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Added on the 19/01/2021 09:38:16 - Copyright : Wochit
The US denounces Russia's planned referendums to annex parts of Ukraine as "sham" actions and says it would not recognize the results. "We know that Russia will use these sham referenda as a basis to purportedly annex these territories either now or in the future," says White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. "If this does transpire, the United States will never recognize Russia's claims to any purportedly annexed parts of Ukraine," he adds. SOUNDBITE
Guy Reffitt, of Wylie, Texas, was arrested by the FBI on Sunday in connection to the January 6 US Capitol riot. He's one of the hundreds across the country being rounded up for participating in the violent insurrection. But according to a charging affidavit, the 48-year-old oil worker extended his hatred of the government to his own children. The member of the far-right extremist group 'Texas Freedom Force' threatened to kill his son and daughter if they told the FBI he had taken part in the riot. If you turn me in, you're a traitor and you know what happens to traitors … traitors get shot. Guy Reffitt Business Insider reports Riffitt separately told his daughter he'd 'put a bullet' through her phone if she posted about him on social media.
A Missouri woman has been charged with five counts for taking a splintered nameplate belonging to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Newser reports Emily Hernandez committed the deed during the January 6th riot at the US Capitol. Hernandez was charged, among other crimes, with disorderly conduct and the stealing or disposing of government property. The FBI received online tips from at least three people saying they saw Hernandez in TV news footage. She was filmed holding up a broken engraved piece of wood bearing the words 'House' and 'Nancy' during the storming of the Capitol.
Investigators now believe the attack on the US Capitol last week was not just a protest that spiraled out of control. CNN reports that the belief, early in the probe, will demand significant investigation. Evidence uncovered so far, including weapons and tactics seen on surveillance video, suggests the attack was planned. The FBI says some participants at the Trump rally at the Ellipse, outside the White House, left the event early, perhaps to retrieve weapons. They're also looking at travel and communications records to determine if they can build a case that is similar to a counterterrorism investigation. Corruption prosecutors and agents are also engaging in the hunt for wrongdoers, thanks to their expertise in financial investigations. The FBI reported that it has received more than 126,000 digital tips from the public regarding the attack on the Capitol.
A rioter wearing a deeply offensive, anti-Semitic sweatshirt at the US Capitol last week is now under arrest. Newser reports the man was photographed wearing a 'Camp Auschwitz' sweatshirt during the US Capitol siege was taken into custody on Wednesday in Virginia. The garment also featured 'Work brings freedom.' It's a translation of "Arbeit macht frei," the German phrase that appeared on the concentration camp’s entrance. Robert Keith Packer, 56, was arrested in Newport News, where he lives. The government will not be seeking detention for Packer. However, Packer is barred from visiting Washington unless it’s for a court appearance.
U.S. President Barack Obama attends an outdoor arrival ceremony in heavy rain, as the first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).