Trump accused of ‘multi-part conspiracy’ by January 6 panel | First Thing
House committee publishes report three days after recommending criminal charges against ex-president. Plus, Emperor penguins at risk of extinction
Good morning.
The congressional panel investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol has published its final report, accusing Donald Trump of a “multi-part conspiracy” to thwart the will of the people and subvert democracy.
What are the findings of the report? The report included 17 key findings. Among them it concluded that, beginning on election night and continuing through 6 January and thereafter, Trump disseminated false allegations of fraud related to the 2020 presidential election in order to aid his effort to overturn the election.
What has Trump said in response? The ex-president has condemned the House committee as “thugs and scoundrels”. In response to the criminal referrals, he said: “These folks don’t get it that when they come after me, people who love freedom rally around me. It strengthens me.”
What else is happening in government? The US Senate passed a $1.7tn government spending bill, sending it to the House to approve and send to Joe Biden for his signature, averting a partial government shutdown.
What does the forecast say? According to the NWS, the “major and anomalous storm system” was expected to produce “a multitude of weather hazards through early this weekend”, including “heavy snowfall, strong winds and dangerously cold temperatures. At the forefront of the impressive weather pattern is a dangerous and record-breaking cold air mass in the wake of a strong Arctic cold front diving southward”.
