US election

Impeachment proceedings against Trump begin in the second week of February – Biden reverses restrictive immigration policy

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The US intelligence services are said to have died after the storm on the Capitol Risk of domestic terrorism take a look. president Joe Biden have intelligence coordinator April Haines, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security instructed to investigate the threat posed by domestic extremism, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday. The National Security Council should review its policies and see how government agencies can be better informed about the problem.

Grove’s office was created after the September 11, 2001 attacks to combat international terrorism. The fact that it is now being switched on shows the importance the government attaches to the threat posed by extremists at home. “The rise in domestic violent extremism is a serious and growing threat to national security,” said Psaki.

House Intelligence Committee chairman Adam Schiff said it was critical that the government address the issue Domestic terrorism tackle. “Right-wing extremism and extreme white racism are promoted on Internet platforms become the greatest threat to our country“, he said.

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Democrats announce the start of the impeachment process against Trump

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The Democratic Party in the United States has a new chairman. The Democratic umbrella organization, DNC, voted on Thursday Jaime Harrison aus South Carolina to the post. US President Joe Biden had previously spoken out in favor of him – the party thus continued the tradition that the incumbent president may elect the chairman. There is a long way to go for the Democrats, but he wants to make sure they lead the country at better times, Harrison said after the virtual election.

Deputy chairmen were among others the Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, elected Senator Tammy Duckworth; Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; and Rep. Filemon Vela Jr.

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“Things will get worse before they get better” – Biden presents Covid strategy

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Joe Biden wants to extend the last remaining nuclear disarmament treaty with Russia by five years. A US government representative announced that national security advisor Jake Sullivan would make a corresponding proposal on Thursday (local time) to the Russian ambassador to the USA, Anatoly Antonov. With Biden not calling for changes to the contract, chances are good that Moscow will agree to an extension as well. The Washington Post newspaper initially reported on the US offer for the New Start Agreement.

The pact expires in February. It was signed in 2010 by the then US President Barack Obama and the then Russian head of state Dmitri Medvedev. New Start imposes a limit on each of the countries to a total of 1550 nuclear warheads. Both sides are also allowed 700 active delivery systems, i.e. ICBMs and bombers. The contract provides for extensive on-site inspections to verify compliance. Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, was extremely critical of the New Start Agreement because, in his view, it put the United States at a disadvantage. The ex-president also urged China to be included in the pact. Beijing rejected this outright. The Trump administration waited until 2020 before entering into significant negotiations with Moscow over the future of New Start. During the election campaign, Biden had already indicated that he would campaign for the preservation of the agreement.

Shortly before the US offer became known, warned NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg the US and Russia to Extension of the pact. One should not get into a situation where there is no limit to the number of nuclear warheads. New Start expires within a few days, Stoltenberg warned reporters in Brussels. At the same time, he emphasized that efforts to achieve greater gun control should not end with the continuation of New Start. It is important to expand the pact to other weapon systems that are not covered in it. China should also be included, as it is currently massively modernizing its nuclear weapons and expanding its nuclear capabilities, said Stoltenberg. Arms control advocate warn that one End of the treaty would remove any reins placed on the nuclear powers of the US and Russia. The result would be a severe blow to global stability. Canada and European NATO partners are also generally concerned about a gradual departure from non-proliferation treaties.

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Germany and the USA: No more muddling through – opinion

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If, after the great, almost limitless relief, there had to be one certainty, it was that no one in Germany with decency and understanding would weep a tear after the 45th President of the USA. Donald Trump thought little of old allies, and he thought particularly little of Germany. He punished it with insults, with threats and with Richard Grenell, whom he sent to Berlin as an ambassador for his wickedness. The Germans have every reason to join in the global sighs of the Democrats after Joe Biden has finally moved into the White House, which is now back on the “foundation of shared convictions”, as Chancellor Angela Merkel put it.

The Washington celebration of democracy touched many, including in Germany. But how long will it be before one or the other secretly mourns years that were terrible, but also terribly comfortable? Trump, with all his hatred and madness, often asked German politicians little more than to take cover. It will be different with Joe Biden. For him, Berlin will be one of the top addresses when looking for supporters. In Trump’s world, alliance obligations were reduced to what can be expressed in dollars. Biden will ask a lot more from Germany than to keep the old promise to increase defense spending.

China, Russia, the battle of the systems – huge tasks await

This NATO goal, supported by Germany, of increasing the defense budget of all member states to at least two percent of economic power, is nevertheless often cited as an example of why there will also be trouble with the new president. That is true, because even Biden will not see that Germany has scaled down its ambitions. But what should change is the German attitude. NATO would have survived four more years of Trump only poorly. Holding Biden off for four years will not do her well either. The more the US turns to dangers from China, the more European NATO will have to become.

The choice is easier than is often done: Either rely on the alliance with the US and a defensive NATO or on the peace oaths of Vladimir Putin of all people. The prevailing opinion among parts of the SPD and the Greens that there is something in between sounds like a daring experiment. The SPD has never really translated this into government action, and presumably the Greens will not either. So far there is still a consensus that decoupling from America would not make Europe safer, which is why the Germans in particular should be happy to have a friend in the White House again.

Biden, in turn, will have to rely on allies who outgrow the role of junior partner. This has to do with the enormous task of moral and economic reconstruction in the United States itself. But it is also related to a geopolitical situation that has little in common with the time immediately after the Cold War. This situation is determined by the rise of China, the power games of Russia, a now often described competition of the great powers, but also the self-assertion of the democracies in the struggle of the systems. For Trump, as a despiser of democracy, this fight was uninteresting, but Biden will want to lead it – also and above all with the Europeans.

Germany has to take a new path – for its own sake and for Europe

This leads directly out of the German comfort zone, in which good business does not seem to cloud the good conscience. Angela Merkel has mastered the art of holding her protective hand over both the Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and the big pipeline deal with the Kremlin company Gazprom. The EU’s investment agreement with China, which was lashed down shortly before Biden’s assumption of office, despite the draconian Hong Kong policy, also bears Merkel’s signature.

There are now two options for German politics. She can continue muddling through under new, more personable omens. Happy that US soldiers are not being withdrawn. Breathe a sigh of relief not to be insulted all the time Enjoy predictability. Otherwise, wait and see what Biden can actually do. The restrained euphoria with which Merkel commented on the historic change of government in the United States is in line with her nature, but also gives rise to fears that this is exactly what will happen in the next few months.

However, that would then be a safe method of missing out on an opportunity that many people no longer believed in. Biden’s appeal to pull yourself together extends well beyond America, and maybe it wouldn’t hurt to be a little infected by his emotions. That would be the second possibility. Now is the time to forge an alliance for democracy and common sense. Without them, the world will not be the world Europeans would like to live in after the pandemic.

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USA: Biden wants the nation one – politics

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Under circumstances that were unimaginable until recently, including the protection of the ceremony by thousands of National Guards, Joseph Robinette Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States in front of the Capitol in Washington DC shortly before 12 noon local time on Wednesday. This ended one of the most chaotic phases in recent American history. The current incumbent Donald Trump, who was the first president in a century and a half to refrain from swearing in his successor, leaves behind a society deeply divided into irreconcilable camps and an internationally isolated country on the outside.

In his speech following the swearing-in, Biden said, referring to the failed assault by Trump supporters on the Capitol on January 6th: “Democracy has triumphed.” This day of the peaceful change of power in Washington is the “triumph not of a candidate, but of democracy”. In what is probably the first official demonstration of national mourning in the USA, the new president interrupted his address for a minute’s silence for the 400,000 deaths of the corona pandemic in the United States.

Joe Biden, at 78 years of age the oldest US president to date when he took office, made reconciliation and the unity of the nation the central themes of his 24-minute speech. “Unity is the way forward,” he declared, promising to be president of all Americans; he will also promote the trust of those “who did not support me”. 74 million Americans voted for Trump in November. In the brief foreign affairs section of his speech, Biden pledged to revive Trump’s broken ties with America’s allies. The US would be a “strong and reliable partner”.

The democrat Biden staged the assumption of office as a turning point. A few hours after his inauguration, he signed the first decrees, with the help of which he reversed or corrected the controversial decisions of his Republican predecessor. In the first tweet as the new president, Biden wrote: “When it comes to addressing the crises we are facing, there is no time to lose.” The first regulation signed by the new president includes measures to combat pandemic. A “100 Days Masking Challenge” aims to encourage Americans to wear protective masks. Biden imposed a mask requirement in all places within the jurisdiction of the federal government.

As expected, Biden reversed the United States’ exit from the World Health Organization, which was ordered by Trump. An American delegation headed by immunologist Anthony Fauci was supposed to attend the WHO Council this Thursday.

Biden also signed the re-accession to the Paris Climate Agreement. It should come into force in 30 days. In addition, a revocation of controversial environmental policy decrees Trump was announced. Federal authorities should be instructed to enforce stricter emission standards again. National parks are to be better protected, and the building permit for the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Nebraska is to be revoked.

Biden announced measures against the “structural racism” of US authorities and the police. He reversed the entry ban imposed by Trump on people from Muslim countries. The expulsion of non-criminal illegal immigrants should also be stopped. As one of his first official acts, the new president also initiated immigration reform. Shortly after he was sworn in, Biden had a bill forwarded to members of Congress on Wednesday. The reform could pave the way to citizenship for millions of immigrants living in the US without a permit. He also wanted to stop the expansion of the border fortifications with Mexico.

Shortly before Biden took office, the former Democratic Senator Kamala Harris was sworn in as Vice President – the first woman in this office and the first African-American. Vice President Mike Pence attended the inauguration ceremony as the representative of the previous government.

A few hours earlier, Donald Trump had left the White House and, after a farewell with military honors, was at Andrews Air Force Base with the presidential plane Air Force One flown to Florida. He had previously pardoned convicted offenders. Graciously, the last day of a president’s office is common, but the number and choice of people is unusual. Among the pardons are personal acquaintances of Trump, his former advisor Stephen Bannon, the rapper Lil Wayne and Elliott Broidy, one of the most avid fundraisers for his 2016 presidential campaign.

President Biden – where is the US headed? Stefan Kornelius, SZ Head of Politics, starting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 21st, discusses Donald Trump’s legacy and the opportunities for a new era with Constanze Stelzenmüller, The Brookings Institution, and Hubert Wetzel, SZ correspondent in Washington. You can register for the live stream here: sz-erleben.sueddeutsche.de/sz-veranstaltungen

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Democrats take over the Senate – Biden signs initial orders

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The new US President Joe Biden arrived at the White House after being sworn in at the Capitol. Together with the new First Lady Jill Biden, he was brought to his residence and official residence in the center of the capital Washington with a presidential escort on Wednesday afternoon (local time). Joe and Jill Biden covered the last few meters walk back. The 78-year-old Democrat was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States at noon.

Biden’s immediate predecessor, the Republican Donald Trump, had left Washington that morning. As the first president since Andrew Johnson in 1869, Trump stayed away from his successor’s swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol.

Biden’s convoy was accompanied by an inauguration parade on the final stretch outside the White House. The column drove at walking pace. In front of the vehicles, bands and participants marched in historical uniforms. They were followed by police motorcycles with sidecars. The President’s limo was escorted by Secret Service bodyguards.

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Biden arrives in Washington – Pence does not attend Trump’s farewell

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White House officials go according to informed circles do not assume that US President Donald Trump will pardon himself, family members or close confidants. Penalties for a famous rapper and others are in preparation.

Trump is expected to announce an amnesty list on Tuesday – his last full day in office – and had discussed the possibility of a blanket self-pardon with confidants should he later be charged with federal crimes. Trump had previously claimed such authority, although it is legally controversial and has never been attempted by a president before.

White House legal advisor Pat Cipollone refused to prepare pardons for Trump or his family. He also tried to limit the pardons granted by the president in his last days in office, three of the people said. No documents have been prepared to secure Trump, his family or his confidante offense, it said.

One argument against a self-pardon: It could turn out to be a great political burden for Trump and prevent him from running again for the presidency. His opponents would certainly argue that the move amounts to an admission that he violated the law in office.

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USA: After storming the Capitol: Internal investigation at the US Department of Justice

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The Republican Majority Leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, has by its own account not set on the impeachment of President Donald Trump. McConnell wrote in a letter to his party colleagues in the Senate that he has not yet decided whether Trump should be convicted if the House of Representatives votes in favor of impeachment. Although the press is full of speculation, he wants to hear the legal arguments himself when they are presented to the Senate.

McConnell apparently responded to media reports on Wednesday that he was angry with Trump and believed that Trump had committed offenses that justified his impeachment. So McConnell was right that the Democrats took action against the outgoing president. McConnell’s calculation is that the Republicans could build a future without Trump, who has been criticized as divisive and chaotic. The “New York Times” initially reported on McConnell’s alleged mind games, citing unspecified sources.

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USA: After the Capitol rampage: Internal investigation at the US Department of Justice

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The Republican Majority Leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, has by its own account not set on the impeachment of President Donald Trump. McConnell wrote in a letter to his party colleagues in the Senate that he has not yet decided whether Trump should be convicted if the House of Representatives votes in favor of impeachment. Although the press is full of speculation, he wants to hear the legal arguments himself when they are presented to the Senate.

McConnell apparently responded to media reports on Wednesday that he was angry with Trump and believed that Trump had committed offenses that justified his impeachment. So McConnell was right that the Democrats took action against the outgoing president. McConnell’s calculation is that the Republicans could build a future without Trump, who has been criticized as divisive and chaotic. The “New York Times” initially reported on McConnell’s alleged mind games, citing unspecified sources.

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Capitol as a military camp – politics

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The statue hall in the US Capitol has seen a lot in its relatively short history. In its early days the House of Representatives met in it, presidents were sworn in, the British burned down the rooms, and the MP and former President John Quincy Adams was struck down by a heart attack here. Finally, the judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg was seen lying in front of the pillars.

The neoclassical amphitheater has lousy acoustics and a collection of eminent marble-carved men donated by each state to commemorate their contribution to US history. Only in the past few years has there been more thought about the contribution made by women. The rotunda of the Capitol connects to the north of the Statuary Hall, i.e. the hall directly below the dome.

The rotunda and figure hall now form the backdrop for the contemporary costume drama of the Trump presidency: the barbarians and the brave soldier. After a week ago a mob overran the Capitol and pictures of shaggy, fur-capped, cap-wearing and flag-waving men – again – shook the country and the world, in the second act soldiers are adorned with the backdrop that can only tolerate muffled words and dark suits .

So there they lie and sit, legs stretched out or their bodies twisted, cuddled together in a crowd. They doze or sleep, chat or eat pizza, take photos and look at their rifles, which are loaded and ready. The Capitol has become a field camp, rations of ready-made military food are routinely delivered, as are canned drinks. The military makes an exhausted impression, although the deployment is still imminent.

At the inauguration of Joe Biden, there is a not unfounded concern that the mob might return and raise their objection to the swearing-in. As always and despite Corona, the ceremony will take place on the steps of the Capitol. A week ago, the crowd was doing gymnastics in the stands that had already been set up.

That is why the state has decided to demonstrate its power, which, however, typically USA, turns out to be very contradictory. The Pentagon has mobilized up to 20,000 National Guard soldiers who are being carted in from the eastern part of the country. You are now protecting parliament more or less martially in four shifts and in the meantime you are resting in the hallowed halls of democracy. Who misses the camp beds in the pictures: A spokesman made it clear that the soldiers slept in specially rented hotels.

The dispatch of the military will significantly increase the number of people wearing uniform on the day of the swearing-in and the feared riot weekend before, but it has not necessarily increased the feeling of security of many MPs. The National Guard is indeed armed with sharp weapons, and not a few fear a bloodbath should a scramble get out of hand during a protest. So far, the military has successfully stayed out of the Trump mess.

The hierarchy of command of the various units is also discussed, including the Capitol Police, the CIA, the Washington City Police, the Park Police, the FBI, some special anti-terrorist units and the prison police.

The armament has also increased distrust among MPs. Republican delegates complained about the metal detectors they had to pass at the building entrance. This in turn fueled the suspicion that gun-loving representatives of the people could provide for their own protection by bringing handguns into the building in their briefcases.

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