Arkansas man accused of beating officer with U.S. flagpole at Capitol
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An Arkansas man was accused Thursday of beating a police officer with a pole flying a U.S. flag during the riot last week at the U.S. Capitol, according to court documents. In an arrest affidavit filed Thursday in federal court in Washington, an FBI agent said...
Prosecutor: Capitol rioter aimed ‘to take hostages’
FORT WORTH, Texas — A retired Air Force officer who was part of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol last week carried plastic zip-tie handcuffs because he intended “to take hostages,” a prosecutor said Thursday in a Texas court. “He means to take hostages. He means to kidnap, restrain,...
Report: Trump continues to consult Steve Bannon about 2020 election results
President Donald Trump has connected with former campaign adviser Steve Bannon seeking guidance on how to overturn the election results of 2020, according to a report from Bloomberg News. Trump has spoken to Bannon over the phone recently, though it is not known how many times, according to the report...
North Korea holds huge military parade as Kim vows nuclear might
North Korea rolled out developmental ballistic missiles designed to be launched from submarines and other military hardware in a parade that punctuated leader Kim Jong Un’s defiant calls to expand his nuclear weapons program. State media said Kim took center stage in a parade Thursday night celebrating a major ruling...
Cleveland school therapist charged in Capitol Hill riots
CLEVELAND — A Cleveland school occupational therapist who resigned after the riots at the U.S. Capitol was charged Thursday with taking part in the breach. Christine Priola, 49, was arrested at her home and charged with entering a restricted building, violent entry and unlawful activities on Capitol grounds, said FBI...
FBI tracking ‘extensive’ online chatter about armed protestsVideo
WASHINGTON — The FBI is tracking an “extensive amount of concerning online chatter,” including calls for armed protests leading up to next week’s presidential inauguration, Director Chris Wray said Thursday. Wray, in his first public appearance since the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, said in a security briefing...
Biden unveils $1.9T plan to stem virus and steady economyVideo
WILMINGTON, Del. — Saying the nation faces “a crisis of deep human suffering,” President-elect Joe Biden unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan Thursday to turn the tide on the pandemic, speeding up vaccines and pumping out financial help to those struggling with the prolonged economic fallout. Called the “American Rescue...
No specific threats in Pa., but police in Harrisburg bolster security
Pennsylvania Capitol Police and state police said Thursday there are no specific threats against the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, though the departments say they are prepared should rumors of attacks come to fruition. “We have no specific intelligence relative to the Capitol Complex,” state police Lt. Col. Scott Price said...
Most major U.S. airlines ban guns in luggage for D.C. flightsVideo
Airlines and airports say they are stepping up security before next week’s presidential inauguration, with Delta and other major airlines saying they will prohibit passengers flying to the Washington area from putting guns in checked bags. The moves follow the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of...
Temporary waiver will allow qualified pharmacists to order, administer covid vaccines
Referring to pharmacies as “critical public health partners” in Pennsylvania’s plan to increase access to covid-19 vaccines, Gov. Tom Wolf approved a temporary waiver to allow state-licensed pharmacists to order and administer the shots once the vaccine is widely available. “Many Pennsylvanians will go to their local pharmacy for vaccination,”...
Expanded vaccine rollout in U.S. spawns new set of problems
The rapid expansion of covid-19 vaccinations to senior citizens across the U.S. has led to bottlenecks, system crashes and hard feelings in many states because of overwhelming demand for the shots. Mississippi’s Health Department stopped taking new appointments the same day it began accepting them because of a “monumental surge”...
Delaware man photographed with Confederate flag during Capitol siege arrestedVideo
A Delaware man photographed carrying a Confederate battle flag during a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol was arrested Thursday after authorities used the image to help identify him, federal prosecutors said. A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said that Kevin Seefried, who...
Australia to kill pigeon that crossed Pacific from Oregon
A racing pigeon has survived an extraordinary 8,000-mile Pacific Ocean crossing from the United States to find a new home in Australia. Now authorities consider the bird a quarantine risk and plan to kill it. Kevin Celli-Bird said Thursday he discovered the exhausted bird that arrived in his Melbourne backyard...
Heartbeat abortion ban may finally pass in South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina lawmakers are again considering a bill that would ban most abortions in the state and it seems much more likely to pass this time thanks to conservative gains in the General Assembly and at the U.S. Supreme Court. The ban on abortions once a fetal...
Who will preside at Trump’s 2nd impeachment trial?Video
WASHINGTON — There’s no clear answer to whether Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. or a Democrat would preside over a second impeachment trial for President Donald Trump, which could determine how the nation perceives the fairness of the proceedings. The Constitution states, “When the President of the United States...
Pennsylvania Capitol closing; more security being added
HARRISBURG — Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday ordered the Pennsylvania Capitol closed for two days next week around the swearing-in of three statewide officials and the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. The complex is already closed to the general public because of the coronavirus pandemic, and most Capitol employees under...
Charges: Retired Pa. firefighter threw extinguisher at Capitol Police
PHILADELPHIA — A retired Pennsylvania firefighter was arrested Thursday on federal charges that he threw a fire extinguisher that hit three Capitol Police officers during the violent siege on the Capitol last week. Robert Sanford, who retired last March from the Chester Fire Department, was arrested on charges that include...
Toyota fined for failing to report, fix emissions defects
DETROIT — Toyota will pay $180 million to settle U.S. government allegations that it failed to report pollution control system defects in its vehicles for a decade. The company also agreed in court to investigate emissions-related defects quickly and report them to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in a timely...
Trump impeachment trial could begin on Inauguration Day
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial could begin on Inauguration Day, just as Democrat Joe Biden takes the oath of office in an extraordinary end to the defeated president’s tenure in the White House. The trial timeline and schedule are largely set by Senate procedures and will start as...
Pennsylvania records 313 additional covid deaths, 7,175 more cases
Pennsylvania’s Department of Health on Thursday reported 313 additional covid deaths and 7,175 cases. With the day’s report, there have been 2,764 deaths counted this month, though not all the deaths occurred this month. Of the deaths counted this month 1,201 are from January, 1,547 from December, 12 are from...
N.Y. congressman tests positive for virus, latest since breach
NEW YORK — U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat said Thursday that he has the coronavirus, making the New York Democrat the latest House member to report testing positive since dozens huddled together for protection during the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Espaillat said in a release that he was...
Flint water probe brings charges against ex-Gov. Rick Snyder, others
FLINT, Mich. — A new investigation of the Flint water disaster led to charges against nine people, including former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and key members of his administration, who are accused of various crimes in a calamitous plan that contaminated the community with lead and contributed to a fatal...
Vatican: Pope Francis receives coronavirus vaccine
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican has confirmed Pope Francis received the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine on Thursday. No photos of the 84-yer-old pontiff receiving the shot have been released. The pope has advocated that everyone should get the vaccine, calling it an “ethical option” performed not only for...
34 House Democrats call for investigation into Jan. 5 tours by fellow members ahead of Capitol attackVideo
WASHINGTON — Rep. Mikie Sherrill and 33 other House members want an investigation into access given by fellow House lawmakers to visitors to the Capitol on Jan. 5 before the violent attacks on Congress the next day. The New Jersey Democrat alleged Tuesday night that members of Congress led guests...
Lawmaker wants Dolly Parton statue at Tennessee Capitol
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A statue of country music icon Dolly Parton could be added to the Capitol grounds in Nashville, Tenn., if one state lawmaker gets his way. Democratic Rep. John Mark Windle introduced a bill Tuesday that aims to honor Parton “for all that she has contributed to this...
