Biden denounces Trump a year on from Capitol attack | First Thing

President condemns predecessor's web of lies' and says democracy is still at risk. Plus, the young people seeking couples therapy

Good morning.

Joe Biden marked the anniversary of the Capitol attack with his strongest denunciation yet of his predecessor, accusing Donald Trump and his allies of placing a dagger at the throat of American democracy".

The potential for a future stolen election is higher than ever, Sam Levine warns in his analysis of the continuing machinations. Since the insurrection, Republicans have powered ahead with efforts to undermine the processes of election administration and vote counting.

The forceful denunciation cannot have been easy" for Biden, who favours bipartisanship and ran on a platform of national unity, writes David Smith in his analysis. It shows that Biden understands the threat must be looked squarely in the eye".

What did Trump say? He had planned to hold a news conference from Mar-a-Lago, but canceled under pressure from conservative allies. Nevertheless, he issued a series of statements maintaining the big lie".

What else has contributed to climbing death rates? Drug overdoses and homicides have also risen during the pandemic.

Why are long Covid deaths difficult to tally? In some patients, the virus weakens organs or leads to new ailments - but may no longer be present at the time of death.