From Oath To Parade: Everything You Need To Know About Trump's Inauguration

Donald Trump will be sworn in as president of the United States on Monday, ushering in his second term in office and capping one of the most astounding political comebacks in American history.

Inauguration Day is, by tradition, largely dedicated to pomp and circumstance. One president leaves the White House, and another moves in. But Trump, a Republican, also has pledged to sign a flurry of executive orders on subjects ranging from border security to oil and gas production on his first day in office.

Here is what we know about Inauguration Day so far:

WHEN IS THE INAUGURATION?

Trump will take the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT). It was originally due to take place in front of the U.S. Capitol but will now take place inside the congressional complex because of bitter cold.

Trump will then deliver his inaugural address. In interviews, he has said he intends it to be uplifting and unifying. That would mark a departure from his first Inauguration Day speech in 2017, which detailed a broken country he described as "American Carnage."

The outgoing president, Democrat Joe Biden, has said he plans to attend the ceremony and witness the transfer of power, a courtesy Trump did not afford him four years earlier.

Country music star Carrie Underwood is scheduled to perform at the swearing-in ceremony, according to a copy of the official program seen by Reuters.

WHO IS INVITED?

Trump has broken with precedent and invited several foreign leaders to the ceremony. Historically, they have not attended the inauguration due to security concerns and have sent diplomats in their stead.

Argentina's president, Javier Milei, a strong supporter of Trump's, has said he will attend, according to reports.

Another Trump backer, Hungary's Viktor Orban, will not be attending, his spokesman said this week. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said she hopes to attend. Chinese President Xi Jinping is not attending, despite an invitation, but is sending an envoy.

Trump adviser Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, Jeff Bezos, executive chairman of Amazon and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, are also attending.

PARADE TO THE WHITE HOUSE

The temperatures have also forced organizers to scrap a planned parade down Pennsylvania Avenue of military regiments, school marching bands, floats and citizens' groups. The parade will now take place at the 20,000-seat Capital One Arena in downtown Washington.

GETTING TO WORK

Two sources familiar with the planning said Trump is preparing a flood of executive orders and directives that could total more than 100 starting on Day One.

He is expected to sign orders that give immigration officers more latitude to arrest migrants with no criminal records, send more troops to the U.S.-Mexico border and restart construction of a border wall.

The orders will include a drive to increase energy production and follow through on Trump's oft-stated campaign vow to "drill, baby, drill."

Trump also is likely to issue a first wave of pardons for defendants convicted for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

PARTIES AND A RALLY

There will be at least 18 inaugural galas held throughout Washington over the weekend and Monday, three of which are considered official and which Trump is expected to attend.

On Sunday, the eve of the inauguration, Trump is set to hold a campaign-style "Make America Great Again Victory Rally" at the Capital One Arena.

Such an event likely will help spur thousands of Trump's supporters to pack the city for the inaugural festivities. It would be Trump's first rally in the District of Columbia since the Jan. 6, 2021, incident.

On Monday, Meta's Zuckerberg will co-host a reception for billionaire Republican donors along with casino magnate Miriam Adelson and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, Trump's pick for ambassador to Italy.

Oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm, a top Trump donor, will host an inauguration watch party on Monday on the roof of the historic Hay-Adams hotel near the White House.

WHO COVERS THE COSTS?

The official events are financed by Trump's inauguration committee, which is chaired by longtime Trump allies Steve Witkoff, a real estate developer who is Trump's pick to be his Middle East envoy, and Kelly Loeffler, a former U.S. senator and Trump's choice to head the Small Business Administration.

The committee will be responsible for covering the costs of everything but the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, which is borne by taxpayers.

Bezos and Zuckerberg pledged to donate $1 million each to the committee, as have Apple CEO Tim Cook and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Uber and its CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, have each donated $1 million to the fund.

Trump raised a record $106.7 million for his 2017 inauguration festivities. His committee has raised more than $170 million this time, according to media reports.

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"Things Trending Positive": Elon Musk On India-US Relationship

Tech billionaire Elon Musk told a delegation of leading Indian business figures at his SpaceX Starbase facility in Texas on Friday that he believes India-US ties are "trending positive" and that he favours an enhanced trade partnership between the two nations.

The Indian entrepreneurs, led by India Global Forum (IGF) to mark the UK-headquartered policy and events platform's expansion into the US this week, toured the company's cutting-edge space exploration facilities and witnessed the successful launch of SpaceX's Starship Flight 7.

During a moderated discussion, Musk emphasised the potential for deeper collaboration between the United States and India, particularly in the technology and space exploration sectors.

"Things are trending positive. I'm certainly in favour of lowering trade barriers to increase commerce between the US and India," Musk was quoted as saying during the session.

He went on to describe India as "one of the ancient civilisations and a very great and very complex one". The entrepreneur behind automotive major Tesla and social media platform X interacted with Indian business chiefs from across diverse sectors on the role of technology and India's growing role in the global innovation landscape.

The meeting comes just days before the inauguration of Donald Trump as US President for a second term on Monday and Musk's proposed role in his top team as co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

"This event underscores the growing importance of collaboration between India and global pioneers in shaping a sustainable and technology-driven future," said IGF Founder Manoj Ladwa. "As the world's most powerful democracy transitions to a Trump presidency, meaningful dialogue is more important than ever in these challenging times," he said.

"At India Global Forum, our mission is to bring together global leaders and innovators to tackle the defining challenges of our time... I believe India's rise presents limitless opportunities, and this meeting signifies the potential for powerful partnerships," he added.

The IGF delegation to Musk's Starbase in Texas included Prashant Ruia, Director - Essar Capital; Jay Kotak, Co-Head - Kotak811; Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO - OYO; Kalyan Raman, CEO - Flipkart; Aryaman Birla, Director - Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Limited; Nilesh Ved, Chairman - Apparel Group; and bestselling author Amish Tripathi, among others.

It followed a set of closed-door discussions on Thursday with members of the incoming Trump administration and key US stakeholders and policymakers, including Jacob Helberg - the Designated Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment in the new American administration. The dialogue, organised for IGF's US launch, also addressed the American economic landscape, exploring opportunities in digital infrastructure, tech, innovation and foreign investment, while highlighting ways to strengthen bilateral collaboration.

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'Mulholland Drive' And 'Twin Peaks' Director David Lynch Dies At 78

David Lynch -- the singular and surreal director of "Mulholland Drive" and television's "Twin Peaks," who depicted the darkness lurking beneath the wholesome surface of American life -- has died. He was 78 years old.

An enigmatic artist who turned his hand to arthouse and blockbuster film, television, painting and music, Lynch was considered first and foremost one of US cinema's great auteurs.

"It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch," read a statement on his official Facebook page.

"There's a big hole in the world now that he's no longer with us. But, as he would say, 'Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.'"

The cause and location of death were not specified. Lynch, who lived in Los Angeles, had suffered from emphysema after years of heavy smoking.

He emerged on the US indie scene with his groundbreaking 1977 horror "Eraserhead," a creepy and now cult classic shot on a shoestring budget over five years because he kept running out of money.

Lynch acquired a devoted following with critically adored films including sadomasochist mystery "Blue Velvet" (1986) and surreal thriller "Mulholland Drive" (2001).

But he may be best remembered for his mesmerizing 1990s series "Twin Peaks," which paved the way for many a prestige television drama to follow.

With four Oscar nominations, including a trio of best director nods, the filmmaker recognizable by his shock of white hair took home just one honorary statuette, in 2019.

- 'Fearless' -

Tributes from across Hollywood were swiftly posted to social media.

"#RIPDavidLynch, a gracious man and fearless artist who followed his heart & soul and proved that radical experimentation could yield unforgettable cinema," wrote director Ron Howard.

"David Lynch, RIP. At least that's what the horse wearing a fez just told me* in a dream. (*Backwards and in Swedish)," said comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, in a nod to Lynch's highly surreal style.

Born in small-town Montana in 1946, the son of a US Department of Agriculture research scientist, Lynch travelled extensively around Middle America as a young man.

He attended fine arts colleges in both Boston and Philadelphia, where he studied painting.

A one-minute animated film caught the eye of the American Film Institute, where he began work on what would later become "Eraserhead."

That was followed by 1980's "The Elephant Man," also shot in black-and-white and deeply tragic, but decidedly more mainstream and accessible. Lynch earned his first best director Oscar nomination.

Based on the diary of Joseph Merrick, the so-called "Elephant Man" born in the United States in 1862 with a condition that gave him a severely deformed physical appearance, it starred Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt.

An attempt to adapt sci-fi novel "Dune" into a blockbuster in 1984 would be one of Lynch's less well-received efforts, though it still has its admirers.

Lynch pivoted back to his arthouse roots with "Blue Velvet," about a young man who comes home from college and finds a severed ear. His investigation uncovers the sinister side of small-town America.

It starred Isabella Rossellini and Dennis Hopper, along with his regular collaborators Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern, and is often heralded as his greatest work. It also earned Lynch's second Academy Award nomination for directing.

After winning the top prize Palme d'Or at Cannes with "Wild at Heart" in 1990, Lynch turned his attention to television with "Twin Peaks," which captivated and shocked American in equal measure from its 1990 launch.

The tale of a tight-knit northwestern town reacting to the rape and murder of a popular but troubled high school girl, it was years ahead of its time and far more sophisticated than most network programming even today.

But ratings plummeted as the show's second season lost its direction after the purported meddling of ABC executives, and was cancelled. An even darker 1992 prequel film was initially panned by critics, but is now considered a classic.

- 'Singular and irreplaceable' -

After returning to film with "Lost Highway" and "The Straight Story," Lynch in 2001 made his second undisputed masterpiece, "Mulholland Drive, which brought Lynch his third best director Oscar nomination.

In a baffling world of hallucinations and cryptic happenings, Naomi Watts plays a naive actress who meets a mysterious brunette suffering amnesia, before everything gets inverted in an astonishing twist that still has fans arguing over its meaning to this day.

Film writer David Thomson called it "one of the greatest films ever made about the cultural devastation caused by Hollywood."

Lynch's final full-length feature film was 2006's inscrutable "Inland Empire," although he returned to the world of "Twin Peaks" with an acclaimed sequel series for cable network Showtime in 2017.

But he never retired, continuing to produce short films, music and paintings from his studio and home -- appropriately located just outside Hollywood, on Mulholland Drive.

He regularly posted whimsical weather updates to his YouTube channel, underlining the optimistic and playful man behind his often troubling art.

"It's a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way," said his family's tribute Thursday.

"I join you in the depths of this grief, in love and in reverence and celebration of someone who is singular and irreplaceable," wrote his "Twin Peaks" collaborator, singer Chrystabell.

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Israel Far-Right Minister Ben Gvir Says Will Quit Cabinet Over Gaza Deal

Israeli far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened on Tuesday to quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government if he agrees to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal being negotiated at talks in Qatar.

Ben-Gvir, whose departure would not bring down Netanyahu's government, urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a ceasefire deal, which he described as a dangerous capitulation to Hamas.

"This move is our only chance to prevent (the deal's) execution, and prevent Israel's surrender to Hamas, after more than a year of bloody war, in which more than 400 IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers fell in the Gaza Strip, and to ensure that their deaths are not in vain," Ben-Gvir said on X.

Smotrich said on Monday that he objects to the deal but did not threaten to bolt Netanyahu's coalition. A majority of ministers are expected to back the phased ceasefire deal, which details a halt to fighting and the release of hostages.

Ben-Gvir echoed remarks by Smotrich, who said on Monday Israel should keep up its military campaign in Gaza until the complete surrender of Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose Oct. 7 2023 attack caused the war.

About 1,200 people were killed in Hamas' 2023 assault on Israel and more than 250 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

Since then, more than 46,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, with much of the enclave laid to waste and most its population displaced.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have been mediating a ceasefire deal and agreements could be imminent, officials have said.

Some hostage families oppose the deal because they fear that the phased deal taking shape will see only some of the remaining 98 hostages freed and others left behind.

Successive surveys have shown broad support among the Israeli public for such a deal.

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Justin Trudeau Rules Out Contesting The Next Canadian Election

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he will not be running in the upcoming federal elections, scheduled for October this year. This decision comes after Trudeau stated last week that he would step down as Prime Minister as soon as his Liberal Party chooses a new leader. "In terms of my own decisions, I will not be running in the upcoming election," Trudeau said during a press conference in Ottawa.

Trudeau expressed uncertainty about his future after leaving politics, stating, "As to what I might be doing later, I honestly haven't had much time to think about that at all. I am entirely focused on doing the job that Canadians elected me to do in an extraordinarily pivotal time right now." He also met with Canada's premiers, the ambassador to the US, and some federal cabinet ministers to discuss how Canada would respond to Trump's tariff threats.

After serving as Prime Minister for over nine years, Trudeau faced pressure from the opposition and within his party to resign. This pressure intensified after the resignation of his finance minister, Chrystia Freeland. Trudeau announced, "I intend to resign as party leader, as Prime Minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust nationwide competitive process".

The process to replace Trudeau has not officially begun, but some well-known Liberal faces have started announcing their intentions to run. Interested candidates must notify the party and make an initial payment by January 23, and the party's new leader will be announced on March 9. Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney and former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland are expected to be leading contenders.

Trudeau will remain Prime Minister until the Liberal leadership election concludes in March and plans to serve as a member of Parliament until the next federal elections are held. However, he will cease to be an MP in the new Parliament if he does not contest and win in the election.
 

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Agencies Warn Of Trump's Inauguration Being A Target For Violent Extremists

The upcoming inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump is expected to be a highly secured event, with U.S. national security agencies warning that it could be an attractive target for violent extremists. Despite no specific credible threats, the agencies are taking precautions due to the heightened political environment and potential for violence.

Since the two assassination attempts on Trump, during the 2024 campaign and the recent attacks this year in New Orleans and Las Vegas, officials have been on high alert.

Perpetrators may see the swearing-in as "their last opportunity to influence the election results through violence," as a group of intelligence wrote in a threat assessment, accessed by POLITICO.

The threat assessment, compiled by the FBI, Secret Service, Capitol Police, and other agencies, highlights various nightmare scenarios, including bomb hoaxes, swatting calls, drone flights, and vehicle-ramming attacks. Foreign terrorists, domestic extremists, and lone wolves are considered potential perpetrators. The assessment also notes that Iran has long sought revenge against Trump for the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, with 700,000 users on Telegram threatening to assassinate him the day after Election Day.

Law enforcement officials are concerned that protests surrounding the inauguration could turn violent, with some groups having previously arranged protests that ended in arrests. The threat assessment mentions that past protests by some of these individuals have involved traffic blockades, trespassing, property destruction, and resisting arrest.

To address these concerns, a massive security operation is being put in place. Approximately 25,000 law enforcement and military personnel will be on-site to secure the inauguration, 4,000 officers will be reinforced in Washington D.C. from all over the country and nearly 1,000 officers supporting Capitol Police. The Secret Service, FBI, and other agencies are working together to protect the event, with a dedicated planning team from the Capitol Police department focusing on the inauguration since May.

Former counterterrorism official John Cohen notes that the threat environment for this inauguration is even more volatile and dangerous than it was in 2021. He points to the assassination attempts on Trump, recent threats at the Capitol, and broadening social attitudes that violence and destruction are acceptable ways to express political views.

The security measures in place will include physical security barriers, street closures, uniformed law enforcement deployed, undercover assets being deployed, and National Guard members at key places. The inauguration is expected to be a highly secured event, with law enforcement agencies taking all necessary precautions to ensure a peaceful transfer of power.
 

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Walmart Unveils New Logo But The Internet Is Unimpressed

Walmart's first logo update in 17 years is garnering significant online attention, though it may not be the kind the retail giant anticipated. The redesign, which the company describes as a modernisation grounded in tradition, includes a bolder font, a richer blue background, and a "more energised" yellow spark icon.

Speaking about the change, William White, the senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Walmart US, said in a press statement: "This update, rooted in the legacy of our founder, Sam Walton, demonstrates our evolving capabilities and longstanding commitment to serve our customers of today and tomorrow."

The internet, especially X (formerly Twitter), is awash with memes and jokes about the new logo

A user commented, "Some consulting firm fleeced them for $500M for this."

Some consulting firm fleeced them for $500M for this.

— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) January 13, 2025

Another user wrote, "Breaking: Walmart spends millions to shift their logo's shade by one hex code. Innovation at its finest."

Breaking: Walmart spends millions to shift their logo's shade by one hex code. Innovation at its finest. ??

— Kentucky Kernels Of Truth (@TrackDaddyKy) January 13, 2025

How much do you think they paid for this? $1M? $10M? $100M?

— Kody Nordquist (@KodyNordquist) January 13, 2025

The third user asked on X, "How much do you think they paid for this? $1M? $10M? $100M?"

The fourth user wrote, " Did Walmart release a new logo or a vision test? Just asking."

Did Walmart release a new logo or a vision test? ?

Just asking ? pic.twitter.com/L2iW10esvA

— ♥️?Mariel Schaab ?? ?? Coach4Expats (@MarieSchaab) January 14, 2025

Walmart just unveiled their new logo. It looks the fucking same. pic.twitter.com/UwoQDX4Ij9

— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) January 13, 2025

The fifth user wrote, "Walmart just unveiled their new logo. It looks the f****** same."

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