Security set to outnumber attendees at Biden inauguration

Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president on Wednesday in a closely guarded ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, cloaked by security and beamed out online.

Biden’s inauguration was always going to be sparsely attended. Concerns over the spread of the coronavirus drove early planning to tailor the events for home viewing, gatherings that under usual circumstances would draw big crowds. Biden’s inaugural committee planned chinwags, concerts, and meet-and-greets, all digital, designed to part corporate sponsors and prominent VIPs with cash.