Extremists made little secret of ambitions to ‘occupy’ Capital in weeks before attack  —  A digital flyer made public on Instagram and Facebook in December made little secret of the ambitions of some of the people planning to visit Washington on Jan. 6: “Operation Occupy the Capitol.”

Pro-Trump rioters smeared poop in U.S. Capitol hallways during belligerent attack  —  They took a dump on the seat of American democracy — literally.  —  Some of the unhinged pro-Trump rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday defecated inside the historic building and “tracked” …

Loss of USCP Officer Brian D. Sicknick  —  At approximately 9:30 p.m. this evening (January 7, 2021), United States Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick passed away due to injuries sustained while on-duty.  —  Officer Sicknick was responding to the riots on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 …

Donald Trump's Final Days  —  The best outcome would be for him to resign to spare the U.S. another impeachment fight.  —  By The Editorial Board  —  The lodestar of these columns is the U.S. Constitution.  The document is the durable foundation protecting liberty, and this week it showed its virtue again.

This impeached, one-term president refused to go to his successor's inauguration.  Now Trump will do the same.  —  It's been 152 years since Andrew Johnson decided not to attend the swearing-in of Ulysses S. Grant  —  The peeved president decided to skip his successor's inauguration ceremony.

Dominion sues pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell, seeking more than $1.3 billion  —  Dominion Voting Systems on Friday filed a defamation lawsuit against lawyer Sidney Powell, demanding more than $1.3 billion in damages for havoc it says Powell has caused by spreading “wild” and “demonstrably false” …

‘I Stepped Down Because I Saw Where This Was Heading’  —  Alyssa Farah resigned in early December as White House communications director, a position she landed after a series of roles working under some of the most conservative figures in national politics: Vice President Mike Pence …

Biden push for new stimulus checks runs into roadblock from key Democratic senator  —  President-elect aims to move quickly on stimulus plan as economy sheds jobs, but already faces divisions within party  —  President-elect Joe Biden's plans for a major new economic relief package boosting stimulus payments …

Tarnished by Trump: National security officials struggle to find new jobs  —  They have been snubbed by potential employers, told they would be a “liability” and in one instance were even compared to the “Hitler Youth.”  —  This is the job market many experienced national security officials …

Texas woman flew on private jet to Washington, DC to ‘storm the Capitol’  —  A real estate broker from Frisco, Texas, flew on a private jet to Washington, DC, along with friends to “storm the Capitol” on Wednesday.  —  Jenna Ryan, who is also a radio host, flew from US Trinity Aviation in Denton …

Major Josh Hawley donor calls for him to be censured by the U.S. Senate  —  A Joplin businessman who helped bankroll Sen. Josh Hawley's first campaign denounced him on Thursday as a “political opportunist” who used “irresponsible, inflammatory, and dangerous tactics” to incite the rioting that took over the U.S. Capitol Building.

Pentagon put significant restrictions on D.C. Guard ahead of pro-Trump protests  —  The Pentagon placed significant restrictions on the D.C. Guard ahead of pro-Trump protests this week, putting the District's military force in a back-seat role ahead of events that resulted in an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

‘What else could I do?’  NJ Rep. Kim helps clean up Capitol  —  Water bottles, clothing, Trump flags, even a U.S. flag littered the ground inside the U.S. Capitol after a mob backing President Donald Trump ransacked the building.  —  New Jersey Rep. Andy Kim walked amid the mess shortly …

Exclusive: Biden will release nearly all available vaccine doses in break from Trump administration policy of holding back stock for second dose  —  Vaccination rate will take 3 years to reach herd immunity  —  (CNN)President-elect Joe Biden will aim to release nearly every available dose …

Reddit bans subreddit group “r/DonaldTrump”  —  Reddit has banned the subreddit group “r/DonaldTrump,” a spokesperson confirmed to Axios.  —  Why it matters: While not an official group or page hosted by the president, it's one of the company's largest political communities dedicated to support for President Trump.

Senator Ben Sasse On Impeachment and Transition, the GOP in Minority  —  Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) joined me this morning:  —  Audio:  —  01-08hhs-sasse  —  Transcript:  —  HH: I'm joined now by Senator Sasse.  Good morning, Senator.  —  BS: Good morning, Hugh.

Illinois GOP Rep. Mary Miller apologizes for her remarks praising Hitler at pro-Trump rally  —  Miller: “I sincerely apologize for any harm my words caused and regret using a reference to one of the most evil dictators in history to illustrate the dangers that outside influences can have on our youth.”

Alabama man 1 of 5 who died in wake of Washington, D.C. chaos  —  Kevin Greeson of Athens, Ala. (photo supplied by the Greeson family)  —  CloseMore share options:  —  A 55-year-old Athens man was one of the people who died on Wednesday while chaos broke out at the Capitol building.

Senate Democrats call for Chase's resignation  —  Virginia Democrats in the state Senate are calling for Republican Sen. Amanda Chase, a gubernatorial candidate from Chesterfield, to resign, citing her spread of conspiracy theories and comments supporting members of the mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Tennessee House Speaker on FBI raid: Those subject to search warrants on ‘administrative leave’  —  Federal agents descended on multiple Tennessee Republican House members' homes and state offices on Friday, collecting evidence while executing search warrants.