inaugural events

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Biden to Skip Traditional Inaugural Parade

He'll instead receive a presidential escort to White House

(Newser) - As expected , President-elect Biden will be skipping the traditional inaugural parade due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But he will still get a presidential escort to the White House after he's sworn in on Jan. 20, the Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Sunday. Some key Inauguration Day differences, per USA ...

He 'Bundled' for Obama, Hillary. Then He Gave $900K to Trump

Prolific political fundraiser Imaad Zuberi to plead guilty to tax evasion, hiding work as foreign agent

(Newser) - A prolific political fundraiser who raised millions of dollars for Democrats before donating large sums to President Trump's inaugural committee has agreed to plead guilty to multiple federal charges, including tax evasion and concealing his work as a foreign agent as he lobbied high-level US government officials, the Justice...

What to Expect From Trump's Inauguration
What to Expect
From Trump's
Inauguration
THE RUNDOWN
Jan 17, 2017 1:02 PM CST

What to Expect From Trump's Inauguration

It will be a 'special kind of torture' for at least one person on the dais

(Newser) - As Donald Trump is officially sworn in as America's 45th president, his vanquished rival will have an up close and personal view of the proceedings. Hillary Clinton, along with her husband, will stand only yards away from Trump during his inauguration, with cameras trained on her, in what the...

Singer Quits Mormon Tabernacle Choir Over Trump Performance

She makes her resignation letter public

(Newser) - It's not only the Rockettes who were upset to learn they'd be performing for the 45th US president. Thousands of people have signed a petition asking the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to rescind its acceptance of an invitation to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration next month, and now...

Beyonce Lip-Synced Inauguration: Marine Band

That whole earpiece-ripping thing? All part of the act

(Newser) - Many inauguration watchers were impressed when Beyonce ripped out her earpiece while performing the national anthem—appearing to be the victim of audio problems—yet still nailed the song. Except, er, she wasn't actually singing the song. A Marine Corps Band spokesperson tells TMZ and the UK Times that...

Obama: 'Our Journey Is Not Complete'

 Obama: 'Our 
 Journey Is 
 Not Complete' 
Inaugural Address
Jan 21, 2013 11:39 AM CST

Obama: 'Our Journey Is Not Complete'

Obama calls for collective action, progressive values in inaugural address

(Newser) - President Obama gave a fiery inaugural address today, one at once soaring and distinctly combative, making the case for collective action, support for the poor, and a variety of progressive priorities. He began by reciting the beginning of the Declaration of Independence—the "life, liberty, and the pursuit of...

Lupe Fiasco Bashes Obama ... at Obama Event

Eventually gets thrown off stage

(Newser) - Lupe Fiasco chose an interesting venue to go on an anti-Obama rant: an Obama inauguration party. The rapper was performing at the DC party yesterday when he started playing an anti-war song that included the lyrics, "Gaza Strip was getting bombed, Obama didn't say shit. That's why...

Obama Sworn In for 2nd Term
 Obama Sworn In for 2nd Term 
Jan 20, 2013 11:03 AM CST

Obama Sworn In for 2nd Term

Takes oath of office just before noon

(Newser) - President Obama has been sworn in for a second four-year term. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office today at 11:55am in the Blue Room of the White House. First lady Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia, and a few reporters witnessed the ceremony. Obama will take...

Obama's Inauguration Is Today

That whole inaugural party tomorrow is a re-enactment

(Newser) - Washington is still putting the finishing touches on tomorrow's every-four-years inauguration party, but it'll be a day late: President Obama will quietly be sworn in for a second term today, due to a Constitutional quirk that mandates that the commander in chief be sworn in at noon on...

Obama Will Take Corporate Cash for Inaugural Parties

It's a 'symbolic reversal' after 2009 festivities: Politico

(Newser) - One way President Obama's second inauguration will differ from his first: This time, he's accepting unlimited corporate funds for parties and receptions, a rep says. He still won't take money from PACs or lobbyists, the New York Times notes, and with the economy in mind, his inaugural...

Put a Ring on This: Obama Likes 'Single Ladies'

No, silly—the Beyoncé song (and video!)

(Newser) - Maybe at the next inauguration, Barack Obama will provide the musical entertainment. As the then-president-elect hobnobbed with the stars who appeared at the Jan. 18 concert at the Lincoln Memorial, John Legend caught him on video as he and wife Michelle greeted Beyoncé. “Mr. President, you didn’t tell...

Everyone Wants Aretha's Hat
 Everyone Wants 
 Aretha's Hat 
Jan 23, 2009 8:31 AM CST

Everyone Wants Aretha's Hat

(Newser) - Aretha Franklin’s inauguration hat has been mercilessly mocked by some, but lots of people want one of their very own. The Detroit millinery where Franklin has been a customer for 20 years has been flooded with calls for orders, the AP reports. But Aretha wannabes soon learn that the...

First Couple Hits All 10 Official Balls

First stop: the first-of-its-kind, publicly accessible Neighborhood Ball

(Newser) - The new first couple danced their way through all 10 official balls last night, keeping with tradition and the desire to make yesterday’s inauguration the “most accessible” in history, CNN reports. Barack and Michelle Obama began the evening at the public Neighborhood Ball with Beyoncé’s rendition...

Docs: Kennedy Awake, Alert After Seizure
Docs: Kennedy Awake, Alert After Seizure
UPDATED
Jan 20, 2009 3:53 PM CST

Docs: Kennedy Awake, Alert After Seizure

'These things' typical in brain-cancer patients; Dodd says he's 'fine'

(Newser) - After being hospitalized for a seizure suffered during an inaugural luncheon, Ted Kennedy is himself again, say those close to him. When one is undergoing treatment for brain cancer, a source tells ABC News, “these things happen,” and Kennedy is stable. “He’s fine,” said friend...

'Human Gridlock' Plagues Ceremony

Inauguration spectators wait for hours to get in and out of Mall area

(Newser) - The record-breaking crowd—an estimated 1.8 million people—at today’s inaugural events is overwhelming Washington’s streets and mass-transit systems, creating long waits for spectators trying to exit the Mall area, the Post reports. Hours after the swearing-in, some were still waiting to enter Metro stations. “It’...

Hey Barack: Ditch the Inaugural Glitz
 Hey Barack: 
 Ditch the Inaugural Glitz 
OPINION
Jan 19, 2009 12:12 PM CST

Hey Barack: Ditch the Inaugural Glitz

Dump the extravagance and raise money for charity

(Newser) - Over the course of the presidential campaign, we saw some big spectacles from the Obama camp—but this inauguration is "so contrived it's almost ridiculous," and it doesn’t suit the new president's style, writes John Heilemann in New York. For a man who likes to do things...

Obama Visits Troops, Pitches In at Homeless Shelter

(Newser) - Barack Obama pitched in at a Washington emergency homeless shelter for teens today, as part of his pitch for greater public service, the AP reports. After touring the facility alongside Martin Luther King III, Obama rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt and helped paint a wall in the...

Crowds Thrill to 'Obamastock'
 Crowds Thrill to 'Obamastock' 
Jan 18, 2009 3:00 PM CST

Crowds Thrill to 'Obamastock'

Obamas attend services at historic church

(Newser) - A free inauguration concert that one attendee dubbed "Obamastock" kicked off today before tens of thousands of excited but chilly visitors in Washington, DC, the Washington Post reports. Fans sat patiently on blankets and waited in long security checkpoint lines as Denzel Washington took the stage to announce Bruce...

Inaugural TV Deals Bring Big Bucks, Controversy

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s inaugural organizing team has struck the most lucrative series of TV deals ever seen for its slate of inaugural events, raking in more than $5 million from various networks, the Washington Post reports. HBO landed the juiciest prize, paying $2.5 million for exclusive rights to tomorrow’...

Obama Embarks on Symbolic Train Ride to DC

(Newser) - Barack Obama undertook the final leg of his inaugural journey today, embarking on a whistle-stop train tour from Philadelphia that retraces Lincoln's journey to Washington a century and a half ago. Big crowds are expected along the way, and VP-elect Joe Biden comes aboard in Wilmington, Del. "Only a...

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