President has commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 people and issued pardons to 39 others in largest single-day act of clemency in US history

Announcing clemencies for nearly 1,500 people and the pardons of 39 others, Joe Biden said that the decision is keeping in line with America’s historic tradition of forgiveness.

“America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a statement.

A decorated military veteran and pilot who spends much of his time helping his fellow church members who are in poor health or unable to perform strenuous tasks;

A nurse who has led emergency response for several natural disasters and who helped spearhead vaccination efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic; and

An addiction counselor who volunteers his time to help young people find their purpose, make better choices, and refrain from destructive behaviors and gang involvement.

Trump appointed Kari Lake, a Republican former candidate for governor and senator in Arizona, as director of Voice of America. VOA is a US-government supported global news agency, and Lake is best known nationally not just for her twin failed bids for office, but refusing to acknowledge her defeat in the governor’s race two years ago.

Xi Jinping, China’s president, has been invited to Trump’s inauguration next month, CBS News reports. No Chinese leader has ever attended a US presidential inauguration, but many incoming Trump administration officials view China as a rival and national security threat.

Time Magazine named Trump its “person of the year”. It’s his second time picking up the accolade, after first getting it in 2016.