$500K in Bitcoin sent from France to U.S. far-right groups
PARIS — A French computer programmer transferred more than $500,000 in Bitcoin to far-right activists just before his death last month, including some involved in last week’s riot in Washington, researchers said Friday. Chainalysis, a firm that investigates Bitcoin transactions, found that the majority of the 22 transactions on Dec....
Defense Department calling governors for more Guard troops for D.C.
WASHINGTON — Defense Department officials are scrambling to call governors and asking whether they have any more National Guard troops they can send to Washington to help protect the Capitol and the city. A defense official familiar with the discussions said law enforcement leaders and other authorities have now determined...
Federal watchdogs open probe of response to Capitol riot
WASHINGTON — Federal watchdogs launched a sweeping review of how the FBI, the Pentagon and other law enforcement agencies responded to the riot at the U.S. Capitol, including whether there were failures in information sharing and other preparations that left the historic symbol of democracy vulnerable to assault by a...
Russia follows U.S. in withdrawal from Open Skies Treaty
MOSCOW — Russia said on Friday that it will withdraw from an international treaty allowing surveillance flights over military facilities after the U.S. exit from the pact, compounding the challenges faced by the incoming administration of president-elect Joe Biden. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the U.S. withdrawal...
Pentagon says U.S. has dropped to 2,500 troops in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has met its goal of reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan to about 2,500 by Friday, a drawdown that may have violated a last-minute congressional prohibition. The reduction could complicate matters for the incoming Biden administration, which must determine how to handle a Trump...
Pfizer temporarily reduces European deliveries of vaccine
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer confirmed Friday it will temporarily reduce deliveries to Europe of its covid-19 vaccine while it upgrades production capacity to 2 billion doses per year. “This temporary reduction will affect all European countries,” a spokeswoman for Pfizer Denmark said in a statement to The...
Woman fatally shot as she pursues man who stole cellphone
CLEVELAND — A man who stole a woman’s cellphone after she set it on the counter at a Cleveland convenience store fatally shot her when she chased after him, authorities said. The shooting occurred around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday in the Glenville neighborhood. Andrea Randle, 32, was shopping in the store...
At least 34 dead as Indonesia quake topples homes, buildings
MAMUJU, Indonesia — A strong, shallow earthquake shook Indonesia’s Sulawesi island just after midnight Friday, toppling homes and buildings, triggering landslides and killing at least 34 people. More than 600 people were injured during the magnitude 6.2 quake, which sent people fleeing their homes in the darkness. Authorities were still...
Former Italian leader Berlusconi released from hospital
MILAN — Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was released Friday from a hospital in the French Riviera city-state of Monaco where he underwent medical tests for heart problems, his press office said. The 84-year-old three-time premier said in a message to supporters that his health was good and that he...
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...
