Flags are placed on the National Mall, looking towards the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial, ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden is planning a lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to honor those killed by the coronavirus the day before he is sworn into office on Jan. 20. The Presidential Inaugural Committee will hold the event the evening of Jan. 19, calling it the “first-ever lighting around the Reflecting Pool to memorialize American lives lost.” It is also inviting communities around the country to join Washington in lighting up buildings and ringing church bells at 5:30 p.m. in “a national moment of unity and remembrance.”Watch live at 5:30 p.m.:"In the midst of a pandemic — when so many Americans are grieving the loss of family, friends, and neighbors — it is important that we honor those who have died, reflect on what has been one of the more challenging periods in the nation’s history, and renew our commitment to coming together to end the pandemic and rebuild our nation,” inauguration committee spokesman Pili Tobar said in a statement. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris plan to take their oaths of office outside the U.S. Capitol building, part of inauguration events that aim to capture the traditional grandeur of the historic ceremony while complying with COVID-19 protocols.

Gretchen Whitmer will attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Wednesday. As previously reported, Whitmer was chosen to serve as co-chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Moreover, Biden nominated Whitmer to serve as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The chief justice, John Roberts, will administer the oath of office to Biden just after the clock strikes 12. After they take their oaths of office, President-elect Biden will deliver an inaugural address laying out his vision to “defeat the pandemic, build back better, and unify and heal the nation,” according to his inaugural committee.

WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration will include a "virtual parade across America” consistent with crowd limits during the coronavirus era, organizers announced Sunday. Those are military traditions where Biden will review the readiness of military troops. Biden will also receive a traditional presidential escort with representatives from every branch of the military from 15th Street in Washington to the White House. Accordingly, organizers also said they will hold a virtual parade nationwide to “celebrate America’s heroes, highlight Americans from all walks of life in different states and regions, and reflect on the diversity, heritage, and resilience of the country as we begin a new American era.”The parade event will be televised and feature “diverse, dynamic” performances in communities across the country, the inaugural committee promised. “We are excited about the possibilities and opportunities this moment presents to allow all Americans to participate in our country’s sacred inaugural traditions," said Presidential Inaugural Committee Executive Director Maju Varghese said in a statement.

WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden is planning a lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to honor those killed by the coronavirus the day before he is sworn into office on Jan. 20. The Presidential Inaugural Committee said Thursday that it would hold the event the evening of Jan. 19, calling it the “first-ever lighting around the Reflecting Pool to memorialize American lives lost.” It is also inviting communities around the country to join Washington in lighting up buildings and ringing church bells at 5:30 p.m. in “a national moment of unity and remembrance.”"In the midst of a pandemic — when so many Americans are grieving the loss of family, friends, and neighbors — it is important that we honor those who have died, reflect on what has been one of the more challenging periods in the nation’s history, and renew our commitment to coming together to end the pandemic and rebuild our nation,” inauguration committee spokesman Pili Tobar said in a statement. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris plan to take their oaths of office outside the U.S. Capitol building, part of inauguration events that aim to capture the traditional grandeur of the historic ceremony while complying with COVID-19 protocols. The virus has killed more than 340,000 people nationwide. The inauguration committee already announced this week that there would be no traditional inaugural luncheon at the Capitol because of the virus, another political tradition suspended because of the pandemic.

Gretchen Whitmer has been named to the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Whitmer will co-chair the PIC with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Louisiana’s Rep. Cedric Richmond and Delaware’s Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester. Whitmer and the other co-chairs will help guide PIC through the planning and organizing of “historic inaugural activities that will prioritize keeping people safe while engaging Americans across the country,” according to the PIC. “I am humbled to become a part of the inauguration for President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris as a Co-Chair. Biden released this statement:“Kamala and I are honored and grateful to these leaders for joining our inaugural committee as co-chairs and helping to organize a safe inauguration for all Americans.