Stay or go? Fence, Guard pose Capitol security questions
National Guard open a gate in the razor wire topped perimeter fence around the Capitol allow another member in at sunrise in Washington, Monday, March 8, 2021. The U.S. Capitol Police has asked for the fencing and the National Guard to remain, for now. As of Friday there were about 4,300 Guard troops in the city. "Our National Guard troops, who serve with great honor and distinction, are not law enforcement officers, and we will not abide the continued militarization of Capitol complex security,โ wrote Sens. Coupled with the hiring of 350 additional officers, the report also recommends establishing a permanent โquick response forceโ within the Capitol Police but also at the National Guard in D.C. for emergencies.
More than 1,000 Guard troops now leaving DC; others stay on
According to the National Guard, troops from some states will stay in Washington for the entire two months. Military leaders were also concerned because governors initially expressed reluctance to have their troops stay in the city. Troops from the District of Columbia Guard will continue in the security mission. As of Friday there were about 4,300 Guard troops in the city. The National Guard Association of the United States also questioned the extension, noting that it was difficult for Guard leaders to find enough volunteers for the mission.
Stay or go? Fence, Guard pose Capitol security questions
National Guard open a gate in the razor wire topped perimeter fence around the Capitol allow another member in at sunrise in Washington, Monday, March 8, 2021. The U.S. Capitol Police has asked for the fencing and the National Guard to remain, for now. As of Friday there were about 4,300 Guard troops in the city. "Our National Guard troops, who serve with great honor and distinction, are not law enforcement officers, and we will not abide the continued militarization of Capitol complex security,โ wrote Sens. Coupled with the hiring of 350 additional officers, the report also recommends establishing a permanent โquick response forceโ within the Capitol Police but also at the National Guard in D.C. for emergencies.
White House offers 'full support' for Trump-era Space Force
โWe are not revisiting the decision to establish the Space Force,โ she said. AdโThousands of men and women proudly serve in the Space Force,โ Psaki said. Space Force. โI am very proud of the guardians in the Space Force," Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of space operations, said at a virtual event with defense writers. Trump was very proud of Space Force and rarely delivered a speech without mentioning it.
The Latest: Brazil high court says vaccine can be mandatory
(AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)RIO DE JANEIRO โ Brazilโs Supreme Court says coronavirus vaccination can be made mandatory, delivering a blow to the nationโs nascent anti-vaccine movement. Public health officials have issued daily appeals for people to remain cautious over the Christmas holidays, as hospitals in high-infection areas remain close to capacity. At a press conference Thursday, Abbott said he had not yet been vaccinated but planned to do so after front-line health care workers are inoculated. Intensive care units in some regions were at or near full capacity, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. State health commissioner Dr. Lance Frye said no one in the second phase to receive vaccinations will be removed.
Biden moves forward without help from Trump's intel team
As he contests this year's election results, Trump has not authorized President-elect Joe Biden to lay eyes on the brief. National security and intelligence experts hope Trump changes his mind, citing the need for an incoming president to be fully prepared to confront any national security issues on Day One. That's the type of information that might be in the PDB, a daily summary of high-level, classified information and analysis on national security issues that's been offered to presidents since 1946. It is coordinated and delivered by the Office of the National Intelligence Director with input from the CIA and other agencies. Biden is missing out on all counts: More than a week into his transition, Biden doesn't have access to the PDB, the agencies or government resources to help him get ready to take charge.
Biden moves forward without help from Trumpโs intel team
The Senate Republicans advocated for Biden to receive the classified national security information even as they refused to acknowledge that the Democrat has won the presidential election, citing Trump's baseless claims of fraudulent votes. โAt this point at least, I think he should absolutely be getting intelligence briefings," Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley said of Biden. For now, the office of National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe, a loyal ally to Trump, says it canโt begin talking with the Biden transition team until the government starts that transition process. Intelligence agencies have given generalized intelligence briefings โ minus information on covert operations and sources and methods โ for presidential nominees since 1952. Biden, a former vice president, has decades of experience in foreign affairs and national security.
Biden vows to โget right to workโ despite Trump resistance
President-elect Joe Biden and Jill Biden, attend a service at the Philadelphia Korean War Memorial at Penn's Landing on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, in Philadelphia. Biden continues to shrug off Trump's refusal to accept the election outcome, even as officials in both parties warn that the Republican presidentโs actions could be dangerous. The Republican president's allies on Capitol Hill, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have encouraged the president's accusations. With Biden leading Trump by wide margins in key battleground states, none of those issues would have any impact on the outcome of the election. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, among six world leaders overall, congratulated Biden on his election.