10 things you need to know today: January 21, 2021

Biden takes office vowing to unite a divided nation, Biden signs a flurry of executive actions on first day, and more

Biden and Harris fist-bump
(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

1. Biden inaugurated as president, vowing to unite a divided nation

President Biden became the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, taking the oath of office outside the Capitol, just two weeks after the building was attacked by a mob of former President Donald Trump's supporters trying to keep Congress from certifying Biden's election victory. "Democracy has prevailed," Biden said, vowing to unite a deeply divided nation facing a pandemic and economic crisis. "We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue," he said. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton attended, but former President Jimmy Carter couldn't. Trump declined to go. Thousands of National Guard troops backed up police securing the nation's capital against the threat of further violence by right-wing extremists.

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.