Capitol Riot probe turns to extremist groups linked to attack
WASHINGTON — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol has subpoenaed leaders of militia groups linked to the riot.
The subpoenas announced Tuesday were issued to Oath Keepers founder Elmer Stewart Rhodes, a former Army paratrooper and Yale Law graduate; Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, who was chairman of Proud Boys at the time; and Robert Patrick Lewis, chairman of a group that calls itself 1st Amendment Praetorian.
The committee also seeks records in the Lewis subpoena from his group, while two other subpoenas seek documents from the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys International, LLC.
“We believe the individuals and organizations we subpoenaed today have relevant information about how violence erupted at the Capitol and the preparation leading up to this violent attack,” committee Chair Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat, said in a statement.
The Jan. 6 panel has previously said it wanted to explore whether there was coordination or financial ties between organizers of rallies held on Jan. 6 and extremist groups.
Some members of those groups dressed in tactical military gear such as vests and helmets as they gathered with die-hard supporters of former President Donald Trump and forcibly entered the Capitol, seeking to stop Congress from certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.
—Bloomberg News
President’s new copter hits setback: It’s unreliable in a crisis
Joe Biden’s first flight on the new presidential helicopter built by Lockheed Martin Corp. is being delayed after a report by the Pentagon’s testing unit warned that it’s not yet “operationally suitable” or sufficiently reliable — especially in an emergency.
The Biden administration hasn’t yet determined if the helicopter can be put into operation because it’s still assessing its safety, according to a U.S. official who asked not to be identified discussing the internal deliberations. The White House Military Office will determine the timeline.
The helicopter is “failing to meet the reliability, availability or maintainability threshold requirements” set for it, according to an internal summary prepared for senior defense officials by the Pentagon testing office and obtained by Bloomberg News.
The VH-92 helicopter program is a $5 billion, 23-aircraft program to replace the current aging fleet used by the president and other top officials. The previously unpublished testing report, dated Sept. 28, said the aircraft is “operationally effective” for routine “administrative” missions like a run to Camp David or delivering the president to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington for a preplanned trip on Air Force One.
—Bloomberg News
Mayor de Blasio praises Thomas Jefferson’s ‘immense contributions’ but lauds removal of his NYC City Council statue
NEW YORK — Thomas Jefferson is no longer holding court in the New York City Council — and Mayor Bill de Blasio believes that’s for the better.
The mayor on Tuesday welcomed the removal of a historic Jefferson statue from the Council chamber, declaring that the Founding Father’s “profoundly contradictory” beliefs on slavery means he has no place in the ornate room.
Speaking one day after the 884-pound statue was packed up and carted off from City Hall, de Blasio praised Jefferson’s “immense contributions to this country,” but also sided with a chorus of City Council members who pushed for the relic to be removed.
“There was a full debate, and the Council made this request. It’s their chamber. I want to respect that,” de Blasio said.
“Thomas Jefferson is a profoundly important figure in American history, who was also profoundly contradictory. Anyone who owned slaves — there’s a fair critique, to say the least. But he also made immense contributions to this country and to some of the best values that permeate the world today.”
Jefferson, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, voiced opposition to the enslavement of Black people in his day, denouncing it as a “moral depravity” that could threaten the existence of the U.S.
But at the same time, Jefferson is believed to have owned as many as 600 slaves.
—New York Daily News
At least 46 killed in bus crash south of Bulgarian capital
SOFIA, Bulgaria — At least 46 people including several children have been killed in a bus crash south of the Bulgarian capital Sofia that one regional leader described as a "huge tragedy."
The accident occurred early Tuesday on the Struma motorway about 25 miles south of Sofia.
Several people injured in the crash have been taken to hospital in Sofia.
According to the investigation, the bus - which was carrying a tour group - rammed a guardrail shortly after 2 a.m. (0000 GMT) and then overturned.
According to initial findings, very few people survived because the bus was on fire. Whether the vehicle caught fire before the crash or if it went up in flames after it overturned was initially unclear.
The stretch of road where the accident happened is in a hilly area and is known for frequent accidents, as the mayor of a neighboring municipality told state radio.
—dpa
