‘QAnon Shaman’ could face prison as ‘face of the Capitol riot’
The so-called “QAnon Shaman” could face more than four years in prison when a judge sentences him for his role in invading the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Prosecutors asked a federal judge to sentence Jacob Chansley to 51 months in prison, the toughest recommendation yet in any case stemming from the violent insurrection effort.
The conspiracy theory adherent went shirtless and infamously donned a headdress with antlers while leading thousands of screaming attackers who overwhelmed police and marauded through the Capitol.
“Chansley’s now-famous criminal acts have made him the public face of the Capitol riot,” prosecutors said in the 28-page filing.
Judge Ross Lamberth is set to sentence Chansley, who is not accused of attacking anyone, on Nov. 17.
The sentencing request is by far the harshest yet from prosecutors and amounts to nearly three times the time behind bars the government wanted for Paul Hodgkins, the only rioter doing time for felony convictions stemming from the attack.
Prosecutors cite Chansley’s shameless effort to promote the cause of the attackers and “gloating” about their success in forcing lawmakers to cower and run for their lives on Jan. 6.
He also brandished a spear-tipped flagpole to threaten cops.
Chansley’s defense lawyer asked for a sentence “significantly below” federal guidelines that would call for between 41 and 51 months.
—New York Daily News
Governors urge congressional action to address chip shortage
LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, joined by eight other governors from both political parties, sent a letter to congressional leaders Wednesday, urging them to pass legislation to address a chip shortage that is hurting the automobile industry.
The governors urged full funding of the Creating Helpful Incentives for the Production of Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act, which they said would turbocharge U.S. production of semiconductors, including the types of chips that are critically important to automakers and parts suppliers.
They called for swift passage of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which would provide $52 billion in incentives to boost domestic semiconductor production and research. The bill has passed the Senate with bipartisan support, but is stalled in the House.
"The global auto chip shortage has hit Michigan and states across the country hard, idling plants and slowing production, threatening thousands of auto-related jobs up and down the supply chain," Whitmer, a Democrat, said in a news release.
"With no end in sight, it's clear we have no time to lose if we're going to protect jobs and maintain our competitive edge."
Whitmer championed the letter to House and Senate leaders from both parties and encouraged a bipartisan group of governors to join as co-signers, spokesman Bobby Leddy said.
Also signing the letter were Govs. Tony Evers, a Democrat from Wisconsin; Roy Cooper, a Democrat from North Carolina; Andy Beshear, a Democrat from Kentucky; Tom Wolf, a Democrat from Pennsylvania; Kay Ivey, a Republican from Alabama; Laura Kelly, a Democrat from Kansas; J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat from Illinois; and Gavin Newsom, a Democrat from California.
—Detroit Free Press
Victim's mother blames faulty gates in Amtrak crash with SUV
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The mother of a 22-year-old woman who was killed by an Amtrak train in South Carolina says she does not want her daughter's death to be in vain and will push for greater railway safety.
Ziccarra Coker's daughter, Tiasia Newton, was one of three people killed when an Amtrak train crashed into an SUV in North Charleston on Oct. 30.
Coker said she believes a faulty railway crossing gate is to blame for the deadly crash, though she would not elaborate on why she believes that to be true. She said she does not believe the driver of the SUV, who was injured but not killed, drove around the railway crossing gates into the path of the train.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, and few details have been provided by officials.
North Charleston Police spokesman Harve Jacobs declined to comment on Coker's assertion, saying only the investigation is continuing. An Amtrak spokesperson also declined to comment.
Also killed were Charleston residents Danielle Branton, 29, and Reshana Lambright, 32, the Charleston County Coroner's Office announced last week. The three passengers died at the scene of blunt force trauma.
Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods said in an email, "The North Charleston Police Department is investigating the incident. Amtrak is cooperating with the investigation."
—The State (Columbia, S.C.)
Foreign minister warns that Cuba won’t allow protest march
Cuba’s foreign minister summoned foreign ambassadors and diplomats in Havana on Wednesday to warn them that his government will not tolerate an opposition march planned for Monday that the island authorities said is a regime-change plot orchestrated by the United States.
“Cuba will never allow actions of a foreign government in our territory, trying to destabilize the country,” Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said. “The government of Cuba, together with our people... will prevent any attempt of unconstitutional actions aimed at a regime change in Cuba.”
The unusual meeting with diplomats took place just days before the scheduled islandwide march organized by the civic group Archipiélago. The government’s crackdown on protesters that took to the streets in July drew widespread condemnation from the international community.
Archipiélago, made up of young artists and activists, said it will go ahead with its plans despite threats by the Cuba’s Attorney General’s office that protester would be charged as criminals. But the members of the group said they would make some changes to try to minimize interactions with police and government supporters who have been given orders to confront the protesters.
In the past few weeks, Cuban authorities have been deploying significant resources to intimidate and discredit the march organizers, deter regular Cubans from joining the protest and present the initiative as part of efforts by the U.S. government to destabilize the country.
—Miami Herald
