The nation is holding its breath as state capitals around the country brace for possible violence in the coming days.
State officials are activating National Guard troops and closing off Capitol grounds in response to F.B.I. warnings that armed protesters and far-right groups are preparing to act in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday. Above, St. Paul, Minn.
The moves by state officials point to the growing fear over continuing violence in the aftermath of the pro-Trump mob attack on the U.S. Capitol that left five people dead.
Law enforcement officials are vetting hundreds of potential airplane passengers and beefing up airport security. Federal officials say a militarized “green zone” in downtown Washington is necessary to prevent an attack from domestic extremists. Such groups “pose the most likely threat” to the inauguration, according to federal intelligence groups. Read more at New York Times
Government leaders and law enforcement have opened multiple investigations into the Capitol riot.
The Capitol Police are investigating whether members of Congress inappropriately gave visitors access to the Capitol ahead of the riot, and inspectors general from a range of federal agencies are opening a coordinated inquiry into the catastrophic failures that led up to it. Congressional Democrats are reviewing what intelligence agencies knew before President Trump’s rally.
Times investigation teams have also been taking a closer look.
Before the riot, a network of far-right agitators spent weeks organizing and raising money for a mass action to overturn President Trump’s loss. And our video investigation shows how a 34-year-old Trump supporter died after being trampled by a pro-Trump mob during the Capitol assault, above.
The extremists failed to overturn the election, but they still see a victory. The Capitol riot served as a propaganda coup for the far-right that could fuel recruitment and violence for years to come. Read more at New York Times
The FBI is reportedly investigating if foreign actors funded some of the rioters that breached the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, a current and former FBI official told NBC News.
The agency is investigating whether foreign governments, organizations or individuals provided funding to those that helped plan the riot, according to the news outlet. As part of the probe, the agency is reportedly examining payments of $500,000 in bitcoin by a French computer programmer before the riot.
The French computer programmer died by suicide shortly after transferring the cryptocurrency, according to french media, NBC News reports.
Yahoo News first highlighted the bitcoin payments on Thursday, which was reported by analysis company Chainanalysis.
On Dec. 8, 28.15 BTC, which was worth $522,000 at the time of transfer, was sent to 22 different virtual wallets, many of which belonged to far-right activists, according to the report. Read more at The Hill
Police have seized an alarming number of guns from President Trump's supporters who descended on Washington, D.C., last week and stormed the Capitol in an effort to stop Congress's certification of the 2020 election results.
The details revealed in court documents over the past week paint a disturbing picture indicating that some of the demonstrators flocked to the Capitol prepared to carry out violence. The cases, likely only the beginning of a lengthy federal investigation, also suggest that the riot that overran the halls of Congress and left five people dead could have been much worse. Read more at The Hill
Amr Alfiky/The New York Times
Vice President-elect Joe Biden will sign dozens of executive orders on his first day in office reversing key Trump Administration policies on issues from immigration to climate change, Biden’s transition team announced Saturday.
On Wednesday, the day Biden is inaugurated as president, his executive actions will include:
Asking the Department of Education to extend the pause on student loan payments and interests on federal student loans
Rejoin the Paris Agreement, which focuses on goals to help mitigate climate change
Reverse the travel ban for Muslim-majority countries
He will also enact orders that address the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. As president, he will launch his "100 Day Masking Challenge," which includes a mask mandate on federal property and inter-state travel. He will also extend nationwide restrictions on evictions and foreclosures. Read more at USA Today
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda won a sixth term after a campaign marred by a lethal crackdown on the opposition and accusations of vote rigging.
His rival, Bobi Wine, 38, a rapper-turned-lawmaker, said the election was unfair, a contention backed by independent international observers. On Saturday, Mr. Wine was holed up in his house — which was surrounded on Friday by Mr. Museveni’s security forces. He declared that Mr. Museveni had “fabricated” the election results.
In Germany, Armin Laschet will be the next leader of Angela Merkel’s conservative party in fall elections that will decide who succeeds her as chancellor. But his win is not guaranteed. Read more at New York Times
Acting defense secretary Christopher C. Miller ordered the director of the National Security Agency to install on Saturday a former GOP political operative as the NSA’s top lawyer, according to four individuals familiar with the matter.
It is unclear what the NSA will do. The agency and the Pentagon declined to comment.
In November, Pentagon General Counsel Paul C. Ney Jr. named Michael Ellis, then a White House official, to the position of general counsel at the NSA, a career civilian post at the government’s largest and most technologically advanced spy agency, The Post reported. He was selected after a competitive civil service competition. He has not taken up the job, however, as he needed to complete administrative procedures, including taking a polygraph test. Read more at Washington Post
Travelers headed to England will have to provide a negative coronavirus test starting Monday. The test must be taken within 72 hours of arrival, and this applies to citizens as well. The UK discovered a new and more infectious coronavirus variant and is in the grip of a deadly second wave, with cases and hospitalizations skyrocketing. Read more at CNN
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