Capitol surrounded by 10-foot-high fencing for election certification
The United States Capitol building is surrounded by 10-foot-high fencing as Congress certifies the results of the 2024 election. The fencing and added security are a response to the Jan. 6, 2021 riot when supporters of President-elect Donald Trump broke into the building and halted the joint session of Congress for nine hours.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 6: A law enforcement vehicle drives by the secure fencing area surrounding the US Capitol during a snow storm on January 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. Enhanced security preparations are underway for the upcoming January 6 electoral vote certification, the President Carter state funeral and the Inauguration. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas designated the certification as a National Special Security Event in September 2024. In its announcement, the Secret Service stated this was the first time the designation has been made for an election certification and that it followed a request by Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
When a National Special Security Event designation is granted, the Secret Service becomes the lead agency. It is authorized to bring in significant federal government resources and develops a plan that involves state and local departments.
The security measures added for the certification will remain in place throughout the month of January, when there are three special national security events. The events include the state funeral of former President Jimmy Carter and the inauguration on Jan. 20.
“We are committed to upholding the right to peacefully assemble and protest here in our city,” DC Metro Chief of Police Pamela Smith said. “I want to be very clear that we will not tolerate any violence, rioting, destruction of property or any behavior that threatens the safety and security of our city.”
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 6: Members of law enforcement stand on guard near the fencing surrounding the US Capitol during a snow storm on January 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. Enhanced security preparations are underway for the upcoming January 6 electoral vote certification, the President Carter state funeral and the Inauguration. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said his department has made significant improvements since officers were overwhelmed by thousands of rioters four years ago. He tried to reassure the public that they are ready this time.
“The United States Capitol Police are better staffed, better trained, better equipped than ever before to protect our Capitol and to protect our Congress,” Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said.
In 2021, rioters advanced relatively quickly because the security measures included bicycle fencing and a row of understaffed and under-equipped officers. This time the fencing is not only 10-feet-high. It’s also heavy and reinforced in some areas with concrete barriers. Additionally, officers are on duty both in front of and behind the fencing.
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 6: Members of law enforcement enter the secure fencing surrounding the US Capitol during a snow storm on January 6, 2025 in Washington, DC. Enhanced security preparations are underway for the upcoming January 6 electoral vote certification, the President Carter state funeral and the Inauguration. (Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
Anyone who crosses the fence or attempts to enter the building without authorization could face up to a year in prison.
There are signs posted that state “Area Closed – Do Not Enter or Remain Under Penalty of Prosecution 18 U.S.C. 1752.”
Under this statute, it is illegal to knowingly enter a restricted area or impede government business.
Perpetrators who commit the crime while carrying a dangerous weapon face up to 10 years in prison.
VP Harris is certifying her own election defeat, joining Gore and Nixon
Vice President Kamala Harris is certifying her own defeat in the 2024 election during the joint session of Congress on Monday, Jan. 6. She will oversee the counting of each state’s electoral votes as Congress fulfills its constitutional duty to ensure there are no irregularities.
The vice president has been responsible for certifying the election in this way since the ratification of the 12th Amendment in 1804. Once all the electoral votes are counted and verified, she will announce that President-elect Donald Trump received 312 while she received 226.
Harris will not be the first vice president responsible for certifying an election they lost.
On Jan. 6, 2001, then-Vice President Al Gore oversaw the certification of his loss to George W. Bush after a hard-fought race that ended with a landmark Supreme Court decision.
“May God bless our new president and our new vice president and may God bless the United States of America,” Gore said to conclude the session.
“Mr. President, I am objecting to the idea that votes in Florida were not counted,” former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., said. “And it’s a sad day in America when we cannot find a senator to sign this objection.”
“The chair thanks the gentleman from Illinois but, hey,” Gore responded.
On Jan. 6, 1961, then-Vice President Richard Nixon certified his defeat to Sen. John F. Kennedy, D-Mass.
“This is the first time in 100 years that a candidate for the presidency announced the results of an election in which he was defeated and announced the victory of his opponent,” Nixon stated. “I do not think that we could have a more striking and eloquent example of the stability of our constitutional system.”
After he lost the presidential election, Nixon ran for California governor and lost. The winner, Gov. Pat Brown, told President Kennedy in a recorded phone call, “I don’t see how he can ever recover.”
Nixon more than recovered, he became the 37th president of the United States.
Vice President Harris has not made any announcements about her future, but another attempt at the presidency and a run for California governor are both possibilities.
Congress to certify Trump’s win; Biden issues warning to ‘not forget’ riots
Congress prepares to re-affirm President-elect Donald Trump as the next president of the United States on the fourth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. And after a weekend of blizzard-like conditions in the Plains and Midwest, a major winter storm aims for the East Coast. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, Jan. 6, 2025.
Congress to certify Trump’s win; Biden issues warning to ‘not forget’ Jan. 6 riots
Senators and members of the House of Representatives will gather to tally the electoral votes of all 50 states and Washington, D.C., confirming Trump will be the 47th president of the United States.
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday, Jan. 5, House Speaker Mike Johnson said a major winter storm heading toward the area would not prevent the congressional joint session from counting the electoral votes.
Monday’s joint session comes four years after the certification of votes affirming President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. Biden’s certification turned into chaos when rioters stormed the Capitol, looking to prevent then-Vice President Mike Pence from presiding over the certification. Many rioters insisted the election was stolen from Trump.
This year, Vice President Kamala Harris will oversee the electoral count of the election she lost and declare Trump the winner. Harris already conceded the race to Trump after he won 312 electoral college votes, surpassing the 270 needed to win the presidency. Harris won 226 votes.
Following the 2021 Capitol attack, Congress passed the Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022. This act clarified that the vice president does not have the power to determine, accept, reject or adjudicate the vote results.
On Sunday, Biden spoke to new Democratic members of Congress about the events that unfolded in 2021 and the importance of the date.
“Tomorrow’s Jan. 6; we gather to certify the results of a free and fair presidential election and ensure a peaceful transfer of power,” Biden said. “It’s a day that [for] most of our history we took for granted, the sixth, but I hope we never take it for granted again.”
Biden wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post on Sunday. In it, he told Americans that while some may no longer want to mention what happened four years ago, it cannot be forgotten.
“We should be proud that our democracy withstood this assault. And we should be glad we will not see such a shameful attack again this year…” he wrote. “The election will be certified peacefully. I have invited the incoming president to the White House on the morning of Jan. 20, and I will be present for his inauguration that afternoon. But on this day, we cannot forget.”
Monday’s proceedings are the last official opportunity for any member of Congress to object to the electoral votes. Following the certification, Trump will be sworn into office on Jan. 20 for his second term. He vowed to pardon those convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 riots.
Biden signs Social Security Fairness Act into law
Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law Sunday. It’s expected to be one of the last major pieces of legislation of his term.
Today, I signed legislation expanding Social Security benefits for millions of teachers, firefighters, nurses, police officers, other public employees, and their spouses and survivors.
The law repeals a rule that limited certain public sector job retirees who collect pensions — such as firefighters, teachers, postal workers and police officers — from also claiming social security benefits.
The new law also eliminates limits on the benefits that surviving spouses can receive after they die.
The Senate passed the bill in December after the House approved it in November with overwhelming bipartisan support.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign this week: Reports
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce his resignation as early as Monday, according to multiple news outlets. It comes as his party, the Liberal Party, is set to hold its national caucus meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
Last month, Trudeau’s finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, publicly announced her resignation in a letter criticizing the prime minister. Since then, calls for his resignation have grown publicly and privately within his own party.
This is just the latest in a series of recent political struggles for the prime minister. In September, Trudeau faced a no-confidence vote in parliament, which later failed.
Trudeau and Trump have been locked in a public back-and-forth over tariffs with Trump threatening to put a 25% levy on Canadian imports.
Details emerge about New Orleans suspect’s actions in weeks before attack
More details emerged about the man authorities said killed 14 people and injured dozens more when he drove a rented truck into a crowd of revelers in New Orleans on New Year’s Day.
The FBI said Sunday the attacker, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, visited the city twice in the weeks leading up to the deadly act of terrorism and recorded video of the area using Meta Smart Glasses.
The glasses allow users to record video hands-free and can also livestream on Meta platforms. Investigators said Jabbar wore the glasses to capture video while he rode a bicycle through the city’s French Quarter. He reportedly wore the glasses during the attack on Bourbon Street but was not livestreaming.
Authorities also believe Jabbar set fire to a short-term rental house in New Orleans where investigators found bomb-making material. They said he planted two bombs in the French Quarter before the truck attack but neither detonated.
Jabbar was killed after opening fire on responding police officers.
Millions of Americans under blizzard alerts as winter storm moves east
A major winter storm will continue to move through the Mid-Atlantic region today, followed by dangerously cold temperatures spreading across the central and eastern U.S. pic.twitter.com/sogRlbC6Y9
Major cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia are preparing for snowy and icy conditions Monday and into Tuesday, Jan. 7. Meanwhile, parts of Virginia are expecting 5 to 12 inches of snow.
Impacts of this weather system could also be felt in the South, with severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes and damaging winds expected to hit Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and other southern states Monday night.
2025 Golden Globes crown best in movies, television
The 2025 Golden Globes rolled out the red carpet Sunday night for the best and brightest stars of film and television — but only a select few walked away with awards.
In the movie categories, the big winners were the films “Emilia Pérez” and “The Brutalist.” “Emilia Pérez” won four awards, including best musical or comedy. “The Brutalist” took home best drama and two other awards.
Over on the TV side of things, “Shōgun” topped the competition with four awards, including Best TV Drama. “Hacks” won Best TV Series – Musical or Comedy.
It was an especially memorable night for actress Demi Moore, who won her first acting award. She won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for her role as an aging Hollywood star who undergoes a cloning procedure in “The Substance.”
Republicans’ trust in elections jumps after President-elect Trump’s win: Poll
The 2024 election unfolded under mostly the same sets of laws as the 2020 election. However, a new poll has found that this time around, Republicans have a lot more trust in election accuracy.
In an AP poll, 64% of Republicans said they had “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of confidence in the accuracy of the 2024 electoral count, while 60% of Democrats felt the same way.
That’s a major shift from when the AP polled Americans after the 2020 election, when just one-third of Republicans believed President Joe Biden won the election legitimately, compared to 97% of Democrats who thought so.
It was in the aftermath of that election when a mob of people who denied the legitimacy of Biden’s win rioted at the U.S. Capitol during the 2021 electoral vote count on Jan. 6.
And this time around, there haven’t been any actions or organized efforts to challenge the legitimacy of the results.
In 2020, President-elect Trump’s campaign and his allies launched 62 lawsuits challenging vote counts in states across the country after losing the election. In 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris filed zero lawsuits challenging vote counts, conceding her loss the day after the election.
US sanctions Russian and Iranian groups over 2024 election interference
The U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting two foreign organizations accused of attempting to interfere in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The sanctions focus on a Russian group, the Center for Geopolitical Expertise, linked to Moscow’s foreign military intelligence agency, the GRU, and an Iranian group, the Cognitive Design Production Center, tied to the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
According to the Treasury Department, both organizations are behind efforts to spread disinformation and create division among U.S. voters. The Russian-linked group is accused of using artificial intelligence to generate fake news stories and manipulate videos.
The group allegedly created online videos designed to smear the reputation of Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate, Tim Walz, and ran a network of more than 100 fake websites spreading false claims about the 2024 election.
The Iranian group is accused of planning similar influence operations since at least 2023, aimed at inciting socio-political unrest in the U.S., according to the Treasury Department’s press release.
Treasury officials said the sanctions are part of a broader effort to protect U.S. elections from foreign interference. The sanctions freeze all assets of the targeted organizations in the U.S. and prevent American individuals and entities from engaging with or investing in them.
This move follows multiple warnings from the FBI about the growing threat of foreign influence in U.S. elections.
“Today’s sanctions build on numerous previous U.S. government actions that have disrupted Iran’s attempts to undermine confidence in our democratic institutions, and Russia’s global malign influence campaigns and illicit cyber activities,” The Treasury Department said in a statement.
It added, “The United States continues to closely monitor efforts by malicious actors to influence or interfere in the integrity of our elections. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.”
Biden regrets appointing Merrick Garland as attorney general: Report
President Joe Biden is quietly expressing regret about appointing Merrick Garland as attorney general. According to a report in The Washington Post, Biden believes Garland was slow to prosecute Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, and allowed for an aggressive prosecution of his son Hunter.
The change in attitude is significant, considering Biden said Garland was going to restore “the honor, the integrity, the independence” of the Justice Department when his administration began.
Biden also regrets dropping out of the presidential race after his widely criticized debate performance. He believes he would have defeated Trump had he stayed in. However, many Democrats say Harris lost because Biden didn’t drop out sooner.
“Biden ran on the promise that he was going to be a transitional president, and in effect, have one term before handing it off to another generation,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told the Post.
“I think his running again broke that concept — the conceptual underpinning of the theory that he would end the Trump appeal, he would defeat Trumpism and enable a new era,” Blumenthal added.
Members of the Biden administration are not blaming Harris for the loss. They’re also trying to put a positive spin on his time in office.
“The president has been operating on a time horizon measured in decades, while the political cycle is measured in four years,” Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told the Post.
Behind the scenes, Biden reportedly admitted that he made mistakes during the last four years. He said he “screwed up” during the debate and was “stupid” for not putting his name on COVID-19 economic relief checks like Donald Trump did.
Trump endorses Johnson for speaker days before House leadership elections
President-elect Donald Trump gave House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., his “Complete & Total Endorsement” to lead the House of Representatives in 2025. This is a significant boost for Johnson, whose reelection prospects were put into question by Republicans who said they may not support him in the wake of the government funding debate.
Trump wrote a post on Truth Social to endorse Johnson.
“Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man,” Trump wrote. “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!”
“The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration,” Trump continued.
The immediate relief is key to the Republican’s strategy. The House will convene to choose its new speaker on Friday, Jan. 3, and Congress will meet to certify the results of the presidential election on Monday, Jan. 6. If the speaker election drags on, House members cannot be sworn in and that could delay election certification.
Johnson will need near unanimous approval from the new Republican caucus due to its razor-thin majority. Republicans won 220 seats in November, but at least one member will not take the oath after resigning. Johnson needs a majority vote to take the gavel, which is 218 unless there are absences.
Johnson was well on his way to being elected speaker until the week before Christmas, when Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance’s demands for a debt ceiling extension shot down his government funding package. He eventually got a package over the finish line and avoided a shutdown, but there are multiple conservative fiscal hawks who publicly said they either will not support him or are leaving their options open.
Republicans want to use their new majority to hit the ground running and approve bills that address issues they campaigned on, like immigration and the economy. They say they want to avoid internal fights which could lead to dysfunction, and give the American people reason to question why they put them in power.
Mexico developing app allowing citizens to send alert if detained in US
Mexico said that it is creating a cellphone app that its citizens can use to alert their families and local consulate if they have been detained by U.S. immigration authorities. The move announced on Friday, Dec. 27, is in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to start mass deportations after he is inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025.
Mexican officials said the app is undergoing small-scale testing and is “working very well.”
The app would reportedly allow users to press a tab that sends a notification to pre-selected relatives and the nearest Mexican consulate.
U.S. law enforcement is already required to give notice to a migrant’s country of origin when a person is detained.
The Mexican government also noted that it has a 24-hour call center to answer questions migrants may have. The country has also reportedly added consular staff in preparation for deportations and to help migrants with the legal process.
Some have reportedly compared the app to a panic button for migrants.
The app could also potentially serve as a replacement for the CBP One app, which Trump has promised to end.
The CBP One app, developed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), allows migrants to schedule an appointment with U.S. immigration officials for potential asylum.
Football legend Herschel Walker tapped as next US ambassador to Bahamas
Herschel Walker, the Georgia football legend, could be on his way south to the Bahamas with a job outside of sports. On Tuesday, Dec. 17, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Walker to be the U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas. He will still need Senate confirmation to take over the post.
Trump made the announcement in a post on Truth Social, saying in part, “Herschel has spent decades serving as an ambassador to our nation’s youth, our men and women in the military, and athletes at home and abroad.”
During Trumps’ first administration, Walker served as co-chairman of the president’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.
Walker’s playing days are the stuff of legend. He led the Georgia Bulldogs to an undefeated season and a national championship in 1980, and he was the Heisman trophy winner in 1982.
During his professional career he played three seasons in the USFL on a team owned by Trump, then spent more than a decade in the NFL for four different teams.
In 2022 Walker, a Republican, tried his hand at politics. At the urging of Trump, he unsuccessfully ran to unseat Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. His campaign suffered from a slew of allegations, including claims that he paid for abortions for two former girlfriends despite supporting a national abortion ban. Walker repeatedly denied those claims, calling his accusers liars.
In a 2022 interview with NBC News, Walker acknowledged having given a $700 check to an ex-partner but denied having known it was for an abortion. Trump said at the time that Walker was “being slandered and maligned.”
There is, however, one possible roadblock to the nomination becoming reality. The U.S. Senate has not confirmed an ambassador to the Bahamas in over a decade, despite receiving four different nominees during that time.
Georgia appeals court removes DA Fani Willis from election case against Trump
A Georgia appeals court has removed Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who spearheaded the election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump. The court handed down the ruling on Thursday, Dec. 19, serving as a legal victory for the president-elect.
Willis brought charges against Trump and more than a dozen of his allies last year. The charges stem from alleged attempts to overturn the state’s 2020 presidential election results.
The appellate court panel questioned the charges Willis brought forward. The court also took issue with Willis hiring Nathan Wade as special prosecutor.
Willis and Wade had a previous romantic relationship. The court claimed Willis’ hiring of Wade was unethical.
In the initial ruling, a county judge allowed Willis to stay on the case with the condition Wade was removed. Trump and other defendants appealed that decision, putting the case at a standstill.
Willis and Wade both said their relationship ended before a grand jury indicted Trump and the other defendants in 2023.
A 2-1 vote by the appeals court disqualified her, saying the trial court failed to remove Willis despite her misconduct in bringing Wade onto the case.
“This is the rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings,” the court said in a statement.
Judge Benjamin Land issued a dissenting opinion against the two other judges. In reaction to the decision, he wrote the appeals court has no authority to reverse the original decision to keep Willis on the case.
“For at least the last 43 years, our appellate courts have held that an appearance of impropriety, without an actual conflict of interest or actual impropriety, provides no basis for the reversal of a trial court’s denial of a motion to disqualify.”
Statement by Appellate Judge Benjamin Land
Trump’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, said the ruling puts an end to a politically motivated persecution against the incoming president.
“The court highlighted that Willis’ misconduct created an ‘odor of mendacity’ and an appearance of impropriety that could only be cured by the disqualification of her and her entire office.”
Statement by Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow
As Trump’s inauguration ceremony draws closer, the likelihood of a criminal case against him seems unlikely. This follows the Supreme Court’s decision this summer granting former presidents immunity from prosecution.
Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith already dropped two federal cases against Trump. A judge put an indefinite hold on sentencing for Trump’s hush money case in New York as the president-elect prepares to take office.
Willis and her office filed a notice with the Georgia Supreme Court to review the decision made by the appeals court.
The ruling means another prosecutor will have to take over the election interference case.
