Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Joe Biden announces key members of White House science team. CNP/ABACA

Joe Biden to sign a dozen executive orders on his first day as US President

Inauguration day is on Wednesday.

US PRESIDENT ELECT Joe Biden’s top aide said the incoming president would sign about a dozen executive orders on his first day in office – as police fearing violence from Trump supporters staged a nationwide security operation ahead of the inauguration.

Authorities in Washington, where Wednesday’s inauguration will take place, said they arrested a man with a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition at a security checkpoint, underscoring the tension in the US capital which is resembling a war zone.

However, the man said it was “an honest mistake,” and that he was a private security guard who got lost on his way to work near the Capitol.

Incoming Biden chief of staff Ron Klain said in a memo to new White House senior staff that the executive orders would address the pandemic, the ailing US economy, climate change and racial injustice in America.

“All of these crises demand urgent action,” Klain said in the memo.

“In his first ten days in office, President-elect Biden will take decisive action to address these four crises, prevent other urgent and irreversible harms, and restore America’s place in the world,” Klain added.

biden-inauguration A law enforcement official sweeps a spectator seating area as preparations take place for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony. Patrick Semansky Patrick Semansky

As he inherits the White House from Donald Trump, Biden’s plate is overflowing with acute challenges.

The US is fast approaching 400,000 dead from the Covid-19 crisis and logging well over a million new cases a week as the coronavirus spreads out of control.

The economy is ailing, with 10 million fewer jobs available compared to the start of the pandemic. Millions of Americans who back Trump refuse to recognize Biden as the legitimate president.

Biden this week unveiled plans to seek $1.9 trillion (around €1.5 trillion) to revive the economy through new stimulus payments and other aid, and plans a blitz to accelerate America’s stumbling Covid vaccine rollout effort.

On Inauguration Day Biden, as previously promised, will sign orders including ones for the US to rejoin the Paris climate accord and reverse Trump’s ban on entry of people from certain Muslim majority countries, Klain said.

“President-elect Biden will take action – not just to reverse the gravest damages of the Trump administration – but also to start moving our country forward,” Klain said.

500 rounds of ammunition

Meanwhile, Washington was under a state of high alert after a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol on 6 January. The assault left five people dead, including a police officer.

Security officials have warned that armed pro-Trump extremists, possibly carrying explosives, pose a threat to Washington as well as state capitals over the coming week.

capitol-breach National Guard soldiers walk on the secured US Capitol complex. AP / PA Images AP / PA Images / PA Images

Thousands of National Guard troops have been deployed in Washington and streets have been blocked off downtown with concrete barriers.

On Friday night, police arrested a Virginia man at a security checkpoint where he tried to use an “unauthorized” credential to access the restricted area where Biden will be inaugurated.

As officers checked the credential, one noticed decals on the back of Wesley Beeler’s pick-up truck that said ‘Assault Life’, with an image of a rifle, and another with the message: “If they come for your guns, give ‘em your bullets first,” according to a document filed in Washington, DC Superior Court.

Under questioning, Beeler told officers he had a Glock handgun in the vehicle. A search uncovered a loaded handgun, more than 500 rounds of ammunition, shotgun shells and a magazine for the gun, the court document said.

Beeler was arrested on charges including possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.

“It was an honest mistake,” Beeler told The Washington Post after being released from jail.

“I pulled up to a checkpoint after getting lost in DC because I’m a country boy,” he said. “I showed them the inauguration badge that was given to me.”

Beeler told the newspaper he works as a private security guard near the Capitol, and presented a credential provided by his employer.

He said he was licensed to carry his gun in Virginia, but forgot to take it out of his car before leaving home for his overnight shift in Washington.

Prosecutors did not object to Beeler’s release from jail, the Washington Post said, though he was ordered to stay out of Washington except for court-related matters.

In addition to the heavy security presence in the US capital, law enforcement was out in force at statehouses around the country to ward off potential political violence.

Mass protests that had been planned for the weekend did not materialize yesterday, with security far outnumbering Trump supporters at several fortified capitols, US media reported.

In St Paul, Minnesota, for example, hundreds of law enforcement officers, some armed with long guns, ringed the Capitol with National Guard troops providing backup. The number of protesters totaled about 50.

Author
View 45 comments
Close
45 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daniel Morrissey
    Favourite Daniel Morrissey
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 10:10 PM

    Can someone put sanctions on Brazil for this?

    Our government want to cut our national herd to support this massacre of forestation

    305
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Black
    Favourite John Black
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 10:15 PM

    @Daniel Morrissey: we’re one of the least forested countries worldwide so we’re not ones to be pointing fingers

    77
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Gorry
    Favourite Paul Gorry
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 10:31 PM

    @Daniel Morrissey: just texted eamonn Daniel still hasn’t got back to me. Good chance him asleep.

    51
    See 10 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute john smith iv
    Favourite john smith iv
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 10:35 PM

    @John Black: that’s going back hundreds of years.

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Diarmuid O'Braonáin
    Favourite Diarmuid O'Braonáin
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 10:37 PM

    @John Black: You do realise that it wasn’t the Irish that destroyed our own forests. There were huge areas of forestry in Ireland about the time Oliver Cromwell invaded Ireland. As a reward many of his soldiers where given large amounts of lands and created large estates. Native timber was harvested for massive profits.

    If you ever passed Lismore Castle in Waterford you will of stopped and admired its beauty. What’s not known is that Lismore is in the Blackwater Valley and it used to be one of Irelands largest forests. It was cut down and sold for profit. Destroyed by an English landlord so he could build himself a great house. We are lucky we live in a republic as most of rivers and forests and owned by the people of Ireland. For example in the North Lough Neagh is owned by the Earl of Shaftesbury. The largest freshwater lake in the UK and Ireland is owned by a British Earl. Many of the forests in the UK are privately owned.

    78
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Black
    Favourite John Black
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 11:12 PM

    @john smith iv: and we should be replanting them

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Black
    Favourite John Black
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 11:14 PM

    @Diarmuid O’Braonáin: I do realise this, and it’s not an excuse to be pointing fingers at other countries when we are not actively trying to increase our forested area (and those damaging coniferous forests are as bad as having no forest)

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Diarmuid O'Braonáin
    Favourite Diarmuid O'Braonáin
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 11:41 PM

    @John Black: Its not an excuse! The govt have never promoted native forestry in Ireland. Don’t blame the people blame those in power. Have you seen the current licensing system. There are 4000 in the backlog and farmers have to wait years to get permission to plant trees including native tress.

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute JMcB
    Favourite JMcB
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 11:52 PM

    @John Black: the English had a hand in that. Rule britania needed wood for their ships and ours was handy for them

    29
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute P Mc G
    Favourite P Mc G
    Report
    Nov 13th 2021, 7:30 AM

    @Diarmuid O’Braonáin: *will have. ‘will of’ is nonsensical grammar.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute wormtubes
    Favourite wormtubes
    Report
    Nov 13th 2021, 9:19 AM

    @Diarmuid O’Braonáin: coillte are actively growing native forests.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute TrollsRrealpeople2
    Favourite TrollsRrealpeople2
    Report
    Nov 13th 2021, 10:22 AM

    @P Mc G: Thanks for point that out. Helps everyone understand his point better. Ffs

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute EillieEs
    Favourite EillieEs
    Report
    Nov 13th 2021, 10:56 AM

    @Daniel Morrissey: why are animals owned by individual farmers referred to as the ‘national herd’? Farming is the only industry where this kind of language is used, making it sound like we all somehow benefit from the destruction of the rainforest to feed animals reared in Ireland to be exported abroad. ‘National’ suggests public ownership as in the national broadcaster, the national grid, Aer Lingus was known as the national airline before it was sold off so why do you use the term national when the cattle aren’t owned by the public?

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Billy Davies
    Favourite Billy Davies
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 11:08 PM

    And EU considering signing the mercusor deal with Brazil and South America. That deal needs to be thrown in the recycling bin.

    125
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute To Mt
    Favourite To Mt
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 9:44 PM

    And yet a length of 2×1 is still 3 times the price it was a year ago

    117
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Murphy
    Favourite John Murphy
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 9:52 PM

    @To Mt: it looks like they aren’t even harvesting the wood. They are just letting it burn so it can be farmed for a few years before it goes barren.

    99
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute To Mt
    Favourite To Mt
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 9:58 PM

    @John Murphy: I just say its hyper inflation. Not a lot of people see the bubble and its gonna be bigger this time. I really hope I’m wrong though.

    34
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Vonvonic
    Favourite Vonvonic
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 10:03 PM

    @John Murphy: It’s the hipsters and their avocados.

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute
    Favourite
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 10:28 PM

    @John Murphy: in some parts of the Amazon they use tractors with massive chains and drag the ground clean into a heap then use the sterile land to grow oil palm which is found in lots of products from butter to Nutella. They also grow sorghum which is shipped around the world to feed animals and for human consumption.

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Higgins
    Favourite Sean Higgins
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 9:57 PM

    I just can’t comprehend the size of that rainforest, I remember in school 30 years ago they were talking about the destruction in the Amazon.

    78
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe Moynihan
    Favourite Joe Moynihan
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 10:08 PM

    Should we tell the big noises in Glasgow

    67
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Damo
    Favourite Damo
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 10:32 PM

    Not to worry.
    All those deflated tyres on SUV’s in Glasgow will make up for this in jig time…

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mick Tobin
    Favourite Mick Tobin
    Report
    Nov 13th 2021, 3:20 AM

    Bolsonaro’s argument’s basically been like this: you lot in Europe & the US can’t tell us what to do since you deforested your own lands for development and we have that right too.

    That’s always fascinated me since superficially he does have a point. It’s just that we’ve all done so much of that, that their bit is now one of the last bits on the planet.

    Thankfully he’s facing an election next year and his polling numbers aren’t very good atm.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Dowling
    Favourite Michael Dowling
    Report
    Nov 13th 2021, 8:29 AM

    Simple solution tax the Irish. Seems to be the way forward. Greens policy.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Mc Donagh
    Favourite John Mc Donagh
    Report
    Nov 12th 2021, 11:22 PM

    Will yez all just belt up. Do yez not know that the whole problem is caused by Irish cows farting?

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Creagh
    Favourite Michael Creagh
    Report
    Nov 13th 2021, 9:41 AM

    It’s ok,cop26 is all over it.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute patrick malone
    Favourite patrick malone
    Report
    Nov 13th 2021, 2:36 PM

    I think it’s plain and simple cop on

    2
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds