National News
National News

Democrats Unveil Legislation To Abolish The Federal Death Penalty
The Democratic proposal, shared first with NPR, comes as the party will have unified control of Congress after victories in two Georgia Senate races, a change in fortunes for Democratic legislative priorities. The legislation would end capital punishment at the federal level and require the resentencing of all federal inmates on death row. Continue Reading Democrats Unveil Legislation To Abolish The Federal Death Penalty

With More Security And 2 Arrests Outside, Washington Lawmakers Approve Rules For Remote Session
The Washington Legislature approved rules Monday that lawmakers to meet remotely because of the pandemic. The in-person votes in Olympia happened under tight security with strict COVID-19 protocols in place. The Washington State Patrol arrested two people outside the Capitol. Continue Reading With More Security And 2 Arrests Outside, Washington Lawmakers Approve Rules For Remote Session

U.S. Puts Cuba Back On List Of State Sponsors Of Terrorism
The Trump administration is designating Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, in a move that will return the island nation to the pariah list from which it was removed nearly five years ago. Continue Reading U.S. Puts Cuba Back On List Of State Sponsors Of Terrorism

Pope Prays For U.S. Capitol Victims, Urges Americans To Protect Democratic Values
Pope Francis offered prayers Sunday for those who lost their lives during the siege at the U.S. Capitol — and encouraged Americans to come together in a spirit of reconciliation. Continue Reading Pope Prays For U.S. Capitol Victims, Urges Americans To Protect Democratic Values

Poll: Most Americans Blame President Trump For Capitol Attack But Are Split On His Removal
Nearly two-thirds of Americans place a good deal of the blame on President Donald Trump for the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, but the country is evenly split over whether he should be removed from office before his term ends on Jan. 20, according to the latest PBS NewsHour-Marist poll. Continue Reading Poll: Most Americans Blame President Trump For Capitol Attack But Are Split On His Removal

As Joe Biden’s Inauguration Nears, Concern Of More Violence Grows
The violence at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday was unprecedented in modern U.S. history — but some pro-Trump extremists are promising it was just a taste of things to come. Continue Reading As Joe Biden’s Inauguration Nears, Concern Of More Violence Grows

Where Is It Safe To Reopen Schools? New Research Offers Answers
Since the beginning of this pandemic, experts and educators have feared that open schools would spread the coronavirus further, which is why so many classrooms remain closed. But a new, nationwide study suggests reopening schools may be safer than previously thought, at least in communities where the virus is not already spreading out of control. Continue Reading Where Is It Safe To Reopen Schools? New Research Offers Answers

Several Well-Known Hate Groups Identified At Capitol Insurrection
The precise composition of the mob that forced its way into the Capitol on Wednesday, disrupting sessions of both houses of Congress and leaving a police officer and four others dead, remains unknown. But a review by a ProPublica-FRONTLINE team that has been tracking far-right movements for the past three years shows that the crowd included members of the Proud Boys and other groups with violent ideologies. Videos reveal the presence of several noted hardcore nativists and white nationalists who participated in the 2017 white power rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that President Donald Trump infamously refused to condemn. Continue Reading Several Well-Known Hate Groups Identified At Capitol Insurrection

Joe Biden Poised To Enter Presidency With Fewest Cabinet Confirmations In Decades
With less than two weeks before he assumes office, President-elect Joe Biden is on track to have few, if any, Cabinet members confirmed on Inauguration Day, the first president to face such a personnel issue in recent history. Continue Reading Joe Biden Poised To Enter Presidency With Fewest Cabinet Confirmations In Decades

COVID-19 Vaccinations Are Off To A Slow Start — But Not In Some Rural Areas
In the small town of Oak Creek, Colo., — a three-hour drive from Denver, assuming the roads are clear — Gene Bracegirdle, a firefighter and EMT in training, is getting his first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Continue Reading COVID-19 Vaccinations Are Off To A Slow Start — But Not In Some Rural Areas

Twitter Bans President Trump, Citing ‘Risk Of Further Incitement Of Violence’
Twitter has permanently suspended President Trump from Twitter over a pattern of behavior that violated company rules.
“After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them — specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter — we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” the company said in a statement announcing the ban. Continue Reading Twitter Bans President Trump, Citing ‘Risk Of Further Incitement Of Violence’

On Far-Right Websites, Plans To Storm Capitol Were Made In Plain Sight
The mob violence that descended on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday was the culmination of weeks of incendiary rhetoric and increasingly feverish planning – much of which took place openly on websites that cater to far-right conspiracy theorists. Jared Holt spends a lot of time on those websites. He’s a visiting research fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, where he’s been focused on extremist online activity. Continue Reading On Far-Right Websites, Plans To Storm Capitol Were Made In Plain Sight