Joe Biden is preparing to be sworn in as the next US president, replacing Donald Trump after a tumultuous four years. The inauguration ceremony is usually attended by millions of people – but instead, Mr Biden will address a small, socially distanced crowd in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the recent, deadly riots on
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Former White House adviser Steve Bannon and rapper Lil Wayne are among the people being pardoned or granted clemency by Donald Trump in the final hours of his presidency. The outgoing president granted clemency to 143 people on Wednesday. Wayne pleaded guilty last month to possessing a loaded, gold-plated handgun on a private flight in
Donald Trump says he will “pray for the success” of Joe Biden’s administration but that the political movement he created “is only just beginning”. Before he leaves office tomorrow, the outgoing president said in his farewell address that everyone in the US had been “horrified” by the rioting at the Capitol in Washington DC earlier
First Lady Melania Trump has advised Americans that “violence is never the answer” in her White House farewell speech. Mrs Trump said it had been “the greatest honour of my life to serve as first lady of the United States” and paid tribute to the military, law enforcement workers and those on the frontline of
The US Capitol Complex has been put in lockdown with no entry or exit due to an “external security threat”. US Capitol Police issued a warning to all buildings within the complex. A notice sent to House and Senate offices: “All buildings within the Capitol Complex: Due to an external security threat located under
Fears about a potential insider attack at Joe Biden’s inauguration have prompted the FBI to vet all 25,000 National Guard troops who will be on duty. Officials are taking “second, third looks at every one of the individuals”, said US Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. Guard members are also getting training on how to identify potential
Disgraced former music producer Phil Spector has died aged 81. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has confirmed he died of natural causes on Saturday evening. Image: Image of Spector dated 19 November 2019 (Pic: CDCR) TMZ says the 81-year-old was diagnosed with coronavirus four weeks ago and was transferred from his prison cell
Donald Trump needs the same level of affirmation as a toddler – but prosecuting him would only give him the attention he craves, says former FBI chief James Comey. Mr Comey, who was controversially fired by the president in 2017, told Sky News launching a criminal case could lead to several more years of the
America is finally waking up to the problems caused by its polarising politics. And if Sky News’ investigations into one small community in mid-west Ohio are anything to go by, it is going to be one heckuva big, continual challenge – long after the US inauguration on Wednesday. The Sky team in Ohio tracked down
The National Rifle Association (NRA) has announced it has filed for bankruptcy petitions in a US court as part of a restructuring plan. The gun rights advocacy group said it would restructure as a Texas nonprofit to exit what it described as “a corrupt political and regulatory environment in New York”, where it is currently
Police involved in protecting the Capitol building last week have spoken for the first time describing what happened as “brutal, medieval style combat”. The officers were outnumbered by hundreds of rioters, who federal prosecutors claim were intending to “capture and assassinate officials”. Officer Daniel Hodges was nearly crushed to death in the violence. Disturbing video
President-elect Joe Biden has revealed a $1.9trn (£1.4trn) stimulus package to help the US get through the coronavirus pandemic. The package includes $415bn for the virus response, around $1trn for households, and roughly $440bn for small businesses and hard-hit communities. Mr Biden said: “A crisis of deep human suffering is in plain sight, and there’s
Donald Trump has called for “no violence” ahead of what the FBI has warned are “armed protests” being planned at all 50 state capitals ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration – as removal vans were spotted outside the White House. One group has vowed an uprising will take place and government offices will be stormed if
Donald Trump has become the only US president to be impeached twice. He was first impeached by the Democratic-led House of Representatives in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress over his dealings with Ukraine about political rival Joe Biden. The 45th president was acquitted by the Republican-led Senate last
President Donald Trump has been impeached for a historic second time after the House of Representatives secured enough votes to charge him. A total of 10 Republicans voted against their party and Donald Trump, with the final result being 232 votes to impeach, and 197 against. He is the first US president to be impeached
The only woman on federal death row in the US has been executed after the Supreme Court overruled a stay on the sentence by a lower court. Lisa Montgomery, 52, was put to death by lethal injection on Wednesday at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, and was pronounced dead at 1:31 am
Donald Trump has dismissed moves by the Democrats to impeach him for a second time as a “hoax” and part of the “greatest and most vicious witch-hunt” in US history. His political rivals are also preparing a resolution in Congress which presses Vice President Mike Pence to remove him from office under the 25th Amendment
The only woman on federal death row in the US is due to be executed today. Lisa Montgomery, 52, is set to die by lethal injection at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana on Tuesday. If she is put to death as planned, she will become the first woman to be federally executed
Democrats are charging President Donald Trump with “incitement of insurrection” as part of their impeachment attempt, following the US Capitol riot last week. They have filed a resolution which notes Mr Trump addressed a rally shortly before his supporters mounted the attack and says he made statements that “encouraged and foreseeably resulted in” the lawless
The final few days before the inauguration of a new president are usually pretty sleepy in the US. The nation gears up quietly for the pageantry and the excitement of change after a 10-week transition period from the election itself. Chilly weather keeps many indoors in Washington DC and along the east coast until they