Florida proposes bill to crack down on mobs and violence

Florida House of Representatives Speaker Chris Sprowls makes the case for the legislation after the riots on Capitol Hill.

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  • When will Warnock and Ossoff be seated in the Senate — and when will Democrats take control?

    With their upset victories in this week’s Georgia runoffs, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff will give Democrats the edge in the U.S. Senate for the first time since 2015.

  • Here are the Republicans who voted to contest the Electoral College votes showing Biden beat Trump

    For a few Republican lawmakers, the spectacle of a pro-Trump mob storming the Capitol was enough to make them reconsider their role in seeking to block the certification of electoral votes that confirmed Joe Biden had beaten Donald Trump on Nov. 3.

  • Man Photographed with Foot on Desk in Pelosi’s Office Is Arrested

    Law enforcement officials announced Friday that they had arrested the man pictured in a viral photograph sitting in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office with one leg up on her desk when pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Officials said they took 60-year-old Richard Barnett into custody in Little Rock, Ark. and also released details about crimes for which several people will face federal charges.Barnett, who faces charges of violent entry and theft of public property, among other things, told KFSM that he was looking for a bathroom when he saw that the door to Pelosi’s office was open."I sat down here in my desk. I’m a taxpayer. I’m a patriot. That ain’t her desk — we loaned her that desk," he told KFSM. "And she ain’t appreciating the desk, so I thought I would sit down and appreciate the desk." Barnett is being held in the Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville, Ark., awaiting his initial appearance, according to NBC News.A New York Times reporter on Wednesday shared a video of Barnett, which he said was taken after the Arkansan's time in the speaker's office, and shows him bragging about taking a personalized envelope from the office, which he says he didn't steal. > Here’s Mr. Barnett, who goes by “Bigo,” telling the story in his own words pic.twitter.com/oSyKiCDXgy> > -- Matthew Rosenberg (@AllMattNYT) January 6, 2021"I left a quarter on her desk," he said, and later added that he left a "nasty note" as well."I'll probably be telling them this is what happened all the way to the D.C. jail," he added.Barnett said that he knocked politely on the door to the office, but was then pushed inside by other rioters. Pelosi's aides have said her office was vandalized on Wednesday and that a laptop from a conference room had been stolen, though the equipment was only used for presentations.Officials earlier announced the arrests of 82 people at the state, local and federal levels, according to reports, while the FBI's Washington Field Office on Friday released 40 photos of people who are wanted in connection with the rioting at the Capitol.A state lawmaker from West Virginia was also charged Friday in connection with the riot at the Capitol. Derrick Evans, a Republican, reportedly recorded and then deleted a video of himself joining the crowd, leading to a petition asking for him to step down.Meanwhile, 70-year-old Lonnie Coffman of Falkville, Ala. is accused of having two handguns, an assault rifle and 11 Molotov cocktails that included gasoline and what appeared to be homemade napalm, officials said.Police were able to link Coffman to a suspicious red GMC pick-up truck with Alabama plates, according to NBC News.Mark Leffingwell was charged and is accused of knowingly entering restricted ground and assaulting an officer after entering the Capitol. Leffingwell repeatedly punched a U.S. Capitol Police officer in the helmet and chest, according to court papers.Christopher Michael Alberts of Maryland is accused of illegally entering the Capitol while in possession of a loaded Taurus 9mm handgun and a separate magazine filled with ammunition. Alberts, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, is also accused of having a pocketknife at the time.He "immediately tried to flee" before police detained him, according to court papers. He told police he had the gun "for personal protection and he did not intend on using the firearm to harm anyone."

  • Capitol Police officer dies from injuries in pro-Trump riot

    The 42-year-old officer, identified as Brian D. Sicknick, was injured while "physically engaging with protesters."

  • Pakistani PM asks Shiites to bury coal miners killed by IS

    Pakistan's prime minister on Friday appealed on protesting minority Shiites not to link the burial of 11 coal miners from their Hazara community, killed by the Islamic State group last week, to demands that he visit the mourners. Saying that the miners would not be buried until he visits the protesters amounts to blackmail, said Prime Minister Imran Khan. Since Sunday, hundreds of mourners have been rallying despite cold weather in Quetta, beside the coffins of the miners.

  • Police Officer Killed in US Capitol Siege Was Air National Guard Veteran, Deployed to Iraq

    Brian D. Sicknick enlisted in the New Jersey Air National Guard in 1997 and served for six years.

  • Capitol riot was false-flag operation by leftists, Trump backers claim, with no basis

    As an angry mob of Trump fans stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, several of President Trump’s key allies sought to baselessly cast blame on the loose-knit movement of left-wing agitators known as antifa.

  • Sen. Joe Manchin says he'd 'absolutely' oppose Biden's stimulus checks, then swiftly walks it back after stocks tank

    President-elect Joe Biden announced some economic priorities on Friday, but Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) promptly poked some holes in his plans.Biden began laying out his framework for the next round of COVID-19 relief, reports The Washington Post, and said his plans include a multi-trillion-dollar package that would provide "more direct relief flowing to families, small businesses," in part via $2,000 stimulus checks.But Manchin, who Axios notes will become an increasingly important player as a moderate in the Democrats' razor-thin Senate majority, seemed taken aback by Biden's promise. "I don't know where in the hell $2,000 came from. I swear to God I don't," he said. "That's another $400 billion dollars." Since Republicans are united in opposing larger checks, resistance from a single Democrat could throw a wrench in Biden's plans.He told the Post he would "absolutely not" support larger stimulus checks for Americans, but a spokesperson later seemed to walk back his resistance, insisting Manchin "isn't drawing a red line against" $2,000 checks, but simply "believes vaccine distribution should be a higher priority," as NBC News' Sahil Kapur put it. Perhaps realizing how consequential his hardline opposition to the plan may be, Manchin later tweeted to note he was open to discussion. "If the next round of stimulus checks goes out they should be targeted to those who need it," he wrote. Conspicuously, between Manchin's initial comments and his clarification, markets seemed to notice the potential roadblock.> Stocks dropped from all-time highs after a report that West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin will oppose further direct aid payments, denting hopes for another sweeping spending bill https://t.co/qzugAEnxpL pic.twitter.com/34WGqpsXJ3> > — Bloomberg (@business) January 8, 2021Aside from Manchin's role in the announcement, Biden's remarks on his economic plans were noteworthy in that he prioritized extending unemployment insurance, as well as sending billions of dollars in aid to state and local governments, which could help speed up COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Read more at The Washington Post.More stories from theweek.com 7 scathing cartoons about Trump's Capitol riot Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski calls for Trump to resign: 'I want him out' Republican inaction speaks louder than words

  • Rioter photographed hanging on Congress wall claims he was telling others to respect ‘sacred ground’

    Protestor says his companions wanted to ‘trash the place’ but he urged them to respect the ground

  • Pakistan arrests 7 Shiite militants, foils possible attacks

    Pakistan's counter-terrorism police and the country's intelligence agency raided hideouts of an outlawed Shiite militant group in the eastern Punjab province and arrested seven suspects who allegedly wanted to attack leaders of rival Sunni Muslims' groups, a spokesman said Thursday. The suspects were being directed by militant leader Mehmood Iqbal, who was hiding in a neighboring country, officials said. Authorities did not name the country but officials have previously blamed Iran for backing Shiite militants.

  • Turkey says talks with France to normalise ties going well

    ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkey and France are working on a roadmap to normalise ties and talks are going well, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, adding Ankara was ready to improve ties with its NATO ally if Paris showed the same willingness. Turkey has repeatedly traded barbs with France over policies in Syria, Libya, the eastern Mediterranean and Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as over the publication of cartoons of Prophet Mohammad in France. Paris has led a push for EU sanctions on Turkey.

  • Inside the Charming Parisian Apartment of French Designer Sarah Poniatowski

    Located directly under the roof, Poniatowski’s idyllic Right Bank apartment is flooded with light, flea market finds, and the designer’s very own collectionOriginally Appeared on Architectural Digest

  • New Georgia Sen. Warnock says riot shows 'words have power' — and he will use his for 'bringing people together'

    Georgia Sen.-elect Raphael Warnock blames President Trump and his allies for emboldening the mob that stormed the Capitol in D.C., where he will soon be sworn in as one of two Democratic senators from the normally Republican state, putting his party in charge of the Senate after six years in the minority.

  • Democrats hit out at 'Sedition Caucus' of Republican senators who voted to throw out election results

    A group of Republican senators who objected to the election results have been called the "Sedition Caucus" and accused by Democrats of "standing with the mob". Eight Republican senators and over 130 of the party's members of Congress voted against certifying election results even after the debate was shut down by rioters. The Senate contingent led by Texas senator Ted Cruz, and Missouri senator Josh Hawley, faced demands from Democrats to resign or be expelled from the Senate. Mr Cruz and the others condemned the violence but still objected to the certification of the results. They argued that large numbers of voters, including many Democrats, did not have faith in the results, and therefore a commission should be established to audit them. Initially, more than a dozen Republican senators had objected, but some withdrew their protest after the siege of the Capitol. Those included Oklahoma senator James Lankford, who was speaking on the Senate floor when it was shut down. On his return hours later a stunned-looking Mr Lankford said: "I was literally interrupted mid-sentence speaking here...peaceful people in my state want their questions [about the election result] answered, but they don't want this, what happened today. We must set a peaceful example." An editorial by the Kansa City Star newspaper in Missouri said Mr Hawley had "blood on his hands".

  • 5 nations want Iran to deliver justice on downed plane

    The countries whose citizens were killed when Iran accidentally shot down a Ukrainian jetliner said Friday they want Iran “to deliver justice and make sure Iran makes full reparations to the families of the victims and affected countries.” In a joint statement marking the one-year anniversary of the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crash, Ukraine, Canada, Britain, Afghanistan and Sweden said they want Tehran “to provide a complete and thorough explanation of the events and decisions that led to this appalling plane crash.” Sweden earlier had said that Iran had agreed to compensate the families’ of the foreign victims.

  • Chicago police union president: Saying riots are ‘treason’ is ‘beyond ridiculous’

    ‘They get to do what they want,’ John Catanzara said of people whose efforts left a police officer dead. John Catanzara, who was elected last May as the president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, is defending the people who participated in the violent siege of the U.S. Capitol that resulted in the death of a police officer.

  • Sean Hannity calls out condescending remark from Anderson Cooper about Trump supporters

    Sean Hannity responds after CNN's Anderson Cooper says Trump supporters will go back to the "Olive Garden and Marriott" after riots in the Capitol.

  • U.S. Supreme Court's Breyer in retirement spotlight after Democratic wins

    With Democrats securing control of the U.S. Senate, some liberal activists are calling for liberal Justice Stephen Breyer to make retirement plans so Democratic President-elect Joe Biden quickly can appoint a successor to the Supreme Court's oldest member. Breyer, 82, has served on the nation's top judicial body since 1994, having been appointed by a Democratic president, Bill Clinton. Republican President Donald Trump, due to leave office on Jan. 20, appointed three justices during his four-year term, moving the court rightward with a 6-3 conservative majority.

  • Miya Ponsetto defends herself in wild interview after falsely accusing Black teen

    When interviewed by CBS "This Morning" host Gayle King about the incident, Ponsetto abruptly cut her off, saying: “Alright Gayle, enough.”

  • AP Photos: Indian army patrols border with rival Pakistan

    From sandbagged Indian army bunkers dug deep into the Pir Panjal mountains in the Himalayas, villages on the Pakistan-controlled side of Kashmir appear precariously close, on the other side of the Line of Control that for the past 73 years has divided the region between the two nuclear-armed rivals. Tens of thousands of soldiers from India and Pakistan are positioned along the two sides. AP journalists were recently allowed to cover Indian army counterinsurgency drills in Poonch and Rajouri districts along the Line of Control.