Sign up for our daily briefing

Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Denver news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Des Moines news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Tampa Bay news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Charlotte news in your inbox

Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

Please enter a valid email.

Please enter a valid email.

Subscription failed
Thank you for subscribing!

George W. Bush to attend Biden's inauguration, but Jimmy Carter won't

President-elect Joe Biden, former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush before the couple received the 2018 Liberty Medal at The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2018. Photo: William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

George W. Bush and Laura Bush will attend President-elect Joe Biden's swearing-in ceremony, but Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter will not attend the inauguration, spokespeople for the former first couples said Tuesday.

Why it matters: This is the first inaugural ceremony the Carters will have missed in over 40 years. Former President Carter, 96, has in recent years survived several falls and cancer, among other illnesses.

  • Per Bush's spokesperson Freddy Ford, this will be the eighth inauguration the 43rd president has attended, with "President Trump's being the most recent."
  • "[W]itnessing the peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy that never gets old," he added.

Of note: Biden's Jan. 20 inauguration will occur under strict protocols to protect against COVID-19.

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer
Jan 21, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Obama, Bush and Clinton to Biden: "Your success is our country's success"

Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama during the Celebrating America Primetime Special on Wednesday. Photo: Handout/Biden Inaugural Committee via Getty Images d

Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton wished President Biden well and spoke of coming together in a "peaceful transition of power" in a video organized by the inaugural committee Wednesday.

What they're saying: Obama noted "we can have a fierce disagreements and yet recognize each other's common humanity and that, as Americans, we have more in common than what separates us." Clinton said Biden had spoken form them in his unifying address, "now you will lead for us and we're ready to march with you." Bush added, "Your success is our country's success."

Orion Rummler
Updated Jan 21, 2021 - Politics & Policy

In photos: The Biden and Harris inauguration

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden watch a fireworks show on the National Mall from the Truman Balcony at the White House on Wednesday night. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Biden signed his first executive orders into law from the Oval Office on Wednesday evening after walking in a brief inaugural parade to the White House with first lady Jill Biden and members of their family. He was inaugurated with Vice President Kamala Harris at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday morning.

Why it matters: Many of Biden's day one actions immediately reverse key Trump administration policies, including rejoining the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization, launching a racial equity initiative and reversing the Muslim travel ban.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 6 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Health: Most vulnerable Americans aren't getting enough vaccine information — Fauci says Trump administration's lack of facts on COVID "very likely" cost lives.
  2. Politics: Biden unveils "wartime" COVID strategy — Biden's COVID-19 bubble.
  3. Vaccine: Florida requiring proof of residency to get vaccine — CDC extends interval between vaccine doses for exceptional cases.
  4. World: Hong Kong to put tens of thousands on lockdown as cases surge.
  5. Sports: 2021 Tokyo Olympics hang in the balance.
  6. 🎧 Podcast: Carbon Health's CEO on unsticking the vaccine bottleneck.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow