As security officials work overtime to get the nation’s capital ready for the biggest inauguration bash in U.S. history, they say that the most daunting challenge is preparing for the unexpected. Of course the Secret Service, which is steering the security plan – with the involvement of Park Police, National Guardsmen and a humongous force of 57 federal and local agencies – is focusing on such issues as bomb threats, civil disturbances, safe airspace, and the likelihood of foreign terrorism and local loonies not too pleased with the thought of an African-American president. Read what else officials had to say here.

Judge slaps Secret Service in racism case. The Secret Service scoffed at a federal court ruling that it turn over documents to the plaintiffs who are suing the agency for alleged racial discrimination in the eight-year-old case. Ignoring the decree, the judge said, undermined the ability of the African-American agents to put on their case. For its defiance, U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson, has barred the Secret Service from introducing rebuttal evidence during the civil trial. The penalty is just short of awarding victory to the Black agents, who say they were denied promotions because of their race. “No reasonable search for the documents responsive to plaintiff’s requests … was ever conducted” despite federal rules requiring it, nine separate court orders by Robinson demanding it and three previous penalties imposed by Robinson. The agency’s “substantial and prejudicial” stubbornness “virtually mandates a finding that defendant’s noncompliance … was willful,” Robinson wrote. Ed Donovan, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office said that the matter is “far from over,” adding that he will appeal the decision. Robinson’s punishment doesn’t equal a guilty ruling, but the agency says she might as well have found it guilty since it prevents the Secret Service “from presenting evidence that particular promotion decisions were made for nondiscriminatory reasons and from presenting statistical evidence to rebut claims that bias affected an entire class of employees,” The Associated Press reports.

Ohio community braces for an economic punch. A southern Ohio community is bracing for possible layoffs as DHL Express – the largest employer in the area – planned to announce its quarterly earnings report and restructuring details on Monday, according to CNN. DHL’s parent company, German-based Deutsche Post World Net, refused to comment on published reports that the international courier company is planning to lay off as many as 8,000 people. However, it does plan to announce plans for its U.S. operations to investors Monday, said spokesman Jonathan Baker.  The Deutsche Post has reported that the company ordered roughly 8,000 layoffs at DHL’s Wilmington hub. In the meantime, Ohio officials scramble over the weekend to offset possible job cuts to the community. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) sent a letter Friday to DHL Chief Executive Officer John Mullen asking for immediate information about layoffs in the Wilmington area. According to a statement from his office, Brown also called U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor Howard Radzely plans “to seek immediate attention to a state of Ohio’s request for emergency funds to assist workers and communities affected by DHL’s loss in business since announcing a proposed outsourcing agreement with UPS.” Both local and federal officials say cuts that heavy would have a devastating economic impact on the community. 
D.C. Police arrest a Secret Service agent for solicitation. D.C. police Inspector Brian Bray says his squad arrested a secret service agent for solicitation while conducting a prostitution in northwest Washington early Saturday, WUSA-TV reports. The inspector says a marked Secret Service Uniformed Division patrol car pulled up to speak with an undercover female officer posing as a prostitute. The Secret Service sergeant, who was in uniform, allegedly asked what sex acts the undercover officer would perform. They agreed on a price of $20, and he drove to meet her. Then D.C. police arrested and charged him with solicitation for prostitution. Darrin Blackford, a Secret Service spokesman, says the agency’s internal affairs division is investigating the matter. He says the officer, whose name was not released, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.