Giuliani says he won’t be on Trump impeachment defense team
Trump was impeached by the House for a second time last week.
President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe Biden in three days.
The House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump last Wednesday on an article for "incitement of insurrection" for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol -- making him the only president to be impeached twice.
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Harris to be sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor at inauguration
When Vice President-elect Kamala Harris takes the oath of office at Wednesday's inauguration, the magnitude of her historic election will be marked not only in her remarks but in the details.
The vice president-elect will be sworn in by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, another historic female first. Sotomayor is the first Latina Supreme Court Justice.
Harris, according to a source with knowledge, told ABC News that the vice president-elect was inspired by Justice Sotomayor's background. The pair both previously served as former prosecutors -- Harris in California, Sotomayor in New York.
During her victory speech, Harris weaved in an adage from her mother, Shymala Gopalan Harris, who often told her she would be the first to do many things, but urged her to open doors for others.
"While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last," said Harris.
-ABC News' Averi Harper and Beatrice Peterson
Harris stresses importance of 'following the science'
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Saturday echoed Biden's message on listening to science as the country faces challenges such as the pandemic and climate change.
"The importance of ... following the science, of listening to the scientists, is clear everywhere we look -- from a pandemic that has taken such a devastating toll, partly because our nation's leaders did not listen to the scientists from the start, to raging wildfires, record-breaking storms and a climate crisis that scientists agree is caused by human beings," Harris said during a press briefing on the administration's science team.
The administration will additionally invest in STEM education "and the next generation of scientists, including women scientists and scientists of color," she said.
Harris also spoke about her personal connection to research as the daughter of a cancer researcher, and she encouraged the next generation of scientists.
"I have a message for all the little girls and boys out there who dream of growing up to be a superhero,” she said. “Superheroes aren’t just about our imagination. They are walking among us. They are teachers and doctors and scientists."
"And you can grow up to be like them, too, so let's dream big, lead with conviction, and see ourselves, each one us, as the superheroes of tomorrow," she added.
-ABC News' Beatrice Peterson, Molly Nagle and John Verhovek
Maria Zuber to serve on 4th White House administration
In addition to Frances Arnold, Maria Zuber will co-chair the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
This will be her fourth time serving in a White House administration.
"I look forward to continuing to advocate for science and a nonpartisan manner in this new role," said Zuber, who is Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s vice president for research and E. A. Griswold professor of geophysics. "I am thrilled with the challenge and the opportunity to work together with the scientific leadership of this administration to restore trust in science and pursue breakthroughs that benefit all people."
Zuber said that the work is critical "as the pandemic continues to rage."
Beyond the pandemic, she highlighted other areas of focus for the team, including the "transition to a zero-carbon energy system, our need to create good-paying jobs of the future and other aspects of our existential fight against climate change."
Zuber grew up in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, which she described as once being coal country. Both of her grandparents mined and died of black lung, she said, while noting that communities like hers still haven't recovered long after mining jobs have left.
"I could not be more excited for the efforts of this administration to deploy science to help breathe new life into these places, into so many communities large and small that are hurting today," she said. "Bold scientific leadership will be a critical component of building back better, guarding our health and safety, helping spark new, clean industries, and keeping America competitive in the race for those well-paying jobs of the future."
Zuber was the first woman to lead a NASA spacecraft mission and the first woman to lead a science department at MIT.
In 2004, former President George W. Bush appointed her to the Presidential Commission on the Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy. In 2013, former President Barack Obama appointed her to the National Science Board, and President Trump reappointed her in 2018.
Francis Arnold to co-chair President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
During remarks on Saturday, Biden introduced Francis Arnold as co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and part of the first all-women team to lead the council. Arnold is the first woman in American history to receive a Nobel Prize in Chemistry and is currently the Linus Pauling professor of chemical engineering, bioengineering, and biochemistry and director of the Rosen Bioengineering Center at the California Institute of Technology. Arnold has been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Known for her contributions to renewable energy, Arnold co-founded three biotechnology companies in sustainable chemistry and agriculture.
"My belief has grown that our highest responsibility in each generation is to preserve our fragile planet, prepare our economy and our workforce for the future and pass on a better world," Arnold said in her remarks Saturday.
"When we put science back to work for the benefit of all people, revitalizing our economy, fueling our climate response, broadening our perspective as we rebuild around greater equity and opportunity, we are making a society that is worth passing on to our children and our grandchildren. It is an act of love. I am honored by the opportunity to help nurture this effort," Arnold said.
Officials issue wide-ranging ‘threat assessment’ ahead of Biden’s inauguration
The FBI, DHS, Secret Service and U.S. Capitol Police, along with several local law enforcement agencies, have issued an extensive "threat assessment" surrounding Wednesday's inauguration.
It covers a range of threats surrounding the inauguration, including not only physical threats from domestic terrorists but also influence campaigns from Russia, China and Iran stemming from the Capitol siege. It even covers physical threats from drones.
The memo says domestic extremists is the “most likely” threat to the inauguration, citing recent incidents of ideologically motivated violence, including the deadly mob at the U.S. Capitol building.
Regarding foreign concerns, the assessment said that since the incident at the Capitol, “Russian, Iranian, and Chinese influence actors have seized the opportunity to amplify narratives in furtherance of their policy interest amid the presidential transition.”
“We have not identified any specific, credible information indicating that these actors intend to explicitly commit violence,” it added. “Furthermore, we have not identified any specific, credible cyber threat to critical infrastructure supporting the upcoming Presidential Inauguration nor a specific credible cyber threat to military or law enforcement personnel supporting the event."
The memo did say, however, that Russian state media has “amplified themes related to the violent and chaotic nature of the Capitol Hill incident, impeachment of President Trump, and social media censorship.”
Iranian state media has “continued to stoke claims that President Trump encouraged and incited the violence, as well as calls to invoke the 25th amendment,” the memo added. It has also “amplified perceived concerns related to President Trump’s mental health and the prospect of other risky actions he could take before leaving office.”
Finally, it noted that Chinese media has “seized the story to denigrate US democratic governance -- casting the United States as broadly in decline -- and to justify China’s crackdown on protestors in Hong Kong."
Lastly, the memo warned that drones could disrupt law enforcement operations at the inauguration, though it added that it does not have “specific, credible information” indicating malicious actors have plans to use unmanned aircraft systems to target the event.
-ABC News’ Mike Levine