At noon ET today, Joe Biden will take his oath of office to become the 46th president of the United States, a culminating moment for his nearly 50-year career in politics and lifetime of tragedy and triumph.
But the pomp and circumstance surrounding Biden’s inauguration will look much different than years past, a result of the series of unparalleled challenges the 78-year-old will face upon taking office: the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 400,000 Americans and has left families across the country struggling economically in its wake, and a divided nation reeling from the attacks on the U.S. Capitol earlier this month following the contentious election.
