U.S. closing landmarks, announces vehicle checks in Washington for inauguration

[rooster59]

U.S. closing landmarks, announces vehicle checks in Washington for inauguration

 

FILE PHOTO: The U.S. Capitol is seen through a security fence after the House of Representatives impeached U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, U.S., January 14, 2021. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The nation's capital on Friday continued to boost security by shutting down access to iconic landmarks and erecting vehicle checkpoints at a security perimeter surrounding central Washington ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's Jan. 20. inauguration.

 

Presidential inaugurations are always tightly secure events with operations led by the U.S. Secret Service, but this year's measures have been amped up after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in a bid to prevent the final certification of Biden's victory. Law enforcement officials have warned of threats and armed groups in all 50 states.

 

The National Park Service said Friday it was immediately closing the National Mall and iconic U.S. landmarks in Washington to visitors through at least Jan. 21.

 

The Mall includes landmarks like the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument. The area around the White House has also been closed, as has a key bridge over the Potomac River that connects Virginia to Washington, as well as East and West Potomac Parks, including Hains Point, which are near the Mall.

 

"We cannot allow a recurrence of the chaos and illegal activity that the United States and the world witnessed last week," Matthew Miller, the head of the Secret Service's Washington field office, told reporters.

 

Virginia later announced it would close several other bridges connecting the state with the federal district from Jan. 19 to Jan. 21, as part of its agreement with the U.S. Secret Service.

 

Maryland, the other state bordering the nation's capital, declared a state of emergency related to the inauguration.

 

Ken Cuccinelli, the acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, told CNN that Biden's team had decided to delay the inauguration rehearsal by one day due to "some of the online chatter talks about Sunday the 17th."

 

Still, Biden's chief of staff Ron Klain said in an interview with the Washington Post he was confident that law enforcement officials would be able to secure the inauguration.

 

U.S. officials said they expect the number of National Guard troops to rise to 25,000 in Washington D.C., a number that could still increase even further.

 

In downtown D.C., Metropolitan AME Church, a historic Black church that has hosted historical Black luminaries like educator Booker T. Washington and journalist Ida B. Wells, said it has security plans in place but declined to provide details.

 

"We recognize that some people may be emboldened to focus on communities which have always prioritized justice, so we are cautious of that," a church official said.

 

In the Capitol Hill area, streets that are usually busy and traffic-clogged were largely empty on Friday. Residents were warned that cars within the exclusion zone would have to stay there until after the inauguration.

 

Even before the Jan. 6 siege, the inauguration was expected to be significantly different than previous swearing-in of presidents due to coronavirus concerns. Many of the events that accompany the ceremony will be virtual.

 

"This is not a concession to the terrorists. It is a recognition of the danger of COVID," U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Friday.

 

Washington's Mayor Muriel Bowser suggested to reporters on Friday that, due to the storming of the Capitol by groups of "white extremists," heightened security measures in the district could remain in effect until well after Inauguration Day.

 

"We are going to go back to a new normal," Bowser said. "We certainly have to think about a new posture in the city. So while we are focused on January the 20th, we are also focused on January the 21st and every day thereafter in the nation's capital."

 

(Reporting by David Shepardson, Idrees Ali, Lisa Lambert, Joel Schectman, Susan Cornwell and Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu and David Lawder in Washington; Writing by Makini Brice; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Aurora Ellis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-01-16

 

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[Tug]

A sad but nessary step imo amazing what this trust fund baby from New York City was able to make the gullible believe we must make there be consequences for knowingly spreading false information and lies especially by (news organizations)and those in power

[Thomas J]

The USA is gradually turning into a African conflict zone.  The politicians aided by the media have pitted groups of citizens against each other based on age, religion, sexual orientation, race, and wealth.  Instead of working for the common good, the politicians try to undermine the opposition party by divineness.   You can disagree and still be civil.  However when your aim is to create bitterness, division, and hatred, you will always get what you ask for. 

[alex8912]

19 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

The USA is gradually turning into a African conflict zone.  The politicians aided by the media have pitted groups of citizens against each other based on age, religion, sexual orientation, race, and wealth.  Instead of working for the common good, the politicians try to undermine the opposition party by divineness.   You can disagree and still be civil.  However when your aim is to create bitterness, division, and hatred, you will always get what you ask for. 

Yes. Very true. Pelosi and CNN both come to mind immediately. Many others on both sides as well are all partly responsible. 

[Thomas J]

1 hour ago, alex8912 said:

Yes. Very true. Pelosi and CNN both come to mind immediately. Many others on both sides as well are all partly responsible. 

I can find fault with both parties.  However when I was growing up, the Republicans and Democrats had different paths but I "think" both wanted what was best for the country.  Now, there is this mindset, we don't care what is good for the country, only what is harmful to my opponent.  Look at the stimulus bill.  The Democrats held that up potentially hurting the U.S. economy because they didn't want something that might potentially help Trump.  In terms of rhetoric, I see people like Maxine Waters directly telling people to confront conservatives in public.  Yet that goes without rebuke.  You have people like Ilhan Omar a Muslim taking a anti-Semitic stance against Israel.   If it is wrong to villainize a person of color, or someone based on their sexual orientation, religion, etc. It is also wrong to create hatred and division because a person of the opposition party disagrees with you.   I truly believe that the parties no longer serve the American people.  They are self serving whose only goal is to maintain power and through doing so enrich themselves.  Case in point.  Maxine Waters was a telephone operator and former garment worker.  This is her home.  It is a $5 million dollar mansion in California far from the district she serves.  Do you really believe she afforded this on her $174,000 congressional salary? 

[herfiehandbag]

20 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

I can find fault with both parties.  However when I was growing up, the Republicans and Democrats had different paths but I "think" both wanted what was best for the country.  Now, there is this mindset, we don't care what is good for the country, only what is harmful to my opponent.  Look at the stimulus bill.  The Democrats held that up potentially hurting the U.S. economy because they didn't want something that might potentially help Trump.  In terms of rhetoric, I see people like Maxine Waters directly telling people to confront conservatives in public.  Yet that goes without rebuke.  You have people like Ilhan Omar a Muslim taking a anti-Semitic stance against Israel.   If it is wrong to villainize a person of color, or someone based on their sexual orientation, religion, etc. It is also wrong to create hatred and division because a person of the opposition party disagrees with you.   I truly believe that the parties no longer serve the American people.  They are self serving whose only goal is to maintain power and through doing so enrich themselves.  Case in point.  Maxine Waters was a telephone operator and former garment worker.  This is her home.  It is a $5 million dollar mansion in California far from the district she serves.  Do you really believe she afforded this on her $174,000 congressional salary? 

s

You omit to mention that she has been a Congresswoman for 15 years, and that her Husband is the director of a bank! That may go quite a long way to explaining how they can afford a nice house.

 

She did work as a telephonist, and in a garment factory - in between leaving school and going to university in the 1960s!

 

Sometimes a carefully selected titbit of information can be so misleading can't it?

Edited January 16, 2021 by herfiehandbag

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, Tug said:

A sad but nessary step imo amazing what this trust fund baby from New York City was able to make the gullible believe we must make there be consequences for knowingly spreading false information and lies especially by (news organizations)and those in power

Yes the incoming President Joe Biden and Vice President Kalama Harris must be well protected from the white nationalist pro-trump terrorist insurrectionists that recently attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt at a self coup which would have destroyed American democracy. It's a sad reality of these current times, but the blame is entirely on the disgraced exiting Mr. trump and his more fanatical true believer (of his vile lies) followers.

Edited January 16, 2021 by Jingthing

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, Thomas J said:

The USA is gradually turning into a African conflict zone.

 

I noticed you carefully avoided naming any names in your post. But I'll fill in the blanks for you.

 

There's only one president who encouraged and fomented a violent insurrection against the government of his own country, and that was Trump.

 

There was only politicians of one party that supported an armed insurrection against the government of their own country, and that was and is a substantial number of congressional Republicans.

 

There was/is only one party that divided the country and has led to the brink of (and threats of) civil war by for years repeatedly telling their followers the blatant lies that U.S. elections were subject to rampant fraud (and then were able to produce credible evidence of virtually none), and that was Trump and his Republican followers.

 

So if the U.S. these days is beginning to resemble an African conflict zone, it's absolutely clear where the responsibility for that lies.

 

[thaichina]

28 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

  You have people like Ilhan Omar a Muslim taking a anti-Semitic stance against Israel.   If it is wrong to villainize a person of color, or someone based on their sexual orientation, religion, etc. It is also wrong to create hatred and division because a person of the opposition party disagrees with you. 

Just curious, when did Ihlan Omar take an anti semitic stance agauinst Israel? Do you have a link?  I don t think criticizing Israel s policies can be labeled at anti semitic.

Edited January 16, 2021 by thaichina
typo

[thaichina]

Double

Edited January 16, 2021 by thaichina
double

[Thomas J]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I noticed you carefully avoided naming any names in your post. But I'll fill in the blanks for you.

You have a selected retention


https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/06/14/obama-if-they-bring-a-knife-to-the-fight-we-bring-a-gun/



|https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/25/politics/maxine-waters-trump-officials/index.html

[Thomas J]

5 minutes ago, thaichina said:

ust curious, when did Ihlan Omar take an anti semitic stance agauinst Israel? Do you have a link?  I don t think criticizing Israel s policies can be labeled at anti semitic.

 

Edited just now by thaichina

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/07/700901834/minnesota-congresswoman-ignites-debate-on-israel-and-anti-semitism

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47201983

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Thomas J

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I'm fully aware of what Waters said, which had nothing to do with armed violence or insurrection.

 

 

[Srikcir]

A scary thought:

Couldn't POTUS Trump rescind all the security measures being taken within D.C. until such moment that Biden is sworn in?

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

A scary thought:

Couldn't POTUS Trump rescind all the security measures being taken within D.C. until such moment that Biden is sworn in?

Well he might be able to try but at this point knowing what he's done, they might not follow his orders. Keep in mind he's extremely afraid of being imprisoned now. He even gave that probably last scripted speech where he disavowed all violence (which nobody really believes based on his history). That was clearly to give him legal cover (weak tea at best). So my take is by now he knows his various self coup attempts failed and he knows he must leave the white house and he knows he will be in grave danger of having to face legal charges for the rest of his life.

Edited January 16, 2021 by Jingthing

[thaichina]

4 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/07/700901834/minnesota-congresswoman-ignites-debate-on-israel-and-anti-semitism

I checked your link, and it says she was accused of anti semitism by the right wing for criticizing Israel s policies and influence on american s politics. She took a stance against Israel, but not an anti semitic s stance im my opinion, everyone should be able to freely criticizeisrael for what they view as wrong, and not being labeled anti semitic. 

[herfiehandbag]

9 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

A scary thought:

Couldn't POTUS Trump rescind all the security measures being taken within D.C. until such moment that Biden is sworn in?

I suppose that he could, but rather like any use of nuclear weapons, anything he says would simply be ignored. 

 

He blew it when he lost the plot on Wednesday last, and I suspect he knows it.

Edited January 16, 2021 by herfiehandbag

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

I suppose that he could, but rather like any use of nuclear weapons, anything he says would simply be ignored. 

 

He blew it when he lost the plot on Wednesday last, and I suspect he knows it.

Yeah, he's played out and most of the country and indeed the world is totally sick of hearing from him at all. 

 

A fiction writer couldn't have come up with a more shambolic story line on how to make things 100 times worse for yourself (and your family and your business brand) after LOSING an election.

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by Jingthing

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

In case folks need a reminder, this is what Trump and his followers' insurrection was about:

 

‘He means to kidnap...perhaps execute members of the U.S. government’: Air Force veteran charged in U.S. Capitol siege

 

A retired Air Force lieutenant colonel brought zip-tie handcuffs into the halls of Congress last week “to take hostages” and “perhaps execute members of the U.S. government,” a federal prosecutor said in a Texas court on Thursday.

 

Retired Lt. Col. Larry Rendall Brock Jr., 53, was arrested on Sunday in Texas after being identified as the man photographed on the Senate floor wearing a helmet and vest, and carrying the plastic cuffs. Brock was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on U.S. Capitol grounds.

...

“He means to take hostages. He means to kidnap, restrain, perhaps try, perhaps execute members of the U.S. government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer said of Brock’s intentions during the deadly riot.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/he-means-to-kidnapperhaps-execute-members-of-the-us-government-air-force-veteran-charged-in-us-capitol-siege/ar-BB1cN670?ocid=mailsignout

 

AND

 

Capitol Rioters Intent 'Was to Capture and Assassinate Elected Officials,' Prosecutors Say

 

"Prosecutors have said those who stormed the Capitol last week intended to "capture and assassinate" elected officials while arguing that the so-called "QAnon Shaman" should not be released from custody ahead of his trial.

 

Jake Angeli, 33, of Arizona, is scheduled to appear in court Friday after being charged with being part of the mob who attacked the Capitol on January 6. Angeli, real name Jacob Anthony Chansley, was one of the most prominent people seen inside Congress during the insurrection due to his striking fur hat, horns and face paint.

...

Court documents filed by the attorneys state there is strong evidence, including from Angeli's own words and actions at the Capitol, that the intent of those who stormed the capitol "was to capture and assassinate elected officials" in government.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/capitol-assassinate-qanon-shaman-jake-angeli-1561872

 

 

[earlinclaifornia]

3 hours ago, alex8912 said:

Yes. Very true. Pelosi and CNN both come to mind immediately. Many others on both sides as well are all partly responsible. 

CNN and Pelosi are the two most inspiring person's and News network in America. You have an issue with reality and seem to be a struggling trump supporter. Like most of us the idea of being the LOSER is difficult at best

[earlinclaifornia]

1 hour ago, earlinclaifornia said:

CNN and Pelosi are the two most inspiring person's and News network in America. You have an issue with reality and seem to be a struggling trump supporter. Like most of us the idea of being the LOSER is difficult at best

Pence calls VP-elect Kamala Harris to offer congratulations

https://news.yahoo.com/mike-pence-calls-kamala-harris-184227937.html

[earlinclaifornia]

Trump's approval rating plunges to all-time low of 29 percent in new Pew poll

https://news.yahoo.com/trumps-approval-rating-plunges-time-182700314.html

[earlinclaifornia]

Black Americans react to the pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol

https://news.yahoo.com/black-americans-react-pro-trump-192805211.html

[spiekerjozef]

Check trumpets vehicle.

[scorecard]

3 hours ago, Thomas J said:

I can find fault with both parties.  However when I was growing up, the Republicans and Democrats had different paths but I "think" both wanted what was best for the country.  Now, there is this mindset, we don't care what is good for the country, only what is harmful to my opponent.  Look at the stimulus bill.  The Democrats held that up potentially hurting the U.S. economy because they didn't want something that might potentially help Trump.  In terms of rhetoric, I see people like Maxine Waters directly telling people to confront conservatives in public.  Yet that goes without rebuke.  You have people like Ilhan Omar a Muslim taking a anti-Semitic stance against Israel.   If it is wrong to villainize a person of color, or someone based on their sexual orientation, religion, etc. It is also wrong to create hatred and division because a person of the opposition party disagrees with you.   I truly believe that the parties no longer serve the American people.  They are self serving whose only goal is to maintain power and through doing so enrich themselves.  Case in point.  Maxine Waters was a telephone operator and former garment worker.  This is her home.  It is a $5 million dollar mansion in California far from the district she serves.  Do you really believe she afforded this on her $174,000 congressional salary? 

"...Look at the stimulus bill.  The Democrats held that up potentially hurting the U.S. economy because they didn't want something that might potentially help Trump."

 

Many other folks see a very different analysis.  

[earlinclaifornia]

14 minutes ago, scorecard said:

"...Look at the stimulus bill.  The Democrats held that up potentially hurting the U.S. economy because they didn't want something that might potentially help Trump."

 

Many other folks see a very different analysis.  

Noticed the Black woman is held up as her success is glaring. Sad times.

[wwest5829]

3 hours ago, Thomas J said:

I can find fault with both parties.  However when I was growing up, the Republicans and Democrats had different paths but I "think" both wanted what was best for the country.  Now, there is this mindset, we don't care what is good for the country, only what is harmful to my opponent.  Look at the stimulus bill.  The Democrats held that up potentially hurting the U.S. economy because they didn't want something that might potentially help Trump.  In terms of rhetoric, I see people like Maxine Waters directly telling people to confront conservatives in public.  Yet that goes without rebuke.  You have people like Ilhan Omar a Muslim taking a anti-Semitic stance against Israel.   If it is wrong to villainize a person of color, or someone based on their sexual orientation, religion, etc. It is also wrong to create hatred and division because a person of the opposition party disagrees with you.   I truly believe that the parties no longer serve the American people.  They are self serving whose only goal is to maintain power and through doing so enrich themselves.  Case in point.  Maxine Waters was a telephone operator and former garment worker.  This is her home.  It is a $5 million dollar mansion in California far from the district she serves.  Do you really believe she afforded this on her $174,000 congressional salary? 

And now any readers of this ... continue to the next comment for the rest of the story which shows this post as sadly prejudiced due to a lack of critical thinking resulting in a balanced approach toward seeking fact.

[soalbundy]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Yes the incoming President Joe Biden and Vice President Kalama Harris must be well protected from the white nationalist pro-trump terrorist insurrectionists that recently attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt at a self coup which would have destroyed American democracy. It's a sad reality of these current times, but the blame is entirely on the disgraced exiting Mr. trump and his more fanatical true believer (of his vile lies) followers.

This also isn't a great advertisement for the American education system. The crime of patriotism ''thank you for your service'' and rah rah rah for the red white and blue (also noticeable in the UK but not so extreme, at least we don't have the laughable practice whereby every house has a national flag planted outside the house). The Thai educational system which lacks support of critical thinking is often rebuked on TV but this seems to be the case in the USA as well (I don't know first hand but it would seem you have a problem in the 'land of the free' if you are too discerning)

[Jingthing]

2 hours ago, earlinclaifornia said:

Pence calls VP-elect Kamala Harris to offer congratulations

https://news.yahoo.com/mike-pence-calls-kamala-harris-184227937.html

Ugh.

The 2024 presidential campaign begins.

[Thomas J]

3 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

And now any readers of this ... continue to the next comment for the rest of the story which shows this post as sadly prejudiced due to a lack of critical thinking resulting in a balanced approach toward seeking fact.

You must be a Biden Speechwriter for what you just uttered is complete undecipherable.