5TYNK
1. Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, declaring that “democracy has prevailed” and denouncing a national “uncivil war”. Kamala Harris, the first woman, the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent was sworn in as the vice president. (PRESS HERALD)
2. In his first hours as president, Joe Biden signed 15 orders targeting Trump’s legacy and reversing the course on immigration, climate change, racial equity and the handling of the pandemic. “There’s no time to start like today,” Biden said in his first comments to reporters as president. Included in the orders Biden put a halt to the construction of Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border wall. (PRESS HERALD)
3. The US tops 24.4 million Covid-19 cases with over 406,000 related deaths. The Maine CDC reported 11 new deaths and 701 new cases on Wednesday. Maine’s death toll is 530 with 198 Mainers currently hospitalized. (WMTW)
4. In a major shift in policy, the Maine Principals’ Association approved schools located in “yellow” counties to begin practicing immediately with games to follow. Androscoggin, Cumberland, Oxford and York are currently designated “yellow” and until now, their teams could not practice or play interscholastic games. (PRESS HERALD)
5. International Sweatpants Day! Comfy, roomy, warm. Sweats have become a work wardrobe for some who have to work from home.
