Trump Inauguration Preview: What To Expect
Plus, TikTok's short-lived U.S. ban & three Israeli hostages released as ceasefire begins in Gaza
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up!
Good morning,
Today, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr., a pastor and civil rights leader who dedicated his life to service and justice.
The third Monday in January was established as a federal holiday in 1983 to honor Dr. King.
In 1994, it transformed into a National Day of Service, encouraging Americans to give back to their communities.
Although the initial effort to create a holiday in Dr. King's honor began just four days after his assassination, it was his wife, Coretta Scott King, who spent more than 15 years rallying support to make the day of remembrance a reality.
She said, “The greatest birthday gift my husband could receive is if people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds celebrated the holiday by performing individual acts of kindness through service to others.”
Have a meaningful one!
Mosheh, Jill, Sari, & Lauren
🌙 STRUGGLING TO GET QUALITY SHUT EYE? LOOK NO FURTHER THAN BEAN DREAM
We’ve all been there: one night of bad sleep can leave you cranky and exhausted. Over time, poor rest can take a toll, leading to weakened immunity, trouble concentrating, and even increased risk of high blood pressure. But there’s good news for tossers and turners: Beam Dream is here to help!
What is Beam Dream? A delicious nighttime drink crafted with natural sleep-promoting ingredients to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. A clinical study revealed Dream helped 93% of users get a more restful night’s sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed.
Packed with five natural sleep-promoting ingredients (CBD, reishi, magnesium, L-theanine, and melatonin), zero added sugar, and only 15 calories, Beam has what you need to avoid sleepy side effects.
Simply sip 30 minutes before bed, then drift into your deepest night’s sleep.
And now, Beam’s best-selling Brownie Batter flavor is back! This fan favorite has sold out three times, so don’t miss your chance to try it. Use code MONEWS at checkout to get up to 40% off and discover how better sleep can transform your day.
📌 WASHINGTON PREPARES FOR TRUMP’S INAUGURATION DAY
Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States today around 12 p.m. ET. Mo News will post coverage all day on our Instagram page, and you can also watch live coverage of the performances and speeches here starting at 9:30 a.m. ET.
Trump will be the first president to return to office after losing reelection, since Grover Cleveland in 1893. Cleveland was our 22nd and 24th president.
Due to freezing temperatures, the inauguration ceremony has been moved indoors into the Capitol Rotunda — the first indoor inauguration since 1985, when Ronald Reagan was sworn in for his second term. Set to be the coldest Inauguration Day in 40 years, the temperature in Washington D.C. at noon is expected to be in the low 20s, but feel like single digits. (Reagan’s second inauguration was 7 degrees, with windchills below zero.)
WHO GETS THE INVITE
Only several hundred people can fit in the Rotunda. That means just a small fraction of Trump supporters in Washington D.C. for the ceremonies will get to see them in person.
Melania Trump, the president-elect’s five children, their spouses, and his grandchildren are all expected to attend.
Then, there are the nine Supreme Court justices, military leaders, former presidents and their spouses, Cabinet nominees, visiting dignitaries, and 535 members of Congress – although a number of Democrats will likely skip the ceremony.
Tesla and X owner Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman were originally invited to sit on the dais at inauguration. It’s unclear if they will get a Rotunda invite.
Chinese Vice President Han Zheng is attending, along with Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni.
Carrie Underwood will sing "America the Beautiful" and Opera singer Christopher Macchio will perform the national anthem.
Tonight, the inaugural ball will host performances by Jason Aldean, Rascal Flatts, Parker McCollum, Gavin DeGraw, and The Village People.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump said the indoor ceremony “will be a very beautiful experience for all, and especially for the large TV audience!” He noted that the Capital One Arena in D.C. will be open on Monday to watch the events — but the 20,000 person arena is still smaller than the expected turn-out.
Look for a return to tradition. At 9:40am ET, the Trumps are expected to arrive at the White House for a tea and coffee reception hosted by the Bidens. It will be a moment that Biden didn’t get in 2021, when Trump decided to break with tradition and not attend Biden’s inauguration. Just before 10:30am ET, the Bidens and Trumps will travel together to the Capitol for the inauguration ceremony.
BACK TO WORK
Trump has a long list of day one priorities for his second term. His team has said he could sign anywhere from 50 to 100 executive orders today. From pardoning some of the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters, to carrying out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history, it’s going to be a busy week and there will be a lot of headlines to digest.
Over on the Mo News Premium page, Mosh will be going live throughout the week to answer your questions and give additional context. Join Premium today for $9/month.
📌 WEEKEND WHIPLASH: TIKTOK GOES DARK, THEN COMES BACK IN U.S.
On Saturday night at 10:30 p.m. ET, TikTok went dark for 170 million U.S. users, just ahead of a federal ban. By midday Sunday, the company already announced it would begin restoring service, after President-elect Donald Trump promised to activate a 90-day provision that would temporarily lift the U.S. ban.
“In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties,” the company said.
TRUMP’S PLAN
Just hours before TikTok’s announcement, Trump posted on Truth Social, expressing his intention to keep the app available in the U.S. despite a bipartisan law banning it if parent company, ByteDance, didn’t sell it to a non-Chinese owner.
ByteDance was looking for written assurances that fines related to the ban would not be enforced. Trump gave them that reassurance, indicating the importance of TikTok for broadcasting his Monday inauguration and announced plans to issue a temporary executive order to safeguard the app as soon as today.
The order will confirm that service providers and companies keeping TikTok operational will face no liability for their actions before the extension deadline.
📲 In the nearly 15 hours the app was offline, some Mo News members told us their kids were in tears, while others were unsure of what to do with their time. One person joked there could be a surge of TikTok ban babies conceived during the down time.
Now what? Trump’s 90-day extension plan to find a solution to the TikTok ownership issue could score him a major political win, as a third of U.S. adults use TikTok — including 59% of adults under 30.
He floated the idea of the U.S. holding a 50% ownership stake in TikTok, through a joint venture with current owners or new owners chosen by the U.S.; though his transition team didn’t clarify whether Trump was referring to the U.S. government or a U.S.-based company.
This is a diversion from the bipartisan law passed by Congress, which cites national security concerns about the Chinese-owned company using the app to potentially spy on U.S. citizens, harvest their data, and spread disinformation.
NOT EVERYONE IS HAPPY THOUGH
A bipartisan group of lawmakers who passed the sell-or-ban bill are now warning that states also have an obligation to enforce the law. GOP Sen. Tom Cotton (AR), the new chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ), the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, both voiced opposition to postponing the ban. They say ByteDance had a deadline to sell TikTok, and failed to do so.
📌 FIRST HOSTAGES RELEASED AFTER 471 DAYS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY
Three Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 were released Sunday after 471 days in captivity. The handover was facilitated by the Red Cross as part of the six-week ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The women included:
Romi Gonen (24), who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival.
Emily Damari (28), a British-Israeli dual citizen taken from her home at Kibbutz Kfar Aza near the Gaza border.
Doron Steinbrecher (31), a Romanian-Israeli veterinary nurse who was also kidnapped from her home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza.
The women were received by Israeli officials at an IDF military outpost near the Gaza border, where medics conducted initial exams. Their mothers were also waiting to reunite with them as they crossed the border into Israel.
CEASEFIRE BEGINS
In exchange for these hostages, Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners. Under the deal, 30 Palestinian prisoners will be freed for each single hostage — 50 if the hostage is a soldier.
As part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, 33 “humanitarian” hostages are set to be released – including women, children, and older or injured men.
The IDF will remain in Gaza during this phase, but retreat to areas closer to the border.
On Sunday, Palestinian families were seen returning on foot to their homes after months displaced, while hundreds of aid trucks entered the enclave.
In about two weeks, talks will resume for the second phase of the deal.
LAST MINUTE CHALLENGES
On Sunday, there was worry the ceasefire and hostage exchange would see additional delays, after Hamas failed to deliver the names of the three hostages it planned to release – as per the terms of the agreement.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Biden pardons the late Black nationalist Marcus Garvey as well as 4 others and commutes 2 sentences (AP)
📌 Most Democrats think their party needs major change, while the GOP coalesces around Trump (CNN)
📌 Biden says Equal Rights Amendment is ratified, kicking off expected legal battle as he pushes through final executive actions (NPR)
📌 DeWine names Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted to fill Senate seat vacated by Vance (NBC)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 At least 80 dead, several kidnapped in Colombia after failed peace talks, official says (CBS)
📌 Protesters storm South Korean court after it extends President Yoon’s detention (CNN)
📌 Right-wing Israeli party leaves government over approval of hostage-ceasefire deal (TIMES OF ISRAEL)
📌 Hidden tunnel on US-Mexico border to be sealed (BBC)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Trump promotes new meme coin before taking office on pro-crypto agenda (AP)
📌 Wine sales drying up as Americans turn elsewhere (NBC)
📌 U.S. pays $590 million to Moderna to speed up development of bird flu vaccine (NPR)
📌 Same day as TikTok ban, Instagram announces Edits, a new video editing app (USA TODAY)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 ‘Mufasa’ leads muted MLK box office weekend with $15.5 Million (THE WRAP)
📌 Gwen Stefani reuniting No Doubt for ‘FireAid’ benefit concert for California wildfire relief (DEADLINE)
📌 Taylor Swift and Caitlin Clark share hugs, high fives at Chiefs game (BILLBOARD)
📌 Bob Dylan's draft lyrics for Mr Tambourine Man sell for $500k (BBC)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: JANUARY 20
1841: Hong Kong was ceded by China to Great Britain during the First Opium War; it returned to Chinese control in July 1997.
1971: Marvin Gaye released ‘What’s Going On.’
1981: Minutes after Jimmy Carter's presidency passed to Ronald Reagan, 52 Americans were released from Iran after being held hostage for 444 days.
2008: Breaking Bad, starring Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, premiered on AMC.