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Brian Lear on WNYC. Coming up at 11 o'clock, we'll hand off to NPR in Washington for coverage of the inauguration.

There is already a significant amount of transition news this morning, as I was saying before the break, not just pomp and ceremony. And before we even get to the inauguration and the possible day one

executive orders in January 6th riot pardons that many people are expecting, President Biden,

as perhaps his last official act in office, issued preemptive pardons for a number of people this

morning to prevent against the Trump revenge tour, as people

call it. Pardons were offered to Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired General Mark Milley, and members of the

January 6th select committee in the House of Representatives, including the outspoken Republican Liz Cheney.

And also, and maybe this isn't getting enough immediate attention compared

to those famous names I just mentioned, also Biden pardoned police officers who testified

before the January 6th committee. Biden released a statement with the pardons that read in part,

the issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an

acknowledgement that any individual engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be

misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense. And the Biden statement said,

even when individuals have done nothing wrong and, in fact, have done the right thing

and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably

damage reputations and finances, unquote. So why might Trump in a revenge tour have prosecuted

Dr. Fauci, who advised Trump and Biden on the nation's COVID

response. The Associated Press puts it this way. Fauci has since become a target of intense

hatred and vitriol from people on the right who blame him for mask mandates and other policies

they believe infringed on their rights, even as hundreds

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