In a nod to normalcy, President Joe Biden will keep FBI Director Christopher Wray in his position, CNN reports.

FBI Directors are typically appointed to ten year terms, with their positions not political appointments, to maintain a consistency in law enforcement across administrations.  This practice is designed to keep the position apolitical, thereby making federal law enforcement and national security efforts outside purview of elected officials.

During the his administration, Trump had three separate FBI directors:  James Comey, whom he fired, which led to his first impeachment; Andrew McCabe, who served as acting director; and Christopher Wray, who took over the office in August 2017.

After the Biden team took office yesterday, they revealed that one of the most shocking things they learned during the transition was that the Trump administration had no plan for the distribution of coronavirus vaccine doses, CNN reports.

“There is nothing for us to rework. We are going to have to build everything from scratch,” one source told CNN.

The Trump administration unprecedentedly blocked Biden transition team access to government operations, with many thinking that it was because of Trump’s insistence that he actually won the election.  It seems that the interference was to prevent Biden’s team from learning how incompetent Trump plans were across the administration.

Nice tweet Sen. Cruz! Quick question: do you also believe the Geneva Convention was about the views of the citizens of Geneva?

Asking for everyone who believes US Senators should be competent and not undermine our elections to incite insurrection against the United States https://t.co/mMf8iDo72G

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 21, 2021

The United States reported 900,000 first time unemployment claims last week, a slight decrease from the previous week but still an extremely high level showing a significant impact of the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

The Department of Labor report showed more than 15 million people receiving unemployment benefits during the week of January 2nd, when federal programs were unavailable due to the impertinence of the Trump Administration.  That level was 600% higher than the 2.3 million people who received benefits at the same time last year, just before the pandemic crisis hit the US.

“Twitter has locked the account of China’s U.S. embassy for a tweet that defended China’s policy towards Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, which the U.S. social media platform said violated its stand against ‘dehumanizing’ people. China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it was confused by the move and that it was the embassy’s responsibility to call out disinformation and clarify the truth. The Chinese Embassy account, @ChineseEmbinUS, posted a tweet this month that said that Uighur women had been emancipated and were no longer ‘baby-making machines’, citing a study reported by state-backed newspaper China Daily” reports Reuters.

Day one of the Biden Administration and its supposedly formerly loyal legions of Antifa turned against the President in night of mayhem in Portland, reports Fox News.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Antifa felt cheated because they were not given some sort of official recognition for their efforts to defeat Trump and the Proud Boys before and after the 2020 election, or if they were never actually loyal to Biden in the first place and hate him pretty much as much as they would Trump. Three were arrested, per WABC radio in New York.

Politico: “Much of Biden’s first week in office is likely to be consumed by executive actions, many of which have already been telegraphed by his chief of staff, Ron Klain, and grouped by the four priorities of Biden’s nascent administration: the coronavirus pandemic, the economic recession, racial inequities and climate change. The second day of Biden’s presidency is expected to center on responding to the pandemic, especially setting in motion efforts to reach Biden’s ambitious goal of 100 million vaccines in 100 days. The new president has already outlined his first legislative priority, a $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill that includes funds for states to distribute the vaccine, extended unemployment insurance and stimulus checks.”

“But Biden officials have conceded that execution of their agenda is likely to be hobbled by the rocky transition, fueled by Trump’s refusal to acknowledge he lost the election. As the new officials started assuming their posts across the government on Wednesday, they were bracing to uncover chaos and problems concealed by Trump officials who refused to cooperate with the Biden team. In particular, there are concerns throughout the national security apparatus, given the acrimonious transition process at the Department of Defense and the National Security Council. At the Pentagon on Wednesday, outgoing Trump officials were, for the most part, nowhere to be found. The Trump White House liaison team had ordered the political appointees to vacate their offices by Tuesday, as Wednesday was considered a holiday, according to one former senior defense official who departed with the Trump administration.”

President Joe Biden fired the general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board who was placed in the four-year position by Donald Trump in late 2017, despite the fact that his term had 10 months remaining, the Washington Post reports.

Biden initially asked for a resignation from general counsel Peter Robb, but Robb refused, saying that he would finish his Senate-confirmed term.  Biden then fired him later in the day.

Robb is a notoriously pro-business attorney, having served during the Reagan administration when Reagan fired all the air traffic controllers.  As NLRB’s general counsel, Robb was responsible for upholding workers’ rights, a position contrary to a management lawyer.

Effectively reversing the Trump administration policy on deporting most undocumented immigrants, the Department of Homeland Security announced today that it would revert back to prioritizations on those who will be targeted for deportation, reports Hamed Aleaziz of BuzzFeed.

For 100 days starting this Friday, January 22nd, DHS will pause deportations to ensure its policies “focused on protecting national security, border security, and public safety.”

Trump policy was to deport people regardless of their backgrounds, how long they had been in the country or if they had an established family network in the US.  This policy shift seems to re-concentrate efforts on those with criminal records either in their home countries or in the United States, or if they pose another risk to national security like connections to terrorist groups.

Yes, Hannity announced he’ll have a guest so big no one else has had him on a television program before.  And it’s…. it’s….

… John Paul Mac Isaac, the blind Delaware computer repair guy who allegedly Hunter Biden’s laptop.  (Yawn.)

https://youtu.be/v5QzfaCWKso

Also tomorrow, Hannity will finish third in ratings for his timeslot among cable news programs… again.  We wonder why.

Three presidents of the United States of America: one message of unity.#Inauguration2021 pic.twitter.com/Iqgwj9xT5K

— Biden Inaugural Committee (@BidenInaugural) January 21, 2021

According to the Washington Post, Army Lt. General Charles Flynn confirmed that he was in the room when the acting Secretary of Defense was on the phone when Capitol Police called to request assistance as the Capitol was being at by pro-Trump domestic terrorists.

The Pentagon had previously denied that Gen. Flynn, the brother of disgraced former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, when any of the communications with the Capitol happened.  However, Gen. Flynn issued a statement to the Post today that he was one of the Pentagon officials on the call as Capitol Police and DC officials pleaded for help in defending the citadel of American democracy against attack as Congress and the Vice President were present to count Electoral College votes.

Michael Flynn reportedly told Donald Trump that he should implement martial law to help his efforts to overturn his election loss to President Joe Biden, who was inaugurated Wednesday, two weeks after the coup attempt at the Capitol.

In yet another effort to put their Party before their Constitutional duty, Republican Senators are warning newly-designated Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that he may lose his leadership role if he votes to convict Donald Trump in his upcoming impeachment trial, CNN reports.

McConnell has hinted that he may vote to convict Trump for the impeachment charge of incitement of insurrection, and he’s instructed his caucus to “vote [their] conscience” if they feel Trump should be convicted.

“If he does, I don’t know if he can stay as leader,” one senior GOP senator who said several of his colleagues held similar views and asked not to be named discussing sensitive internal politics told CNN.

Michael Ellis, the lawyer shoved into the position of general counsel by the Trump administration in its waning days, has been placed on administrative leave pending an Inspector General investigation into his appointment, the Washington Post reports.

Ellis, who was placed into the career job at the insistence of Trump’s last acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller even though he was reportedly not the most qualified applicant, has been the subject of controversy throughout the Trump administration.

The former counsel for Republican Congressman Devin Nunes when Nunes was chair of the House Intelligence Committee, Ellis was the deputy counsel for the White House National Security Advisor who reportedly sent classified information to Nunes while Trump was fending off accusations of involvement with Russian agents during the election. 

This is the kind of journalism you get during a presidential honeymoon. Not every president gets one. This one seems especially gushy. Let’s see if it passes. https://t.co/chI2irq7TF

— Brit Hume (@brithume) January 21, 2021

Meanwhile, from January 2017, the Washington Post ran a story on the decor updates Trump would do to the Oval Office.  Let’s see if the whining passes.

“Sen. Rand Paul on Fox News: ‘If you read his speech and listen to it carefully, much of it is thinly-veiled innuendo calling us White supremacists, calling us racists, calling us every name in the book, calling us people who don’t tell the truth.'” —Ryan Struyk of CNN

We're back in the Paris Climate Agreement.

— President Biden (@POTUS) January 21, 2021

“The Army falsely denied for days that Lt. Gen. Charles A. Flynn, the brother of disgraced former national security adviser Michael Flynn, was involved in a key meeting during its heavily scrutinized response to the deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol. Charles Flynn confirmed in a statement issued to The Washington Post on Wednesday that he was in the room for a tense Jan. 6 phone call during which the Capitol Police and D.C. officials pleaded with the Pentagon to dispatch the National Guard urgently, but top Army officials expressed concern about having the Guard at the Capitol.”

“Flynn left the room before the meeting was over, anticipating that then-Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, who was in another meeting, would soon take action to deploy more guard members, he said. ‘I entered the room after the call began and departed prior to the call ending as I believed a decision was imminent from the Secretary and I needed to be in my office to assist in executing the decision,’ Flynn said. The general’s presence during the call – which has not previously been reported – came weeks after his brother publicly suggested that President Donald Trump declare martial law and have the U.S. military oversee a redo of the election. There is no indication that Charles Flynn shares his brother’s extreme views or discharged his duties at the Pentagon on Jan. 6 in any manner that was influenced by his brother” – Washington Post.

CBS News: “An organizer with the far-right extremist group the Proud Boys was arrested in Florida on Wednesday for his alleged role in the attack on the Capitol earlier this month. Joseph Randall Biggs, 37, has been charged with obstructing an official proceeding before Congress, disorderly conduct, and entering a restricted building, according to an arrest affidavit. Biggs is a member of the Proud Boys and a self-described organizer of the group’s events. Biggs began publicly encouraging members of the Proud Boys to attend the January 6 demonstration in Washington, D.C., as early as December of last year, according to the affidavit. Some of the communications were with Enrique Tarrio, the chairman of the Proud Boys, who was arrested on January 4 upon his arrival to D.C. While Biggs left the Capitol without arrest, he admitted to being present at the Capitol and entering the building in an interview with FBI agents on January 18, the affidavit said.”

Bruce Springsteen opened the televised celebration of Joe Biden’s inauguration, which will be hosted by Tom Hanks and will be a celebration of American spirit, including front line workers, the military and health care workers.

https://youtu.be/BfIz481QlSk

“Celebrating America” is being broadcast on various networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, MSNBC and CNBC.  Neither Fox News nor Fox TV are broadcasting it.

The broadcast, which will be done largely remotely except for Hanks and The Boss on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, will also feature Jon Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, John Legend, Yo-Yo Ma, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons, Black Pumas, Katy Perry, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard.  Celebrity appearances will include Kerry Washington, Karem Abdul-Jabbar and Eva Longoria.