US GOVERNMENT

Paul Whelan has been detained in Russia for 1,606 days, and in a new interview, he's striking a more positive tone about his chances of coming home.

His feeling of abandonment comes months after the high-profile prisoner swap that brought WNBA star Britney Griner home, but he still sits in Russia in limbo.

Hong Kong has protested President Joe Biden's two-year extension of a program that protects residents of the semi-autonomous Chinese city living in the U_S_ from deportation, accusing Washington of “demonstrating sinister intentions and hegemonic bullying."

The U.S. Department of Defense recently confirmed that a 2019 video that captured apparent unidentified flying objects is an authentic video.

President Joe Biden gestures as he delivers remarks on immigration, in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)(Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Michigan members of the United States Congress participated in the historic Jan. 20 inauguration of now-President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Thank you President Biden for such an inspiring speech. “I congratulate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on their historic inauguration. Leading up to Inauguration Day, a 6-foot fence was constructed around the Michigan Capitol Building and several law enforcement agencies had increased their presence in case any threats arose during expected protests. Continue: With law enforcement at the ready, only a few dozen protesters gather at Michigan CapitolMore inauguration coverage:

Attorney General nominee Judge Merrick Garland speaks during an event with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. During a live event on Jan. 7, Biden called the pro-Trump rioters’ invasion of the U.S. Capitol “an assault on the rule of law” just before formally nominating Judge Merrick Garland as Attorney General. More: Biden blames Trump for violence at Capitol that’s shaken USA federal appeals court judge serving since 1997, Garland is widely known for his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Barack Obama in 2016. Biden also nominated Thursday Lisa Monaco as Deputy Attorney General, Vanita Gupta as Associate Attorney General and Kristen Clarke as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. In solemn tones, Biden said the actions Trump has taken to subvert the nation’s democratic institutions throughout his presidency led directly to the mayhem in Washington.

President-elect Joe Biden held a live event Thursday to introduce key nominees to serve in his administration’s Department of Justice just one day after chaos consumed the Capitol in Washington. This live stream has now ended. UPDATE: Biden names Judge Merrick Garland as Attorney General after Obama-era Supreme Court snubPresident Donald Trump now says there “will be an orderly transition on January 20th” after Congress concluded the electoral vote count certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory and after a day of violence when his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. Read the full story here. Read more: Politics

Read: Experts: Capitol riot product of years of hateful rhetoricIn response, lawmakers are calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. Learn more: What is the 25th Amendment and how does it work? The Vice President and Cabinet should invoke the 25th Amendment, or Congress should impeach and remove the President. — Brenda Lawrence (@RepLawrence) January 7, 2021Rep. Haley Stevens, Michigan’s 11th DistrictI encourage those with the authority to invoke the 25th Amendment to exercise that power. pic.twitter.com/5VK8DLTLn4 — David Cicilline (@davidcicilline) January 7, 2021Speaker of the U.S. House Rep. Nancy Pelosi, from California, previously introduced legislation in October requesting Congress to intervene under the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.

Of the two Georgia Senate runoff races that will determine which political party has more legislative power in the years to come, Democrats have been victorious in both -- giving the party the Senate majority. Though Georgia’s Senate results favor Democrats, Biden says that he will work with representatives on both sides of the aisle in an effort to unite the nation and take action to move the country forward as president. I have long said that the bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill passed in December was just a down payment. We need urgent action on what comes next, because the COVID-19 crisis hits red states and blue states alike. My nominees for critical national security positions at State, Defense, Treasury, and Homeland Security have bipartisan support and have been confirmed by the Senate before.

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris delivered remarks Thursday afternoon following a meeting with the National Governors Association’s Executive Committee. Biden and Harris met with the executive committee, comprised of both Democratic and Republican representatives, to discuss the new administration’s transition into the White House amid the unprecedented (and worsening) coronavirus pandemic. The National Governors Association’s Executive Committee is comprised of governors Andrew Cuomo of New York, Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, Kay Ivey of Alabama, Jared Polis of Colorado, Larry Hogan of Maryland, Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico and Gary Herbert of Utah. Read: Biden reaches out to governors as Trump stymies transitionAfter being declared president-elect, Biden has begun appointing individuals to his team and preparing for the transition from the Trump-Pence to Biden-Harris administration. Read more: Biden’s DIY transition proceeds without Trump assistance

This election year, the U.S. is facing a myriad of issues that aren’t solely political -- from the coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout, to national unrest over racism, blazing wildfires, hurricanes, you name it. No matter who you’re supporting in the General Election this November, it’s clear that the incoming government will have a lot of work to do to help the country return to some normalcy. The question is: After the November election is over, what issues should U.S. government leaders address first? Share your thoughts with us using the form below:The presidential election is on November 3, 2020. Inauguration day is January 20, 2021.