Here & Now

Kamala Harris breaks a number of barriers on Wednesday, most notably, the first woman and person of Black and South Asian heritage to become vice president. Professor of history Manisha Sinha explains what Harris' ascension to power means to her. And, support remains high for former President Trump among Republican voters, so what is the future of the Republican Party? We speak with Jeff Flake, a Republican who represented Arizona in the U.S. Senate but did not support Trump.

Joe Biden has officially been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. He plans to sign 17 executive actions on Wednesday. NPR White House correspondent Ayesha Rascoe joins us. Also, on the campaign trail, Biden called Russia the biggest threat to U.S. security. Now that Biden is in the White House, what will the future of U.S.-Russia relations look like? NPR Moscow correspondent Lucian Kim explains.

Trump will not deliver a high-profile, televised farewell address as some past presidents have done. Here & Now's Alex Ashlock has a report on how past presidents have said goodbye. And, Frank Langella stars as Judge Julius Hoffman in the Netflix film "The Trial of the Chicago 7." He talks about how the story resonates today.

Ahead of Inauguration Day, some hotels are choosing to stay open despite increased security and calls by local leaders for visitors to avoid the area due to threats of violence. We speak with the owner of Adam's Inn on his decision to remain open this week. Also, the Save our Stages Act — $15 billion tied into the larger COVID-19 relief bill — is a lifeline for struggling independent venues across the U.S. We talk to two venue owners in Chicago about what the act means to them.

As a child, Ruby Bridges was the first Black student to desegregate an elementary school in New Orleans. She joins us to remember and honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. on this special day. And, a variety of new smartphone apps are being developed to help Americans navigate the pandemic. We hear about two of them.

Some on the right have compared the violence of the insurrection to last year's Black Lives Matter protests. Historian Ashley Howard explains why the comparison doesn't hold up to reality. And, "The Wire" star Wendell Pierce talks about the role of art in advancing social progress.

Over the past few weeks, West Virginia has been hosting vaccination events and now leads the nation in distributing vaccines. Retired Major General James Hoyer discusses vaccine plans in the state. Also, pollster Frank Luntz found 91% of 800 people who voted for Trump in November said they would vote for him again. He shares more of his findings.

In Arizona, Resolution Copper wants to mine the copper underneath Oak Flat, which would destroy an area that's sacred to the Apache Tribe. The grassroots organization Apache Stronghold has filed a lawsuit. The Arizona Republic reporter Debra Utacia Krol talks about the contentious deal. And, the CDC is recommending individuals with Down Syndrome get vaccinated early. We look at the link between Down Syndrome and increased COVID-19 risk.

Bianca Smith was hired last week as a coach for the Red Sox minor league system in Florida. She's the first Black woman hired as a coach in professional baseball, an industry that has been expanding roles for women. And, we speak with Rayouf Alhumedhi about her campaign for a hijab emoji, which is featured in the documentary "The Emoji Story."

Christopher Blackwell is incarcerated in Washington state where he's been on lockdown after a severe COVID-19 outbreak. He speaks about the conditions and his call for incarcerated people to get the vaccine early. Also, a team of experts from the World Health Organization has arrived in Wuhan, China, to begin an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus. Dr. Peter Ben Embarek, who's part of the team, joins us.

During Tuesday's memorial to the late Phoenix civil rights icon Calvin C. Goode, hackers interrupted the online service with racial slurs. Kate Gallego, the mayor of Phoenix, talks about the response to the racist hack. And, chef Kathy Gunst says celery is more than a garnish. She shares recipes for a celery salad, soup and a gratin.

At least two gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park have tested positive for the coronavirus with others are showing symptoms. Also, in Texas, at least two newspapers have criticized Sen. Ted Cruz for amplifying false claims of election fraud that egged on the Capitol rioters. He denies wrongdoing. Lisa Falkenberg, editor of opinion for The Houston Chronicle, discusses their editorial "Resign, Senator Cruz. Your lies cost lives."

The $2.3 trillion relief bill signed by Trump in late December includes a request that federal agencies tell Congress what they know about UFOs. Astronomer Seth Shostak explains what the government report might reveal. Also, Washington Post investigative reporter Carol Leonnig details how pro-Trump rioters were able to breach security at the Capitol last week.

Houston Methodist Hospital has distributed 50,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine. CEO Mark Boom talks about the hospital's rollout. And, the flurry of social media bans against Trump in light of last week's storming of the Capitol has given new urgency to a long-simmering question in tech: Does deplatforming work? Elizabeth Dwoskin of The Washington Post joins us.

The Trump administration resumed federal executions this summer after a 17-year hiatus. Sister Helen Prejean, a Catholic nun and anti-death-penalty activist, talks about why she believes the death penalty should be abolished. And, CBS's Jill Schlesinger talks about how businesses are responding to the Capitol riot last week.

Organizations tracking extremist groups say things could get worse before they get better. The mayor of Washington, D.C., is preparing for "armed extremists" on Inauguration Day. The Anti-Defamation League's CEO joins us. Also, after last week's insurrection, Amazon Web Services, Apple and Google have suspended the conservative social media app Parler. This comes after Twitter permanently banned Trump. The Atlantic's Derek Thompson details the fallout.

The police response on the Capitol Wednesday looked nothing like the images from Black Lives Matter protests over the summer. Police reform advocate DeRay Mckesson talks about the disparities in the U.S. in the right to protest. And, Taiwan has had remarkable success staving off the pandemic compared to other countries. KPCC's Josie Huang traveled there to visit family and tells us about the protocols.

We speak with award-winning actor Regina King about her feature film directing debut in "One Night in Miami." Also, Dr. Seema Yasmin, author of "Viral BS: Medical Myths and Why We Fall for Them," debunks common medical misinformation.

Many have noted the difference in how pro-Trump extremists were treated by police on Wednesday at the Capitol compared to how Black Lives Matter protesters have been treated in the past. Historian Ibram X. Kendi discusses. Also, Atlantic magazine writer Zeynep Tufekci has been using the word "coup" to describe Trump's actions since he lost the election in November. She explains what a coup means.

National security analyst Malcolm Nance talks about the lack of security that allowed a mob of extremists to storm the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. And, CNN political commentator Alice Stewart examines the current state of the Republican party and it's possible future, as lawmakers begin to distance themselves from President Trump and attempt to carve a new path forward.