(light upbeat rock music) - Coming up next on NewsDepth: chaos on Capitol Hill as a mob interrupts important work; Nick's got the history of presidential inaugurations; we answer your questions about the COVID vaccine; and we ask you, should the games go on this summer?

NewsDepth is now.

(continuing light rock music) Happy year, not so happy news.

Hello, everybody, I'm Rick Jackson.

Thank you so much for joining us.

It has been a tumultuous few weeks while we were all on break.

Around the country and in Washington, DC, the process of Joe Biden becoming the next president has been underway.

Last week, a group of President Trump's supporters marched from a rally he held outside the White House to the Capitol Building.

The Capitol is the location where the United States Senate and House of Representatives do their work.

Some of the group members violently pushed their way inside the building, forcing lawmakers there to halt their work and retreat into safe hiding spaces.

The congressmen and women had been certifying the Electoral College's votes to make Joe Biden the next president of the United States.

It's one of the last steps in the presidential election and the mob was hoping to stop it from happening.

After several hours of disarray, the House and Senate resumed their work and did officially certify Mr. Biden as the next president.

Now, all that's left is his inauguration, but we'll talk about that in just a little bit.

First, let's hear from Karen Caifa, who has more details on the Capitol chaos.

(crowd shouting) - [Karen] After a day of violence on Capitol Hill and weeks of refusing to concede, President Donald Trump released a statement early Thursday morning agreeing to an orderly transfer of power, reading in part, "Even though I totally disagree "with the outcome of the election and the facts bear me out, "nevertheless, there will be an orderly transition "on January 20th;" the statement after Congress's certification of Joe Biden's win over Trump in November's election.

- Joseph R. Biden Jr. of the state of Delaware has received 306 votes.

- [Karen] The proceedings, which began Wednesday afternoon, were halted by the first breach of the US Capitol since the British attacked it during the War of 1812.

The ugly scenes carried on for hours: smashed windows, smoke grenades, an armed standoff at the front door of the House, and protestors on the Senate floor.

- We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs, or threats.

- [Karen] A short video released by Trump during the violence told rioters to go home, but mostly repeated lies about his November loss.

- And when it's over, it is over.

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are lawfully elected.

- [Karen] Biden, now less than two weeks away from inauguration, condemned the violence.

- It's not protest, it's insurrection!

The world's watching!

- [Karen] In Washington, I'm Karen Caifa.

- Thank you, Karen.

Police arrested dozens who participated in the mob and constructed a new, larger fence around the Capitol Building.

It is unclear whether Trump will face legal or political consequences for urging the rally attendees to head to the Capitol Building and to fight for him to remain in office.

Some lawmakers called for the 25th Amendment to be used.

This amendment allows the vice president and other executive leaders to strip the president of his powers.

Others want to impeach Trump for a second time.

As of our filming, Monday afternoon, January 11th, a resolution to impeach Trump on charges of high crimes and misdemeanors was being introduced in the House.

The resolution accuses Trump of "inciting violence "against the government of the United States."

Now, for Mr. Trump to be impeached, the House would need to pass the resolution.

Then the Senate would have to vote to remove him from office.

Trump doesn't have many days in office, though.

Joe Biden's inauguration is set for January 20th.

An inauguration, that's a ceremony to induct someone into a new position.

The presidential inauguration is usually a huge event.

But with the pandemic, Biden's opted to keep it more simple and, thus, more safe.

Members of the inaugural committees say that to minimize crowds, there will be a virtual parade after Biden's sworn in.

The parade will celebrate American heroes and reflect on our nation's diversity and heritage.

The event will also feature performances in communities across the country.

Performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

It'll certainly be an historic ceremony, though, as the nation watches Biden and Kamala Harris, the first woman to take the oath of office to be vice president.

But they're urging people not to travel to DC and to instead watch the event on television.

In this week's Politics on Point, Nick Castele has the details on inaugurations past and the traditions that have grown up around them.

Nick.

(reverent orchestral music) - [Nick] Every four years on January 20th, we mark the beginning of a new presidential term through an inauguration ceremony, and presidents who are re-elected get this special ceremony twice.

The inauguration has become a national televised event, with speeches, performances, and parades.

But the only part of the ceremony that's actually required by our Constitution is a simple one-sentence promise: the presidential oath of office.

- I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear-- - I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear-- - That I will faithfully execute-- - That I will faithfully execute-- - [John] The office of president of the United States.

- The office of president of the United States.

- The same oath that every president has sworn to, beginning with George Washington in 1789.

The exact moment when a president-elect concludes the oath signals that he or she is now officially president and commander-in-chief.

This process signals a peaceful transfer of power from one elected president to another.

And the remarkable thing about our democracy is that we've made this peaceful transfer 45 times.

The presidents of the past have handed power over to both political allies and despised rivals.

President Trump's inauguration was attended by former presidents and even his once-rival, Hillary Clinton.

Through the generations, inauguration traditions have endured.

The inaugural parades began as a spontaneous march down Pennsylvania Avenue.

Thomas Jefferson, the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, walked from the Capitol Building to the White House after his inauguration and was followed by well-wishers.

This tradition continues as a planned procession, with most presidents, including Trump, getting out of their cars and walking part of the way to honor Jefferson's tradition.

Another tradition that's been passed from president to president is the inaugural address.

- Ask not what your country can do for you.

Ask what you can do for your country.

- The address sets the tone for the incoming presidency and is often a call for unity, something that has always been necessary after tense elections.

But there are no requirements for the speech.

It's just a chance for the new president to speak to the public.

- From this day forward, it's going to be only America first.

- After the business of the swearing in and the speech, the new president gets to loosen his tie and celebrate at some swanky parties.

Many fancy inaugural balls were held all over the city to celebrate the president's election.

And after a night of traditional celebration, the president finally got to turn in at his new house, the White House.

(spring bouncing) - Thanks, Nick.

- This go-around, Mr. Trump has not promised a peaceful transfer of power, but has promised an orderly one.

Before his Twitter account was closed down, he used it to announce that he does not plan to attend the inauguration.

Of course, it just won't be Joe Biden taking on a new role.

He's already announced most of his picks for his cabinet members.

The president's cabinet consists of 15 officials who lead various departments, from education to transportation to defense.

A few notable picks include Ohio's own US Representative Marcia Fudge.

She'll be the new Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

His campaign competitor, Pete Buttigieg, is going to be Secretary of Transportation.

And US Rep Deb Haaland of New Mexico will be the Secretary of Interior.

Haaland will be the first Native-American to hold a cabinet position.

Now, Biden said he has purposefully picked people of color to serve in his cabinet.

- Already, there are more people of color in our cabinet than any cabinet ever, more women than ever.

The Biden-Harris cabinet, it will be historic; a cabinet that looks like America, that taps into the best of America, that opens doors and includes the full range of talents we have in this nation.

- Biden's picks still need to be approved by the Senate, but it appears they will be since the majority of the Senate are now Democrats like him.

For this week's question, we wanna know: Who would you choose to be in your cabinet?

Pick one person and tell us what department they would lead and why they're a good fit.

Before break, we also asked you to write to us about your 2020 experience.

Let's see what you had to say by opening up our inbox.

(soft pop music) MacKenzie at Claggett Middle School in Medina had all of us laughing with her answer.

"If I would describe 2020, "I would describe it like a math problem: "If 2020 was a math problem.

"If you're walking on the ice cream "at five ounces per toaster and your bicycle loses a sock, "how much gravy will you need to repaint your hamster?

"I know it's confusing, right?

"2020 is confusing."

Thanks, MacKenzie.

Here's one from Noella at Elizabeth Lane Elementary over in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"Dear future me, my experience with 2020 has been hard, "but not as hard as others.

"I was lucky to be able to stay safe "from the virus, COVID-19.

"Many people lost their jobs from the lockdown.

"This year has made me realize that what problems I have "aren't as worse as others "and I should be thankful about what I have."

Hey, Noella, I lived in Charlotte for nearly nine years, but it was before you were born.

Danielle from Suffield Elementary in Mogadore wrote, "COVID-19 and this pandemic had really changed us all.

"I know that everyone has something they learned "about all this.

"Something I learned is that it is important "to wear your mask to keep others safe, "as well as yourself.

"If I had to describe this whole thing to my future self, "I would say 2020 is a once-in-a-lifetime experience "and that everybody was important in it."

I like this one from Anthony of Eaton Bruce Elementary in Eaton.

"I learned a lot of things this year.

"One, you can still love each other "even though you are far from each other.

"Also, you don't have to always talk in person "to have a conversation.

"Two, even if you don't like anyone, "you still need to make it up to each other.

"Three, I learned that no matter how long "you are quarantined or locked up, you just need to know "that you can see them at a later date."

Hallie from Sherwood Elementary in Cincinnati wrote, "Dear Future Me, wow!

"2020, what a year.

"Just living your normal life until March "and then, boom, lockdown!

"I would have never expected that.

"But hey, you got to have fun social distance lunch picnics "with your friends and have lots of fun hiking "with the boys and mom and dad.

"Plus, you got to go out and play with friends "socially distanced all day for the summer "because you had nothing else to do.

"So, 2020 wasn't too bad, was it?

"Signed, Past You."

Nice answers, everyone.

Now, we also asked you to write in with some questions about the COVID vaccine.

Let's go ahead and answer a few of those.

Alex from Claggett Middle School in Medina asks, "What are the vaccine stages and when will it get to us?"

Good question.

We mentioned before break that the vaccines were currently going to healthcare workers and nursing home residents.

This rollout, though, has been going a lot slower than officials had hoped.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced December 20th that the next round of vaccines should go to anyone over the age of 75 and non-healthcare frontline workers, then anyone between the ages of 65 and 74 or anyone 16 to 64 years old with high-risk medical conditions.

You can see it's gonna take a while until the vaccine's available for everyday folks.

Brian Todd has details.

- [Brian] A quick injection and a round of applause at a Jackson Health System facility in Miami.

(audience applauding) Doctors and nurses there getting the first coronavirus vaccine shots.

- [Reporter] Did that hurt at all?

- No, I didn't feel it at all.

- [Brian] For the rest of us, there could still be some months to go before that moment comes.

- By my calculation, sometime by the end of March, the beginning of April that the normal, healthy man and woman in the street who has no underlying conditions would likely get it.

- [Brian] Dr. Anthony Fauci telling MSNBC that will be after frontline healthcare workers, nursing home residents and staffers, and other essential personnel get the vaccine.

Many of us could be able to go to our pharmacy and get it.

Dr. Fauci says the timing depends on the efficiency of the rollout.

Other top experts push the timeline later for when we can start to get the vaccines at our local pharmacies.

- By May or June, everybody in this country who wants a vaccine will be able to get a vaccine.

- [Brian] Officials from CVS and Walgreens told CNBC that early-to-mid-spring is when many of us could be able to actually walk into their stores for a vaccine.

Other chains like Costco, Walmart, Rite Aid, Kroger, and Publix say they'll most likely offer the vaccines as well.

What will the process be like for the rest of us?

CVS officials say they want us to think of it like booking a roundtrip plane ticket.

- There's not gonna be lines because everyone will be appointment.

There's a lotta follow-up to ensure they get the second dose, up to and including a phone call if they miss that appointment.

And we'll be able to do 25 million vaccines a month.

- [Brian] Experts say people who have severe allergic reactions to any component in the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be asked not to get it.

For others with less severe allergies to food products like peanuts or eggs and for the rest of us-- - Anyone else that has a history of allergies, such as food allergies and the like not related to injected material, can go ahead and take the vaccine, but will have to be observed for 30 minutes after the immunization.

If you don't have a history of allergies, then there will be a shorter time of observation.

- [Brian] Once we've started going en masse to get vaccinated at our local outlets, what about a timetable for returning to normal?

Dr. Fauci says if America can get at least 75% of its population vaccinated-- - As we get into the fall, we can get real comfort about people being in school, safe in school, be they K-12 or college.

- Thanks, Brian.

Now, you heard mention of returning to schools, and many of you have asked us when children would be able to get the vaccine.

Both drug-makers, Pfizer and Moderna, have begun testing the vaccine in children.

However, a vaccine for children likely won't be available until late in the year.

But remember, children are not as likely to have severe COVID cases.

Another question for us came from Grace at St. Frances de Sales School in Akron.

She asks, "Do people have bad after-reactions "to the vaccine?"

The word I think you're looking for there, Grace, is "side effects."

A side effect is a secondary, often unwanted result from a medicine.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta spoke with a man who participated in the vaccine trials to see what side effects he experienced.

Sanjay?

- That evening was rough.

I mean, I developed a low-grade fever and fatigue and chills and-- - [Sanjay] Yasir Batalvi is describing the side effects that he experienced during Moderna's COVID vaccine trial.

- 30 minutes later, I had a little bit of stiffness, muscles soreness in my left arm.

It's like you're punched in the arm, basically.

- When you're going through this whole process, Yasir, 22-page consent form, hearing about all the potential side effects, knowing that you're trialing something that we don't have a lotta data on at the time, did you have any second thoughts before taking it?

- Honestly, Sanjay, yes.

- [Sanjay] Every decision we make is risk versus reward.

And when the company announced early data showing over 94% efficacy, Yasir was confident it had been worth it.

- It doesn't last long.

And the potential of folks not getting this vaccine and actually infecting people with COVID, those effects last a lot longer and they can be life or death.

- [Sanjay] These are early days and the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna use a type of genetic sequence called mRNA, a technology that has never before been used in humans outside of a clinical trial.

mRNA stands for "messenger RNA."

It carries the instruction for making whatever protein you want; in this case, the spike protein the virus uses to enter our cells.

These vaccines require two doses: one to prime, one to boost, a few weeks apart so the body mounts what we hope will be a lasting immune response.

One of the biggest concerns now is that the side effects that Yasir is describing, fatigue, muscle pain, fever, and chills, will deter people from getting that second dose.

- Every 10-15% of the subjects immunized have quite noticeable side effects that usually last no more than 24, 36 hours.

- Do you worry about the impact of this vaccine on you long-term?

- I gave it a lotta thought and the only thing that gave me some calm was trying to research the actual vaccine, trying to understand how mRNA vaccines work.

- [Sanjay] We understand this for sure: You can't get infected from this vaccine because the vaccine doesn't actually contain the virus.

And even though these are genetic-based vaccines, they don't alter our DNA.

And as far as those side effects go, that may even be a good sign.

- That means your immune response is working for you.

You should feel good about that and it shouldn't really be any difficulty coming back for that second shot, knowing that you're now in a much better position to fight off this awful virus.

- [Sanjay] Yasir is confident that his choice is helping pave the way to a better tomorrow.

- So, I put my name down because I just, I felt so helpless.

It's public service.

I have to do it because I think mass-scale vaccination is really the only realistic way out of the pandemic that we're in.

- Thank you, Doctor.

Folks given the vaccine are monitored for a short period to make sure they don't have a major adverse reaction to the vaccine, which so far has been pretty rare.

Well, pandemic or not, Japan is still planning to hold the Olympics this summer.

The games were already delayed from last year.

This comes despite the Japanese government announcing a state of emergency for their capital city of Tokyo just last week.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said his country is determined to hold safe and secure games by taking all possible measures against the infection.

He said he is optimistic that enthusiasm among the Japanese public will grow once vaccinations begin at the end of February.

Now, hoping to be at the game is Alice Dearing, one of the greatest British female marathon swimmers.

As Christina MacFarlane reports for us, Alice could place not only in the Olympics but place in the history books too.

Christina?

- [Christina] Alice Dearing is on a quest to become the first black female swimmer to represent Great Britain at the Olympics.

(water splashing) - When you word it like that, it's kind of like, "Oh, wow, okay."

It does sound quite negative, I guess, in a sense, but I try to look at it in a way of this is a chance to really help drive a positive and diverse change for a sport which does require it across the world, not just in Britain.

- [Christina] Dearing's journey into competitive swimming began at an early age.

Growing up in a mixed-race family, her Ghanaian mother, a keen swimmer, encouraged her to take up the sport.

At the time, Dearing says she was oblivious to swimming's lack of diversity.

- I first learnt to swim when I was five years old.

Me and my brother went along to the local swimming lessons at a local swimming pool.

My mum saw the noticeboard for the swimming club there when I was eight years old and just put us in for sessions with them, and me and my brother absolutely fell in love with the sport.

We watched all of the professional swimming on TV, all of the major championships and really enjoyed swimming and watching it, basically.

And eventually, I progressed to the elite stage and then my brother carried on with coaching and teaching.

- [Christina] But despite her early success, she says she sometimes experienced racism.

- I have heard a few instances of racism or discrimination or ignorance; a combination of all three in some cases, and they have obviously been very negative experiences.

I'm not gonna downplay that.

- [Christina] In England, just 1% of registered competitive swimmers identify as black or mixed race, so Dearing is doing something about it.

This year, she co-founded the Black Swimming Association.

- Over the next four years, we're looking to reduce the percentage of black adults and black children who don't swim in England by 5%.

We're looking to drive change through the boardroom, but also through grassroots levels.

So, this means working with aquatic partners such as Swim England to help implement policies which can get more black people into swimming, but then also looking to the community level.

- [Christina] She's also hoping to dispel the stereotypes that have prevented black people from learning to swim.

- Our bones are too dense, we sink when we get in the water, swimming's just not meant for us, we're not meant to swim.

(laughing) It's annoying 'cause whenever I say them out loud, I just think, "God, these are so stupid."

It's got to the point now where of course these myths and lies are believed because it's been repeated for so long.

Our grandparents were told these.

Our parents were told these.

And then it's no surprise our children are being told these.

- Two, one.

- [Christina] With the Olympic open swim qualifier now postponed to May 2021, Dearing is training hard nine times a week in the pool to prepare for the race of her life.

If she can make it to Tokyo, she hopes her achievement will speak for itself.

(water splashing) - I wish that race didn't matter in this sport.

It does matter, but I really hope we arrive at a place where it is just like, you just get in and swim and you don't have to be seen for your color or anything like that.

So, in the long run, I definitely just want to be remembered as a swimmer, not as the black swimmer for Britain.

- Thank you, Christina.

Well, for this week's poll, we wanna know, do you think the Olympics should still be held this summer?

Head to our online poll to vote either yes or no.

And on the topic of sports and our poll, last episode we asked you if you wore a helmet while riding a bike or a scooter.

54% of you said no, you don't wear a helmet.

Not gonna lie, I'm a little disappointed in that.

Wearing a helmet is an easy way to stay safe.

Okay, we've waited long enough.

It's time to award this week's NewsDepth A+.

Students in Mr. Kaspar's art class were asked to make the entrance to their city, Brooklyn, more unique and memorable.

So, this week's NewsDepth A+ goes to the Murals and Environmental Art I class at Brooklyn High School.

Mr. Kaspar said the class normally paints murals around the school grounds, but this year, with support from Sherwin Williams, the students were able to help beautify the city.

Brooklyn City Councilman Andy Celcherts, who is also the director of Keep Brooklyn Beautiful, helped select a prominent location in the city: an 80-foot-long retaining wall at one of the main entrances to Brooklyn.

The artists began the planning process last spring.

"Mr. Kaspar asked each of us "to come up with a design for the painting.

"After that, we compared designs "and combined some of the elements.

"Then we voted on it and chose the colors "and fonts we wanted to use," explained 11th-grader Alex Hernandez.

"This is my first year in the class, "but this is a great opportunity "to create something that will be remembered," he continued.

20 students in the murals class and from the National Art Honor Society will be doing the actual painting in the spring.

The pandemic slowed down the progress, but the size of the wall will allow the students to paint and still be socially distanced.

"I'm really grateful to have been part of this.

"The students at Brooklyn High School "and in the murals class work really hard "on the projects they're involved in, "so it's very nice to see some of us "helping to represent the school and the city in the mural."

That's according to 10th-grader Sienna Jackson.

Well, this week's NewsDepth A+ goes to the Murals and Environmental Art students at Brooklyn High School for collaborating with the community and designing a mural to beautiful their city.

Being involved in your local community like those students could make a good new year's resolution as well.

And from what I've learned, NewsCat has a few more ideas lined up.

Let's see what she's found in this week's Petting Zoo.

(bongos drumming) (cat meowing) Happy new year, NewsCat.

Whatcha been up to?

Ha, work?

That's impressive and different.

Napping less must be her resolution.

Let's see what she's found.

Ah, it's a story about how pets can help you keep your new year's resolutions.

No way!

- [Woman] They get us out moving.

We can go out and walk with our pets, run if we're runners, take 'em hiking.

And even cats can enjoy walking on a harness or even going out in a stroller.

- Well, to find out how to turn your pet into a healthy sidekick, click the Petting Zoo button on our website.

(spring bouncing) Thank you, NewsCat.

How about a resolution to write to NewsDepth each week?

I'd like that one because you know we love to hear from you, and there are plenty of ways to stay in touch.

You can write to us.

1375 Euclid Avenue is our address.

That's Cleveland, Ohio, our ZIP Code 44115.

You can email us at newsdepth@ideastream.org or you can tweet us.

Our handle is @NewsDepthOhio.

Plus, you can catch all of our special segments on YouTube.

And if you're old enough, hit subscribe so you don't miss out on any of our new videos.

Thank you for joining us, I'm Rick Jackson.

We will see ya right back here next week.

(light upbeat rock music) (spring bouncing) - [Girl] NewsDepth is made possible by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

(light rock music continuing) (soft synthesizer music)