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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 19 Januari 2021

Biden, Harris take break from inaugural prep to mark MLK day

of Sen. Elizabeth Warren to from the city on Inaugura-
lead the agency whose cre- tion Day.
ation she championed. And instead of the typical
Chopra, a commissioner at inaugural balls, Biden's in-
the Federal Trade Commis- augural committee has re-
sion, helped launch the agen- cruited artists, including
cy after the 2008 financial Bruce Springsteen, the Foo
crisis and served as deputy Fighters and John Legend to
director, where he sounded perform from remote loca-
the alarm about skyrocket- tions around the country in
ing student loan debt. The a prime-time televised event.
pick comes as Democrats are Country music star Garth
eyeing ways to provide stu- Brooks said Monday he
dent loan relief to millions of would perform at Biden's in-
Americans as part of a CO- auguration. Brooks also per-
VID-19 aid package. formed at Barack Obama's
Biden also announced his 2009 inauguration. Biden's
intent to nominate Gary inauguration committee pre-
Gensler, former chairman viously said Lady Gaga would
of the Commodity Futures sing the national anthem and
Trading Commission, as the Jennifer Lopez would give a
next chair of the Securities musical performance at the
and Exchange Commission. ceremony.
Inaugural organizers on “This is not a political state-
Monday finished installing ment,” said Brooks, who was
(AP) — Two days from the side the complex to stay away across the city to bolster se- some 200,000 small U.S., invited to perform at Trump's
inauguration, President- from exterior windows and curity. Monuments — in- state and territorial flags on 2017 inaugural but declined,
elect Joe Biden and Vice those outside the building to cluding the King memorial the National Mall, a sober- citing a scheduling conflict.
President-elect Kamala take cover as they briefly pro- — are closed to the public ing display intended to honor "This is a statement of unity.”
Harris pitched in on Mar- hibited entry and exit from until after Wednesday’s inau- the nearly 400,000 Americans Before the inauguration, the
tin Luther King Jr. Day the grounds as a precaution. gural events. killed in the coronavirus pan- German Federation of Jour-
service projects as a mili- Biden transition officials, in- Harris was also set to resign demic. nalists warned foreign corre-
tarized and jittery Wash- cluding incoming Homeland her Senate seat on Monday. spondents covering the event
ington prepared for a Security adviser Liz Sher- She offered thanks to her Biden and Harris plan to take to take precautions and be
swearing-in that will play wood-Randall and the depu- California constituents in a part in an event on Tuesday, “particularly careful and alert
out under extraordinary ty attorney general nominee, farewell video posted on so- soon after the president-elect on Wednesday.”
security. Lisa Monaco, held a video- cial media “for the honor of arrives in Washington, at Association head Frank Ue-
conference with acting heads representing the place of my the reflecting pool near the berall cautioned Monday that
Biden and his wife, Jill, joined and career staff from national birth, as a proud daughter of Lincoln Memorial to honor “extremist Trump fans have
an assembly line in the park- security agencies to discuss California.” American lives lost to CO- already demonstrated their
ing lot of Philabundance, an the security situation sur- Biden continued to build his VID-19. hatred and willingness to use
organization that distributes rounding Inauguration Day. administration. His transi- Even before the Jan. 6 insur- violence against journalists at
food to people in need, and Harris played down any per- tion team announced Mon- rection at the Capitol, inau- the Capitol.”
helped fill about 150 boxes sonal security concerns, say- day he will nominate Rohit guration festivities were ex- “It is appalling that such an
with fresh fruit and non-per- ing she’s “very much looking Chopra to direct the Con- pected to be muted due to the appeal is even necessary in
ishables. forward to being sworn in.” sumer Financial Protection virus. Mayor Muriel Bowser the USA, once the model de-
As Biden and Harris took “I will walk there, to that mo- Bureau, tapping a liberal ally urged residents to stay away mocracy,” he added.
breaks from their inaugural ment, proudly with my head
preparations to honor the up and my shoulders back,”
civil rights hero Monday, Harris told reporters after
outgoing President Don- volunteering at a food bank.
ald Trump remained out Still, Washington residents
of public view at the White were on high alert and much
House for the sixth straight of the city felt desolate, with
day. In past years, Trump has large swaths of the area
marked the holiday with un- around the Capitol, White
announced visits to the King House and National Mall
memorial in Washington but sealed off from all but autho-
no such outing was expected rized personnel.
this year. Katie Henke, 40, a southwest
Such a visit would have been D.C. resident, said the city
complicated because Wash- felt on edge. She’s concerned
ington has become a fortress enough that she packed a
city of roadblocks and bar- “go-bag” with clothes and
ricades before Wednesday’s other personal items in case
inauguration as security offi- she feels she must flee her
cials work to avoid more vio- neighborhood.
lence following the Jan. 6 riot “This is legitimately scary,”
by a pro-Trump mob at the she said. “Between the pan-
U.S. Capitol. demic and Trump, I feel like
In a measure of how nervous our country is at a weak and
the capital city has become, vulnerable point. And we
U.S. Capitol Police on Mon- know there are forces in-
day briefly locked down the side and outside the country
Capitol complex and paused that see that vulnerability as
inaugural rehearsals after fire an opportunity to do some-
broke out at a nearby home- thing.”
less encampment. Authori- Some 25,000 National Guard
ties urged staff working in- troops were being dispatched