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Stories from January 7, 2021

Capitol Police rejected offers of federal help to quell mob

Capitol Police rejected offers of federal help to quell mob

Three days before the Capitol riot, the Pentagon asked the U.S Capitol Police if it needed National Guard manpower. And on Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer up FBI agents. The police turned them down both times, according to senior defense officials and two people familiar with the matter.
by The Associated Press

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'How did it get to this?': Minnesotans react to violence, chaos at U.S. Capitol

'How did it get to this?': Minnesotans react to violence, chaos at U.S. Capitol

There is a lot to process and talk about following the violent insurrection inside the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Here’s a look at what some Minnesotans are thinking and feeling after a dark day for U.S. democracy.
by MPR News Staff

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Neil Sheehan, Pentagon Papers reporter, Vietnam author, dies

Neil Sheehan, Pentagon Papers reporter, Vietnam author, dies

Neil Sheehan, a reporter and Pulitzer Prize-winning author who broke the story of the Pentagon Papers for The New York Times and who chronicled the deception at the heart of the Vietnam War in his epic book about the war, has died. He was 84.
by The Associated Press

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What to expect from NOAA under the Biden administration

What to expect from NOAA under the Biden administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s focus on weather forecasting and climate science is likely to be a high priority under President-elect Joe Biden
by Paul Huttner

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Here are the Republicans who objected to the Electoral College count

Here are the Republicans who objected to the Electoral College count

More than a dozen Republican senators originally said they would object to at least one state's election results. After the violence that ensued Wednesday, that number was reduced by about half.
by Barbara Sprunt

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Dense fog advisories include the Twin Cities

Dense fog advisories include the Twin Cities

Thick freezing fog blankets Minnesota again into Friday morning.
by Paul Huttner

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Judge weighs motions to delay trial in Floyd killing

Judge weighs motions to delay trial in Floyd killing

At a hearing Thursday, the judge overseeing the trial of four former officers charged in the killing of George Floyd heard arguments for pushing the trial back by three months — but did not issue a decision.
by Jon Collins

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4 Minnesota GOP lawmakers silent on blame for Capitol siege

4 Minnesota GOP lawmakers silent on blame for Capitol siege

The four Republicans in Minnesota’s congressional delegation split on whether to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the Electoral College. But they remained silent Thursday on whether President Trump and other GOP leaders bear any blame for the violence at the U.S. Capitol that interrupted the proceedings.
by The Associated Press

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Mask rules differ on each end of Minnesota’s Capitol

Mask rules differ on each end of Minnesota’s Capitol

The Legislature is exempt from the mask mandate enacted by Gov. Tim Walz. The state House instituted its own requirement while the Senate is keeping mask-wearing optional this session.
by Brian Bakst

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'What happened yesterday is textbook terrorism,' D.C. mayor says

'What happened yesterday is textbook terrorism,' D.C. mayor says

Reading from U.S. regulations, Mayor Muriel Bowser says, "It is defined as 'the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government.'"
by Bill Chappell

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Minnesota Democrats in Congress support removing Trump from office

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith says the the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office should be invoked. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is part of an effort to impeach the president for his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. This is an MPR News afternoon update for Jan. 7, 2021. Hosted by Nina Moini. Theme music by Gary Meister.
by Nina Moini

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Timeline: How one of the darkest days in American history unfolded

Timeline: How one of the darkest days in American history unfolded

A mob stormed the U.S. Capitol after President Donald Trump urged supporters to march to the building to oppose the election results. Roughly 14 hours later, Congress affirmed Joe Biden's victory.
by Domenico Montanaro

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What the 25th Amendment says about removing a sitting president

What the 25th Amendment says about removing a sitting president

Ratified in 1967, the 25th Amendment to the Constitution gives the vice president the ability to subsume the powers of the presidency if he has the support of the executive Cabinet.
by Miles Parks and Mark Katkov

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Meanwhile at the White House: Resignations, golfers and (Twitter) radio silence

Meanwhile at the White House: Resignations, golfers and (Twitter) radio silence

As Washington and the world continued to reel from the violent storming of the Capitol by pro-Trump supporters, the president honors three golfers with the nation's highest civilian award.
by Franco Ordoñez, Tamara Keith and Ayesha Rascoe

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Star Tribune reporter gives firsthand account of D.C. chaos

Star Tribune reporter gives firsthand account of D.C. chaos

We’re hearing more stories from those who were working in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday when it was stormed by pro-Trump insurrectionists. One of them was Star Tribune’s Washington correspondent Jim Spencer, who was in the House press gallery when the mob broke into the building.
by Cathy Wurzer

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Biden: Capitol attack was 'culmination' of Trump's assaults on democracy

Biden: Capitol attack was 'culmination' of Trump's assaults on democracy

President-elect Joe Biden delivered a blistering rebuke of President Donald Trump, a day after a pro-Trump mob breached the U.S. Capitol. Biden made the remarks before introducing his choice for U.S. attorney general, Judge Merrick Garland.
by Brian Naylor

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Weekend forecast: A lot of clouds; temps a bit above normal

If grey is your favorite color, you’ll like the weekend weather forecast. We have details on that, plus the current dense fog advisory in central Minnesota.
by Ron Trenda

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What led to the storming of the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the election? 

What led to the storming of the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the election? 

Throngs of President Donald Trump’s supporters on Wednesday stormed the U.S. Capitol and halted the ceremonial counting of electoral votes that would confirm Democrat Joe Biden as president-elect. 
by Kerri Miller

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How the U.S. Capitol mob was treated differently than earlier Black protesters

How the U.S. Capitol mob was treated differently than earlier Black protesters

The way police handled Wednesday's onslaught showed that "some people are ... given certain kinds of leeway or space, and other people are not," says African American studies professor Eddie Glaude.
by Steve Inskeep

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Facebook bans Trump through Biden inauguration, maybe longer

Facebook bans Trump through Biden inauguration, maybe longer

Facebook will bar President Donald Trump from posting on its system at least until the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. In a post Thursday morning, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said the risk of allowing Trump to use the platform is too great, following his incitement of a mob that later touched off a deadly riot in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
by The Associated Press

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'Persephone Station' aims for the stars — and almost makes it

'Persephone Station' aims for the stars — and almost makes it

Stina Leicht's new sci-fi novel has a lot of moving parts: Space opera, rough-and-tumble mercenaries, corporate intrigue, alien first contact — and to her credit, she almost pulls it all off.
by Jason Sheehan

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Displays of frost and ice continue thanks to morning fog

A persistent weather pattern keeps Minnesota shrouded in morning fog, with mostly cloudy skies and mild temperatures into the weekend. 
by Nicole Mitchell

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Mulvaney says he's quitting after Capitol riot

Mulvaney says he's quitting after Capitol riot

“I can’t do it. I can’t stay,” Mick Mulvaney told CNBC, which was first to report the resignation. “Those who choose to stay, and I have talked with some of them, are choosing to stay because they’re worried the president might put someone worse in.”
by The Associated Press

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'Disgraceful': World leaders react to pro-Trump extremists storming U.S. Capitol

'Disgraceful': World leaders react to pro-Trump extremists storming U.S. Capitol

Historians in Italy compare Wednesday's events to the rise of fascism. "Violence is incompatible with the exercise of democratic rights and freedoms," Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said.
by Reese Oxner and Bill Chappell

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Police confirm death of officer injured during attack on Capitol

Police confirm death of officer injured during attack on Capitol

U.S. Capitol Police announced late Thursday that an officer hurt during this week's violent assault on the chambers of Congress by protesters loyal to President Trump has died from his injuries.
by Jaclyn Diaz

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Fog and clouds prevail again Thursday

Areas of fog are making for a slow start again Thursday, while cloud cover keeps temperatures from warming much during the day.
by Nicole Mitchell

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Minnesota's congressional delegation denounces mob activity at U.S. Capitol

Congress certified President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' victory early on Thursday, the end of a long day and night marked by chaos and violence in Washington, in which extremists emboldened by President Donald Trump sought to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that has been a hallmark of modern American history by staging a violent insurrection inside the U.S. Capitol. This is an MPR News morning update for Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. Hosted by Cathy Wurzer. Our theme music is by Gary Meister.

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Capitol rioters planned for weeks in plain sight. The police weren’t ready

Capitol rioters planned for weeks in plain sight. The police weren’t ready

The question of how law enforcement and the national security establishment failed so spectacularly will likely be the subject of intense focus in coming days.

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Capitol violence sparks a social media reckoning with Trump

Capitol violence sparks a social media reckoning with Trump

In an unprecedented step, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram on Wednesday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump after he repeatedly posted false accusations about the integrity of the election.
by The Associated Press

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Fact check: Trump's false claims, fuel on a day of chaos

Fact check: Trump's false claims, fuel on a day of chaos

Several people have also suggested without evidence that antifa demonstrators may have disguised themselves as Trump supporters for the siege on the Capitol. The mob that overran Congress and clashed with police was made up of Trump supporters, not left-wing groups, and the conspiracy theories the president has been promoting about the election are from far-right corners of the internet.
by The Associated Press

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Jan. 7 update on COVID-19 in MN: Next few weeks 'critical' regarding rollbacks

Jan. 7 update on COVID-19 in MN: Next few weeks 'critical' regarding rollbacks

State Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said there are “encouraging trends” with fewer hospital beds occupied by patients with COVID-19, but warns that the next weeks will be “critical” to see if relaxing restrictions will have an impact on the virus spread in Minnesota.
by MPR News Staff

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Where is it safe to reopen schools? New research offers answers

Where is it safe to reopen schools? New research offers answers

A new study suggests reopening schools may be safer than previously thought, at least in communities where the virus is not already spreading out of control.
by Cory Turner

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Minnesota's restaurants prepare for reopening, again

Minnesota's restaurants prepare for reopening, again

Starting Monday, Minnesota restaurants may reopen, but only at 50 percent capacity. Gov. Tim Walz also is easing up on restrictions at bars, movie theaters, gyms and sporting events.
by Matt Sepic

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Chaos, violence, mockery as pro-Trump mob occupies Congress

Chaos, violence, mockery as pro-Trump mob occupies Congress

Guns were drawn. A woman was fatally shot by police, and three others died in apparent medical emergencies. A Trump flag hung on the Capitol. The graceful Rotunda reeked of tear gas. Glass shattered. On Wednesday, hallowed spaces of American democracy, one after another, yielded to the occupation of Congress.
by The Associated Press

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Protesters swarm statehouses across U.S.; some evacuated

Protesters swarm statehouses across U.S.; some evacuated

Protesters who back President Donald Trump have massed at statehouses from Georgia to New Mexico. The demonstrations Wednesday led some officials to evacuate, while cheers rang out at several demonstrations as a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol.
by The Associated Press

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Amid violence, Trump says, 'Remember this day forever'

Amid violence, Trump says, 'Remember this day forever'

President Donald Trump appears to be excusing the violent occupation of the U.S. Capitol by supporters who disrupted the formalization of his electoral defeat. Facebook and Twitter have removed a short video of Trump where he is urging his supporters at the Capitol to “go home” while at the same time keeping up false attacks about the presidential election.
by The Associated Press

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