LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 22-year-old Lincoln woman pleaded no contest to charges arising from a fatal hit-and-run last year. 

Casey Maxfield accepted a plea deal Tuesday in the October 2019 death of 41-year-old Tina Mortensen of Lincoln. 

Maxfield pleaded no contest to leaving the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury and motor vehicle homicide. 

Maxfield turned herself in the day after hitting Mortensen. 

She told police she fled because she panicked. Maxfield, who is nearsighted, wasn't wearing her glasses at the time and her license was suspended.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A 22-year-old Lincoln woman pleaded no contest to charges arising from a fatal hit-and-run last year. Casey Maxfield accepted a plea deal Tuesday in the October 2019 death of 41-year-old Tina Mortensen of Lincoln. Maxfield pleaded no contest to leaving the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury and motor vehicle homicide. Maxfield turned herself in the day after hitting Mortensen. She told police she fled because she panicked. Maxfield, who is nearsighted, wasn't wearing her glasses at the time and her license was suspended.

Woman enters plea deal in fatal hit-and-run in Lincoln

GENEVA, Neb. (AP) — A 31-year-old southeast Nebraska man has been sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison for letting more than 200 cattle die and for selling livestock he didn't own.

 Aaron Ogren, of Exeter, was sentenced Tuesday on seven charges. 

He initially faced 43 counts after being arrested last April when sheriff's deputies found more than 200 dead cattle on land near Exeter.

 Ogren was supposed to be caring for the cattle. 

Several other cattle later died because they were in such poor condition when they were found. 

Authorities said Ogren also sold livestock he didn't own. 

The court found Ogren does not have funds to make restitution.

GENEVA, Neb. (AP) — A 31-year-old southeast Nebraska man has been sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison for letting more than 200 cattle die and for selling livestock he didn't own. Aaron Ogren, of Exeter, was sentenced Tuesday on seven charges. He initially faced 43 counts after being arrested last April when sheriff's deputies found more than 200 dead cattle on land near Exeter. Ogren was supposed to be caring for the cattle. Several other cattle later died because they were in such poor condition when they were found. Authorities said Ogren also sold livestock he didn't own. The court found Ogren does not have funds to make restitution.

Nebraska man sentenced for letting more than 200 cattle die

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A Kansas woman was executed Wednesday for strangling an expectant mother in Missouri and cutting the baby from her womb, the first time in nearly seven decades that the U.S. government has put to death a female inmate.

Lisa Montgomery, 52, was pronounced dead at 1:31 a.m. after receiving a lethal injection at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. She was the 11th prisoner to receive a lethal injection there since July when President Donald Trump, an ardent supporter of capital punishment, resumed federal executions following 17 years without one.

As a curtain was raised in the execution chamber, Montgomery looked momentarily bewildered as she glanced at journalists peering at her from behind thick glass. As the execution process began, a woman standing over Montgomery’s shoulder leaned over, gently removed Montgomery’s face mask and asked her if she had any last words. “No,” Montgomery responded in a quiet, muffled voice. She said nothing else.

She tapped her fingers nervously for several seconds, a heart-shaped tattoo on her thumb, showed no signs of distress, and quickly closed her eyes. As the lethal injection began, Montgomery kept licking her lips and gasped briefly as pentobarbital, a lethal drug, entered her body through IVs on both arms. A few minutes later, her midsection throbbed for a moment, but quickly stopped.

Montgomery lay on a gurney in the pale-green execution chamber, her glasses on and her grayish brown hair spilling over a green medical pillow. At 1:30 a.m., an official in black gloves with a stethoscope walked into the room, listened to her heart and chest, then walked out. She was pronounced dead a minute later.

“The craven bloodlust of a failed administration was on full display tonight,” Montgomery’s attorney, Kelley Henry said in a statement. “Everyone who participated in the execution of Lisa Montgomery should feel shame.”

“The government stopped at nothing in its zeal to kill this damaged and delusional woman,” Henry said. “Lisa Montgomery’s execution was far from justice.”

It came after hours of legal wrangling before the Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution to move forward. Montgomery was the first of the final three federal inmates scheduled to die before next week’s inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who is expected to discontinue federal executions.

But a federal judge for the District of Columbia halted the scheduled executions later this week of Corey Johnson and Dustin Higgs in a ruling Tuesday. Johnson, convicted of killing seven people related to his drug trafficking in Virginia, and Higgs, convicted of ordering the murders of three women in Maryland, both tested positive for COVID-19 last month.

Montgomery killed 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in 2004. She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own.

An appeals court granted Montgomery a stay of execution Tuesday, shortly after another appeals court lifted an Indiana judge’s ruling that found she was likely mentally ill and couldn’t comprehend she would be put to death. But both appeals were lifted, allowing the execution of the only female on federal death row to go forward.

As the only woman on federal death row, Montgomery had been held in a federal prison in Texas and was brought to Terre Haute on Monday night.

Montgomery’s legal team says she suffered “sexual torture,” including gang rapes, as a child, permanently scarring her emotionally and exacerbating mental-health issues that ran in her family.

At trial, prosecutors accused Montgomery of faking mental illness, noting that her killing of Stinnett was premeditated and included meticulous planning, including online research on how to perform a C-section.

Henry balked at that idea, citing extensive testing and brain scans that supported the diagnosis of mental illness. She said the issue at the core of the legal arguments are not whether she knew the killing was wrong in 2004 but whether she fully grasps why she is slated to be executed now.

U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon, who had halted Montgomery’s execution before the stay was overturned on appeal, cited defense experts who alleged Montgomery suffered from depression, borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Montgomery, the judge wrote, also suffered around the time of the killing from an extremely rare condition called pseudocyesis in which a woman’s false belief she is pregnant triggers hormonal and physical changes as if she were actually pregnant.

Montgomery also experiences delusions and hallucinations, believing God spoke with her through connect-the-dot puzzles, the judge said, citing defense experts. The government has acknowledged Montgomery’s mental issues but disputes that she can’t comprehend that she is scheduled for execution for killing another person because of them.

Details of the crime at times left jurors in tears during her trial.

Prosecutors told the jury Montgomery drove about 170 miles (274 kilometers) from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Stinnett. She strangled Stinnett performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby.

Prosecutors said Stinnett regained consciousness and tried to defend herself as Montgomery cut the baby girl from her womb. Later that day, Montgomery called her husband to pick her up in the parking lot of a Long John Silver’s in Topeka, Kansas, telling him she had delivered the baby earlier in the day at a nearby birthing center.

Montgomery was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who is now 16 years old and hasn’t spoken publicly about the tragedy.

Prosecutors said the motive was that Montgomery’s ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children. Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows.

Anti-death penalty groups said Trump was pushing for executions prior to the November election in a cynical bid to burnish a reputation as a law-and-order leader.

The last woman executed by the federal government was Bonnie Brown Heady on Dec. 18, 1953, for the kidnapping and murder of a 6-year-old boy in Missouri.

The last woman executed by a state was Kelly Gissendaner, 47, on Sept. 30, 2015, in Georgia. She was convicted of murder in the 1997 slaying of her husband after she conspired with her lover, who stabbed Douglas Gissendaner to death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602895377835.png" alt="Lisa Montgomery, 52, was the 11th prisoner to receive a lethal injection at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana since July." />
 <figcaption>Lisa Montgomery, 52, was the 11th prisoner to receive a lethal injection at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana since July.</figcaption>
 </figure>TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A Kansas woman was executed Wednesday for strangling an expectant mother in Missouri and cutting the baby from her womb, the first time in nearly seven decades that the U.S. government has put to death a female inmate.Lisa Montgomery, 52, was pronounced dead at 1:31 a.m. after receiving a lethal injection at the federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana. She was the 11th prisoner to receive a lethal injection there since July when President Donald Trump, an ardent supporter of capital punishment, resumed federal executions following 17 years without one.As a curtain was raised in the execution chamber, Montgomery looked momentarily bewildered as she glanced at journalists peering at her from behind thick glass. As the execution process began, a woman standing over Montgomery’s shoulder leaned over, gently removed Montgomery’s face mask and asked her if she had any last words. “No,” Montgomery responded in a quiet, muffled voice. She said nothing else.She tapped her fingers nervously for several seconds, a heart-shaped tattoo on her thumb, showed no signs of distress, and quickly closed her eyes. As the lethal injection began, Montgomery kept licking her lips and gasped briefly as pentobarbital, a lethal drug, entered her body through IVs on both arms. A few minutes later, her midsection throbbed for a moment, but quickly stopped.Montgomery lay on a gurney in the pale-green execution chamber, her glasses on and her grayish brown hair spilling over a green medical pillow. At 1:30 a.m., an official in black gloves with a stethoscope walked into the room, listened to her heart and chest, then walked out. She was pronounced dead a minute later.“The craven bloodlust of a failed administration was on full display tonight,” Montgomery’s attorney, Kelley Henry said in a statement. “Everyone who participated in the execution of Lisa Montgomery should feel shame.”“The government stopped at nothing in its zeal to kill this damaged and delusional woman,” Henry said. “Lisa Montgomery’s execution was far from justice.”It came after hours of legal wrangling before the Supreme Court cleared the way for the execution to move forward. Montgomery was the first of the final three federal inmates scheduled to die before next week’s inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who is expected to discontinue federal executions.But a federal judge for the District of Columbia halted the scheduled executions later this week of Corey Johnson and Dustin Higgs in a ruling Tuesday. Johnson, convicted of killing seven people related to his drug trafficking in Virginia, and Higgs, convicted of ordering the murders of three women in Maryland, both tested positive for COVID-19 last month.Montgomery killed 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in 2004. She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own.An appeals court granted Montgomery a stay of execution Tuesday, shortly after another appeals court lifted an Indiana judge’s ruling that found she was likely mentally ill and couldn’t comprehend she would be put to death. But both appeals were lifted, allowing the execution of the only female on federal death row to go forward.As the only woman on federal death row, Montgomery had been held in a federal prison in Texas and was brought to Terre Haute on Monday night.Montgomery’s legal team says she suffered “sexual torture,” including gang rapes, as a child, permanently scarring her emotionally and exacerbating mental-health issues that ran in her family.At trial, prosecutors accused Montgomery of faking mental illness, noting that her killing of Stinnett was premeditated and included meticulous planning, including online research on how to perform a C-section.Henry balked at that idea, citing extensive testing and brain scans that supported the diagnosis of mental illness. She said the issue at the core of the legal arguments are not whether she knew the killing was wrong in 2004 but whether she fully grasps why she is slated to be executed now.U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon, who had halted Montgomery’s execution before the stay was overturned on appeal, cited defense experts who alleged Montgomery suffered from depression, borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Montgomery, the judge wrote, also suffered around the time of the killing from an extremely rare condition called pseudocyesis in which a woman’s false belief she is pregnant triggers hormonal and physical changes as if she were actually pregnant.Montgomery also experiences delusions and hallucinations, believing God spoke with her through connect-the-dot puzzles, the judge said, citing defense experts. The government has acknowledged Montgomery’s mental issues but disputes that she can’t comprehend that she is scheduled for execution for killing another person because of them.Details of the crime at times left jurors in tears during her trial.Prosecutors told the jury Montgomery drove about 170 miles (274 kilometers) from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Stinnett. She strangled Stinnett performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby.Prosecutors said Stinnett regained consciousness and tried to defend herself as Montgomery cut the baby girl from her womb. Later that day, Montgomery called her husband to pick her up in the parking lot of a Long John Silver’s in Topeka, Kansas, telling him she had delivered the baby earlier in the day at a nearby birthing center.Montgomery was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who is now 16 years old and hasn’t spoken publicly about the tragedy.Prosecutors said the motive was that Montgomery’s ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children. Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows.Anti-death penalty groups said Trump was pushing for executions prior to the November election in a cynical bid to burnish a reputation as a law-and-order leader.The last woman executed by the federal government was Bonnie Brown Heady on Dec. 18, 1953, for the kidnapping and murder of a 6-year-old boy in Missouri.The last woman executed by a state was Kelly Gissendaner, 47, on Sept. 30, 2015, in Georgia. She was convicted of murder in the 1997 slaying of her husband after she conspired with her lover, who stabbed Douglas Gissendaner to death.___

Officials: No last words from Kan. woman before execution

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is asking states to speed delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to people 65 and older and to others at high risk by no longer holding back the second dose of the two-dose shots, officials said Tuesday.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that “the administration in the states has been too narrowly focused.”

As a result, he said, the Trump administration is now asking states to vaccinate people age 65 and over and those under 65 with underlying health conditions that put them at high risk. He said the vaccine production is such that the second dose of the two-shot vaccine can be released without jeopardizing immunization for those who got the first shot.

“We now believe that our manufacturing is predictable enough that we can ensure second doses are available for people from ongoing production, Azar told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “So everything is now available to our states and our health care providers.”

So far, the vaccine rollout has been primarily to health care workers and nursing home residents, and the slow pace has frustrated many Americans at a time when the coronavirus death toll has continued to rise. More than 376,000 people have died, according to the Johns Hopkins database.

Azar said it was now time to move “to the next phase on the vaccine program” and expand the pool of those eligible to get the first dose.

That also means expanding the number of places where people can be vaccinated by adding community health centers and additional drug stores.

“We’ve already distributed more vaccine than we have health care workers and people in nursing homes,” Azar said. “We’ve got to get to more channels of administration. We’ve got to get it to pharmacies, get it to community health centers.”

He said the federal government “will deploy teams to support states doing mass vaccination efforts if they wish to do so.”

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to give a speech Thursday outlining his plan to speed vaccines to more people in the first part of his administration. His transition team has vowed to release as many vaccine doses as possible, rather than continuing the Trump administration policy of holding back millions of doses to ensure there would be enough supply to allow those getting the first shot to get a second one.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires a second shot about three weeks after the first vaccination. Another vaccine, this one produced by Moderna, requires a second shot about four weeks afterward. One-shot vaccines are still undergoing testing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609958275919.png" alt="Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar received his vaccination earlier this month-photo courtesy HHS" />
 <figcaption>Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar received his vaccination earlier this month-photo courtesy HHS</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is asking states to speed delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to people 65 and older and to others at high risk by no longer holding back the second dose of the two-dose shots, officials said Tuesday.Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said that “the administration in the states has been too narrowly focused.”As a result, he said, the Trump administration is now asking states to vaccinate people age 65 and over and those under 65 with underlying health conditions that put them at high risk. He said the vaccine production is such that the second dose of the two-shot vaccine can be released without jeopardizing immunization for those who got the first shot.“We now believe that our manufacturing is predictable enough that we can ensure second doses are available for people from ongoing production, Azar told ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “So everything is now available to our states and our health care providers.”So far, the vaccine rollout has been primarily to health care workers and nursing home residents, and the slow pace has frustrated many Americans at a time when the coronavirus death toll has continued to rise. More than 376,000 people have died, according to the Johns Hopkins database.Azar said it was now time to move “to the next phase on the vaccine program” and expand the pool of those eligible to get the first dose.That also means expanding the number of places where people can be vaccinated by adding community health centers and additional drug stores.“We’ve already distributed more vaccine than we have health care workers and people in nursing homes,” Azar said. “We’ve got to get to more channels of administration. We’ve got to get it to pharmacies, get it to community health centers.”He said the federal government “will deploy teams to support states doing mass vaccination efforts if they wish to do so.”President-elect Joe Biden is expected to give a speech Thursday outlining his plan to speed vaccines to more people in the first part of his administration. His transition team has vowed to release as many vaccine doses as possible, rather than continuing the Trump administration policy of holding back millions of doses to ensure there would be enough supply to allow those getting the first shot to get a second one.The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires a second shot about three weeks after the first vaccination. Another vaccine, this one produced by Moderna, requires a second shot about four weeks afterward. One-shot vaccines are still undergoing testing.

US shifts to speed COVID shots as cases, deaths rise

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.

An internal FBI bulletin warned, as of Sunday, that the nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, according to two law enforcement officials who read details of the memo to The Associated Press. Investigators believe some of the people are members of extremist groups, the officials said. The bulletin was first reported by ABC.

“Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from 16 January through at least 20 January, and at the U.S. Capitol from 17 January through 20 January,” the bulletin said, according to one official. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The FBI issued at least one other bulletin — they go out to law enforcement nationwide on the topic — before the riots last week. On Dec. 29, it warned of the potential for armed demonstrators targeting legislatures, the second official said.

“While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, the FBI is supporting our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners with maintaining public safety in the communities we serve,” the bureau said in a statement. “Our efforts are focused on identifying, investigating, and disrupting individuals that are inciting violence and engaging in criminal activity.”

The FBI said it wasn’t focused on peaceful protests but “on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property.”

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters Monday that the Guard is also looking at any issues across the country,

“We’re keeping a look across the entire country to make sure that we’re monitoring, and that our Guards in every state are in close coordination with their local law enforcement agencies to provide any support requested,” he said.

The riots followed weeks of online calls for violence in the nation’s capital in the waning days of Donald Trump’s presidency. There have been several arrests, and at least two Capitol police officers, one who took a selfie with rioters, and another who put on a Make America Great Again hat, were suspended. At least a dozen more are under investigation, according to lawmakers.

A tweet in which Trump promised that last Wednesday’s event in Washington, D.C., “will be wild” fueled a “month-long frenzy of incitements, strategizing, and embrace of violence against lawmakers,” according to a research group that tracks online extremism activity, In a report issued Saturday, the SITE Intelligence Group also warned that the Capitol attack has emboldened Trump-supporting extremists.

“No matter how all this plays out, its only the beginning,” posted a user on TheDonald message board, according to the report.

Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, said authorities in state capitals and other major cities besides Washington should prepare for the possibility of violent protests next week.

“A lot of people were energized by what happened last week,” he said. “State capitals are a natural place where people might want to show up, especially assuming that they think there might be a huge presence of police and military in D.C. because of what happened last week.”

Pitcavage tracks militia, white supremacists and other far-right extremists, but he said the Capitol siege demonstrated the emergence of a new movement of ”Trumpist extremists, so caught up in the cult of personality around Trump that they may be willing to break the law or engage in violence purely in support of Trump and whatever he wants.”

The talk of armed marches next week isn’t limited to “radicalized” Trump supporters. State capital events on Jan. 17 appear to be promoted by supporters of the anti-government, pro-gun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3783a0cdc0e6cc04b43fd28b6069e960">“boogaloo” movement.</a>&nbsp;Boogaloo followers advocate for a second civil war or the collapse of society, and they don’t adhere to a coherent political philosophy.

Posts on social media sites also have promoted a “Million Militia March” on the day of Biden’s inauguration. Pitcavage said the event, apparently organized by a promoter of the pro-Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-town-hall-qanon-explained-b4614edad1aae27a0cbcb9dfe0c0c44c">“QAnon” conspiracy theory,&nbsp;</a>appears unlikely to draw a massive crowd.

Javed Ali, a former FBI senior intelligence officer who teaches courses in counterterrorism at the University of Michigan, said it can be challenging for law enforcement to identify the line between people exercising their constitutionally protected rights to bear arms and free speech and those who pose “a real operational threat.”

“The FBI just can’t passively sit in websites and forums and social media platforms, waiting to see who’s going to present a direct threat versus just someone who is being highly radicalized,” he said. “There has to be an investigative predicate for the FBI to then start even the lowest form of an investigation.”

David Deitch, an attorney who was a prosecutor in the Justice Department’s counterterrorism section from 2003 to 2007, said law enforcement must recognize a “tenuous balance” between protected free speech and speech that intends to incites violence.

“It’s a very fact-based, case-by-case determination,” he said. “There’s no one factor that’s going to determine all of it. It’s certainly going to be a judgment call on the part of law enforcement about whether and when to intervene.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609972156416.png" alt="Security outside the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2021 image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Security outside the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2021 image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.An internal FBI bulletin warned, as of Sunday, that the nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, according to two law enforcement officials who read details of the memo to The Associated Press. Investigators believe some of the people are members of extremist groups, the officials said. The bulletin was first reported by ABC.“Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from 16 January through at least 20 January, and at the U.S. Capitol from 17 January through 20 January,” the bulletin said, according to one official. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.The FBI issued at least one other bulletin — they go out to law enforcement nationwide on the topic — before the riots last week. On Dec. 29, it warned of the potential for armed demonstrators targeting legislatures, the second official said.“While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, the FBI is supporting our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners with maintaining public safety in the communities we serve,” the bureau said in a statement. “Our efforts are focused on identifying, investigating, and disrupting individuals that are inciting violence and engaging in criminal activity.”The FBI said it wasn’t focused on peaceful protests but “on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property.”Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters Monday that the Guard is also looking at any issues across the country,“We’re keeping a look across the entire country to make sure that we’re monitoring, and that our Guards in every state are in close coordination with their local law enforcement agencies to provide any support requested,” he said.The riots followed weeks of online calls for violence in the nation’s capital in the waning days of Donald Trump’s presidency. There have been several arrests, and at least two Capitol police officers, one who took a selfie with rioters, and another who put on a Make America Great Again hat, were suspended. At least a dozen more are under investigation, according to lawmakers.A tweet in which Trump promised that last Wednesday’s event in Washington, D.C., “will be wild” fueled a “month-long frenzy of incitements, strategizing, and embrace of violence against lawmakers,” according to a research group that tracks online extremism activity, In a report issued Saturday, the SITE Intelligence Group also warned that the Capitol attack has emboldened Trump-supporting extremists.“No matter how all this plays out, its only the beginning,” posted a user on TheDonald message board, according to the report.Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, said authorities in state capitals and other major cities besides Washington should prepare for the possibility of violent protests next week.“A lot of people were energized by what happened last week,” he said. “State capitals are a natural place where people might want to show up, especially assuming that they think there might be a huge presence of police and military in D.C. because of what happened last week.”Pitcavage tracks militia, white supremacists and other far-right extremists, but he said the Capitol siege demonstrated the emergence of a new movement of ”Trumpist extremists, so caught up in the cult of personality around Trump that they may be willing to break the law or engage in violence purely in support of Trump and whatever he wants.”The talk of armed marches next week isn’t limited to “radicalized” Trump supporters. State capital events on Jan. 17 appear to be promoted by supporters of the anti-government, pro-gun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3783a0cdc0e6cc04b43fd28b6069e960">“boogaloo” movement.</a>&nbsp;Boogaloo followers advocate for a second civil war or the collapse of society, and they don’t adhere to a coherent political philosophy.Posts on social media sites also have promoted a “Million Militia March” on the day of Biden’s inauguration. Pitcavage said the event, apparently organized by a promoter of the pro-Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-town-hall-qanon-explained-b4614edad1aae27a0cbcb9dfe0c0c44c">“QAnon” conspiracy theory,&nbsp;</a>appears unlikely to draw a massive crowd.Javed Ali, a former FBI senior intelligence officer who teaches courses in counterterrorism at the University of Michigan, said it can be challenging for law enforcement to identify the line between people exercising their constitutionally protected rights to bear arms and free speech and those who pose “a real operational threat.”“The FBI just can’t passively sit in websites and forums and social media platforms, waiting to see who’s going to present a direct threat versus just someone who is being highly radicalized,” he said. “There has to be an investigative predicate for the FBI to then start even the lowest form of an investigation.”David Deitch, an attorney who was a prosecutor in the Justice Department’s counterterrorism section from 2003 to 2007, said law enforcement must recognize a “tenuous balance” between protected free speech and speech that intends to incites violence.“It’s a very fact-based, case-by-case determination,” he said. “There’s no one factor that’s going to determine all of it. It’s certainly going to be a judgment call on the part of law enforcement about whether and when to intervene.”___

FBI: Nationwide armed protests possible next week

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A man charged with manslaughter and assault in the apparent reckless shooting death of his friend and roommate has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

 The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 19-year-old Zachariah Serna filed the written plea ahead of his scheduled Wednesday arraignment in the death last summer of 20-year-old Gavin Hall.

 Police have said officers were called to a Lincoln home in the early-morning hours of July 4 for a shooting and found Hall dead from a single gunshot to the head. 

Police say an initial investigation showed that the shooting happened during a small gathering at the home where people were apparently “playing around and a firearm was involved.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A man charged with manslaughter and assault in the apparent reckless shooting death of his friend and roommate has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Lincoln Journal Star reports that 19-year-old Zachariah Serna filed the written plea ahead of his scheduled Wednesday arraignment in the death last summer of 20-year-old Gavin Hall. Police have said officers were called to a Lincoln home in the early-morning hours of July 4 for a shooting and found Hall dead from a single gunshot to the head. Police say an initial investigation showed that the shooting happened during a small gathering at the home where people were apparently “playing around and a firearm was involved.”

Man charged in shooting death of friend pleads not guilty

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Researchers say in a new study that wildfire smoke accounted for up to half of all small particle air pollution in parts of the western U.S. in recent years. 

The researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, San Diego used satellite images and air quality data to model how much pollution was generated by fires. 

They found that even as pollution from other sources in western states declined, the amount from fires increased sharply.

 The findings underscore the growing public health threat posed by climate change as it contributes to catastrophic wildfires such as those in California and the Pacific Northwest in 2020.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Researchers say in a new study that wildfire smoke accounted for up to half of all small particle air pollution in parts of the western U.S. in recent years. The researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, San Diego used satellite images and air quality data to model how much pollution was generated by fires. They found that even as pollution from other sources in western states declined, the amount from fires increased sharply. The findings underscore the growing public health threat posed by climate change as it contributes to catastrophic wildfires such as those in California and the Pacific Northwest in 2020.

Study: Wildfires produced up to half of pollution in US West

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a ride-share driver and his passenger were killed in a crash in northeast Omaha. 

Police say in a news release that the crash happened at 24th and Lake streets shortly after 1 p.m. 

Monday when a speeding SUV ran a red light and hit a car being used for a Z-Trip ride.

 Investigators say the Z-Trip passenger, 60-year-old Laron Imani of Omaha, was unrestrained in the back seat and died at the scene. 

Police say the Z-Trip driver, 49-year-old Terrell Lindsey of Omaha, was taken to a hospital and died shortly after arrival. 

Police say the driver of the SUV, 43-year-old Chaz Booker, was hospitalized with a head injury but is expected to survive. 

Officials say he will face charges in the fatal crash once he's released from the hospital.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Police say a ride-share driver and his passenger were killed in a crash in northeast Omaha. Police say in a news release that the crash happened at 24th and Lake streets shortly after 1 p.m. Monday when a speeding SUV ran a red light and hit a car being used for a Z-Trip ride. Investigators say the Z-Trip passenger, 60-year-old Laron Imani of Omaha, was unrestrained in the back seat and died at the scene. Police say the Z-Trip driver, 49-year-old Terrell Lindsey of Omaha, was taken to a hospital and died shortly after arrival. Police say the driver of the SUV, 43-year-old Chaz Booker, was hospitalized with a head injury but is expected to survive. Officials say he will face charges in the fatal crash once he's released from the hospital.

Ride-share driver, passenger killed in Omaha crash

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is taking no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507913-1/president-trump-impeachment-causing-tremendous-anger">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the President's comments

Trump says, “People thought that what I said was totally appropriate.”

On impeachment, Trump said it's “a really terrible thing that they're doing." But he said, “We want no violence. Never violence.”

He made the comments Tuesday during his first appearance in public since the Capitol siege, which came as lawmakers were tallying Electoral College votes affirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. He was heading to Texas to trumpet his campaign against illegal immigration in an attempt to burnish his legacy with eight days remaining in his term.

WASHINGTON —&nbsp;(AP) — Impeachment ahead, the House on Tuesday will first try to convince the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove President Donald Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy in the remaining days of his presidency.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507913-1/president-trump-impeachment-causing-tremendous-anger">Click here to watch</a> the President's comments

House lawmakers are reconvening at the Capitol for the first time since the deadly pro-Trump riot to approve a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare the president unable to serve. Pence is not expected to take any such action. The House would next move swiftly to impeach Trump.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507913-1/president-trump-impeachment-causing-tremendous-anger">Trump told reporters</a> at the White House the prospect of impeachment is causing “tremendous anger" in the nation. But he said he wants “no violence.”

The president spoke as he left for Texas to survey the border wall with Mexico. His remarks were his first to reporters since the Capitol attack. He took no questions.

Trump faces a single charge — "incitement of insurrection" — in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7347691-Articles-of-impeachment-against-President-Trump.html">impeachment resolution</a>&nbsp;that the House will begin debating Wednesday, a week before Democrat Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated, Jan. 20.

The unprecedented events, only the first U.S. president to be twice impeached, are unfolding in a nation bracing for more unrest. The FBI has&nbsp;<a>warned ominously of potential armed protests</a>&nbsp;in Washington and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-capitols-security-e9fd42d72e7c0a150fd2dca9347be87d">many states&nbsp;</a>by Trump loyalists ahead of Biden's inauguration. In a dark foreshadowing, the Washington Monument was closed to the public and the inauguration ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol will be off limits to the public.

It all added up to stunning final moments for Trump’s presidency as Democrats and a growing number of Republicans declare he is unfit for office and could do more damage after inciting a mob that violently ransacked the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.

A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot a woman during the violence. Three others died in what authorities said were medical emergencies.

“We have to be very tough and very strong right now in defending the Constitution and democracy,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., an author of both pieces of legislation, in an interview.

Late Monday, the entire Congressional Hispanic Caucus, all 34 members, unanimously agreed to support impeachment, calling for Trump's immediate removal.

“It is clear that every moment Trump remains in office, America is at risk,” said a statement from the caucus, led by Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Ca. It said Trump "must be held accountable” for his actions.

Democrats aren't the only ones who say Trump needs to go.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., encouraged House GOP colleagues late Monday to “vote your conscience,” according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private call. She has spoken critically of Trump's actions but has not said publicly how she will vote.

Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to “go away as soon as possible.”

Pence and Trump met late Monday for the first time since the Capitol attack, and had a “good conversation” pledging to continue working for the remainder of their terms, said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.

Pence has given no indication he would proceed with invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. No member of the Cabinet has publicly called for Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment process.

As security tightened, Biden said Monday he was “not afraid” of taking the oath of office outside at the Capitol.

As for the rioters, Biden said, “It is critically important that there’ll be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage -- that they be held accountable.”

Biden said he’s had conversations with senators ahead of a possible impeachment trial, which some have worried would cloud the opening days of his administration.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was exploring ways to immediately convene the Senate for the trial as soon as the House acts, though Republican leader Mitch McConnell would need to agree. The president-elect suggested splitting the Senate's time, perhaps “go a half day on dealing with impeachment, a half day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package" for more COVID relief.

As Congress resumes, an uneasiness swept government. Another lawmaker, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., announced Tuesday she had tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege.

Many lawmakers may choose to vote by proxy rather than come to Washington, a process that was put in place last year to limit the health risks of travel.

House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has discouraged GOP lawmakers from using the proxy option. But during a call with them he loosened his strict opposition for this week's votes, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private call.

Among Trump's closest allies in Congress, McCarthy said in a letter to colleagues that “impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together.”

He said he would review possible censure of the president. But House Republicans are split and a few may vote to impeach.

Democrats say they have the votes for impeachment. The impeachment bill from Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trump's own false statements about his election defeat to Biden.

Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and former Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud.

The impeachment legislation also details Trump's pressure on state officials in Georgia to “find” him more votes, as well as his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters last Wednesday to “fight like hell” and march to the building.

The mob overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalizing Biden’s victory over Trump in the Electoral College.

While some have questioned impeaching the president so close to the end of his term, Democrats and others argue he must be prevented from holding future public office.

There is precedent for pursuing impeachment after an official leaves office. In 1876, during the Ulysses Grant administration, War Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House the day he resigned, and the Senate convened a trial months later. He was acquitted.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610466880160.png" alt="President Trump spoke to the media Tuesday for the first since the violence at the U.S. Capitol- photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump spoke to the media Tuesday for the first since the violence at the U.S. Capitol- photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is taking no responsibility for his part in fomenting a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last week, despite his comments encouraging supporters to march on the Capitol and praise for them while they were still carrying out the assault.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507913-1/president-trump-impeachment-causing-tremendous-anger">Click here to watch</a>&nbsp;the President's commentsTrump says, “People thought that what I said was totally appropriate.”On impeachment, Trump said it's “a really terrible thing that they're doing." But he said, “We want no violence. Never violence.”He made the comments Tuesday during his first appearance in public since the Capitol siege, which came as lawmakers were tallying Electoral College votes affirming President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. He was heading to Texas to trumpet his campaign against illegal immigration in an attempt to burnish his legacy with eight days remaining in his term.---------WASHINGTON —&nbsp;(AP) — Impeachment ahead, the House on Tuesday will first try to convince the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly to remove President Donald Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy in the remaining days of his presidency.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507913-1/president-trump-impeachment-causing-tremendous-anger">Click here to watch</a> the President's commentsHouse lawmakers are reconvening at the Capitol for the first time since the deadly pro-Trump riot to approve a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare the president unable to serve. Pence is not expected to take any such action. The House would next move swiftly to impeach Trump.<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507913-1/president-trump-impeachment-causing-tremendous-anger">Trump told reporters</a> at the White House the prospect of impeachment is causing “tremendous anger" in the nation. But he said he wants “no violence.”The president spoke as he left for Texas to survey the border wall with Mexico. His remarks were his first to reporters since the Capitol attack. He took no questions.On impeachment, Trump said it's “a really terrible thing that they're doing." But he said, “We want no violence. Never violence.”Trump faces a single charge — "incitement of insurrection" — in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7347691-Articles-of-impeachment-against-President-Trump.html">impeachment resolution</a>&nbsp;that the House will begin debating Wednesday, a week before Democrat Joe Biden is set to be inaugurated, Jan. 20.The unprecedented events, only the first U.S. president to be twice impeached, are unfolding in a nation bracing for more unrest. The FBI has&nbsp;<a>warned ominously of potential armed protests</a>&nbsp;in Washington and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-capitols-security-e9fd42d72e7c0a150fd2dca9347be87d">many states&nbsp;</a>by Trump loyalists ahead of Biden's inauguration. In a dark foreshadowing, the Washington Monument was closed to the public and the inauguration ceremony on the west steps of the Capitol will be off limits to the public.It all added up to stunning final moments for Trump’s presidency as Democrats and a growing number of Republicans declare he is unfit for office and could do more damage after inciting a mob that violently ransacked the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot a woman during the violence. Three others died in what authorities said were medical emergencies.“We have to be very tough and very strong right now in defending the Constitution and democracy,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., an author of both pieces of legislation, in an interview.Late Monday, the entire Congressional Hispanic Caucus, all 34 members, unanimously agreed to support impeachment, calling for Trump's immediate removal.“It is clear that every moment Trump remains in office, America is at risk,” said a statement from the caucus, led by Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Ca. It said Trump "must be held accountable” for his actions.Democrats aren't the only ones who say Trump needs to go.Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., encouraged House GOP colleagues late Monday to “vote your conscience,” according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private call. She has spoken critically of Trump's actions but has not said publicly how she will vote.Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to “go away as soon as possible.”Pence and Trump met late Monday for the first time since the Capitol attack, and had a “good conversation” pledging to continue working for the remainder of their terms, said a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.Pence has given no indication he would proceed with invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office. No member of the Cabinet has publicly called for Trump to be removed from office through the 25th Amendment process.As security tightened, Biden said Monday he was “not afraid” of taking the oath of office outside at the Capitol.As for the rioters, Biden said, “It is critically important that there’ll be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage -- that they be held accountable.”Biden said he’s had conversations with senators ahead of a possible impeachment trial, which some have worried would cloud the opening days of his administration.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was exploring ways to immediately convene the Senate for the trial as soon as the House acts, though Republican leader Mitch McConnell would need to agree. The president-elect suggested splitting the Senate's time, perhaps “go a half day on dealing with impeachment, a half day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package" for more COVID relief.As Congress resumes, an uneasiness swept government. Another lawmaker, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., announced Tuesday she had tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege.Many lawmakers may choose to vote by proxy rather than come to Washington, a process that was put in place last year to limit the health risks of travel.House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has discouraged GOP lawmakers from using the proxy option. But during a call with them he loosened his strict opposition for this week's votes, according to a Republican granted anonymity to discuss the private call.Among Trump's closest allies in Congress, McCarthy said in a letter to colleagues that “impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together.”He said he would review possible censure of the president. But House Republicans are split and a few may vote to impeach.Democrats say they have the votes for impeachment. The impeachment bill from Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trump's own false statements about his election defeat to Biden.Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and former Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud.The impeachment legislation also details Trump's pressure on state officials in Georgia to “find” him more votes, as well as his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters last Wednesday to “fight like hell” and march to the building.The mob overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalizing Biden’s victory over Trump in the Electoral College.While some have questioned impeaching the president so close to the end of his term, Democrats and others argue he must be prevented from holding future public office.There is precedent for pursuing impeachment after an official leaves office. In 1876, during the Ulysses Grant administration, War Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House the day he resigned, and the Senate convened a trial months later. He was acquitted.

🎥 Pres. Trump takes no responsibility for riot, wants no violence

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Federal officials say a bird called the interior least tern is being dropped from the endangered species list.

 The small, fish-eating bird lives along rivers, lakes and wetlands in the Great Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley. 

Its numbers plummeted in the late 19th century as its feathers became popular for women's hats. 

Later, it was harmed by dam construction and other river engineering. 

Conservation efforts have boosted the interior least tern's numbers in recent decades and its future appears secure. 

Environmental groups support the decision to remove federal protections but say caution is needed to keep the bird safe.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Federal officials say a bird called the interior least tern is being dropped from the endangered species list. The small, fish-eating bird lives along rivers, lakes and wetlands in the Great Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley. Its numbers plummeted in the late 19th century as its feathers became popular for women's hats. Later, it was harmed by dam construction and other river engineering. Conservation efforts have boosted the interior least tern's numbers in recent decades and its future appears secure. Environmental groups support the decision to remove federal protections but say caution is needed to keep the bird safe.

Recovered Midwestern bird soars off endangered species list

WASHINGTON (AP) — Poised to impeach, the House sped ahead with plans to oust President Donald Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy and pushing the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly in an extraordinary effort to remove Trump in the final days of his presidency.

Trump faces a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — after the deadly Capitol riot in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7347691-Articles-of-impeachment-against-President-Trump.html" target="_blank">impeachment resolution</a>&nbsp;that the House will begin debating Wednesday.

At the same time, the FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9f815ffe1e847aaffdb6a4f9cd3d7ff2" target="_blank">warned ominously Monday of potential armed protests</a>&nbsp;in Washington and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-capitols-security-e9fd42d72e7c0a150fd2dca9347be87d">many states&nbsp;</a>by Trump loyalists ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20. In a dark foreshadowing, the Washington Monument was closed to the public amid the threats of disruption. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf abruptly resigned.

“President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,” reads the four-page impeachment bill.

“He will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office,” it reads.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is summoning lawmakers back to Washington for votes, and Democrats aren’t the only ones who say Trump needs to go.

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., encouraged House GOP colleagues late Monday to “vote your conscience,” according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private call. She has spoken critically of Trump’s actions, but has not said publicly how she will vote.

Pending impeachment, Democrats called on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke their constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office before Inauguration Day.

Their Democrats’ House resolution was blocked by Republicans. However, the full House is to hold a roll call vote on it Tuesday, and it is expected to pass. After that, Pelosi said, Pence will have 24 hours to respond. Next would be the impeachment proceedings.

Pence has given no indication he is ready to proceed on a course involving the 25th Amendment.

He and Trump met late Monday for the first time since the Capitol attack, a senior administration official said.

Trump and Pence had a “good conversation” in the Oval Office discussing the week ahead, and they pledged to continue working for the remainder of their terms, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.

No member of the Cabinet has publicly called for Trump to be removed from office though the 25th Amendment.

As security tightened, Biden said Monday he was “not afraid” of taking the oath of office outside — as is traditionally done at the Capitol’s west steps, one of the areas where people stormed the building.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was exploring ways to immediately convene the Senate for the trial as soon as the House acts, though Republican leader Mitch McConnell would need to agree. The president-elect suggested splitting the Senate’s time, perhaps “go a half day on dealing with impeachment, a half day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package” for more COVID relief.

As Congress briefly resumed Monday, an uneasiness swept government. More lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege. And new security officials were quickly installed after the Capitol police chief and others were ousted in fallout from the attack on the iconic dome of democracy. Some GOP lawmakers, including Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, faced public blowback for their efforts on the day of the riot trying to overturn Biden’s election.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., offered the 25th Amendment resolution during Monday’s brief session. It was blocked by Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., as other GOP lawmakers stood by him.

Pelosi said the Republicans were enabling Trump’s “unhinged, unstable and deranged acts of sedition to continue. Their complicity endangers America, erodes our Democracy, and it must end.”

However, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, said in a letter to colleagues that “impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together.”

The impeachment bill from Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trump’s own false statements about his election defeat to Biden.

Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud.

The impeachment legislation also details Trump’s pressure on state officials in Georgia to “find” him more votes, as well as his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters last Wednesday to “fight like hell” and march to the building.

While some have questioned impeaching the president so close to the end of his term, Democrats and others argue he must be held accountable and prevented from holding future public office. He would be the only president twice impeached.

House Democrats have been considering a strategy to delay for 100 days sending articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial, to allow Biden to focus on other priorities.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said he would take a look at any articles that the House sent over. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a frequent Trump critic, said he would “vote the right way” if the matter were put in front of him.

Cicilline, leader of the House effort, tweeted Monday that “we now have the votes to impeach,” including 213 cosponsors and private commitments.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">on the fallout</a>&nbsp;of the storming of the Capitol by a mob of pro-Trump loyalists&nbsp;

Democrats say the House will consider the impeachment of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, one week after an angry mob of his supporters invaded the Capitol.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told Democrats on a call Monday that members should plan to return to Washington on Tuesday evening to consider a House resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority to remove Trump from office. That resolution is expected to pass, but Pence is unlikely to act.

Hoyer says the House will then consider impeachment on Wednesday.

House Democrats have moved quickly to draft an article of impeachment charging Trump with incitement of insurrection because he egged on thousands of his supporters ahead of the riots by falsely telling them that the election was stolen from him.

One of the Democratic sponsors of the article, Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline, says they have the votes to pass it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Impeachment pressure mounting, the House is working swiftly to try to oust President Donald Trump from office. Democrats are pushing the vice president and Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority to remove Trump from office. A resolution calling on Pence to do so was blocked Monday by Republicans. 

But more votes are expected Tuesday, with an impeachment vote Wednesday. Biden said those who “engaged in sedition” must be held accountable. Trump is to face a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — over the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach Trump if Pence doesn't help.  Trump is set to leave Jan. 20 when Democrat Joe Biden is inaugurated.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A House resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority to remove President Donald Trump from office has been blocked by Republicans. 

As the House prepares for impeachment, President Donald Trump faces a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — over the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. That's according to a draft of the articles obtained by The Associated Press. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach Trump as she pushes the vice president to invoke constitutional authority to force him out. 

The House action could start as soon as Monday. The president is holed up at the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach President Donald Trump as she pushes the vice president and the Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority force him out, warning that Trump is a threat to democracy after the deadly assault on the Capitol.

The House action could start as soon as Monday as pressure increases on Trump to step aside. A Republican senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, joined Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in calling for Trump to “resign and go away as soon as possible.”

A stunning end to Trump’s final 10 days in office was underway as lawmakers warned of the damage the president could still do before Joe Biden was inaugurated Jan. 20. Trump, holed up at the White House, was increasingly isolated after a mob rioted in the Capitol in support of his false claims of election fraud.

Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, repeatedly dismissed cases and Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, said there was no sign of any widespread fraud. Pelosi emphasized the need for quick action.

“We will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat,” Pelosi said in a letter late Sunday to colleagues.

“The horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action.”

On Monday, Pelosi’s leadership team will seek a vote on a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet officials to invoke the 25th Amendment, with a full House vote expected on Tuesday.

After that, Pence and the Cabinet would have 24 hours to act before the House would move toward impeachment.

During an interview on “60 Minutes” aired Sunday, Pelosi invoked the Watergate era when Republicans in the Senate told President Richard Nixon, “It’s over.”

“That’s what has to happen now,” she said.

With impeachment planning intensifying, Toomey said he doubted impeachment could be done before Biden is inaugurated, even though a growing number of lawmakers say that step is necessary to ensure Trump can never hold elected office again.

“I think the president has disqualified himself from ever, certainly, serving in office again,” Toomey said. “I don’t think he is electable in any way.”

Murkowski, long exasperated with the president, told the Anchorage Daily News on Friday that Trump simply “needs to get out.” A third, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., did not go that far, but on Sunday he warned Trump to be “very careful” in his final days in office.

House Democrats were expected to introduce articles of impeachment on Monday. The strategy would be to condemn the president’s actions swiftly but delay an impeachment trial in the Senate for 100 days. That would allow President-elect Joe Biden to focus on other priorities as soon as he is inaugurated Jan. 20.

Rep. Jim Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat and a top Biden ally, laid out the ideas Sunday as the country came to grips with the siege at the Capitol by Trump loyalists trying to overturn the election results.

“Let’s give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running,” Clyburn said.

Corporate America began to show its reaction to the Capitol riots by tying them to campaign contributions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610364440501.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Poised to impeach, the House sped ahead with plans to oust President Donald Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy and pushing the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly in an extraordinary effort to remove Trump in the final days of his presidency.Trump faces a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — after the deadly Capitol riot in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7347691-Articles-of-impeachment-against-President-Trump.html" target="_blank">impeachment resolution</a>&nbsp;that the House will begin debating Wednesday.At the same time, the FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/9f815ffe1e847aaffdb6a4f9cd3d7ff2" target="_blank">warned ominously Monday of potential armed protests</a>&nbsp;in Washington and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/state-capitols-security-e9fd42d72e7c0a150fd2dca9347be87d">many states&nbsp;</a>by Trump loyalists ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20. In a dark foreshadowing, the Washington Monument was closed to the public amid the threats of disruption. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf abruptly resigned.It all added up to stunning final moments for Trump’s presidency as Democrats and a growing number of Republicans declare he is unfit for office and could do more damage after inciting a mob that violently ransacked the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday.“President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,” reads the four-page impeachment bill.“He will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office,” it reads.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is summoning lawmakers back to Washington for votes, and Democrats aren’t the only ones who say Trump needs to go.Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to “go away as soon as possible.”Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., encouraged House GOP colleagues late Monday to “vote your conscience,” according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private call. She has spoken critically of Trump’s actions, but has not said publicly how she will vote.Pending impeachment, Democrats called on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke their constitutional authority under the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office before Inauguration Day.Their Democrats’ House resolution was blocked by Republicans. However, the full House is to hold a roll call vote on it Tuesday, and it is expected to pass. After that, Pelosi said, Pence will have 24 hours to respond. Next would be the impeachment proceedings.Pence has given no indication he is ready to proceed on a course involving the 25th Amendment.He and Trump met late Monday for the first time since the Capitol attack, a senior administration official said.Trump and Pence had a “good conversation” in the Oval Office discussing the week ahead, and they pledged to continue working for the remainder of their terms, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private meeting.No member of the Cabinet has publicly called for Trump to be removed from office though the 25th Amendment.As security tightened, Biden said Monday he was “not afraid” of taking the oath of office outside — as is traditionally done at the Capitol’s west steps, one of the areas where people stormed the building.As for the rioters, Biden said, “It is critically important that there’ll be a real serious focus on holding those folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage -- that they be held accountable.”Biden said he’s had conversations with senators ahead of a possible impeachment trial, which some have worried would cloud the opening days of his administration.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer was exploring ways to immediately convene the Senate for the trial as soon as the House acts, though Republican leader Mitch McConnell would need to agree. The president-elect suggested splitting the Senate’s time, perhaps “go a half day on dealing with impeachment, a half day on getting my people nominated and confirmed in the Senate, as well as moving on the package” for more COVID relief.As Congress briefly resumed Monday, an uneasiness swept government. More lawmakers tested positive for COVID-19 after sheltering during the siege. And new security officials were quickly installed after the Capitol police chief and others were ousted in fallout from the attack on the iconic dome of democracy. Some GOP lawmakers, including Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, faced public blowback for their efforts on the day of the riot trying to overturn Biden’s election.House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., offered the 25th Amendment resolution during Monday’s brief session. It was blocked by Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., as other GOP lawmakers stood by him.Pelosi said the Republicans were enabling Trump’s “unhinged, unstable and deranged acts of sedition to continue. Their complicity endangers America, erodes our Democracy, and it must end.”However, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, a Trump ally, said in a letter to colleagues that “impeachment at this time would have the opposite effect of bringing our country together.”He said he would review possible censure of the president. But House Republicans are split and a few may vote to impeach.The impeachment bill from Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trump’s own false statements about his election defeat to Biden.Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud.The impeachment legislation also details Trump’s pressure on state officials in Georgia to “find” him more votes, as well as his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters last Wednesday to “fight like hell” and march to the building.The mob overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalizing Biden’s victory over Trump in the Electoral College.While some have questioned impeaching the president so close to the end of his term, Democrats and others argue he must be held accountable and prevented from holding future public office. He would be the only president twice impeached.House Democrats have been considering a strategy to delay for 100 days sending articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial, to allow Biden to focus on other priorities.There is precedent for pursuing impeachment after an official leaves office. In 1876, during the Ulysses Grant administration, War Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House the day he resigned, and the Senate convened a trial months later. He was acquitted.Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said he would take a look at any articles that the House sent over. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a frequent Trump critic, said he would “vote the right way” if the matter were put in front of him.Cicilline, leader of the House effort, tweeted Monday that “we now have the votes to impeach,” including 213 cosponsors and private commitments.___WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">on the fallout</a>&nbsp;of the storming of the Capitol by a mob of pro-Trump loyalists&nbsp;Democrats say the House will consider the impeachment of President Donald Trump on Wednesday, one week after an angry mob of his supporters invaded the Capitol.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">As our next step, we will move forward with bringing impeachment legislation to the Floor. <a href="https://t.co/Gand0JGkO2">https://t.co/Gand0JGkO2</a>&mdash; Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1348677048634634247?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told Democrats on a call Monday that members should plan to return to Washington on Tuesday evening to consider a House resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority to remove Trump from office. That resolution is expected to pass, but Pence is unlikely to act.Hoyer says the House will then consider impeachment on Wednesday.House Democrats have moved quickly to draft an article of impeachment charging Trump with incitement of insurrection because he egged on thousands of his supporters ahead of the riots by falsely telling them that the election was stolen from him.One of the Democratic sponsors of the article, Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline, says they have the votes to pass it.------------WASHINGTON (AP) — Impeachment pressure mounting, the House is working swiftly to try to oust President Donald Trump from office. Democrats are pushing the vice president and Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority to remove Trump from office. A resolution calling on Pence to do so was blocked Monday by Republicans. But more votes are expected Tuesday, with an impeachment vote Wednesday. Biden said those who “engaged in sedition” must be held accountable. Trump is to face a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — over the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach Trump if Pence doesn't help. Trump is set to leave Jan. 20 when Democrat Joe Biden is inaugurated.-------WASHINGTON (AP) — A House resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional authority to remove President Donald Trump from office has been blocked by Republicans. As the House prepares for impeachment, President Donald Trump faces a single charge — “incitement of insurrection” — over the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. That's according to a draft of the articles obtained by The Associated Press. Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach Trump as she pushes the vice president to invoke constitutional authority to force him out. The House action could start as soon as Monday. The president is holed up at the White House.-------WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will proceed with legislation to impeach President Donald Trump as she pushes the vice president and the Cabinet to invoke constitutional authority force him out, warning that Trump is a threat to democracy after the deadly assault on the Capitol.The House action could start as soon as Monday as pressure increases on Trump to step aside. A Republican senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, joined Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska in calling for Trump to “resign and go away as soon as possible.”A stunning end to Trump’s final 10 days in office was underway as lawmakers warned of the damage the president could still do before Joe Biden was inaugurated Jan. 20. Trump, holed up at the White House, was increasingly isolated after a mob rioted in the Capitol in support of his false claims of election fraud.Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, repeatedly dismissed cases and Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, said there was no sign of any widespread fraud. Pelosi emphasized the need for quick action.“We will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat,” Pelosi said in a letter late Sunday to colleagues.“The horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action.”On Monday, Pelosi’s leadership team will seek a vote on a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet officials to invoke the 25th Amendment, with a full House vote expected on Tuesday.After that, Pence and the Cabinet would have 24 hours to act before the House would move toward impeachment.During an interview on “60 Minutes” aired Sunday, Pelosi invoked the Watergate era when Republicans in the Senate told President Richard Nixon, “It’s over.”“That’s what has to happen now,” she said.With impeachment planning intensifying, Toomey said he doubted impeachment could be done before Biden is inaugurated, even though a growing number of lawmakers say that step is necessary to ensure Trump can never hold elected office again.“I think the president has disqualified himself from ever, certainly, serving in office again,” Toomey said. “I don’t think he is electable in any way.”Murkowski, long exasperated with the president, told the Anchorage Daily News on Friday that Trump simply “needs to get out.” A third, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., did not go that far, but on Sunday he warned Trump to be “very careful” in his final days in office.House Democrats were expected to introduce articles of impeachment on Monday. The strategy would be to condemn the president’s actions swiftly but delay an impeachment trial in the Senate for 100 days. That would allow President-elect Joe Biden to focus on other priorities as soon as he is inaugurated Jan. 20.Rep. Jim Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat and a top Biden ally, laid out the ideas Sunday as the country came to grips with the siege at the Capitol by Trump loyalists trying to overturn the election results.“Let’s give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running,” Clyburn said.Corporate America began to show its reaction to the Capitol riots by tying them to campaign contributions.Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s CEO and President Kim Keck said it will not contribute to those lawmakers — all Republicans — who supported challenges to Biden’s Electoral College win. The group “will suspend contributions to those lawmakers who voted to undermine our democracy,” Kim said.Citigroup did not single out lawmakers aligned with Trump’s effort to overturn the election, but said it would be pausing all federal political donations for the first three months of the year. Citi’s head of global government affairs, Candi Wolff, said in a Friday memo to employees, “We want you to be assured that we will not support candidates who do not respect the rule of law.”Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said an impeachment trial could not begin under the current calendar before Inauguration Day, Jan. 20.While many have criticized Trump, Republicans have said that impeachment would be divisive in a time of unity.Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said that instead of coming together, Democrats want to “talk about ridiculous things like ‘Let’s impeach a president’” with just days left in office.Still, some Republicans might be supportive.Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said he would take a look at any articles that the House sent over. Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a frequent Trump critic, said he would “vote the right way” if the matter were put in front of him.The Democratic effort to stamp Trump’s presidential record — for the second time — with the indelible mark of impeachment had advanced rapidly since the riot.Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I, a leader of the House effort to draft impeachment articles accusing Trump of inciting insurrection, said Sunday that his group had 200-plus co-sponsors.The articles, if passed by the House, could then be transmitted to the Senate for a trial, with senators acting as jurors to acquit or convict Trump. If convicted, Trump would be removed from office and succeeded by the vice president. It would be the first time a U.S. president had been impeached twice.Potentially complicating Pelosi’s decision about impeachment was what it meant for Biden and the beginning of his presidency. While reiterating that he had long viewed Trump as unfit for office, Biden on Friday sidestepped a question about impeachment, saying what Congress did “is for them to decide.”A violent and largely white mob of Trump supporters overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol on Wednesday, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalizing Biden’s victory over Trump in the Electoral College.Toomey appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” and NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Clyburn was on “Fox News Sunday” and CNN. Kinzinger was on ABC’s “This Week,” Blunt was on CBS’ “Face the Nation” and Rubio was on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.”___