Former U.S. Senator Bob Dole diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer
ARLINGTON, VA - MAY 29: Former Sen. Bob Dole attends a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, May 29, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia. Senator Bob Dole revealed Thursday he has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. โRecently, I was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. โWhile I certainly have some hurdles ahead, I also know that I join millions of Americans who face significant health challenges of their own.โSTATEMENT BY SENATOR BOB DOLE ON HEALTH CHALLENGES pic.twitter.com/ndRxqNWb30 โ Senator Bob Dole (@SenatorDole) February 18, 2021Dole unsuccessfully ran for U.S. vice president in 1976 alongside President Gerald Ford. He ran a final time for president in 1996, winning the Republican nomination this time but ultimately losing the race to President Bill Clinton.
Slain Capitol Police officer honored: 'We will never forget'
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON โ Congressional leaders paid tribute Wednesday to slain U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick in the building he died defending, promising his family and his fellow officers that they will never forget his sacrifice. Sicknick died after an insurrectionist mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, interrupting the electoral count after then-President Donald Trump urged them to โfight like hellโ to overturn his defeat. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sicknick was a patriot who will be remembered by lawmakers each day as they enter the Capitol. The 42-year-old officer was only the fifth person to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda, a designation for those who are not elected officials, judges or military leaders. Also in attendance was Wenling Chestnut, widow of slain Capitol Police Officer Jacob Chestnut, one of two Capitol Police officers killed by a gunman in 1998.
Army secretary says wreath-laying event at Arlington back on
WASHINGTON โ Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy has reversed the COVID-related cancellation of an annual wreath-laying event at Arlington National Cemetery next month, following criticism on social media and pleas to the White House. President Donald Trump said later Tuesday it was he who had reversed โthe ridiculous decisionโ to cancel the event. Each year, volunteers around the country place wreaths on the tombstones and markers of veterans as part of Wreaths Across America. The tradition began in 1992 when a Maine wreath maker donated 5,000 wreaths to Arlington. On Monday, Arlington National Cemetery announced that it was โwith great regret,โ cancelling the Wreaths Across America event scheduled for Dec. 19, due to COVID-19.
The Latest: Aide says Biden will appoint 'COVID coordinator'
Joe Biden has chosen his longtime adviser Ron Klain to reprise his role as his chief of staff, installing an aide with decades of experience across. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)WASHINGTON โ The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):10:45 p.m.Incoming White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain says President-elect Joe Biden will appoint a โCOVID coordinatorโ who will lead the administrationโs pandemic response. ___3:25 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has spoken with the top two Democrats in Congress โ but not their Republican counterparts yet. ___1 p.m.President-elect Joe Biden has spoken by phone with Pope Francis as he continues to talk with leaders around the world. Democrats already control the House, and Democrat Joe Biden is the president-elect after beating President Donald Trump in their White House contest.
Congressman seeks to end park's designation as Lee memorial
But Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, whose district is home to Arlington House, said it's time that Lee's name be stripped. Beyer's plans for legislation comes as descendants of a family enslaved at Arlington House have been lobbying for a name change. Surrounding the mansion is Arlington National Cemetery, which draws nearly 4 million visitors a year. Craig Syphax of Arlington is one of the descendants of Arlington House slaves who requested Beyer take action. He said learning his family history in his adult years helped give him a new outlook on life.
Trump honors fallen soldiers on Memorial Day in twin events
President Donald Trump turns after placing a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, in honor of Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2020, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON President Donald Trump honored Americas fallen service members on Monday as he commemorated Memorial Day in back-to-back appearances in the midst of the pandemic. Presidents on Memorial Day typically lay a wreath and speak at the hallowed burial ground in Virginia. But Trump is intent on accelerating his schedule as he portrays the country as returning to its pre-pandemic ways. That President Trump is deciding to pursue nonessential travel sends the wrong message to our residents," he said. Baltimore and the Washington area have the nations highest percentages of positive cases, according to Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force.