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Biden commutes Leonard Peltier's sentence to home confinement in 1975 killing of FBI agents

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As one of his last official acts, President Biden commuted the life sentence of Leonard Peltier, 80, allowing the American Indian Movement member to serve the rest of his sentence in home confinement.

Peltier was convicted of murdering two FBI agents during a 1975 shootout on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. He has maintained his ...Read more

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Trump didn't swear on a Bible. Does it matter?

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Eagle-eyed watchers of President Trump’s inauguration noticed that he kept his left hand at his side and did not place it on the Bible held by First Lady Melania Trump as he took the oath of office.

Did it matter?

Constitutionally speaking, no. Though swearing upon a Bible is a tradition, the Constitution does not require it. In fact, some ...Read more

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Klobuchar speaks at Trump's inauguration, said leaders become 'guardians of our country'

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WASHINGTON — Sen. Amy Klobuchar took the stage Monday to call to order the inauguration of incoming President Donald Trump and incoming Vice President JD Vance.

The Minnesota Democrat chairs the bipartisan Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which is tasked with planning Inauguration Day. She had planned to speak at the ...Read more

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Biden issues preemptive pardons to Trump foes and family members hours before leaving office

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WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on his final morning in office issued preemptive pardons to lawmakers who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol and police officers who testified in the inquiry, as well as two high-profile former government officials who have previously clashed with President-elect Donald Trump.

“Even when ...Read more

Yuri Gripas/Abaca Press/TNS

Biden preemptively pardons Fauci, Cheney and relatives as Trump inauguration looms

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WASHINGTON — President Biden on Monday pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, ex-Rep. Liz Cheney, members of the Jan. 6 committee and even many of his own relatives in the waning hours of his term to protect them against retribution by incoming President Trump.

With Trump taking power at noon Eastern time, Biden took dramatic ...Read more

Audrey Richardson/Chicago Tribune/TNS

At Chicago's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast, commitment to protecting rights is affirmed

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CHICAGO — Chicago civil rights leaders and Illinois politicians reaffirmed their dedication to protecting education and immigrants rights Monday morning amid reports that President Donald Trump could begin his crackdown on illegal immigration this week with raids in Chicago.

Close to a thousand people gathered Monday at the 35th Annual Dr. ...Read more

Dominic Gwinn/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

Finance Democrats seek assurances from Treasury nominee Bessent on taxes ahead of vote

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WASHINGTON — Senate Finance ranking member Ron Wyden and other committee Democrats are pressing Scott Bessent, President Donald Trump’s intended nominee for Treasury secretary, to submit to an IRS audit and release his tax filings ahead of the panel’s vote on his nomination Tuesday.

The Oregon Democrat, along with Senate Banking ranking ...Read more

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Trump is president, sworn in for a second time and promising 'a golden age'

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WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump was sworn in for a second time as president Monday, declaring that America will be the “envy of the world.”

“The golden age of America begins right now,” he said.

And without mentioning his predecessor by name, he accused former President Joe Biden’s administration of “a horrible betrayal.”

“My ...Read more

Do Americans favor deporting undocumented immigrants? Depends on the method, poll finds

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The majority of Americans favor deporting undocumented immigrants, aligning with President Donald Trump’s promises for his second term, according to a new poll.

The Axios/Ipsos poll released Jan. 19 found that support for deportation was spearheaded by Republicans.

Two-thirds of respondents supported deportations of undocumented immigrants, ...Read more

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Trump says he will sign executive orders to send troops to border and combat illegal immigration

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WASHINGTON — President Trump said during his inaugural address Monday that he will soon sign executive orders that will beef up border security and crack down on illegal immigration.

“First I will declare a national emergency at our southern border,” Trump said. “All illegal entry will be immediately halted and we will begin the process...Read more

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Trump criticizes LA fire response in inaugural address

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During his inaugural address on Monday, President Trump blasted what he called a government unable to protect its own citizens in times of crisis — including the people of Southern California impacted by the still-burning Palisades and Eaton fires, which have destroyed thousands of structures and killed at least 27 people.

Trump used the ...Read more

5 takeaways from Trump's inauguration speech

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President Donald Trump took office Monday as the nation’s 47th leader, portraying himself and his incoming administration as one that will immediately spring into action to take the country back.

With a series of promised executive orders — some of which were designed to undo the executive orders of former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack ...Read more

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Trump moves to end refugee resettlement and parole for Cubans, Haitians and Venezuelans

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will sign a flurry of executive actions on immigration in his first hours in office, suspending refugee resettlement, reinstating a policy requiring migrants at the U.S. southern border to remain in Mexico while they await their court appearances and terminating a parole program that provided another legal ...Read more

Echoes among 17 presidents' second inaugural addresses

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WASHINGTON — Donald Trump on Monday joined 17 other presidents in delivering a second inaugural address. A review of those 17 previous speeches shows some common themes, such as American idealism, the testing of democratic institutions, war, the economy and immigration, but also reveals idiosyncratic musings on adversaries in the press, ...Read more

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Trump is sworn in as the nation's 47th president in historic inauguration

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WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump took the oath of office to become the 47th president of the United States on Monday, capping an extraordinary political comeback and promising to “make America greater, stronger and far more exceptional than ever before.”

He becomes the only president who was impeached twice and is a convicted felon. He is ...Read more

Detroit pastor invokes MLK's 'I Have a Dream' speech at Trump inauguration

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WASHINGTON — Detroit Pastor Lorenzo Sewell quoted at length from Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech during a Monday invocation at the close of President Donald J. Trump's inauguration.

The comments, some almost word for word from King's speech, come on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the commemoration of the civil rights ...Read more

Trump’s executive orders can make change – but are limited and can be undone by the courts

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Before his inauguration, Donald Trump promised to issue a total of 100 or so executive orders once he regained the presidency. These orders are expected to reset government policy on everything from immigration enforcement to diversity initiatives to environmental regulation. They also aim to undo much of Joe Biden’s presidential legacy....Read more

Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Frigid subzero weather grips Chicago on 40-year anniversary of record low

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CHICAGO — Forty years ago today, temperatures in Chicago dipped to an all-time low of minus 27 degrees. The cold stretched to D.C., where it forced Ronald Reagan’s presidential inauguration ceremony indoors.

As a blast of Arctic air hits most of the country, Donald Trump is being sworn in as president inside the Capitol on Monday because of...Read more

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Tech CEOs feature prominently at Trump inauguration

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WASHINGTON — Inside the Capitol Rotunda, where space was tight and seats were limited, the billionaire chief executives of Meta, X and Amazon sat amid members of the current and former first families and in front of the people President-elect Trump has chosen to serve on his Cabinet.

The up-close seats for Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Jeff ...Read more

Former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards dead at 67

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Former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, daughter of late Texas Gov. Ann Richards, is dead at 67.

News of the human rights activist’s death was shared by Richards’ family on her Instagram page Monday morning.

“This morning our beloved Cecile passed away at home, surrounded by her family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie,” that ...Read more