The House Jan. 6 committee’s 814-page final report came after the panel interviewed thousands of witnesses, held 10 hearings and obtained millions of pages of documents. Also in the news: Migrants at the U.S. border are enduring the cold as they await a decision on Title 42 and the latest in the trial of Tory Lanez, who is charged with shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
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Here we go with Friday’s headlines.
Jan. 6 panel final report describes Trump ‘conspiracy’
The bipartisan House Jan. 6 committee’s final report asserts that Donald Trump criminally engaged in a “multi-part conspiracy” to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol, concluding an extraordinary 18-month investigation into the former president and the violent insurrection two years ago. Trump “lit that fire,” the committee’s chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, writes.
One takeaway: “The central cause of January 6th was one man, former President Donald Trump, who many others followed,” reads the report. “None of the events of January 6th would have happened without him.”
- The seven Democrats and two Republicans on the committee suggest that Trump should be barred from future office, noting that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution holds that anyone who has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution can be prevented from holding office for engaging in insurrection or rebellion.
- Trump called the report “highly partisan” and falsely claimed it didn’t include his statement on Jan. 6 that his supporters should protest “peacefully and patriotically.” The committee noted he followed that comment with election falsehoods and charged language exhorting the crowd to “fight like hell.”
- Cassidy Hutchinson’s transcript illustrated how the star Jan. 6 committee witness wrangled behind the scenes to provide testimony.
FTX founder released on massive $250 million bond
Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was released on a $250 million bond following his first appearance in federal court, where he is accused of misappropriating billions of dollars in customer funds in one of the largest fraud schemes in U.S. history. The 30-year-old one-time mogul had been held in the Bahamas following his arrest earlier this month, but was extradited to the U.S. late Wednesday to face prosecution in New York. Read more
More news to know now
- 🌎 A French serial killer known as The Serpent was freed from a Nepal prison.
- ⚫ Nearly 107,000 drug overdoses, COVID deaths, push U.S. life expectancy to lowest in 25 years.
- 🎓 How to prepare now that student loan forgiveness likely isn’t coming soon.
- 💒 Religious leaders are trying to keep worshippers safe amid fears of mass shootings.
- 📡 These 10 satellite images tell 2022’s stories from space.
- 🎧 On today’s 5 Things podcast, USA TODAY Reporter Sarah Elbeshbishi looks at what made the cut as the Senate sends a $1.7 trillion spending bill to the House. You can listen to the podcast every day on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your smart speaker.
- 📝 What happened this week? Check your knowledge with our News Quiz.
🌤 What’s the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Winter storm whips up blizzard conditions, bitter cold
A blast of arctic air advanced over much of the U.S. on Thursday, triggering dramatic temperature drops and blizzard conditions as the National Weather Service in Buffalo described the holiday storm as a “once-in-a-generation” event. Authorities have confirmed at least three deaths as a result of the storm. More than half of U.S. states were forecast to see some areas with minimum wind chill temperatures in the negative double digits in coming days, and the coldest regions were bracing for wind chills below minus 50 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. There will be “dangerously cold conditions across most of the country this week,” the weather service said. Read more
- ”I really do want to be back home for Christmas”: Over 2,200 U.S. flights canceled amid storm.
- Want to start your car to heat it up? Here’s why doing so in winter weather may be a bad idea.
- Weather experts warn about a flash freeze: Here’s what that’ll look like.
📷 Photo of the day: Intense winter storm blows across the US 📷
Dogs in the snow; skis on sidewalks and stalled traffic: Click here to see more photos from the winter weather across the nation.
Migrants near US border wait for key asylum ruling
Hundreds of migrants are gathered in unusually frigid temperatures along the Mexican-U.S. border near El Paso, Texas, awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision on whether and when to lift pandemic-era restrictions that prevent many from seeking asylum. The limits on border crossings had initially been set to expire Wednesday before a brief extension was granted. The Biden administration has asked the court to lift the restrictions, but not before Christmas. It is not clear when a final decision will come. In the meantime, thousands like hairdresser Grisel Garces of Caracas, Venezuela, have gathered in the cold on the Mexican side, saying waiting is hard as they worry about a decision that could decide their fate. Read more
Just for subscribers:
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- 🎄 This Secret Santa lost her baby. Then her dad. Giving thousands of gifts helped her cope.
- 🥕 What we eat matters. Researchers are still searching for the ”best” diet.
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Jurors deciding whether Tory Lanez shot Megan Thee Stallion
Jurors will continue deliberations Friday at the trial of rapper Tory Lanez, who is charged with shooting and wounding hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in the feet. The counts could lead to up to 22 years in prison and deportation for the 30-year-old Canadian, who has pleaded not guilty. Lanez’s trial began Dec. 12, more than two years after Megan accused the artist of inflicting “great bodily injury” toward her. In a criminal complaint, prosecutors said Lanez, whose legal name is Daystar Peterson, fired a gun at a victim identified as “Megan P.” after she got out of an SUV during an argument in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, 2020. Keep reading for the biggest revelations out of the trial.
One more thing
- 🎄 Make your holiday sparkle with David Burtka’s spiced cranberry champagne punch.
- 🎥 Netflix bought a former Army base to create a $850 million production studio.
- 💵 Minimum wage is going up in 23 states. Is your state one of them?
- 🔊 Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt talk ”Babylon” and their silent-film potential.
- 🗨 RB Ronnie Hillman, who won Super Bowl ring with Broncos, has died at 31.
- 🏈 TNF winners, losers: Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars continue surge.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
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