Biden presents Covid stimulus plan as impeachment focus shifts to Senate – live | US news

From me and Joan E Greve:

• Joe Biden unveiled his $1.9tn coronavirus relief plan. The plan seeks to send Americans $1,400 checks in direct relief, increase the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, and provide schools with $130bn in aid to help them reopen, among other provisions. “During this pandemic, millions of Americans, through no fault of their own, have lost the dignity and respect that comes with a job and a paycheck,” Biden said. “There is real pain overwhelming the real economy.”
• Weekly initial jobless claims soared to 965,000 last week, according to data released by the labor department. The number represents an increase of about 180,000 claims from a week earlier, and it is the highest weekly figure since August.
• Rod Rosenstein, the former deputy attorney general, expressed regret about the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy, which resulted in the separations of thousands of migrant families at the US-Mexican border. In response to a new government report about the family separations, which showed senior officials knew the policy would result in children being separated from their parents, Rosenstein said the policy “should have never been proposed or implemented”.
• The National Park Service denied reports that the National Mall will be closed for Joe Biden’s inauguration. Multiple outlets have reported that officials intend to close the mall due to intensifying security concerns after a violent mob stormed the Capitol last week.
• The New York attorney general announced a lawsuit against the New York City police department, in response to officers’ treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters last year. “There is no question that the NYPD engaged in a pattern of excessive, brutal, and unlawful force against peaceful protesters,” Letitia James said in a statement. “With today’s lawsuit, this longstanding pattern of brutal and illegal force ends.”
• Several more arrests were announced in connection to the Capitol riot. The office of the US attorney for the District of Columbia said Robert Sanford, a retired firefighter from Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged yesterday for allegedly striking three Capitol police officers with a fire extinguisher during the riot.

Biden spoke for less than 30 minutes and wrapped up without taking any questions.

His plan gained approval from both Bernie Sanders and the US Chamber of Commerce, the business-oriented lobbying group:

“There will be stumbles. But I will always be honest with you about the setbacks we’re making,” Biden said of his plans to address the pandemic and economic crisis.

Looking ahead, his proposal could face resistance, especially from Republicans in the legislature who have long opposed higher stimulus payments and minimum wage hikes.

But he seems to have an ally in Bernie Sanders, who will soon be at the helm of the Senate budget committee. Sanders has indicated that he plans to prioritize pushing through a new stimulus package as soon as Biden takes office. As chair, he will have control of budget reconciliation, a process that allows Congress to expedite some legislation by circumventing filibusters.

Biden’s speech included a focus on equity.

“Let’s make sure our caregivers, mostly women, women of color, immigrants, have the same pay and dignity that they deserve,” he said.

“If we invest now – boldly, smartly, and with an unwavering focus on American workers and families – we will strengthen our economy, reduce inequity and put our nation’s long-term finances on a more sustainable course,” Biden said.

“Next week, we’ll take action to extend nationwide restrictions on evictions and foreclosures,” Biden said. “This will provide more than 25 million Americans greater stability instead of living on the edge every single month.”

Housing advocates have been pressing Biden to extend and bolster a federal ban on evictions in recent weeks and months, and they have asked him to additionally include funds for rental assistance in relief proposals. His current plan includes $30bn in rental and utility assistance for those struggling to pay bills.

Advocates are also asking Congress to cancel any rent or mortgage debt incurred during the pandemic.

This stimulus plan Biden is presenting today is part one of his two-part “rescue and recovery” plan.

Part two will come next month. Biden said he will address a joint session of Congress with a recovery plan that builds on proposals presented today.

“A crisis of deep human suffering is in plain sight. There’s no time to waste,” Biden said. “We have to act and we have to act now.”

Economic inequality in the US is growing amid the “twin crises” of Covid-19 and the pandemic’s economic fallout.

Biden said he has “a two-step plan of rescue and recovery”.

His stimulus proposal includes:

• $160bn in funding for vaccination and testing, and other health programs.
• $1tn in relief to families, via direct payments and unemployment insurance.
• $440bn for aid to businesses and communities.
• $350bn for state, local and tribal governments.

Biden is speaking from Wilmington, Delaware.

“During this pandemic, millions of Americans, through no fault of their own have lost the dignity and respect that comes with a job and a paycheck,” he said, noting that many face eviction, and long lines at food banks. “There is real pain overwhelming the real economy,” Biden said.

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, said that 1,000 national guard will be deployed to protect the state capitol in anticipation of unrest on inauguration day.

“In light of events in our nation’s capital last week, California is taking important steps to protect public safety at the state capitol and across the state,” Newsom said.

Read more about state capitol violence on 6 January, and what experts anticipate on inauguration day, from my colleague Lois Beckett:

The Guardian’s Matthew Cantor reports:

Fans fear that QAnon, the bonkers conspiracy theory involving Democrats drinking the blood of children, may be driving a wedge among the Backstreet Boys.

The concerns come after Kevin Richardson, the one with the goatee who has always looked more like a Backstreet Man, posted a Cosmopolitan article on Twitter titled I Lost a Best Friend to QAnon. He included a cryptic message saying only: “Interesting read …”

That post came a few days after his cousin and fellow Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell announced on Twitter that he’d joined Parler, a social network favored by the far right, just days after the storming of the US Capitol. Dismayed fans replied to Littrell with messages such as: “And we thought you were the nice one.”

Littrell, however, told TMZ in 2017 that he had faith in Trump’s character as well as “his balls”. Richardson did not say his post was directed at Littrell, but that’s how some fans took it, leading to speculation in the media.

Joe Biden named the new DNC leadership. In addition to naming Jaime Harrison, the Democratic Senate candidate in South Carolina who faced off with Lindsey Graham, as Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair, he announced a number of other appointments that include his former running-mate contenders Gretchen Whitmer and Tammy Duckworth.

Here’s the list:

• Jaime Harrison, DNC Chair
• Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Vice-Chair of Civic Engagement and Voter Protection
• Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, Vice-Chair
• Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Vice-Chair
• Representative Filemon Vela Jr of Texas, Vice-Chair