang="en">Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez to perform at diverse Joe Biden inauguration</a> 
 
The Biden Inauguration Committee shared the playlist in a Twitter, "@DJDNice and @TheRaedio came up with the perfect playlist for you to dance the night away as we ring in our new leaders." the Committee wrote.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Are you planning your <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Inauguration2021?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Inauguration2021</a> at-home watch party? 
 
Well let us take one thing off your plate — <a href="https://twitter.com/djdnice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DJDNice</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRaedio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheRaedio</a> came up with the perfect playlist for you to dance the night away as we ring in our new leaders. 💃🏼🕺<a href="https://t.co/QSKjH4uemj">https://t.co/QSKjH4uemj</a> <a href="https://t.co/OqqKK88NkI">pic.twitter.com/OqqKK88NkI</a>
— Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) <a href="https://twitter.com/BidenInaugural/status/1350125893276979205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"As this wonderous transition of power ensues, we strongly hold the joy of these select songs to be self-evident," reads the playlist's description on Spotify.

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/hollywood/news-tom-hanks-to-host-televised-special-for-joe-bidens-inauguration-356579" hreflang="en">Tom Hanks to host televised special for Joe Biden's inauguration</a> 
 
Presidential Inaugural Committee CEO Tony Allen said in a statement: “During a tumultuous year that has kept so many loved ones apart, music has been a consistent vehicle that has kept us connected. Whether you are a country soul, a jazz enthusiast, a hip-hop head, a classical sort, or just love that old-time rock ‘n’ roll, music clarifies, inspires, unites, and heals. Today we are excited to share President-elect Biden’s and Vice-President Elect Harris’ official inaugural playlist with the nation. These songs and artists reflect the relentless spirit and rich diversity of America. They are the score to a new chapter and will help bring people together as the Biden-Harris Administration begins its important work to unite our country.”

<a href="http://13.235.153.162/entertainment/justin-timberlake-demi-lovato-others-to-perform-at-joe-bidens-inauguration-ceremony-356602" hreflang="en">Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato &amp; others to perform at Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony</a> 
 
The playlist is available now on SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music.

America is only a few days away from getting their new President, and ahead of the swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20, the president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris have released the soundtrack for the inauguration day.

America is only a few days away from getting their new President, and ahead of the swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 20, the president-elect Joe Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris have released the soundtrack for the inauguration day. The 46-song playlist consists of current Hits & throwback songs from our favourite singers. The collection features Beyonce's 'Find Your Way Back' and Dua Lipa's 'Levitating', and SZA’s very latest, 'Good Days', as well as the list also consist of classic tunes like The Doobie Brothers' 'What a Fool Believes' and Led Zeppelin's 'Fool in the Rain.' Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez to perform at diverse Joe Biden inauguration The Biden Inauguration Committee shared the playlist in a Twitter, "@DJDNice and @TheRaedio came up with the perfect playlist for you to dance the night away as we ring in our new leaders." the Committee wrote. Are you planning your #Inauguration2021 at-home watch party? Well let us take one thing off your plate — @DJDNice and @TheRaedio came up with the perfect playlist for you to dance the night away as we ring in our new leaders. 💃🏼🕺https://t.co/QSKjH4uemj pic.twitter.com/OqqKK88NkI — Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 15, 2021 × "As this wonderous transition of power ensues, we strongly hold the joy of these select songs to be self-evident," reads the playlist's description on Spotify. Tom Hanks to host televised special for Joe Biden's inauguration Presidential Inaugural Committee CEO Tony Allen said in a statement: “During a tumultuous year that has kept so many loved ones apart, music has been a consistent vehicle that has kept us connected. Whether you are a country soul, a jazz enthusiast, a hip-hop head, a classical sort, or just love that old-time rock ‘n’ roll, music clarifies, inspires, unites, and heals. Today we are excited to share President-elect Biden’s and Vice-President Elect Harris’ official inaugural playlist with the nation. These songs and artists reflect the relentless spirit and rich diversity of America. They are the score to a new chapter and will help bring people together as the Biden-Harris Administration begins its important work to unite our country.” Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato & others to perform at Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony The playlist is available now on SoundCloud, Spotify and Apple Music.

Joe Biden, Kamala Harris drop inaugural playlist featuring Beyonce, Dua Lipa & more

Joe Biden's nominee for National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has slammed Donald Trump for designating Yemen Houthi rebels as terrorists.

Jake Sullivan slams Trump's move on Yemen Houthi rebels

In the run-up to the swearing-in of the United States' next President Joe Biden, law enforcement officials are gearing up for Pro-Trump marches in all 50 states capital this weekend. The FBI has warned of possible armed protests outside all 50 state capital buildings.

US: State Capitals on edge ahead of swearing-in of next US President

When President Donald Trump faced (and overcame) the gravest crisis of his first campaign, he defended his boasts of sexual assault on the “Access Hollywood” tape as ultimately harmless gabbing.

“Locker room talk,” he said — nothing to dwell on.

When the president faced (and overcame) impeachment in 2019 after pressing the Ukrainian president to investigate President-elect Joe Biden, he insisted it was merely an innocuous case of two guys talking.

“A perfect call,” he said, not a high crime.

And when Trump leaves the White House no later than Wednesday — amid the impeachment sequel and uncommon comeuppance he has encountered since inciting a riotous mob in Washington on Jan. 6 — he will surrender a valued perk: an executive phone system, he once enthused, that made it feel as if his words would self-destruct before they became self-destructive.

“The world’s most secure system,” Trump marveled in a 2017 interview during his first week in office, observing that no one was listening in and recording. “The words just explode in the air.”

Poof. Gone. Just as he likes it.

For most of Trump’s 74 years, the relationship between his words and their consequences has been fairly straightforward: He says what he wants, and nothing particularly durable tends to happen to him.

But in the final frames of his presidency, Trump is confronting an unfamiliar fate. He is being held to account as never before for things he has said, finding his typical defenses — denial, obfuscation, powerful friends, claiming it was all a big joke — insufficient in explaining away a violent mob acting in his name.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

Aides could not do it for him, anonymously offering more palatable accounts.

Allies could not argue that he had been misunderstood.

His own words were all anyone needed to hear on this one.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM.)

In almost certainly the most expansive series of penalties he has incurred in his life, Trump’s Twitter account has been banned, his business brand badly dented, his presidency doomed to the historical infamy of a second impeachment. His largest lender, Deutsche Bank, is moving to create distance from him. His New Jersey golf club was stripped of a major tournament. Some once-reliable Republican congressional loyalists are revisiting their commitment, threatening his grip on the party, even as the president’s popularity with much of his support base remains undimmed.

Those who have known and watched Trump across the years cannot shake the irony of a president felled by the very formula that powered his rise: inflammatory speech and a self-regard that has congealed at times into functional self-delusion.

He has never considered words to be as significant as actions, or even in the same category of prospective offense. Words were whatever got him through the next interaction, people who worked with him say. Words were not deemed important enough to invite serious trouble.

So well-developed were Trump’s survival instincts, in theory, that he had all but perfected the art of semiplausible deniability — an upside of being on seemingly every side of every major political issue at various points in his adult life.

Hadn’t he said the right thing that one time? That was what he meant.

Hadn’t he winked at the crowd a bit? Everyone takes him too seriously.

Hadn’t he used the word “peacefully” one time in that address before the Capitol riot, tucked between the more dominant instructions to “fight” and “show strength” and “go by very different rules” as he whipped up anger against elected officials, including his own vice president, who were disinclined to subvert the will of the electorate?

“He has had a habit of saying outrageous things and then saying he was being sarcastic, he was kidding, that people shouldn’t take him literally — and in fact, if you do, what an idiot you are,” said Gwenda Blair, a biographer of the Trump family. “It’s both deniability for himself, but it’s also deniability for his followers. He gives &lt;em&gt;them&lt;/em&gt; something to hold onto so that they can then continue to believe in him.”

But Trump and much of the political class that was shocked and disoriented by his 2016 win have sometimes conflated his reputational resilience with a notion that nothing he says can hurt him, no matter how ostensibly damaging.

His term has been pocked with episodes — from his equivocation on white supremacy after the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, to his downplaying the unambiguous risks of COVID-19 — that made him an unpopular president whose contract was not renewed. Less assured is his capacity to recognize the link between his conduct and this outcome.

In fact, since entering politics, Trump has often delighted in cutting down opponents who sounded too practiced or restrained.

“Just words,” he said of Joe Biden as the Democrat accepted his party’s nomination last summer.

“It’s just words, folks,” Trump said of Hillary Clinton at an October 2016 debate days after the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape, at once deflecting any denunciation of his own remarks and calling Clinton’s empty. “It’s just words.”

As president, Trump benefited daily from an army of defenders in Congress and across the conservative media who dedicated themselves to interpreting his often-inexplicable words as charitably as possible.

And since his time as a private citizen, Trump has generally been insulated from the fallout from his words because associates have been left to navigate it instead.

“He said stupid things, and we did damage control, and that was it,” said Barbara Res, a former executive vice president of the Trump Organization. “He never gave it a thought.”

Experts in the Trump canon have struggled to summon an analogy for his present conditions, when his words or deeds had caused things he cared about to be taken from him.

“Ivana during that first divorce kind of got back at him a bit,” Blair recalled of the amply chronicled dissolution of his first marriage, before reconsidering. “In fact, he loved that whole thing because it got him more ink.”

Tony Schwartz, who ghostwrote “Trump: The Art of the Deal” and has in recent years become a ferocious critic, said Trump’s relative evasion of consequences until now “has progressively increased his conviction that he can and should get away with anything he does.”

It is no surprise, then, that since last week, as in much of his White House tenure, Trump has proved himself capable of only temporary modulation, defaulting to defiance but snapping to attention when advisers impressed upon him that he could face legal exposure for his incitements.

In a video Wednesday, he condemned “violence and vandalism” and held up his “true” supporters as champions of law enforcement — a message aimed, perhaps, at unnerved Senate Republicans before his impeachment trial.

Yet for all the things Trump did not say — that he lost the election, that Biden would be inaugurated, that he assumed any responsibility for the state of affairs — and all the things he has said before, it was impossible to believe the president’s heart was in it, implausible to assume the words were meant to last, to hang rather than explode in the White House air.

“All of us can choose by our actions to rise above the rancor … ” he said dutifully this time.

“ … to overcome the passions of the moment … ”

“ … to move forward united … ”

Anyone listening knew that these were just words.

When President Donald Trump faced (and overcame) the gravest crisis of his first campaign, he defended his boasts of sexual assault on the “Access Hollywood” tape as ultimately harmless gabbing.

When President Donald Trump faced (and overcame) the gravest crisis of his first campaign, he defended his boasts of sexual assault on the “Access Hollywood” tape as ultimately harmless gabbing. “Locker room talk,” he said — nothing to dwell on. When the president faced (and overcame) impeachment in 2019 after pressing the Ukrainian president to investigate President-elect Joe Biden, he insisted it was merely an innocuous case of two guys talking. “A perfect call,” he said, not a high crime. And when Trump leaves the White House no later than Wednesday — amid the impeachment sequel and uncommon comeuppance he has encountered since inciting a riotous mob in Washington on Jan. 6 — he will surrender a valued perk: an executive phone system, he once enthused, that made it feel as if his words would self-destruct before they became self-destructive. “The world’s most secure system,” Trump marveled in a 2017 interview during his first week in office, observing that no one was listening in and recording. “The words just explode in the air.” Poof. Gone. Just as he likes it. For most of Trump’s 74 years, the relationship between his words and their consequences has been fairly straightforward: He says what he wants, and nothing particularly durable tends to happen to him. But in the final frames of his presidency, Trump is confronting an unfamiliar fate. He is being held to account as never before for things he has said, finding his typical defenses — denial, obfuscation, powerful friends, claiming it was all a big joke — insufficient in explaining away a violent mob acting in his name. (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.) Aides could not do it for him, anonymously offering more palatable accounts. Allies could not argue that he had been misunderstood. His own words were all anyone needed to hear on this one. (END OPTIONAL TRIM.) In almost certainly the most expansive series of penalties he has incurred in his life, Trump’s Twitter account has been banned, his business brand badly dented, his presidency doomed to the historical infamy of a second impeachment. His largest lender, Deutsche Bank, is moving to create distance from him. His New Jersey golf club was stripped of a major tournament. Some once-reliable Republican congressional loyalists are revisiting their commitment, threatening his grip on the party, even as the president’s popularity with much of his support base remains undimmed. Those who have known and watched Trump across the years cannot shake the irony of a president felled by the very formula that powered his rise: inflammatory speech and a self-regard that has congealed at times into functional self-delusion. He has never considered words to be as significant as actions, or even in the same category of prospective offense. Words were whatever got him through the next interaction, people who worked with him say. Words were not deemed important enough to invite serious trouble. So well-developed were Trump’s survival instincts, in theory, that he had all but perfected the art of semiplausible deniability — an upside of being on seemingly every side of every major political issue at various points in his adult life. Hadn’t he said the right thing that one time? That was what he meant. Hadn’t he winked at the crowd a bit? Everyone takes him too seriously. Hadn’t he used the word “peacefully” one time in that address before the Capitol riot, tucked between the more dominant instructions to “fight” and “show strength” and “go by very different rules” as he whipped up anger against elected officials, including his own vice president, who were disinclined to subvert the will of the electorate? “He has had a habit of saying outrageous things and then saying he was being sarcastic, he was kidding, that people shouldn’t take him literally — and in fact, if you do, what an idiot you are,” said Gwenda Blair, a biographer of the Trump family. “It’s both deniability for himself, but it’s also deniability for his followers. He gives them something to hold onto so that they can then continue to believe in him.” But Trump and much of the political class that was shocked and disoriented by his 2016 win have sometimes conflated his reputational resilience with a notion that nothing he says can hurt him, no matter how ostensibly damaging. His term has been pocked with episodes — from his equivocation on white supremacy after the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, to his downplaying the unambiguous risks of COVID-19 — that made him an unpopular president whose contract was not renewed. Less assured is his capacity to recognize the link between his conduct and this outcome. In fact, since entering politics, Trump has often delighted in cutting down opponents who sounded too practiced or restrained. “Just words,” he said of Joe Biden as the Democrat accepted his party’s nomination last summer. “It’s just words, folks,” Trump said of Hillary Clinton at an October 2016 debate days after the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape, at once deflecting any denunciation of his own remarks and calling Clinton’s empty. “It’s just words.” As president, Trump benefited daily from an army of defenders in Congress and across the conservative media who dedicated themselves to interpreting his often-inexplicable words as charitably as possible. And since his time as a private citizen, Trump has generally been insulated from the fallout from his words because associates have been left to navigate it instead. “He said stupid things, and we did damage control, and that was it,” said Barbara Res, a former executive vice president of the Trump Organization. “He never gave it a thought.” Experts in the Trump canon have struggled to summon an analogy for his present conditions, when his words or deeds had caused things he cared about to be taken from him. “Ivana during that first divorce kind of got back at him a bit,” Blair recalled of the amply chronicled dissolution of his first marriage, before reconsidering. “In fact, he loved that whole thing because it got him more ink.” Tony Schwartz, who ghostwrote “Trump: The Art of the Deal” and has in recent years become a ferocious critic, said Trump’s relative evasion of consequences until now “has progressively increased his conviction that he can and should get away with anything he does.” It is no surprise, then, that since last week, as in much of his White House tenure, Trump has proved himself capable of only temporary modulation, defaulting to defiance but snapping to attention when advisers impressed upon him that he could face legal exposure for his incitements. In a video Wednesday, he condemned “violence and vandalism” and held up his “true” supporters as champions of law enforcement — a message aimed, perhaps, at unnerved Senate Republicans before his impeachment trial. Yet for all the things Trump did not say — that he lost the election, that Biden would be inaugurated, that he assumed any responsibility for the state of affairs — and all the things he has said before, it was impossible to believe the president’s heart was in it, implausible to assume the words were meant to last, to hang rather than explode in the White House air. “All of us can choose by our actions to rise above the rancor … ” he said dutifully this time. “ … to overcome the passions of the moment … ” “ … to move forward united … ” Anyone listening knew that these were just words.

A first for an American president, and a first for Donald Trump

The U.S. Capitol Police arrested a man at a security checkpoint in Washington on Friday after he flashed what an officer described as an “unauthorized” inauguration credential and a search of his truck found an unregistered handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, authorities said.

A federal law enforcement official said that the man, Wesley A. Beeler, 31, worked as a contractor, and that his credential was not fake, but was not recognized by the police officer. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the arrest.

Beeler’s father, Paul Beeler, said in an interview that his son was part of a security team working alongside the Capitol Police and the National Guard, and that his son must have simply left his personal gun in his truck. Wesley Beeler has an active private security license in Virginia and was approved to have a handgun, shotgun or patrol rifle while on assignments, according to a state website.

“It was an honest mistake,” Wesley Beeler told The Washington Post after being released Saturday afternoon. He said he had been working a security job in Washington, was running late to work, and had forgotten that his firearm was in his truck. He denied having 500 rounds of ammunition, as listed in the police report.

“I pulled up to a checkpoint after getting lost in D.C. because I’m a country boy,” he told The Post. “I showed them the inauguration badge that was given to me.”

The arrest comes as law enforcement officials have tried to fortify Washington before Inauguration Day on Wednesday, when they fear that extremists emboldened by the attack on the Capitol by President Donald Trump’s supporters on Jan. 6 could seek to cause violence. A militarized “green zone” is being established downtown, National Guard members are flooding the city, and a metal fence has gone up around the Capitol grounds in advance of the swearing-in of President-elect Joe Biden.

Wesley Beeler, of Front Royal, Virginia, had driven up to a security checkpoint less than half a mile from the Capitol grounds Friday evening and presented “an unauthorized inauguration credential,” according to a statement from a Capitol Police officer filed in a District of Columbia court Saturday. The officer, Roger Dupont, said that he had checked the credential against a list and found that it did not give Beeler authority to enter the restricted area.

A spokesperson for the Capitol Police later described the credential that Beeler had shown as “nongovernment issued.”

Officers searched his truck, which had several gun-related bumper stickers, and found a loaded Glock pistol, 509 rounds for the pistol and 21 shotgun shells, police said. Beeler had admitted having the Glock in the truck’s center console when he was asked if there were weapons in the car, they said.

Beeler was charged with five crimes, including possessing a weapon and ammunition in Washington without having it registered as required. He and his lawyer did not respond to requests for comment Saturday.

Paul Beeler said his son, a father of four, had held other security jobs over the years. “He was proud of the work he was doing with the police and the National Guard,” the father said.

Asked if he thought his son supported a peaceful transition of power, Paul Beeler said, “That’s the reason he’s there.”

The elder Beeler said he had grown worried about his son when he did not return his text messages Friday night, and that he had called him Saturday morning, when he thought his son would be returning to Virginia after his shift. He and his wife discovered that Wesley Beeler had been arrested when she received a call from a reporter, he said.

Law enforcement officials have said they are alarmed by chatter among far-right groups and other racist extremists who are threatening to target the nation’s capital to protest Biden’s electoral victory. Federal agencies have tried to keep some people who breached the Capitol with weapons earlier this month from returning to the city, including by restricting their ability to board commercial planes, according to an administration official.

Biden has resisted calls to move the inauguration ceremony indoors for the sake of safety. His inauguration committee had already been planning a scaled-back celebration with virtual components because of the coronavirus.

The U.S. Capitol Police arrested a man at a security checkpoint in Washington on Friday after he flashed what an officer described as an “unauthorized” inauguration credential and a search of his truck found an unregistered handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, authorities said.

The U.S. Capitol Police arrested a man at a security checkpoint in Washington on Friday after he flashed what an officer described as an “unauthorized” inauguration credential and a search of his truck found an unregistered handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, authorities said. A federal law enforcement official said that the man, Wesley A. Beeler, 31, worked as a contractor, and that his credential was not fake, but was not recognized by the police officer. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the arrest. Beeler’s father, Paul Beeler, said in an interview that his son was part of a security team working alongside the Capitol Police and the National Guard, and that his son must have simply left his personal gun in his truck. Wesley Beeler has an active private security license in Virginia and was approved to have a handgun, shotgun or patrol rifle while on assignments, according to a state website. “It was an honest mistake,” Wesley Beeler told The Washington Post after being released Saturday afternoon. He said he had been working a security job in Washington, was running late to work, and had forgotten that his firearm was in his truck. He denied having 500 rounds of ammunition, as listed in the police report. “I pulled up to a checkpoint after getting lost in D.C. because I’m a country boy,” he told The Post. “I showed them the inauguration badge that was given to me.” The arrest comes as law enforcement officials have tried to fortify Washington before Inauguration Day on Wednesday, when they fear that extremists emboldened by the attack on the Capitol by President Donald Trump’s supporters on Jan. 6 could seek to cause violence. A militarized “green zone” is being established downtown, National Guard members are flooding the city, and a metal fence has gone up around the Capitol grounds in advance of the swearing-in of President-elect Joe Biden. Wesley Beeler, of Front Royal, Virginia, had driven up to a security checkpoint less than half a mile from the Capitol grounds Friday evening and presented “an unauthorized inauguration credential,” according to a statement from a Capitol Police officer filed in a District of Columbia court Saturday. The officer, Roger Dupont, said that he had checked the credential against a list and found that it did not give Beeler authority to enter the restricted area. A spokesperson for the Capitol Police later described the credential that Beeler had shown as “nongovernment issued.” Officers searched his truck, which had several gun-related bumper stickers, and found a loaded Glock pistol, 509 rounds for the pistol and 21 shotgun shells, police said. Beeler had admitted having the Glock in the truck’s center console when he was asked if there were weapons in the car, they said. Beeler was charged with five crimes, including possessing a weapon and ammunition in Washington without having it registered as required. He and his lawyer did not respond to requests for comment Saturday. Paul Beeler said his son, a father of four, had held other security jobs over the years. “He was proud of the work he was doing with the police and the National Guard,” the father said. Asked if he thought his son supported a peaceful transition of power, Paul Beeler said, “That’s the reason he’s there.” The elder Beeler said he had grown worried about his son when he did not return his text messages Friday night, and that he had called him Saturday morning, when he thought his son would be returning to Virginia after his shift. He and his wife discovered that Wesley Beeler had been arrested when she received a call from a reporter, he said. Law enforcement officials have said they are alarmed by chatter among far-right groups and other racist extremists who are threatening to target the nation’s capital to protest Biden’s electoral victory. Federal agencies have tried to keep some people who breached the Capitol with weapons earlier this month from returning to the city, including by restricting their ability to board commercial planes, according to an administration official. Biden has resisted calls to move the inauguration ceremony indoors for the sake of safety. His inauguration committee had already been planning a scaled-back celebration with virtual components because of the coronavirus.

A man with a gun arrested by Capitol Police calls it an ‘honest mistake’

Throughout four years of scandals and investigations, President Donald Trump has maintained an approval rating that rarely budged from a 10-point band between 35% and 45%. Nothing he could say, do or tweet appeared to dramatically change public opinion of him.

But the events of Jan. 6 — when a violent mob of Trump supporters incited by the president stormed the Capitol — appear to have damaged him in his final days in office in a way that finally moved the needle.

Trump is set to depart office Wednesday with an approval rating of 29%, the lowest of his presidency, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center.

About 75% of the public said Trump bore some responsibility for the violence and destruction of Jan. 6, which put the lives of the vice president and members of Congress at risk and resulted in five deaths, according to the survey.

And his behavior since the election — a period during which he has repeatedly tried to contest his loss, relied on conspiracy theorists for advice, encouraged supporters who do not view President-elect Joe Biden as legitimate, and refused to concede — has cost Trump support even with those individuals who have loyally supported him until now.

According to Pew, the share of his supporters who described his conduct as “poor” has doubled, from 10% to 20%, over the past two months.

Biden, in contrast, has benefited from how he has handled the transition period. About 64% of voters said they had a positive opinion of his conduct since the November election. The majority of voters said they also approved of his Cabinet selections.

Trump’s polling while in office has been surprisingly stagnant, despite regular eruptions from the president. He was the only president in the history of Gallup’s polling who never earned the support of a majority of Americans for even one day of his term. But he also held onto his durable base, who appeared willing to overlook any behavior they did not approve of, or any promises that Trump never followed through on.

That group now appears to have shrunk, although Trump still has some stalwart supporters who believe the conspiracy theories he has encouraged about election fraud. About 34% of respondents said they believed that Trump was “definitely” or “probably” the rightful election winner.

Trump’s advisers have tried to play up that base of loyal support to him, noting that there are “welcome home” events planned for his arrival in Florida on Wednesday. They have also planned an upbeat send-off Wednesday morning to commemorate his final departure from Washington as president, aboard Air Force One.

But whatever show of support he sees on his way out will belie the reality of his situation.

Not only has he made history as the first president to be impeached twice. But he appears to be on track to leave office with the lowest approval rating of any modern-day president.

Throughout four years of scandals and investigations, President Donald Trump has maintained an approval rating that rarely budged from a 10-point band between 35% and 45%.

Throughout four years of scandals and investigations, President Donald Trump has maintained an approval rating that rarely budged from a 10-point band between 35% and 45%. Nothing he could say, do or tweet appeared to dramatically change public opinion of him. But the events of Jan. 6 — when a violent mob of Trump supporters incited by the president stormed the Capitol — appear to have damaged him in his final days in office in a way that finally moved the needle. Trump is set to depart office Wednesday with an approval rating of 29%, the lowest of his presidency, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center. About 75% of the public said Trump bore some responsibility for the violence and destruction of Jan. 6, which put the lives of the vice president and members of Congress at risk and resulted in five deaths, according to the survey. And his behavior since the election — a period during which he has repeatedly tried to contest his loss, relied on conspiracy theorists for advice, encouraged supporters who do not view President-elect Joe Biden as legitimate, and refused to concede — has cost Trump support even with those individuals who have loyally supported him until now. According to Pew, the share of his supporters who described his conduct as “poor” has doubled, from 10% to 20%, over the past two months. Biden, in contrast, has benefited from how he has handled the transition period. About 64% of voters said they had a positive opinion of his conduct since the November election. The majority of voters said they also approved of his Cabinet selections. Trump’s polling while in office has been surprisingly stagnant, despite regular eruptions from the president. He was the only president in the history of Gallup’s polling who never earned the support of a majority of Americans for even one day of his term. But he also held onto his durable base, who appeared willing to overlook any behavior they did not approve of, or any promises that Trump never followed through on. That group now appears to have shrunk, although Trump still has some stalwart supporters who believe the conspiracy theories he has encouraged about election fraud. About 34% of respondents said they believed that Trump was “definitely” or “probably” the rightful election winner. Trump’s advisers have tried to play up that base of loyal support to him, noting that there are “welcome home” events planned for his arrival in Florida on Wednesday. They have also planned an upbeat send-off Wednesday morning to commemorate his final departure from Washington as president, aboard Air Force One. But whatever show of support he sees on his way out will belie the reality of his situation. Not only has he made history as the first president to be impeached twice. But he appears to be on track to leave office with the lowest approval rating of any modern-day president.

Trump will leave office with the worst approval rating of his presidency

US outgoing President Donald Trump is now counting the last few days of his term. During the final days of a President's tenure, his or her record usually becomes a huge point of discussion but not in Trump's case, as the final days of his Presidency have been full of rage in turmoil.

Trump's final days of Presidency marked by rage, turmoil

Donald Trump became the first American head of state to be impeached twice. The House of Representatives voted 232-197 on the proposal to oust him.

Donald Trump is the first President to be impeached twice | WION-VOA Co-production

Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s chief executive, was working remotely on a private island in French Polynesia frequented by celebrities escaping the paparazzi when a phone call interrupted him Jan. 6.

On the line was Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s top lawyer and safety expert, with an update from the real world. She said she and other company executives had decided to lock President Donald Trump’s account, temporarily, to prevent him from posting statements that might provoke more violence after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol that day.

Dorsey was concerned about the move, said two people with knowledge of the call. For four years, he had resisted demands by liberals and others that Twitter terminate Trump’s account, arguing that the platform was a place where world leaders could speak, even if their views were heinous. But he had delegated moderation decisions to Gadde, 46, and usually deferred to her — and he did so again.

Dorsey, 44, did not make his misgivings public. The next day, he liked and shared several tweets urging caution against a permanent ban of Trump. Then, over the next 36 hours, Twitter veered from lifting Trump’s suspension to shutting down his account permanently, cutting off the president from a platform he had used to communicate, unfiltered, with not just his 88 million followers but the world.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-leave-washington-on-morning-of-bidens-inauguration-357019" hreflang="en">Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden’s inauguration</a>

The decision was a punctuation mark on the Trump presidency that immediately drew accusations of political bias and fresh scrutiny of the tech industry’s power over public discourse. Interviews with a dozen current and former Twitter insiders over the past week opened a window into how it was made — driven by a group of Dorsey’s lieutenants who overcame their boss’ reservations, but only after a deadly rampage at the Capitol.

Having lifted the suspension the next day, Twitter monitored the response to Trump’s tweets across the internet, and executives briefed Dorsey that Trump’s followers had seized on his latest messages to call for more violence. In one post on the alternative social networking site Parler, members of Twitter’s safety team saw a Trump fan urge militias to stop President-elect Joe Biden from entering the White House and to fight anyone who tried to halt them. The potential for more real-world unrest, they said, was too high.

Twitter was also under pressure from its employees, who had for years agitated to remove Trump from the service, as well as lawmakers, tech investors and others. But while more than 300 employees signed a letter saying Trump’s account must be stopped, the decision to bar the president was made before the letter was delivered to executives, two of the people said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-farewell-to-the-trump-aesthetic-357182" hreflang="en">A farewell to the Trump aesthetic</a>

On Wednesday, Dorsey alluded to the tensions inside Twitter. In a string of 13 tweets, he wrote that he did “not celebrate or feel pride in our having to ban @realDonaldTrump” because “a ban is a failure of ours ultimately to promote healthy conversation.”

But, Dorsey added, “this was the right decision for Twitter. We faced an extraordinary and untenable circumstance, forcing us to focus all of our actions on public safety.”

Dorsey, Gadde and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.

Since Trump was barred, many of Dorsey’s concerns about the move have been realized. Twitter has been embroiled in a furious debate over tech power and the companies’ lack of accountability.

Lawmakers such as Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., have railed against Twitter, while Silicon Valley venture capitalists, First Amendment scholars and the American Civil Liberties Union have also criticized the company. At the same time, activists around the world have accused Twitter of following a double standard by cutting off Trump but not autocrats elsewhere who use the platform to bully opponents.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/suspension-of-trumps-twitter-account-is-problematic-angela-merkel-356052" hreflang="en">Suspension of Trump's Twitter account is 'problematic': Angela Merkel</a>

“This is a phenomenal exercise of power to de-platform the president of the United States,” said Evelyn Douek, a lecturer at Harvard Law School who focuses on online speech. “It should set off a broader reckoning.”

Trump, who joined Twitter in 2009, was a boon and bane for the company. His tweets brought attention to Twitter, which sometimes struggled to attract new users. But his false assertions and threats online also caused critics to say the site enabled him to spread lies and provoke harassment.

Many of Twitter’s more than 5,400 employees opposed having Trump on the platform. In August 2019, shortly after a gunman killed more than 20 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Twitter called a staff meeting to discuss how the gunman, in an online manifesto, had echoed many of the views that Trump posted on Twitter.

At the meeting, called a “Flock Talk,” some employees said Twitter was “complicit” by giving Trump a megaphone to “dog whistle” to his supporters, two attendees said. The employees implored executives to make changes before more people got hurt.

Over time, Twitter became more proactive on political content. In October 2019, Dorsey ended all political advertising on the site, saying he worried such ads had “significant ramifications that today’s democratic structure may not be prepared to handle.”

But Dorsey, a proponent of free speech, declined to take down world leaders’ posts because he considered them newsworthy. Since Twitter announced that year that it would give greater leeway to world leaders who broke its rules, the company had removed their tweets only once: Last March, it deleted messages from the presidents of Brazil and Venezuela that promoted false cures for the coronavirus. Dorsey opposed the removals, a person with knowledge of his thinking said.

Dorsey pushed for an in-between solution: appending labels to tweets by world leaders if the posts violated Twitter’s policies. In May, when Trump tweeted inaccurate information about mail-in voting, Dorsey gave the go-ahead for Twitter to start labeling the president’s messages.

After the Nov. 3 election, Trump tweeted that it had been stolen from him. Within a few days, Twitter had labeled about 34% of his tweets and retweets, according to a New York Times tally.

Then came the Capitol storming.

On Jan. 6, as Congress met to certify the election, Twitter executives celebrated their acquisition of Ueno, a branding and design firm. Dorsey, who has often gone on retreats, had traveled to the South Pacific island, said the people with knowledge of his location.

When Trump used Twitter to lash out at Vice President Mike Pence and question the election result, the company added warnings to his tweets. Then, as violence erupted at the Capitol, people urged Twitter and Facebook to take Trump offline entirely.

That led to virtual discussions among some of Dorsey’s lieutenants. The group included Gadde, a lawyer who had joined Twitter in 2011; Del Harvey, vice president of trust and safety; and Yoel Roth, head of site integrity. Harvey and Roth had helped build the company’s responses to spam, harassment and election interference.

The executives decided to suspend Trump because his comments appeared to incite the mob, said the people with knowledge of the discussions. Gadde then called Dorsey, who was not pleased, they said.

Trump was not barred completely. If he deleted several tweets that had stoked the mob, there would be a 12-hour cooling-off period. Then he could post again.

After Twitter locked Trump’s account, Facebook did the same. Snapchat, Twitch and others also placed limits on Trump.

But Dorsey was not sold on a permanent ban of Trump. He emailed employees the next day, saying it was important for the company to remain consistent with its policies, including letting a user return after a suspension.

Many workers, fearing that history would not look kindly upon them, were dissatisfied. Several invoked IBM’s collaboration with the Nazis, said current and former Twitter employees, and started a petition to immediately remove Trump’s account.

That same day, Facebook barred Trump through at least the end of his term. But he returned to Twitter that evening with a video saying there would be a peaceful transition of power.

By the next morning, though, Trump was back at it. He tweeted that his base would have a “GIANT VOICE” and that he would not attend the Jan. 20 inauguration.

Twitter’s safety team immediately saw Trump fans, who had been saying the president abandoned them, post about further unrest, said the people with knowledge of the matter. In a Parler message that the safety team reviewed, one user said anyone who opposed “American Patriots” like himself should leave Washington or risk physical harm during the inauguration.

The safety team began drafting an analysis of the tweets and whether they constituted grounds for kicking off Trump, the people said.

Around noon in San Francisco that day, Dorsey called in for an employee meeting. Some pressed him on why Trump was not permanently barred.

Dorsey repeated that Twitter should be consistent with its policies. But he said he had drawn a line in the sand that the president could not cross or Trump would lose his account privileges, people with knowledge of the event said.

After the meeting, Dorsey and other executives agreed that Trump’s tweets that morning — and the responses they had provoked — had crossed that line, the people said. The employee letter asking for Trump’s removal was later delivered, they said.

Within hours, Trump’s account was gone, except for an “Account suspended” label. He tried tweeting from the @POTUS account, which is the official account of the U.S. president, as well as others. But at every turn, Twitter thwarted him by pulling down the messages.

Some Twitter employees, fearing the wrath of Trump’s supporters, have now set their Twitter accounts to private and removed mentions of their employer from online biographies, four people said. Several executives were assigned personal security.

Twitter has also broadened its crackdown on accounts promoting violence. Over the weekend, it removed more than 70,000 accounts that pushed the QAnon conspiracy theory, which posits that Trump is fighting a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles.

On Wednesday, employees gathered virtually to discuss the decision to bar Trump, two attendees said. Some were grateful that Twitter had taken action, while others were eager to leave the Trump era behind. Many were emotional; some cried.

That afternoon, Trump returned again to Twitter, this time using the official @WhiteHouse account to share a video saying he condemned violence — but also denouncing what he called restrictions on free speech. Twitter allowed the video to remain online.

An hour later, Dorsey tweeted his discomfort about the removal of Trump’s online accounts. It “sets a precedent I feel is dangerous: the power an individual or corporation has over a part of the global public conversation,” he wrote.

But, he concluded, “everything we learn in this moment will better our effort, and push us to be what we are: one humanity working together.”

Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s chief executive, was working remotely on a private island in French Polynesia frequented by celebrities escaping the paparazzi when a phone call interrupted him Jan.

Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s chief executive, was working remotely on a private island in French Polynesia frequented by celebrities escaping the paparazzi when a phone call interrupted him Jan. 6. On the line was Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s top lawyer and safety expert, with an update from the real world. She said she and other company executives had decided to lock President Donald Trump’s account, temporarily, to prevent him from posting statements that might provoke more violence after a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol that day. Dorsey was concerned about the move, said two people with knowledge of the call. For four years, he had resisted demands by liberals and others that Twitter terminate Trump’s account, arguing that the platform was a place where world leaders could speak, even if their views were heinous. But he had delegated moderation decisions to Gadde, 46, and usually deferred to her — and he did so again. Dorsey, 44, did not make his misgivings public. The next day, he liked and shared several tweets urging caution against a permanent ban of Trump. Then, over the next 36 hours, Twitter veered from lifting Trump’s suspension to shutting down his account permanently, cutting off the president from a platform he had used to communicate, unfiltered, with not just his 88 million followers but the world. Also read| Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden’s inauguration The decision was a punctuation mark on the Trump presidency that immediately drew accusations of political bias and fresh scrutiny of the tech industry’s power over public discourse. Interviews with a dozen current and former Twitter insiders over the past week opened a window into how it was made — driven by a group of Dorsey’s lieutenants who overcame their boss’ reservations, but only after a deadly rampage at the Capitol. Having lifted the suspension the next day, Twitter monitored the response to Trump’s tweets across the internet, and executives briefed Dorsey that Trump’s followers had seized on his latest messages to call for more violence. In one post on the alternative social networking site Parler, members of Twitter’s safety team saw a Trump fan urge militias to stop President-elect Joe Biden from entering the White House and to fight anyone who tried to halt them. The potential for more real-world unrest, they said, was too high. Twitter was also under pressure from its employees, who had for years agitated to remove Trump from the service, as well as lawmakers, tech investors and others. But while more than 300 employees signed a letter saying Trump’s account must be stopped, the decision to bar the president was made before the letter was delivered to executives, two of the people said. Also read| A farewell to the Trump aesthetic On Wednesday, Dorsey alluded to the tensions inside Twitter. In a string of 13 tweets, he wrote that he did “not celebrate or feel pride in our having to ban @realDonaldTrump” because “a ban is a failure of ours ultimately to promote healthy conversation.” But, Dorsey added, “this was the right decision for Twitter. We faced an extraordinary and untenable circumstance, forcing us to focus all of our actions on public safety.” Dorsey, Gadde and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. Since Trump was barred, many of Dorsey’s concerns about the move have been realized. Twitter has been embroiled in a furious debate over tech power and the companies’ lack of accountability. Lawmakers such as Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., have railed against Twitter, while Silicon Valley venture capitalists, First Amendment scholars and the American Civil Liberties Union have also criticized the company. At the same time, activists around the world have accused Twitter of following a double standard by cutting off Trump but not autocrats elsewhere who use the platform to bully opponents. Also read| Suspension of Trump's Twitter account is 'problematic': Angela Merkel “This is a phenomenal exercise of power to de-platform the president of the United States,” said Evelyn Douek, a lecturer at Harvard Law School who focuses on online speech. “It should set off a broader reckoning.” Trump, who joined Twitter in 2009, was a boon and bane for the company. His tweets brought attention to Twitter, which sometimes struggled to attract new users. But his false assertions and threats online also caused critics to say the site enabled him to spread lies and provoke harassment. Many of Twitter’s more than 5,400 employees opposed having Trump on the platform. In August 2019, shortly after a gunman killed more than 20 people at a Walmart in El Paso, Twitter called a staff meeting to discuss how the gunman, in an online manifesto, had echoed many of the views that Trump posted on Twitter. At the meeting, called a “Flock Talk,” some employees said Twitter was “complicit” by giving Trump a megaphone to “dog whistle” to his supporters, two attendees said. The employees implored executives to make changes before more people got hurt. Over time, Twitter became more proactive on political content. In October 2019, Dorsey ended all political advertising on the site, saying he worried such ads had “significant ramifications that today’s democratic structure may not be prepared to handle.” But Dorsey, a proponent of free speech, declined to take down world leaders’ posts because he considered them newsworthy. Since Twitter announced that year that it would give greater leeway to world leaders who broke its rules, the company had removed their tweets only once: Last March, it deleted messages from the presidents of Brazil and Venezuela that promoted false cures for the coronavirus. Dorsey opposed the removals, a person with knowledge of his thinking said. Dorsey pushed for an in-between solution: appending labels to tweets by world leaders if the posts violated Twitter’s policies. In May, when Trump tweeted inaccurate information about mail-in voting, Dorsey gave the go-ahead for Twitter to start labeling the president’s messages. After the Nov. 3 election, Trump tweeted that it had been stolen from him. Within a few days, Twitter had labeled about 34% of his tweets and retweets, according to a New York Times tally. Then came the Capitol storming. On Jan. 6, as Congress met to certify the election, Twitter executives celebrated their acquisition of Ueno, a branding and design firm. Dorsey, who has often gone on retreats, had traveled to the South Pacific island, said the people with knowledge of his location. When Trump used Twitter to lash out at Vice President Mike Pence and question the election result, the company added warnings to his tweets. Then, as violence erupted at the Capitol, people urged Twitter and Facebook to take Trump offline entirely. That led to virtual discussions among some of Dorsey’s lieutenants. The group included Gadde, a lawyer who had joined Twitter in 2011; Del Harvey, vice president of trust and safety; and Yoel Roth, head of site integrity. Harvey and Roth had helped build the company’s responses to spam, harassment and election interference. The executives decided to suspend Trump because his comments appeared to incite the mob, said the people with knowledge of the discussions. Gadde then called Dorsey, who was not pleased, they said. Trump was not barred completely. If he deleted several tweets that had stoked the mob, there would be a 12-hour cooling-off period. Then he could post again. After Twitter locked Trump’s account, Facebook did the same. Snapchat, Twitch and others also placed limits on Trump. But Dorsey was not sold on a permanent ban of Trump. He emailed employees the next day, saying it was important for the company to remain consistent with its policies, including letting a user return after a suspension. Many workers, fearing that history would not look kindly upon them, were dissatisfied. Several invoked IBM’s collaboration with the Nazis, said current and former Twitter employees, and started a petition to immediately remove Trump’s account. That same day, Facebook barred Trump through at least the end of his term. But he returned to Twitter that evening with a video saying there would be a peaceful transition of power. By the next morning, though, Trump was back at it. He tweeted that his base would have a “GIANT VOICE” and that he would not attend the Jan. 20 inauguration. Twitter’s safety team immediately saw Trump fans, who had been saying the president abandoned them, post about further unrest, said the people with knowledge of the matter. In a Parler message that the safety team reviewed, one user said anyone who opposed “American Patriots” like himself should leave Washington or risk physical harm during the inauguration. The safety team began drafting an analysis of the tweets and whether they constituted grounds for kicking off Trump, the people said. Around noon in San Francisco that day, Dorsey called in for an employee meeting. Some pressed him on why Trump was not permanently barred. Dorsey repeated that Twitter should be consistent with its policies. But he said he had drawn a line in the sand that the president could not cross or Trump would lose his account privileges, people with knowledge of the event said. After the meeting, Dorsey and other executives agreed that Trump’s tweets that morning — and the responses they had provoked — had crossed that line, the people said. The employee letter asking for Trump’s removal was later delivered, they said. Within hours, Trump’s account was gone, except for an “Account suspended” label. He tried tweeting from the @POTUS account, which is the official account of the U.S. president, as well as others. But at every turn, Twitter thwarted him by pulling down the messages. Some Twitter employees, fearing the wrath of Trump’s supporters, have now set their Twitter accounts to private and removed mentions of their employer from online biographies, four people said. Several executives were assigned personal security. Twitter has also broadened its crackdown on accounts promoting violence. Over the weekend, it removed more than 70,000 accounts that pushed the QAnon conspiracy theory, which posits that Trump is fighting a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles. On Wednesday, employees gathered virtually to discuss the decision to bar Trump, two attendees said. Some were grateful that Twitter had taken action, while others were eager to leave the Trump era behind. Many were emotional; some cried. That afternoon, Trump returned again to Twitter, this time using the official @WhiteHouse account to share a video saying he condemned violence — but also denouncing what he called restrictions on free speech. Twitter allowed the video to remain online. An hour later, Dorsey tweeted his discomfort about the removal of Trump’s online accounts. It “sets a precedent I feel is dangerous: the power an individual or corporation has over a part of the global public conversation,” he wrote. But, he concluded, “everything we learn in this moment will better our effort, and push us to be what we are: one humanity working together.”

Inside Twitter’s decision to cut off Trump

Few presidents have exploited the theatrical grandeur of the job quite as enthusiastically or as cynically as Donald Trump, from his proliferating forests of flags to his gilding of the Oval Office. Few have been as strategic about the power of caricature or had such a complicit wife and court to bolster the spectacle. As a group, they tapped into the dregs of “Dynasty” and “The Bonfire of the Vanities” past that sits nestled in our lizard brains. For four years, we parsed soap opera chic instead of “The West Wing.” The visuals demanded attention, just like the tweets.

But while we will not have that final photo-op closure as the outgoing first family welcomes the new residents to the White House — that norm, like so many others, has been trampled — the Trumps leave behind a legacy of image-making and manipulation that will be as much a reference for political pundits and style strategists as that of the Reagans, the Kennedys and the Obamas.

The political costume department of our collective imagination will never be the same.

There was a reason the president complained, publicly, about Vogue never giving his wife Melania a cover (at least not after he entered politics). A reason he complained, too, about designers vociferously announcing early in his term that they would not dress the first lady. (Who cares? The Trumps could always buy the stuff.) A reason he and his family built chunks of their empire on the wardrobe of ersatz aspiration. They understood the mythmaking power of appearance and how it sends tendrils of connection to us all.

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There was no better example than Trump himself. He didn’t just sell his own merch; he wore it. Except, that is, for the oversize suits, which matched the overlong ties (if they were Scotch-taped together, who cared; they looked good from the outside) and became symbols of the overwhelming ego. Those were Brioni.

His willingness to make himself into an orange-tinted, vanilla-custard-combover meme invited mockery — until some realized that, silly as the president’s appearance may have seemed, it was also, in its singularity and consistency, unforgettable. As Doug Mills, a photographer for The New York Times who has covered every president since Ronald Reagan, said, the result was “iconic.”

Adding to the effect was Melania Trump, his ornamental equal, able to manipulate public perception strategically on her own. And cast in the supporting roles were, first and foremost, Ivanka and Jared, the effective prom king and queen, skin and hair and teeth polished to an impenetrable sheen. Arrayed beside them, like a Foxified Greek chorus, Tiffany Trump, Lara Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Hope Hicks and Kayleigh McEnany. Plus Don Jr. and Eric.

They were embodiments of the president’s ideas of outmoded gender norms and what it meant to “dress like a woman” — and as a man for that matter — in matching red, white and blue Chiara Boni wrap dresses and pumps, false eyelashes batting against their cheeks, carefully tended locks blowing in the breeze, artfully cultivated stubble like an advertisement for masculinity from the school of Axe body spray.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-security-concerns-joe-bidens-inauguration-rehearsal-postponed-356952" hreflang="en">Amid security concerns, Joe Biden's inauguration rehearsal postponed</a>

Donald Trump is vacating office with the look, if not his reputation, intact, although increasingly it has taken on a whole new cast. What was once seen, on screens and in many the mind’s eye, as the brazen self-branding and narcissism of a reality TV star looks more like simple mendacity. From the beginning, Trump’s appearance was a sham. We should have known that such artifice was as much a part of his moral makeup as his cosmetic kit, and there was more to come. It was always part of the picture.

When Clothes Speak

The scene was set even before Trump entered the White House, when Melania Trump wore a fuchsia pussy-bow Gucci blouse to watch her husband debate Hillary Clinton just days after The Washington Post released the now notorious “Access Hollywood” audio tape. Immediately the gleeful speculation started: She was trolling her husband. She was using clothes to send a message.

If it wasn’t the message we expect potential first ladies to send through fashion — that would be about political outreach and economic boosterism, not marital discord — still, it seemed like a message of some sort, suggesting that Melania Trump was attuned to the tools of her potential job.

Besides, if it wasn’t a message, what was it? A wardrobe coincidence? Could such willful disregard of external perception be possible for a woman who had been a model? Or was it all meta-commentary on our own expectations of first ladies? Who, exactly, was she toying with?

She remained enigmatically silent, and thus began a popular addiction to reading her clothes for clues.

Next up was the inauguration, when Donald Trump wore a Brooks Brothers overcoat like so many presidents before him: Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama. Beside him, his wife wore a powder blue Ralph Lauren suit and matching gloves, her hair in a decorous twist. The reference was also Kennedy: Jacqueline. The designer was American. The interpretation was positive. Her husband said he wanted to bolster Made in America. Both were wearing his words on their back.

That lasted a hot second — until Melania Trump chose a black Dolce &amp; Gabbana jacket for her official portrait.

It was one thing when she wore a Dolce lace mantilla to meet the pope on her first international tour; one thing even when she wore the label’s $51,000 floral jacket at the G-7 summit in Sicily; one thing to choose an Italian luxury brand — even one run by designers known for their own egregious comments on weight, sexuality, ethnicity — while making appearances in Italy. (That could be spun as local outreach.)

It was another thing entirely to choose that brand for the photo that would adorn the East Wing website for an entire term. That was more like a riposte to first lady tradition and a statement of intent: I will not be forced into the mold that was made for me.

And so it went.

For every New Look Dior red suit Trump wore to accompany her husband on his state visit in France, for every brand worn to flirt with diplomatic dress, there was a completely unrelated brand worn to reassert the primacy of her own taste, as opposed to any political exigency. For every Burberry shirt and Michael Kors skirt worn to deplane in England and gesture to the special relationship between the United States and Britain, a moment like the pith helmet in Kenya, a colonial costume that seemed like an affront. For every pro-mask PSA, a let-them-eat-cake moment like the spike heels she wore when she left the White House to visit the post-Hurricane Harvey, Texas disaster scene.

Her brand was glamour, of the most inaccessible, resting-on-a-pedestal, celluloid kind; her aesthetic, overwhelmingly armored or royal. (She famously wore her coats like a coronation robe, draped elegantly over her shoulders.). Her wardrobe was like a stroll down the stores of Fifth Avenue, from Trump Tower to Saks via Dior, Givenchy, Chanel, Celine, Dolce &amp; Gabbana and Gucci. It was as if the American dream had been redefined as a closet stuffed full of European luxury labels.

But whatever the names inside, the waists were often tightly belted, the suits military, the gowns caped, the hats throwing shade. By the time the Republican National Convention rolled around in August, the images had reached their apogee in the Army-green Alexander McQueen suit Trump wore for her speech, and the fluorescent lime Valentino dress she wore to watch her husband accept his party’s presidential nomination for the second time, trains flying out from each shoulder like wings.

In between there were choices that seemed calculated to disrupt: the white suit Trump wore to the State of the Union in 2018, just after the Stormy Daniels scandal, when such a style had become the uniform of the Trump resistance; the “I really don’t care, do u?” jacket worn on a trip to the southern border that practically broke the internet with a scrawl that seemed like a middle finger to the watching world. But perhaps the final Trump Christmas card was most revealing.

Featuring the first couple in matching tuxedos, it suggested: We’re in this together and always have been. (That’s what Trump’s former best friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff kept saying, too, after she published a tell-all on her own traumatic experience with the first family.) Even if the conspiracy theorists who thought the portrait had been Photoshopped were right.

Maybe especially if the conspiracy theorists were right.

All the President’s Profiting

Now the Trumps are expected to fall back to Florida, with the gold-plated environs of Mar-a-Lago as their empire in exile. They still have their trademarks, and a potential consumer base clutching their MAGA hats, even as the real estate and hospitality industries begin to publicly distance themselves from the family name, as some financial institutions and major companies disavow the president’s actions, and Donald Trump is shut out of social media. Television and talk radio may be their natural habitats — but then, so is fashion.

This emperor will likely don some new clothes.

The president did cut the ribbon on the Louis Vuitton factory in Texas. Vuitton is owned by LVMH, which now owns Tiffany, which is snuggled up in the shadow of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. The group, the largest luxury conglomerate in the world, has not commented on the riots in Washington. Indeed, Shopify aside, the industry is one of the few major business sectors that has remained notably silent on the subject of the president, despite some designers having been so vocal four years ago.

And the Trumps haven’t exactly made a secret of their vision when it comes to product potential.

Remember the libel lawsuit Melania Trump filed in 2017 against the Daily Mail? In the suit, her lawyers argued that an article it published insinuating that her modeling career had involved more than just posing had endangered her potential to “launch a broad-based commercial line in multiple product categories,” thanks to her position as “one of the most photographed women in the world.” (The allegations were retracted, an apology was issued, and a settlement was made.)

At the time, her office said she had no such plans to use her “position for profit.” But when she is no longer in that position, it’s not hard to imagine the potential (particularly for someone who once upon a time had a QVC jewelry line). After all, some of the categories the lawsuit mentioned include “apparel, accessories, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, hair care, skin care and fragrance.” A coffee-table book is apparently already being considered, the better to memorialize (and monetize) her style.

Ivanka Trump, of course, has her own history with fashion, having effectively begun her time as her father’s surrogate while doubling as her company’s own best model in ladder-climbing sheath dresses, statement bangles, and Cinderella court shoes. Her business may have been dissolved after the blowback about her using her position for profit — not to mention her let-them-eat-cake evening gown Instagram shots — but it could easily return.

Meantime, her increasingly unshaven brothers have also increasingly positioned themselves as the avatars of the hunter-gatherer set.

The Trumps may be leaving the White House, but their personal brands will live on, even with the shine tarnished, the substance beneath revealed as fool’s gold. It is up to us whether we buy them.

Few presidents have exploited the theatrical grandeur of the job quite as enthusiastically or as cynically as Donald Trump, from his proliferating forests of flags to his gilding of the Oval Office.

Few presidents have exploited the theatrical grandeur of the job quite as enthusiastically or as cynically as Donald Trump, from his proliferating forests of flags to his gilding of the Oval Office. Few have been as strategic about the power of caricature or had such a complicit wife and court to bolster the spectacle. As a group, they tapped into the dregs of “Dynasty” and “The Bonfire of the Vanities” past that sits nestled in our lizard brains. For four years, we parsed soap opera chic instead of “The West Wing.” The visuals demanded attention, just like the tweets. But while we will not have that final photo-op closure as the outgoing first family welcomes the new residents to the White House — that norm, like so many others, has been trampled — the Trumps leave behind a legacy of image-making and manipulation that will be as much a reference for political pundits and style strategists as that of the Reagans, the Kennedys and the Obamas. The political costume department of our collective imagination will never be the same. There was a reason the president complained, publicly, about Vogue never giving his wife Melania a cover (at least not after he entered politics). A reason he complained, too, about designers vociferously announcing early in his term that they would not dress the first lady. (Who cares? The Trumps could always buy the stuff.) A reason he and his family built chunks of their empire on the wardrobe of ersatz aspiration. They understood the mythmaking power of appearance and how it sends tendrils of connection to us all. Also read| Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden’s inauguration There was no better example than Trump himself. He didn’t just sell his own merch; he wore it. Except, that is, for the oversize suits, which matched the overlong ties (if they were Scotch-taped together, who cared; they looked good from the outside) and became symbols of the overwhelming ego. Those were Brioni. His willingness to make himself into an orange-tinted, vanilla-custard-combover meme invited mockery — until some realized that, silly as the president’s appearance may have seemed, it was also, in its singularity and consistency, unforgettable. As Doug Mills, a photographer for The New York Times who has covered every president since Ronald Reagan, said, the result was “iconic.” Adding to the effect was Melania Trump, his ornamental equal, able to manipulate public perception strategically on her own. And cast in the supporting roles were, first and foremost, Ivanka and Jared, the effective prom king and queen, skin and hair and teeth polished to an impenetrable sheen. Arrayed beside them, like a Foxified Greek chorus, Tiffany Trump, Lara Trump, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Hope Hicks and Kayleigh McEnany. Plus Don Jr. and Eric. They were embodiments of the president’s ideas of outmoded gender norms and what it meant to “dress like a woman” — and as a man for that matter — in matching red, white and blue Chiara Boni wrap dresses and pumps, false eyelashes batting against their cheeks, carefully tended locks blowing in the breeze, artfully cultivated stubble like an advertisement for masculinity from the school of Axe body spray. Also read| Amid security concerns, Joe Biden's inauguration rehearsal postponed Donald Trump is vacating office with the look, if not his reputation, intact, although increasingly it has taken on a whole new cast. What was once seen, on screens and in many the mind’s eye, as the brazen self-branding and narcissism of a reality TV star looks more like simple mendacity. From the beginning, Trump’s appearance was a sham. We should have known that such artifice was as much a part of his moral makeup as his cosmetic kit, and there was more to come. It was always part of the picture. When Clothes Speak The scene was set even before Trump entered the White House, when Melania Trump wore a fuchsia pussy-bow Gucci blouse to watch her husband debate Hillary Clinton just days after The Washington Post released the now notorious “Access Hollywood” audio tape. Immediately the gleeful speculation started: She was trolling her husband. She was using clothes to send a message. If it wasn’t the message we expect potential first ladies to send through fashion — that would be about political outreach and economic boosterism, not marital discord — still, it seemed like a message of some sort, suggesting that Melania Trump was attuned to the tools of her potential job. Besides, if it wasn’t a message, what was it? A wardrobe coincidence? Could such willful disregard of external perception be possible for a woman who had been a model? Or was it all meta-commentary on our own expectations of first ladies? Who, exactly, was she toying with? She remained enigmatically silent, and thus began a popular addiction to reading her clothes for clues. Next up was the inauguration, when Donald Trump wore a Brooks Brothers overcoat like so many presidents before him: Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama. Beside him, his wife wore a powder blue Ralph Lauren suit and matching gloves, her hair in a decorous twist. The reference was also Kennedy: Jacqueline. The designer was American. The interpretation was positive. Her husband said he wanted to bolster Made in America. Both were wearing his words on their back. That lasted a hot second — until Melania Trump chose a black Dolce & Gabbana jacket for her official portrait. It was one thing when she wore a Dolce lace mantilla to meet the pope on her first international tour; one thing even when she wore the label’s $51,000 floral jacket at the G-7 summit in Sicily; one thing to choose an Italian luxury brand — even one run by designers known for their own egregious comments on weight, sexuality, ethnicity — while making appearances in Italy. (That could be spun as local outreach.) It was another thing entirely to choose that brand for the photo that would adorn the East Wing website for an entire term. That was more like a riposte to first lady tradition and a statement of intent: I will not be forced into the mold that was made for me. And so it went. For every New Look Dior red suit Trump wore to accompany her husband on his state visit in France, for every brand worn to flirt with diplomatic dress, there was a completely unrelated brand worn to reassert the primacy of her own taste, as opposed to any political exigency. For every Burberry shirt and Michael Kors skirt worn to deplane in England and gesture to the special relationship between the United States and Britain, a moment like the pith helmet in Kenya, a colonial costume that seemed like an affront. For every pro-mask PSA, a let-them-eat-cake moment like the spike heels she wore when she left the White House to visit the post-Hurricane Harvey, Texas disaster scene. Her brand was glamour, of the most inaccessible, resting-on-a-pedestal, celluloid kind; her aesthetic, overwhelmingly armored or royal. (She famously wore her coats like a coronation robe, draped elegantly over her shoulders.). Her wardrobe was like a stroll down the stores of Fifth Avenue, from Trump Tower to Saks via Dior, Givenchy, Chanel, Celine, Dolce & Gabbana and Gucci. It was as if the American dream had been redefined as a closet stuffed full of European luxury labels. But whatever the names inside, the waists were often tightly belted, the suits military, the gowns caped, the hats throwing shade. By the time the Republican National Convention rolled around in August, the images had reached their apogee in the Army-green Alexander McQueen suit Trump wore for her speech, and the fluorescent lime Valentino dress she wore to watch her husband accept his party’s presidential nomination for the second time, trains flying out from each shoulder like wings. In between there were choices that seemed calculated to disrupt: the white suit Trump wore to the State of the Union in 2018, just after the Stormy Daniels scandal, when such a style had become the uniform of the Trump resistance; the “I really don’t care, do u?” jacket worn on a trip to the southern border that practically broke the internet with a scrawl that seemed like a middle finger to the watching world. But perhaps the final Trump Christmas card was most revealing. Featuring the first couple in matching tuxedos, it suggested: We’re in this together and always have been. (That’s what Trump’s former best friend Stephanie Winston Wolkoff kept saying, too, after she published a tell-all on her own traumatic experience with the first family.) Even if the conspiracy theorists who thought the portrait had been Photoshopped were right. Maybe especially if the conspiracy theorists were right. All the President’s Profiting Now the Trumps are expected to fall back to Florida, with the gold-plated environs of Mar-a-Lago as their empire in exile. They still have their trademarks, and a potential consumer base clutching their MAGA hats, even as the real estate and hospitality industries begin to publicly distance themselves from the family name, as some financial institutions and major companies disavow the president’s actions, and Donald Trump is shut out of social media. Television and talk radio may be their natural habitats — but then, so is fashion. This emperor will likely don some new clothes. The president did cut the ribbon on the Louis Vuitton factory in Texas. Vuitton is owned by LVMH, which now owns Tiffany, which is snuggled up in the shadow of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. The group, the largest luxury conglomerate in the world, has not commented on the riots in Washington. Indeed, Shopify aside, the industry is one of the few major business sectors that has remained notably silent on the subject of the president, despite some designers having been so vocal four years ago. And the Trumps haven’t exactly made a secret of their vision when it comes to product potential. Remember the libel lawsuit Melania Trump filed in 2017 against the Daily Mail? In the suit, her lawyers argued that an article it published insinuating that her modeling career had involved more than just posing had endangered her potential to “launch a broad-based commercial line in multiple product categories,” thanks to her position as “one of the most photographed women in the world.” (The allegations were retracted, an apology was issued, and a settlement was made.) At the time, her office said she had no such plans to use her “position for profit.” But when she is no longer in that position, it’s not hard to imagine the potential (particularly for someone who once upon a time had a QVC jewelry line). After all, some of the categories the lawsuit mentioned include “apparel, accessories, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, hair care, skin care and fragrance.” A coffee-table book is apparently already being considered, the better to memorialize (and monetize) her style. Ivanka Trump, of course, has her own history with fashion, having effectively begun her time as her father’s surrogate while doubling as her company’s own best model in ladder-climbing sheath dresses, statement bangles, and Cinderella court shoes. Her business may have been dissolved after the blowback about her using her position for profit — not to mention her let-them-eat-cake evening gown Instagram shots — but it could easily return. Meantime, her increasingly unshaven brothers have also increasingly positioned themselves as the avatars of the hunter-gatherer set. The Trumps may be leaving the White House, but their personal brands will live on, even with the shine tarnished, the substance beneath revealed as fool’s gold. It is up to us whether we buy them.

A farewell to the Trump aesthetic

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-leave-washington-on-morning-of-bidens-inauguration-357019">Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden’s inauguration</a>

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&nbsp;

Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden’s inauguration US President Donald Trump is planning to helicopter out of the White House a last time early on the

Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden’s inauguration US President Donald Trump is planning to helicopter out of the White House a last time early on the morning of the day his successor, Joe Biden, takes oath as the 46th US president of the country | READ MORE India begins mega-rollout of Covid vaccine India begins one of the world's biggest coronavirus vaccine programmes on Saturday | READ MORE WhatsApp delays privacy policy update, Signal faces glitches WhatsApp on Friday said that it was delaying its data-sharing change as the rush to rival messaging apps seriously appeared to dent its near-monopoly in several global markets | READ MORE State capitols across US tighten security to repel possible attacks In the wake of FBI's warning of possible armed protests before Joe Biden's inauguration, the security around state capitols across the US has been tightened | READ MORE US health secretary Azar resigns, cites Capitol attack as the reason US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has resigned, citing last week’s attack on the Capitol | READ MORE Poland works on law limiting powers of Facebook, Twitter and other social platforms Poland's government said on Friday that it was working on legislation to limit the power of social media platforms to delete content or ban users | READ MORE US imposes sanctions on Cuba citing human rights violations The United States has slapped sanctions on Cuba’s interior ministry and its leaders, accusing them of serious human rights abuses | READ MORE Biden elevates role of science, names geneticist Lander for new Cabinet-level post US President-elect Joe Biden has elevated the post of a geneticist to Cabinet-level status for first time, naming pioneering Eric Lander as the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy on Friday | READ MORE

Morning news brief: US scrambles for a new president, India for Covid vaccine

U.S President Joe Biden has said that he will increase the production of syringes and other supplies to ramp-up the vaccination process against the COVID-19 in the country. Biden promises to do better than Trump to curb the virus

U.S President Joe Biden promises to do better than Trump to curb the virus

The United States has slapped sanctions on Cuba’s interior ministry and its leaders, accusing them of serious human rights abuses.

In a statement, the US Treasury Department mentioned Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer, saying he had been detained in a prison controlled by the ministry and was reportedly beaten and tortured.

“The United States will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to address the dire human rights situation in Cuba and elsewhere around the world,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement.

Washington also blacklisted Cuban Interior Minister Lazaro Alberto Álvarez Casas.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Twitter denounced the Trump administration’s move as “a coercive measure against our country.”

The measures against the ministry and Brigadier Gen. L'zaro Alberto lvarez Casas include freezing any bank accounts they may have in the United States and blocking any business operations with US entities.

The new sanctions, which are largely symbolic, come less than a week before the end of Donald Trump's presidency, which has been characterized by strong hostility toward the Cuban government.

The sanctions will be implemented under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and directed "against the perpetrators of serious human rights abuses and corruption throughout the world," the US government said in a news release.

The statement cited the case of Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer, who was held in a prison controlled by the Interior Ministry. Ferrer reported being beaten, tortured, held in solitary confinement and denied medical attention at the prison.

The island's Ministry of the Interior oversees the internal order in the Caribbean nation and includes police, firefighters, the penitentiary system and border guards. The Cuban government does not recognise the legal status of dissidents, whom it often accuses of being manipulated and financed by American interest groups wanting to discredit the socialist government.

Trump reversed his predecessor Barack Obama’s diplomatic opening to Havana, tightened restrictions on U.S. travel and remittances to Cuba and imposed sanctions on shipments of Venezuelan oil to the Caribbean island.

Trump’s policy was popular among the large Cuban-American population in South Florida, helping him win the state in the November election though he lost the national vote to Joe Biden, who was Obama’s vice president.

Biden, who will take office on January 20, said during the campaign he would promptly reverse Trump policies that he said have harmed Cubans and “done nothing to advance democracy and human rights”.

The Trump administration announced on Monday it was returning Cuba to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move that could complicate any efforts by Biden to revive Obama-era detente with Havana.

The administration noted Cuba had hosted Colombia’s peace talks with rebels and said it was harboring guerilla leaders that the Colombian government now wanted returned.

(with inputs)

The United States has slapped sanctions on Cuba’s interior ministry and its leaders, accusing them of serious human rights abuses. In a statement, the US Treasury Department mentioned Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer, saying he had been detained in a prison controlled by the ministry and was reportedly beaten and tortured.

The United States has slapped sanctions on Cuba’s interior ministry and its leaders, accusing them of serious human rights abuses. In a statement, the US Treasury Department mentioned Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer, saying he had been detained in a prison controlled by the ministry and was reportedly beaten and tortured. “The United States will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to address the dire human rights situation in Cuba and elsewhere around the world,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in the statement. Washington also blacklisted Cuban Interior Minister Lazaro Alberto Álvarez Casas. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Twitter denounced the Trump administration’s move as “a coercive measure against our country.” The measures against the ministry and Brigadier Gen. L'zaro Alberto lvarez Casas include freezing any bank accounts they may have in the United States and blocking any business operations with US entities. The new sanctions, which are largely symbolic, come less than a week before the end of Donald Trump's presidency, which has been characterized by strong hostility toward the Cuban government. The sanctions will be implemented under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and directed "against the perpetrators of serious human rights abuses and corruption throughout the world," the US government said in a news release. The statement cited the case of Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer, who was held in a prison controlled by the Interior Ministry. Ferrer reported being beaten, tortured, held in solitary confinement and denied medical attention at the prison. The island's Ministry of the Interior oversees the internal order in the Caribbean nation and includes police, firefighters, the penitentiary system and border guards. The Cuban government does not recognise the legal status of dissidents, whom it often accuses of being manipulated and financed by American interest groups wanting to discredit the socialist government. Trump reversed his predecessor Barack Obama’s diplomatic opening to Havana, tightened restrictions on U.S. travel and remittances to Cuba and imposed sanctions on shipments of Venezuelan oil to the Caribbean island. Trump’s policy was popular among the large Cuban-American population in South Florida, helping him win the state in the November election though he lost the national vote to Joe Biden, who was Obama’s vice president. Biden, who will take office on January 20, said during the campaign he would promptly reverse Trump policies that he said have harmed Cubans and “done nothing to advance democracy and human rights”. The Trump administration announced on Monday it was returning Cuba to the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, a move that could complicate any efforts by Biden to revive Obama-era detente with Havana. The administration noted Cuba had hosted Colombia’s peace talks with rebels and said it was harboring guerilla leaders that the Colombian government now wanted returned. (with inputs)

US imposes sanctions on Cuba citing human rights violations

US President-elect Joe Biden has elevated the post of a geneticist to Cabinet-level status for first time, naming pioneering Eric Lander as the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy on Friday.

Lander, a Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who helped lead the Human Genome Project, will also serve in the role of presidential science advisor, Biden’s team said.

“Science will always be at the forefront of my administration — and these world-renowned scientists will ensure everything we do is grounded in science, facts, and the truth,” Biden said in a statement, which announced several personnel appointments to the White House science team.

“Their trusted guidance will be essential as we come together to end this pandemic, bring our economy back, and pursue new breakthroughs to improve the quality of life of all Americans,” Biden said.

Lander will succeed meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier, who was named director by President Donald Trump in 2019 after the role was left vacant for nearly two years.

Biden, who will be sworn in as president on January 20, excoriated Trump repeatedly during the election campaign for undermining faith in science, whether it was Trump’s downplaying of evidence of climate change or suggesting injecting disinfectants might treat COVID-19.

Biden has pledged to increase funding in US research and development, including medical research and clean energy. He also appointed former Secretary of State John Kerry as a special presidential envoy for climate.

“Tremendously excited to work alongside so many bright minds to advise the President-elect and push the boundaries of what we dare to believe is possible. We need everyone,” Lander said in a tweet.

The duties of OSTP, the White House’s top body for space policy formation under former President Barack Obama, could clash with the National Space Council that Trump revived in 2017.

Biden’s transition team is, hence, weighing whether to disband or keep the council.

(with inputs)

US President-elect Joe Biden has elevated the post of a geneticist to Cabinet-level status for first time, naming pioneering Eric Lander as the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy on Friday.

US President-elect Joe Biden has elevated the post of a geneticist to Cabinet-level status for first time, naming pioneering Eric Lander as the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy on Friday. Lander, a Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who helped lead the Human Genome Project, will also serve in the role of presidential science advisor, Biden’s team said. “Science will always be at the forefront of my administration — and these world-renowned scientists will ensure everything we do is grounded in science, facts, and the truth,” Biden said in a statement, which announced several personnel appointments to the White House science team. “Their trusted guidance will be essential as we come together to end this pandemic, bring our economy back, and pursue new breakthroughs to improve the quality of life of all Americans,” Biden said. Lander will succeed meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier, who was named director by President Donald Trump in 2019 after the role was left vacant for nearly two years. Biden, who will be sworn in as president on January 20, excoriated Trump repeatedly during the election campaign for undermining faith in science, whether it was Trump’s downplaying of evidence of climate change or suggesting injecting disinfectants might treat COVID-19. Biden has pledged to increase funding in US research and development, including medical research and clean energy. He also appointed former Secretary of State John Kerry as a special presidential envoy for climate. “Tremendously excited to work alongside so many bright minds to advise the President-elect and push the boundaries of what we dare to believe is possible. We need everyone,” Lander said in a tweet. The duties of OSTP, the White House’s top body for space policy formation under former President Barack Obama, could clash with the National Space Council that Trump revived in 2017. Biden’s transition team is, hence, weighing whether to disband or keep the council. (with inputs)

Biden elevates role of science, names geneticist Lander for new Cabinet-level post

US President Donald Trump is planning to helicopter out of the White House a last time early on the morning of the day his successor, Joe Biden, takes oath as the 46th US president of the country.

Trump will be the first president in a century and a half to snub the inauguration of his successor.

Multiple reports say Trump would go to his Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida, which is his legal residence and will become home after the White House.

He is expected to be out of town well before Biden is sworn in on the steps of the Capitol building at exactly noon.

After spending more than two months trying to overturn the results of the November election, pushing false conspiracy theories about fraud, Trump's presence had not been expected at the inauguration.

The final straw came on January 6 when Trump gathered a huge crowd of supporters on the National Mall and once more claimed that they had to fight to stop a fraudulent election. A mob then stormed Congress, halting proceedings underway to certify Biden's win.

For longer than anyone can remember, outgoing presidents have stood by their replacement on the Capitol steps, watching them take the oath -- and in so doing showing visible support for the peaceful transfer of power.

Trump, who was impeached for a record second time in the wake of the Congress storming, has also broken with more discreet protocol by refusing to invite Biden and his wife Jill Biden to the White House for a traditional cup of tea in the Oval Office.

On Friday, Vice President Mike Pence, however, did make the gesture of telephoning his incoming counterpart Kamala Harris.

The New York Times said Pence offered his congratulations and belated assistance to Harris, describing the exchange as "gracious and pleasant" -- although this came only five days before inauguration day -- and more than two months after the election.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the wake of the Congress attack. Thousands of National Guard troops have taken up position around central Washington. And even before the security nightmare, organisers had been forced by Covid-19 safety measures to nix the traditional big crowds and long guest lists.

For Biden, the subdued ceremonies will quickly be followed by a mammoth To Do list. His administration faces multiple crises on day one, including the stumbling national Covid vaccination project, a precarious economic recovery and Trump's looming impeachment trial in the Senate.

At the same time, Biden will have to cajole the Senate into rapidly confirming his cabinet appointees, allowing him to form a government and bring stability back to the country.

(with inputs)

US President Donald Trump is planning to helicopter out of the White House a last time early on the morning of the day his successor, Joe Biden, takes oath as the 46th US president of the country.

US President Donald Trump is planning to helicopter out of the White House a last time early on the morning of the day his successor, Joe Biden, takes oath as the 46th US president of the country. Trump will be the first president in a century and a half to snub the inauguration of his successor. Multiple reports say Trump would go to his Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida, which is his legal residence and will become home after the White House. He is expected to be out of town well before Biden is sworn in on the steps of the Capitol building at exactly noon. After spending more than two months trying to overturn the results of the November election, pushing false conspiracy theories about fraud, Trump's presence had not been expected at the inauguration. The final straw came on January 6 when Trump gathered a huge crowd of supporters on the National Mall and once more claimed that they had to fight to stop a fraudulent election. A mob then stormed Congress, halting proceedings underway to certify Biden's win. For longer than anyone can remember, outgoing presidents have stood by their replacement on the Capitol steps, watching them take the oath -- and in so doing showing visible support for the peaceful transfer of power. Trump, who was impeached for a record second time in the wake of the Congress storming, has also broken with more discreet protocol by refusing to invite Biden and his wife Jill Biden to the White House for a traditional cup of tea in the Oval Office. On Friday, Vice President Mike Pence, however, did make the gesture of telephoning his incoming counterpart Kamala Harris. The New York Times said Pence offered his congratulations and belated assistance to Harris, describing the exchange as "gracious and pleasant" -- although this came only five days before inauguration day -- and more than two months after the election. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in the wake of the Congress attack. Thousands of National Guard troops have taken up position around central Washington. And even before the security nightmare, organisers had been forced by Covid-19 safety measures to nix the traditional big crowds and long guest lists. For Biden, the subdued ceremonies will quickly be followed by a mammoth To Do list. His administration faces multiple crises on day one, including the stumbling national Covid vaccination project, a precarious economic recovery and Trump's looming impeachment trial in the Senate. At the same time, Biden will have to cajole the Senate into rapidly confirming his cabinet appointees, allowing him to form a government and bring stability back to the country. (with inputs)

Trump to leave Washington on morning of Biden’s inauguration

ATLANTA — Prosecutors in Georgia appear increasingly likely to open a criminal investigation of President Donald Trump over his attempts to overturn the results of the state’s 2020 election, an inquiry into offenses that would be beyond his federal pardon power.

The new Fulton County district attorney, Fani Willis, is already weighing whether to proceed, and among the options she is considering is the hiring of a special assistant from outside to oversee the investigation, according to people familiar with her office’s deliberations.

At the same time, David Worley, the lone Democrat on Georgia’s five-member election board, said this week he would ask the board to make a referral to the Fulton County district attorney by next month. Among the matters he will ask prosecutors to investigate is a phone call Trump made in which he pressured Georgia’s secretary of state to overturn the state’s election results.

Jeff DiSantis, a district attorney spokesman, said the office had not taken any action to hire outside counsel and declined to comment further on the case.

Some veteran Georgia prosecutors said they believed Trump had clearly violated state law.

“If you took the fact out that he is the president of the United States and look at the conduct of the call, it tracks the communication you might see in any drug case or organized crime case,” said Michael J. Moore, the former U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “It’s full of threatening undertone and strong-arm tactics.”

The White House declined to comment.

Worley said that if no investigation had been announced by Feb. 10, the day of the election board’s next scheduled meeting, he would make a motion for the board to refer the matter of Trump’s phone calls to Willis’ office. Worley, a lawyer, believes that such a referral should, under Georgia law, automatically prompt an investigation.

If the board declines to make a referral, Worley said he would ask Willis’ office himself to start an inquiry.

Worley said he would introduce the motion based on an outside complaint filed with the state election board by John F. Banzhaf III, a George Washington University law professor.

ATLANTA — Prosecutors in Georgia appear increasingly likely to open a criminal investigation of President Donald Trump over his attempts to overturn the results of the state’s 2020 election, an inquiry into offenses that would be beyond his federal pardon power.

ATLANTA — Prosecutors in Georgia appear increasingly likely to open a criminal investigation of President Donald Trump over his attempts to overturn the results of the state’s 2020 election, an inquiry into offenses that would be beyond his federal pardon power. The new Fulton County district attorney, Fani Willis, is already weighing whether to proceed, and among the options she is considering is the hiring of a special assistant from outside to oversee the investigation, according to people familiar with her office’s deliberations. At the same time, David Worley, the lone Democrat on Georgia’s five-member election board, said this week he would ask the board to make a referral to the Fulton County district attorney by next month. Among the matters he will ask prosecutors to investigate is a phone call Trump made in which he pressured Georgia’s secretary of state to overturn the state’s election results. Jeff DiSantis, a district attorney spokesman, said the office had not taken any action to hire outside counsel and declined to comment further on the case. Some veteran Georgia prosecutors said they believed Trump had clearly violated state law. “If you took the fact out that he is the president of the United States and look at the conduct of the call, it tracks the communication you might see in any drug case or organized crime case,” said Michael J. Moore, the former U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. “It’s full of threatening undertone and strong-arm tactics.” The White House declined to comment. Worley said that if no investigation had been announced by Feb. 10, the day of the election board’s next scheduled meeting, he would make a motion for the board to refer the matter of Trump’s phone calls to Willis’ office. Worley, a lawyer, believes that such a referral should, under Georgia law, automatically prompt an investigation. If the board declines to make a referral, Worley said he would ask Willis’ office himself to start an inquiry. Worley said he would introduce the motion based on an outside complaint filed with the state election board by John F. Banzhaf III, a George Washington University law professor.

Atlanta prosecutor appears to move closer to Trump inquiry

US authorities carried out the 13th and final federal execution of Donald Trump's presidency Saturday, media reports said, less than a week before the White House is taken over by Democrat Joe Biden, who opposes the death penalty.

Dustin Higgs, a 48-year-old Black man, was executed by lethal injection at the federal penitentiary in Terre-Haute in Indiana hours after the US Supreme Court rejected a stay of execution, the New York Times reported.

Higgs was pronounced dead at 1:23 am local time, the Times said, citing a statement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

In January 1996, Higgs invited three young women to his apartment near the capital Washington, along with two of his friends. When one of the young women rebuffed his advances, he offered to drive them home but instead stopped in an isolated federal nature reserve outside the city.

According to the Department of Justice, he then ordered one of his friends to shoot the three women. In 2000, he was sentenced to death for kidnapping and murder. The man who pulled the trigger was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole.

"It is arbitrary and inequitable to punish Mr Higgs more severely than the actual killer," said Higgs' lawyer Shawn Nolan, in a plea for clemency addressed to President Trump at the end of January.

But the Republican president, a staunch defender of the death penalty, did not follow up. On the contrary, his administration fought in court to be able to proceed with the execution before he leaves the White House next week.

A court had ordered a stay of execution on the grounds that Higgs contracted Covid-19 and that, with his damaged lungs, he would likely suffer cruelly at the time of an injection of pentobarbital.

The Department of Justice immediately appealed and won the case.

The final bid to halt the execution then went before the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority -- firmly established by Trump appointees -- has systematically given the green light to federal executions since the summer.

- 'This is not justice' -

The Trump administration resumed federal executions in July following a 17-year hiatus, carrying them out at an unprecedented rate.

Among the 12 people put to death since then was, for the first time in nearly 70 years, a woman -- Lisa Montgomery, executed Tuesday despite doubts about her mental health.

At the same time, states postponed all executions to avoid spreading the virus.

"This is not justice," wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayor in a dissenting note to Friday's decision by the Supreme Court. "After waiting almost two decades to resume federal executions, the Government should have proceeded with some measure of restraint to ensure it did so lawfully."

"When it did not, this Court should have. It has not. Because the Court continues this pattern today, I dissent."

President-elect Biden, who will be sworn in on Wednesday, has vowed to work with Congress to try to abolish the death penalty at the federal level.

Democratic lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill to that effect and since their party has regained control of the Senate, it stands a chance of being adopted.

US authorities carried out the 13th and final federal execution of Donald Trump's presidency Saturday, media reports said, less than a week before the White House is taken over by Democrat Joe Biden, who opposes the death penalty.

US authorities carried out the 13th and final federal execution of Donald Trump's presidency Saturday, media reports said, less than a week before the White House is taken over by Democrat Joe Biden, who opposes the death penalty. Dustin Higgs, a 48-year-old Black man, was executed by lethal injection at the federal penitentiary in Terre-Haute in Indiana hours after the US Supreme Court rejected a stay of execution, the New York Times reported. Higgs was pronounced dead at 1:23 am local time, the Times said, citing a statement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In January 1996, Higgs invited three young women to his apartment near the capital Washington, along with two of his friends. When one of the young women rebuffed his advances, he offered to drive them home but instead stopped in an isolated federal nature reserve outside the city. According to the Department of Justice, he then ordered one of his friends to shoot the three women. In 2000, he was sentenced to death for kidnapping and murder. The man who pulled the trigger was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole. "It is arbitrary and inequitable to punish Mr Higgs more severely than the actual killer," said Higgs' lawyer Shawn Nolan, in a plea for clemency addressed to President Trump at the end of January. But the Republican president, a staunch defender of the death penalty, did not follow up. On the contrary, his administration fought in court to be able to proceed with the execution before he leaves the White House next week. A court had ordered a stay of execution on the grounds that Higgs contracted Covid-19 and that, with his damaged lungs, he would likely suffer cruelly at the time of an injection of pentobarbital. The Department of Justice immediately appealed and won the case. The final bid to halt the execution then went before the Supreme Court, whose conservative majority -- firmly established by Trump appointees -- has systematically given the green light to federal executions since the summer. - 'This is not justice' - The Trump administration resumed federal executions in July following a 17-year hiatus, carrying them out at an unprecedented rate. Among the 12 people put to death since then was, for the first time in nearly 70 years, a woman -- Lisa Montgomery, executed Tuesday despite doubts about her mental health. At the same time, states postponed all executions to avoid spreading the virus. "This is not justice," wrote Justice Sonia Sotomayor in a dissenting note to Friday's decision by the Supreme Court. "After waiting almost two decades to resume federal executions, the Government should have proceeded with some measure of restraint to ensure it did so lawfully." "When it did not, this Court should have. It has not. Because the Court continues this pattern today, I dissent." President-elect Biden, who will be sworn in on Wednesday, has vowed to work with Congress to try to abolish the death penalty at the federal level. Democratic lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill to that effect and since their party has regained control of the Senate, it stands a chance of being adopted.

US carries out last federal execution of Trump era

The United States has imposed sanctions on companies in Iran, China and the United Arab Emirates for doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines over conventional arms proliferation.

Sanctions have been levied on three Iranian entities also.

These sanctions are the latest in a series of measures aimed at stepping up pressure on Tehran in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s administration, which formally ends on Wednesday.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington had sanctioned seven companies, including Chinese-based Jiangyin Mascot Special Steel Co and UAE-based Accenture Building Materials, and two people for shipping steel to or from Iran.

He said Iran’s Marine Industries Organisation, Aerospace Industries Organisation and the Iran Aviation Industries Organisation had also been blacklisted over conventional arms proliferation.

In a statement later on Friday, Pompeo said he was also increasing the scope of metals-related sanctions against Iran administered by the State Department.

Those who knowingly transfer 15 materials which the State Department says are used in connection with Iran’s nuclear, military or ballistic missile programs, including certain types of aluminum and steel, would be subject to sanctions, he said.

During his four years in office, Trump has tried to force Tehran back into talks over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its activities in the Middle East. Saying the agreement did not go far enough, Trump in 2018 quit an Iran nuclear deal, which Tehran struck with world powers in 2015 to rein in its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief.

Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, who will succeed Trump on Wednesday, has said he will return to the 2015 nuclear pact if Iran resumes strict compliance with it.

(with inputs from Reuters)

The United States has imposed sanctions on companies in Iran, China and the United Arab Emirates for doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines over conventional arms proliferation.

The United States has imposed sanctions on companies in Iran, China and the United Arab Emirates for doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines over conventional arms proliferation. Sanctions have been levied on three Iranian entities also. These sanctions are the latest in a series of measures aimed at stepping up pressure on Tehran in the waning days of President Donald Trump’s administration, which formally ends on Wednesday. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington had sanctioned seven companies, including Chinese-based Jiangyin Mascot Special Steel Co and UAE-based Accenture Building Materials, and two people for shipping steel to or from Iran. He said Iran’s Marine Industries Organisation, Aerospace Industries Organisation and the Iran Aviation Industries Organisation had also been blacklisted over conventional arms proliferation. In a statement later on Friday, Pompeo said he was also increasing the scope of metals-related sanctions against Iran administered by the State Department. Those who knowingly transfer 15 materials which the State Department says are used in connection with Iran’s nuclear, military or ballistic missile programs, including certain types of aluminum and steel, would be subject to sanctions, he said. During his four years in office, Trump has tried to force Tehran back into talks over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its activities in the Middle East. Saying the agreement did not go far enough, Trump in 2018 quit an Iran nuclear deal, which Tehran struck with world powers in 2015 to rein in its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, who will succeed Trump on Wednesday, has said he will return to the 2015 nuclear pact if Iran resumes strict compliance with it. (with inputs from Reuters)

US imposes fresh sanctions on Iran in final days of Trump presidency

US President-elect Joe Biden has announced he would surge federal resources into making "thousands" of vaccine sites.&nbsp;

Biden has said he wants 100 million Americans to receive injections during his first 100 days in office, a drastic increase from the current pace. To this end, he has also deployed mobile clinics and expanded the public health workforce to accelerate the rollout of Covid-19 shots.

"This is going to be one of the most challenging operational efforts ever undertaken by our country. But you have my word: we will manage the hell out of this operation," he said on Friday.

The afternoon address came a day after he unveiled a $1.9 trillion stimulus package for the battered economy that included $20 billion for vaccines and $50 billion for testing.

Reports hence say Biden's plan would drastically increase the role of the federal government in the distribution effort, mobilising the Federal Emergency Management Administration and reimbursing states that deploy their National Guard.

Biden has also asked Congress to fund the expansion of the nation's public health workforce to 100,000 personnel, nearly triple the current number.

The push comes as the incoming leader was seeking to wrest the focus from the impeachment of Donald Trump to the agenda for his first days in office.

More than 388,000 people in the United States have lost their lives to the virus, a figure that is likely to have crossed 400,000 by the time Biden is sworn into office on Wednesday.

The outlook is set to worsen as the B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus establishes itself in the US as the dominant strain in March.

The Trump administration has already moved to release second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that were being held in reserve, and is recommending to states to begin vaccinating everyone over the age of 65.

Biden's plan would continue that policy, while also seeking to improve coordination with states by providing "actionable data on vaccine allocation timelines and delivery."

The Biden team also said they would invoke the Defense Production Act in order to boost supply, pay special attention to ethnic minority communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and embark on an education campaign to build vaccine confidence.

(with inputs)

US President-elect Joe Biden has announced he would surge federal resources into making "thousands" of vaccine sites. Biden has said he wants 100 million Americans to receive injections during his first 100 days in office, a drastic increase from the current pace.

US President-elect Joe Biden has announced he would surge federal resources into making "thousands" of vaccine sites. Biden has said he wants 100 million Americans to receive injections during his first 100 days in office, a drastic increase from the current pace. To this end, he has also deployed mobile clinics and expanded the public health workforce to accelerate the rollout of Covid-19 shots. "This is going to be one of the most challenging operational efforts ever undertaken by our country. But you have my word: we will manage the hell out of this operation," he said on Friday. The afternoon address came a day after he unveiled a $1.9 trillion stimulus package for the battered economy that included $20 billion for vaccines and $50 billion for testing. Reports hence say Biden's plan would drastically increase the role of the federal government in the distribution effort, mobilising the Federal Emergency Management Administration and reimbursing states that deploy their National Guard. Biden has also asked Congress to fund the expansion of the nation's public health workforce to 100,000 personnel, nearly triple the current number. The push comes as the incoming leader was seeking to wrest the focus from the impeachment of Donald Trump to the agenda for his first days in office. More than 388,000 people in the United States have lost their lives to the virus, a figure that is likely to have crossed 400,000 by the time Biden is sworn into office on Wednesday. The outlook is set to worsen as the B.1.1.7 variant of the coronavirus establishes itself in the US as the dominant strain in March. The Trump administration has already moved to release second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that were being held in reserve, and is recommending to states to begin vaccinating everyone over the age of 65. Biden's plan would continue that policy, while also seeking to improve coordination with states by providing "actionable data on vaccine allocation timelines and delivery." The Biden team also said they would invoke the Defense Production Act in order to boost supply, pay special attention to ethnic minority communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, and embark on an education campaign to build vaccine confidence. (with inputs)

Biden's Covid vaccination plan: 100 million shots in 100 days

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