In northern Virginia, the signs along the highway warn, “Stay Safe! Avoid D.C. January 19-21.” The lighted signs usually remind drivers to buckle up or not to text and drive. This week, they told residents not to attend Joe Biden’s inauguration as 46th president of the United States.

Police blockades and checkpoints surrounded the nation’s capital, where the National Guard has deployed about 25,000 armed troops—five times the official number of U.S. forces stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger certified the results in the state’s U.S. Senate runoff election. Once Democratic Sens.-elect Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff take their oaths on Wednesday, the chamber will be split 50-50 between the two parties, with Kamala Harris casting a tie-breaking vote as vice president. Five of President-elect Joe Biden’s Cabinet appointees appeared before the Senate on Tuesday to start confirmation hearings.

The departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and the Interior have launched official inquiries about law enforcement’s preparedness for and response to last week’s breach of the U.S. Capitol. Inspectors general for those agencies said they plan to investigate whether the FBI adequately shared warnings about the violence ahead of time and if Capitol Police turned down an offer of help from the Pentagon in the days before the riots.

Law enforcement agencies headed into the weekend with concerns that what happened in Washington on Jan. 6 might reoccur across the country. But crowds of armed, right-wing protesters did not amass at state capitols as expected.

I called my Uncle Courtney the night of Jan. 8. We hadn’t talked since July and besides catching up, I wanted to hear his take on the events in Washington the day before.  We sit on different ends of the spectrum—he leans left, while I am a conservative. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I watched the news unfold, but I imagined Courtney’s reaction to be one of anger. 

Supporters of the incoming president traditionally gather on the National Mall in Washington to welcome him on Inauguration Day before taking in a parade and attending parties throughout the city. But the National Mall will be closed for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration due to security concerns after riots at the U.S. Capitol last week. More than 26,000 National Guardsmen will secure the Capitol and surrounding areas, U.S. officials said.

When a group of pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol last week, the nation’s attention immediately turned to social media—and not just to find information or share opinions. Those who blame President Donald Trump for inciting the violence demanded an accounting from the industry credited for much of his political success. In response, Facebook, Twitter, and several smaller social media platforms suspended or banned the president.