Looking ahead to 1/20 and beyond

As the nation prepares to inaugurate its 46th President of the United States in five days, Joe Biden has released more details about his legislative agenda. At the top of the list is a $1.9 trillion plan to address the coronavirus pandemic that has killed 390,000 Americans and 2 million people globally in a little over a year. Called the "American Rescue Plan," the proposal would meet Biden's goal of administering 100 million vaccines by the 100th day of his administration, and advance his objective of reopening most schools by the spring. On a parallel track, it delivers another round of aid to stabilize the economy while public health officials seek to gain the upper hand on the pandemic. —Associated Press

• — National security. Facing a rise in domestic terrorism and a crippling cyberattack from Russia, Biden is elevating two White House posts: a homeland security adviser to manage matters such as extremism, pandemics, and natural disasters, and the first deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, former deputy secretary at the Department of Energy, where she oversaw the modernization of the nuclear arsenal, will fill the first role. Anne Neuberger, a rising official at the National Security Agency, has been tapped for the second. —The New York Times
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• — Immigration. Immigration activists are anxious to see Biden not only undo the Trump Administration's hawkish immigration agenda, but do better than former President Barack Obama, who failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform during his term. Biden has promised to stop all deportations for 100 days after taking office, and has said he intends to pursue asylum reform and protections for foreign-born workers and immigrants covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. —BuzzFeed News
   
• — Inauguration. Unfortunately, Biden's administration begins at a distinctly ominous time. A rehearsal for his inauguration ceremony, originally scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed because of security concerns, in the wake of last week's Capitol insurrection and amid threats of further violence. The president-elect's team has also canceled an Amtrak trip from Wilmington, Del., to Washington, D.C., planned for Monday, over heightened safety concerns. —Politico

NYT Ed Board: Pompeo scorches earth on way out

"Some of the actions [Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo took over the past week might be defensible, were they taken in the context of a coherent foreign policy. But coming days before a change in administration, their sole identifiable purpose is to maliciously plant obstacles—some commentators have called them time bombs or booby traps—before the incoming administration and President-elect Joe Biden's choice for Pompeo's successor at State, Antony Blinken, are in place." —The New York Times

Looking back at 1/6 and beyond

The pro-Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol last week aimed to "capture and assassinate elected officials," federal prosecutors declared late yesterday in court documents, the details of which suggest a much more organized effort than merely a spontaneous outburst of anger over a lost election. Nearly 300 criminal cases have been opened so far in connection to the insurrection, and even Parler, one of the favored social media hotspots for the far-right, is cooperating with the Department of Justice's investigation. Meanwhile, the FBI is tracking an "extensive amount of concerning online chatter" regarding armed protests leading up to next week's presidential inauguration, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray. —Associated Press

• — A sophisticated operation. The removal of panic buttons from Rep. Ayanna Pressley's Capitol Hill office prior to the insurrection is under review by the House Administration Committee, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced today that she has asked Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré "to lead an immediate review of security infrastructure, interagency processes, and command and control" at the Capitol complex. Inspectors general for the departments of Justice, Defense, Interior, and Homeland Security also will investigate how security officials prepared for and responded to the siege. —CNN
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• — Foreign assistance? On Dec. 8, a bitcoin account made a simultaneous transfer of 28.15 bitcoins—worth more than $500,000—to 22 different prominent far-right organizations and personalities, including VDARE, the Daily Stormer, and Nick Fuentes. Researchers say the bitcoin account is linked to a French cryptocurrency exchange, and U.S. law enforcement is investigating whether the donations were linked to the Jan. 6 assault. —Yahoo! News
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• — The gang was all there. Three key advisers who helped engineer Donald Trump's rise to the presidency in 2016, and who fell from grace under the weight of federal criminal charges, resurfaced during his final days in office to help engineer his ill-fated attempt to cling to power. Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, and Michael Flynn all participated in efforts to promote the Jan. 6 "Stop the Steal" event, and Trump personally sought Bannon's counsel in overturning the election. —ABC News

MORE: The radicalization of Kevin Greeson —ProPublica

Thornhill: Conspiracy theories destroy rationale

"Some activists have...argued for 'cognitive infiltration' of extremist groups suggesting that government agents intervene in online chat rooms to puncture conspiracy theories. That may work in China but is only likely to backfire in western democracies, igniting an explosion of new conspiracy theories. Ultimately, we cannot reason people out of beliefs that they have not reasoned themselves into. But we can, and should, punish those who profit from harmful irrationality." —John Thornhill in Financial Times

John Thornhill is the innovation editor at Financial Times.

MORE: Can conservative media still return to business as usual? —The New York Times

The Economist: European right-wingers must face up to their own Trumpism

"Brexit and Trump...represented solutions to a common transatlantic problem. Both the Conservative Party and the Republican Party have seen their membership undergo a social transformation as they have lost highly educated voters (particularly among the young) and recruited working-class voters in their place. This transformation creates a dilemma: how do you satisfy your new working-class constituents while remaining committed to lower taxes and smaller government? On both sides of the Atlantic, the answer was to divide the country and unite conservative voters by using nationalist rhetoric rather than economic issues." —The Economist

MORE: European populists who looked to Trump now look away —The New York Times

Attempted coup reverberates around the world

The attempted insurrection at the Capitol is threatening America's historical role of promoting democracy around the world. The spectacle of the President of the United States rallying supporters to march on the Capitol over baseless claims of election fraud, as lawmakers certified President-elect Joe Biden's victory, has provided a propaganda coup for Washington's enemies, undermined pro-democracy movements worldwide, and offered a model for would-be autocrats. —The Washington Post

• — Belarus. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's main electoral challenger criticized authorities today over an audio recording in which she says a senior interior ministry official discussed putting people into "camps" to discourage unrest. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who ran against Lukashenko in an election last August, says the recording is evidence of the brutality of security forces against protesters who say the election was rigged. —U.S. News & World Report
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• — Estonia. Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid has tasked the leader of the country's main opposition party to form a new government, a day after Prime Minister Juri Ratas and his Cabinet stepped down in the wake of a corruption scandal within his party. Kaja Kallas, chair of the center-right Reform Party that emerged as the winner of the 2019 general election, will have 14 days to put together a new Cabinet. —Associated Press
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• — Uganda. Ugandan opposition presidential candidate Bobi Wine says he is under siege after soldiers stormed his home today, raising fears of large-scale street protests when the results of nation's election are declared tomorrow. Long-standing President Yoweri Museveni, seeking a sixth term in office, was challenged by 10 candidates, including Wine, in yesterday's poll. —The Wall Street Journal

MORE: A growing number of governments are spreading disinformation online —The Economist

Gilbert: Restoring faith in democracy

"With the current dual crises of a pandemic and a struggling economy, the Biden Administration faces the herculean task of building back a government that people will believe in. Reestablishing trust won't be easy, but our clearest pathway toward a new and more equitable democracy would be to pass the 'For the People Act.' This proposed legislation addresses the long-term, systemic problems caused by corruption, too much money in politics, and impediments to voting access. It would repair the damage caused by the disturbing behavior we've seen under President Donald Trump and assist the process of rebuilding faith in our democracy." —Lisa Gilbert in Times Herald-Record

Lisa Gilbert is the executive vice president of Public Citizen.

MORE: Democrats push wide-ranging voting, ethics reforms in charged moment for democracy —The Center for Public Integrity

Many of us have had the often painful experience of taking away the car keys from an elderly relative who is no longer capable of driving safely. The last thing you should do in this circumstance is delay. Let Grandpa take one more drive to the golf course or an old friend's house? No, because the results can be disastrous.

This is why Trump needs to be removed from office immediately: because unlike a beloved grandparent, he might not only hurt himself or several strangers on a highway, he may do incalculable damage to the entire nation. 

As the Trump presidency sputters to a pathetic end, I feel like the Iranian hostages on another Inauguration Day, 40 years ago. They didn't feel truly safe until their plane had left Iranian air space. I won't feel truly safe until Joe Biden is sworn in as president. —Jim V., New York

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