Today's edition of quick hits:
* National Guard: "Twelve National Guard members were removed from inauguration duty, including two for 'inappropriate' comments or texts, a Pentagon spokesman told reporters in a phone briefing Tuesday.... One was removed after fellow troops brought the member's comments to the attention of guard officers. Another was pulled out after an anonymous tip, he said."
* Quite a warning: "The FBI privately warned law enforcement agencies Monday that far-right extremists have discussed posing as National Guard members in Washington and others have reviewed maps of vulnerable spots in the city — signs of potential efforts to disrupt Wednesday's inauguration, according to an intelligence report obtained by The Washington Post."
* On a related note: "Biden's nominee for director of national intelligence, Avril Haines, told senators at her confirmation hearing Tuesday that she would provide a public assessment of the QAnon threat."
* Resist the urge to pity Trump: "A White House official and source familiar with the matter tell NBC News Vice President Mike Pence is not expected to attend the Joint Base Andrews sendoff for President Trump tomorrow. The White House official said it is not logistically feasible for Pence to attend both the sendoff and the inauguration, but Pence is not the only Trump administration member opting out."
* I'm not even sure what the point of this was: "President Trump on Monday ordered an end to the ban on travelers from Europe and Brazil that had been aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus to the United States, a move quickly rejected by aides to President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., who said Mr. Biden will maintain the ban when he takes office on Wednesday."
* A staggering statistic: "More than 400,000 people have died of the coronavirus in the United States, according to an NBC News tally early Tuesday, a milestone that seemed unimaginable at the start of the pandemic a year ago."
* Hawley does it again: "GOP Sen. Josh Hawley announced on Tuesday that he plans to object to swift consideration of President-elect Joe Biden's nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security, a move that will delay the installment of Biden's national-security team."
* How depressing: "Thirty-two percent of Europeans say that after electing Donald Trump president in 2016, Americans can no longer be trusted, according to a new poll."
See you tomorrow.