THE BIG STORY

After an extraordinary day of mobs, riots, and threats, Joe Biden has — once again — won the election

On Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump encouraged his supporters to breach the US Capitol building, falsely repeating that the election was stolen.

By the afternoon, a mob of almost exclusively white Trump supporters, flying MAGA and Confederate flags, sprayed police officers with chemicals, looted, and hung nooses, claiming to avenge their cultish leader’s delusional claims. It was a terrifying and dark moment in American history.

One woman died after being shot in the neck. Authorities confirmed she was shot by Capitol police. Video of the incident shows the woman wrapped in a Trump flag, covered in blood, lying in the halls of Congress.

The thousands of extremists breaching the Capitol forced senators and representatives to flee as they were certifying Joe Biden’s presidential election win. Before being evacuated, members of Congress had to take cover as the rioters tried to break into the House chamber.

In a stark contrast to how law enforcement officers were quick to use force on anti-racism protests, authorities were easily overwhelmed by a mob who easily pushed through metal police barricades, forced open the doors to the Capitol, and occupied offices.

As the chaos was unfolding, Biden pleaded with Trump to tell his supporters to “end this siege.” After Biden’s plea, Trump released a video on Twitter calling his supporters “very special,” asking them to “go home in peace.”

The attempted coup only delayed the inevitable. Early Thursday morning, Biden was officially certified as the winner of the election. Via his Deputy Chief of Staff, Trump released a statement saying while he “totally disagreed with the outcome of the election,” there will be “an orderly transition” of power.

Police with guns drawn point their weapons through a broken window at Trump supporters trying to break into the House Chamber. J. Scott Applewhite / AP

What you need to read today

👉 Many Republicans acted stunned at the scenes in Washington, DC. But the rioters who took over the capitol have been planning online in the open for weeks.

👉 Democrats are saying Trump should be impeached again for encouraging supporters to storm the Capitol.

👉 Trump’s chaos finally has top Republicans turning their backs. “POTUS fucked the party,” a top adviser to Trump’s reelection campaign said.

👉 How the day unfolded for Biden in Delaware: a president-elect opens his remarks with an apology for the way things are.

👉 Without any apparent explanation, administrators froze comments on at least three internal comment threads in which Facebook employees discussed removing Trump from the site.

👉 Though right-wing figures have spread baseless claims, there’s no evidence Antifa was involved in the attempted coup.

👉 Twitter locked Trump out of his account for 12 hours, and threatened to suspend him permanently.

👉 Germany’s foreign minister said that “the enemies of democracy will be thrilled” by the scenes in the Capitol. Here’s how the mob was viewed around the world.

👉 We put together a collection of the day's most intense photos.

Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier. Julio Cortez / AP

SNAPSHOTS

Democrat Jon Ossoff defeated David Perdue in Georgia. Democrats won both of Georgia’s runoff races, and in the process forged a road map for future success powered by Black organizers.

Mitch McConnell will lose control of the Senate as Democrats have swept the Georgia runoffs. Democrats will control both chambers of Congress plus the White House, giving President-elect Joe Biden the chance to enact his agenda.

Joe Biden will nominate Merrick Garland as the next attorney general. Garland had been Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court in 2016 but was blocked by Republicans. Now, he is Biden’s pick for the AG role.

Three women accused of whitewashing Mahjong said they’re sorry for not paying homage to its Chinese origins. What began as criticism has now prompted Asian Americans to share stories and images of their family and community playing mahjong together.

THE PATH TO VACCINES

These updating charts show how many people have received a coronavirus vaccine

We’re onto the next phase of the pandemic — where nations are racing to deliver the vaccines they have on-hand, in an effort to slow down, and eventually stop, COVID-19.

In the coming weeks and months, all eyes will be on the vaccine rollout. So we’ve put together updating charts and maps that will tell you where the US — and other nations — are with the vaccination process.

It’s early yet. So far, 5.3 million doses have been given in the US. But have a look at where things stand.

SHUT IT DOWN

Alexis Ohanian shut down a “sexist clown” who commented on Serena Williams’ weight

It has long been the case that Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian and global superpower Serena Williams, together with their daughter Olympia, are one of the cutest celebrity families.

Ohanian has made a habit of defending Serena on the internet. And when 81-year-old former tennis player Ion Tiriac suggested Serena should retire from the sport because of “this age and the weight she is now,” Ohanian went off.

I’ll let you enjoy the burns he delivered for yourself, but it’s safe to say the matter is settled.

Be intentional and deliberate about how you consume news today,

Elamin