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    Wednesday, May 08, 2024

    Biden inaugural prime-time TV special: Who, what and how to watch

    It’ll be an inauguration like no other — a nation’s proudest moment marked amid a crippling pandemic and frayed political bonds.

    Yet when Joe Biden takes the oath of office as the 46th president of the United States Wednesday, it will also be a history-making moment, with Kamala Harris becoming America’s first female vice president.

    And instead of the traditional balls, Wednesday’s festivities will conclude with a prime-time special, “Celebrating America,” to showcase the best of the country and dreams for what it can be again.

    The special will air from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Wednesday. The program will be carried live by ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, MSNBC and PBS and streamed live on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch.

    "Celebrating America" will "showcase the American people's resilience, heroism and unified commitment to coming together as a nation to heal and rebuild," according to the presidential inauguration committee.

    "The program will feature remarks from President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris and include remarks, performances that represent the rich diversity and extensive talent America offers and the American heroes who are helping their fellow Americans through this crisis."

    Tom Hanks, who last year documented his coronavirus battle, will host the event, along with Kerry Washington and Eva Longoria introducing special segments throughout the night.

    Biden and Harris will both speak, just hours after being inaugurated to the highest jobs in the country.

    Jon Bon Jovi, Ant Clemons, Foo Fighters, John Legend, Demi Lovato, Bruce Springsteen and Justin Timberlake will perform from “iconic locations” around the country, and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will recite a classic work.

    NBA icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen; Kim Ng, the first woman MLB general manage; and Dolores Huerta, the labor leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers, will also appear.

    Civilian special guests include Anthony Gaskin, a Virginia UPS driver; 8-year-old Cavanaugh Bell, who made care packages for senior citizens and started a community food pantry in Maryland; Washington kindergarten teacher Mackenzie Adams; Vanderbilt University soccer player Sarah Fuller, who became the first woman to play and score for a Power Five college football team; 8-year-old Wisconsin entrepreneur Morgan Marsh-McGlone who raised $50,000 for food-insecure families with a virtual lemonade stand; and Northwell Health director of critical care Sandra Lindsay, the first American to receive a COVID-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial.

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