Impeachment article has 200 cosponsors: US rep.
The draft, citing "incitement of insurrection," could be introduced Monday.
President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe Biden in 11 days.
Top headlines:
- Rep. Cicilline: 'Just passed 200 cosponsors' on article of impeachment
- GOP Rep. Kinzinger: Best thing for the country is Trump to resign
- Pence to attend Biden's inauguration: Source
- Senate Democrat says Cruz, Hawley should resign or 'the Senate must expel them'
- Trump asked Georgia election investigator to 'find the fraud': Source
Biden to push for immediate release of available COVID-19 vaccine doses
Biden will move to release more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine when he takes office, a departure from the country's current procedure of withholding 50% of the supply to ensure second doses of the two-shot vaccine are available, a transition official said Friday.
“He supports releasing available doses immediately, and believes the government should stop holding back vaccine supply so we can get more shots in Americans' arms now. He will share additional details next week on how his Administration will begin releasing available doses when he assumes office on January 20th,” Biden spokesperson TJ Ducklo said in a statement.
A transition official told ABC News they have faith manufacturers can produce enough vaccines to ensure people can get their second doses in a timely manner, while also getting more people their first doses.
The official also noted the Biden administration has long pledged to use the Defense Production Act as needed to help produce materials to ensure supply.
-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Anne Flaherty
Milley spokesperson confirms calls with Pelosi on nuclear authority
In a short statement, Col. Dave Butler, spokesperson for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed the nation's top Gen. Mark Milley and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the phone.
"Speaker Pelosi initiated a call with the chairman. He answered her questions regarding the process of nuclear command authority," Butler said.
Pelosi told her Democratic colleagues in a letter earlier Friday she reached out to discuss "available precautions" for preventing Trump "an unstable president" from accessing the nuclear launch codes or initiating military hostilities before he is out of office in 12 days.
-ABC News' Matt Seyler
Twitter says any more violations by Trump will result in permanent suspension
A Twitter spokesperson said in a statement Friday: “In line with our statement yesterday, any future violations of the Twitter Rules, including our Civic Integrity or Violent Threats policies, will result in permanent suspension of the @realDonaldTrump account.”
The social media platform on Wednesday removed a video of Trump telling Capitol Hill rioters "we love you" and to "go home," requested the removal of three of Trump's tweets and slapped a 12-hour lock on Trump's account by Wednesday night.
"If the Tweets are not removed, the account will remain locked," the company added in a Tweet on its verified safety account at the time.
A Twitter spokesperson told ABC News on Thursday morning that Trump’s tweets were deleted.
-ABC News' Ben Gittleson
Pelosi spoke to Milley about preventing Trump from nuclear access
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a letter to her Democratic colleagues said she reached out to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley Friday morning to discuss "available precautions" for preventing Trump -- "an unstable president" -- from accessing the nuclear launch codes or initiating military hostilities before he is out of office in 12 days. She doesn't elaborate further on their discussion.
"This morning, I spoke to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley to discuss available precautions for preventing an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or accessing the launch codes and ordering a nuclear strike. The situation of this unhinged President could not be more dangerous, and we must do everything that we can to protect the American people from his unbalanced assault on our country and our democracy," she said in the letter.
Pelosi said she is also still waiting to hear back from Vice President Mike Pence as to whether or not he intends to invoke the 25th Amendment ahead of House Democrats holding a call on their options on removing Trump from office at noon.
"If the President does not leave office imminently and willingly, the Congress will proceed with our action," she wrote.
-ABC News' Mariam Khan
White House flag lowered to half-staff in honor of Capitol police officers who died
Three days after Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died defending the Capitol against insurrectionists the White House lowered the U.S. flag to half-staff.
The decision to lower the flags came hours after Capitol Police also announced the off-duty death of Officer Howard Liebengood. The circumstances of his death have not been made public.
The U.S. attorney's office in Washington opened a federal murder investigation into the death of Sicknick, who died Thursday night after suffering injuries in the violent siege on Capitol Hill, three law enforcement sources confirmed to ABC News.
The investigation is being conducted jointly between the FBI and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, with cooperation from U.S. Capitol Police.
Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said in a statement that the Department of Justice "will spare no resources in investigating and holding accountable those responsible."
-ABC News' Elizabeth Thomas