Undercover FBI agents were not present during the 2021 attack on the US Capitol by Donald Trump supporters, a Justice Department watchdog said Thursday in a report debunking a popular right-wing conspiracy theory. "We found no evidence in the materials we reviewed or the testimony we received showing or suggesting that the FBI had undercover employees in the various protest crowds, or at the Capitol, on January 6," Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz said in an 88-page report. Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6 in a bid to prevent congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden's election victory. Right-wing media and even some Republican lawmakers have spuriously claimed that undercover FBI agents provoked the attack on Congress, which followed a fiery speech by Trump in which he falsely claimed the election had been stolen. The inspector general said that while no undercover FBI agents were present at the Trump rally or the Capitol, 26 FBI informants known as confidential human sources (CHS) were in Washington at the time. Three of the informants had been tasked with reporting on domestic terrorist suspects while the others were there on their own. "None of these FBI CHSs were authorized to enter the Capitol or a restricted area, or to otherwise break the law on January 6, nor was any CHS directed by the FBI to encourage others to commit illegal acts on January 6," the report said. The inspector general also said there had been an intelligence-gathering failure by the FBI ahead of the January 6 attack. "While the FBI undertook significant efforts to identify domestic terrorism subjects who planned to travel to the Capital region on January 6," the report said, "the FBI did not take a step that could have helped the FBI and its law enforcement partners with their preparations. "Specifically, the FBI did not canvass its field offices in advance of January 6, 2021, to identify any intelligence, including CHS reporting, about potential threats to the January 6 Electoral Certification," it said. FBI deputy director Paul Abbate was quoted as saying this was a "basic step that was missed" in "understanding the threat picture prior to January 6." Trump was impeached by the Democratic-majority House of Representatives following the attack on the Capitol, but acquitted by the Senate. He is to return to the White House on January 20 after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris in the November presidential election. More than 1,500 people have been charged in connection with the assault on Congress. Trump has lauded them as "patriots" and "political prisoners" and pledged to pardon many of them when he returns to the White House. cl/stSALINAS, Calif. − The oldest living survivor of the Pearl Harbor attacks died Christmas morning. Warren “Red” Upton, of San Jose, Calif., was also the last living survivor of the USS Utah , which sank during Japanese attacks on the U.S. Naval Fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. He was 105. Upton had a short hospital stay in Los Gatos surrounded by his family before he died Wednesday, according to Kathleen Farley, the California state chair of the nonprofit Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors. There are 15 living Pearl Harbor survivors, she said in a phone interview Saturday. Upton was a Navy radioman aboard the USS Utah when torpedoes hit the battleship and quickly capsized it, the nonprofit Pacific Historic Parks said in a social media post . In total, 58 of Upton’s shipmates died when the USS Utah quickly sank, and 461 sailors survived. During the attacks, Upton swam to nearby Ford Island, a naval air station in the middle of Pearl Harbor. He helped another shipmate along the way who couldn’t swim, according to Pacific Historic Parks. The attacks killed 2,403 American service members and civilians. Over 1,000 people were injured. It spurred the U.S. to enter World War II. Upton served as a radioman throughout the war, Farley said. After his service, he returned home to California, where he married his wife, Gene, a former Navy nurse during the war. The two had five children and numerous grandchildren. Gene passed away in 2018. She was 97. Upton remained an active member of his local chapter of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, Farley said. His last visit to Pearl Harbor was in 2019. Many wondered whether he wanted to be cremated and interred inside the USS Utah with his shipmates in Pearl Harbor, Farley said. Only survivors are eligible for the honor, according to the National Park Service . Upton had no plans of doing so, Farley said. “He always said, ‘I was lucky enough to make it off the ship. I’m not going back,’” she said. Services for Upton are still pending.
NEW YORK (AP) — The man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was not a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence, a senior police official said Thursday. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told NBC New York in an interview Thursday that investigators have uncovered evidence that Luigi Mangione had prior knowledge UnitedHealthcare was holding its annual investor conference in New York City. Mangione also mentioned the company in a note found in his possession when he was detained by police in Pennsylvania. “We have no indication that he was ever a client of United Healthcare, but he does make mention that it is the fifth largest corporation in America, which would make it the largest healthcare organization in America. So that’s possibly why he targeted that company,” said Kenny. UnitedHealthcare is in the top 20 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization but is not the fifth largest. It is the largest U.S. health insurer. Mangione remains jailed without bail in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested Monday after being spotted at a McDonald's in the city of Altoona, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of New York City. His lawyer there, Thomas Dickey, has said Mangione intends to plead not guilty. Dickey also said he has yet to see evidence decisively linking his client to the crime. Mangione's arrest came five days after the caught-on-camera killing of Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. Police say the shooter waited outside the hotel, where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, early on the morning of Dec. 4. He approached Thompson from behind and shot him before fleeing on a bicycle through Central Park. Mangione is fighting attempts to extradite him back to New York so that he can face a murder charge in Thompson's killing. A hearing has been scheduled for Dec. 30. The 26-year-old, who police say was found with a “ ghost gun ” matching shell casings found at the site of the shooting, is charged in Pennsylvania with possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Mangione is an Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland real estate family. In posts on social media, Mangione wrote about experiencing severe chronic back pain before undergoing a spinal fusion surgery in 2023. Afterward, he posted that the operation had been a success and that his pain had improved and mobility returned. He urged others to consider the same type of surgery. On Wednesday, police said investigators are looking at his writings about his health problems and his criticism of corporate America and the U.S. health care system . Kenny said in the NBC interview that Mangione's family reported him missing to San Francisco authorities in November.
A New Jersey congressman doubled down Thursday on his claim that the mysterious night-flying drones that have been reported across the state are coming from an Iranian ship off the East Coast. U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew , R-2nd Dist. cited a Business Insider article from Dec. 5 which stated there was satellite confirmation of the departure of a militarized drone ship from its port in Iran. The article says the ship left its port between Nov. 12 and Nov. 28, which Drew said aligns with the timeframe of when drones first began appearing over New Jersey. “While the Pentagon and the Governor may try to dismiss the idea of an Iranian drone ship, we now have additional confirmation that this ship exists and it is no longer in its port,” Van Drew said in a statement. “I am not claiming that this ship is stationed right off the coast of New Jersey, but we certainly have to explore the possibility it is somewhere out in the ocean.” Van Drew said the coincidence is “too great too ignore.” “The U.S. Coast Guard reported that one of their ships was trailed by several dozen drones while commercial fishermen and local law enforcement have reported observations of drones flying in and out of the Atlantic Ocean, and if that is the case, they have to be landing somewhere,” he added. The congressman said the drones are reportedly the size of minivans, meaning that they are not the “work of some backyard hobbyist” and that the source is either the U.S. government or a “foreign adversary.” “The government has repeatedly denied any involvement, so we are left with only one option to believe,” he said. “While we still do not have clear answers on who is operating the drones over New Jersey or their purpose, it is our job to fully consider all the evidence and explore every possibility.” When our national security is on the line, it is reckless to rule any possibility out,” he continued. “The American people deserve nothing less than our full commitment to finding out the truth.” Gov. Phil Murphy and other law enforcement officials, including county prosecutors, have said there is no evidence the unexplained drones pose a threat to the state and have called for any sightings to be reported to the FBI, which has been investigating the sightings statewide. A spokesperson for the federal Department of Defense’s U.S. Northern Command said this week that there is no evidence Van Drew’s theory is correct. At a press briefing on Thursday, a White House spokesman said Thursday that most of the drone sightings are likely just planes . “Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully,” said John Kirby, the Biden administration’s national security spokesman. There have been multiple reports of the drones appearing over military bases, including Naval Weapons Station Earle , which is located in Colts Neck in Monmouth County. That base had two reports of drones in its airspace , facility spokesman William Addison said Thursday. Naval Weapons Station Earle is at least the second New Jersey military base to report drone sightings after Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County said it had at least 11 confirmed drone sightings in recent weeks. In a joint statement released Thursday evening, the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security said they continue to investigate the reports of drone sightings to determine if the aircraft were actually drones or planes. “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus,” the two agencies said. “The FBI, DHS and our federal partners, in close coordination with the New Jersey State Police, continue to deploy personnel and technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flights are actually drones or are instead manned aircraft or otherwise inaccurate sightings.” “Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities,” the agencies added. “We are supporting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods but have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection,” the FBI and DHS said. “To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space.” Stories by Chris Sheldon Driver arrested after hitting child, grandmother who were crossing in front of school bus Man admits stabbing N.J. store clerk Powerball winning numbers, live results for Wednesday’s $30M drawing Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com .
Many households across Ireland are feeling the pinch from the ongoing cost of living crisis and are trying to save money where possible. With energy costs skyrocketing, some people have been air-drying clothes rather than using the tumble dryer. However, Ireland's unpredictable weather often makes outdoor drying impossible, leaving indoor drying as the only alternative. While this may seem like an easy solution, it comes with a significant downside: the risk of mould. This can not only harm the health of both humans and pets but also lead to costly damage to walls, ceilings and window sills. Experts in air quality have shared some insights on how mould forms and how to combat it. Mould thrives in damp, poorly ventilated environments, where fungal spores can settle and grow. While most adults can tolerate these spores without issue, they can pose serious risks to babies, young children and individuals with respiratory conditions or weakened immune systems. The presence of mould can lead to a variety of health problems, including allergies, skin irritation, chronic colds and worsening conditions like asthma and eczema. To prevent mould from taking hold, it's essential to reduce the humidity in your home. Simple actions like opening windows and doors can help air circulation, while extractor fans in bathrooms and kitchens can mitigate steam from showers or cooking. Additionally, using a dehumidifier in moderation can be an effective way to combat excess moisture. Jenny Turner, Property Manager at Insulation Express, warns that drying wet clothes indoors can worsen existing mould problems, Hull Live reports. She advises always keeping a window open in the room to allow moisture to escape. She also recommends using a dehumidifier, which can remove up to seven litres of moisture from the air each day in damp conditions. While this might seem counterintuitive, investing in a dehumidifier can save money in the long run by preventing costly mould damage. For those looking for a more advanced option, the Pro Breeze 4L dehumidifier comes with an app which allows you to monitor the current moisture level in your home, set a target humidity level, 24 hour on/off timer or select from three operating modes including auto, continuous dehumidification and internal drying. Over 500 of these have been bought on Amazon in the last month and they are rated an impressive 4.4 out of 5 stars from almost 7,000 reviews. For more information or to buy for £229, click here. For a more budget-friendly solution, there are simpler, non-electric dehumidifying options available. Home supply stores offer plastic dehumidifier pots for as little as £1.24. These pots trap moisture in the air and reduce condensation on windows, which is common when drying clothes indoors. Another affordable option is placing bowls of rock salt on window sills, as salt absorbs moisture and helps keep the air dry. Jenny explained: "For a dehumidifying effect without the use of electricity, try a combination of open windows and plastic window dehumidifier pots which can trap and collect moisture in the air. These inexpensive plastic pots can help to eliminate the risk of condensation on windows which can occur from drying wet clothes inside, adding to the damp atmosphere. Another cheap trick to draw moisture away from walls and windows is to place bowls of rock salt on the window sill when drying clothes, as this will help to absorb excess moisture in the air." Meanwhile, Francesca Brady, CEO and co-founder of AirRated, has highlighted the growing issue of mould in homes as part of a larger conversation about the condition of buildings. She said: "It's important that this is covered in the media, everyone needs a basic level of understanding of what sort of environments are unhealthy spaces for us to live and work in. That being said, there is a much larger issue surrounding building stock that is not-fit-for-purpose, where it will take more than changing behaviours to improve these settings." For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and1 sign up to our daily newsletter here.
The Eagles' franchise-best winning streak was snapped on Sunday as the Birds fell 36-33 on the road to Washington. During this holiday season, here are some thoughts I currently have on the team ahead of Week 17... Don't get hung up on this Eagles loss It's a thought process common throughout the football landscape, but specifically during Nick Saban's time at Alabama, his teams had a 24-hour rule following games. Either celebrate a win or "flush" a loss and get back into the swing of things before the next matchup. Well more than 24 hours later, the Eagles themselves should be flushing away this loss in Landover and I'd urge the fan base to feel that way as well. Frustration is understandable. Losing after having double-digit second-half leads is never a fun proposition. Jayden Daniels went superhero mode and carved up the Eagles' defense on that last drive after it had been the best unit in the sport for most of the NFL season. The obvious immediate caveat to this loss is that Eagles missed Jalen Hurts for most of the game with a concussion. It remains to be seen the severity of this issue and how long Hurts will be sidelined, but he is currently in the concussion protocol. If he's able to recover and be out on the field in the middle of January as the No. 2-seedeed Eagles host the the final Wild Card team in the NFC, however, no one will be fretting this one-off loss that still has the Birds in the driver's seat for the the division. Speaking of the playoffs... Will the Eagles face the Commanders in the postseason? If the playoffs began next week (they don't), the Eagles would face... the No. 7-seeded Commanders. The Eagles should relish the opportunity for a third meeting with Washington this season. This one will come back at Lincoln Financial Field, naturally. The Eagles would have three weeks to rest up and hopefully get their quarterback back out there healthy and ready to play. In their celebration following the game, Washington acted as if that game was their Super Bowl, slaying the dragon in front of them that was in the midst of a 10-game winning streak. Maybe it was! Daniels has been excellent for Washington this year, but history isn't too kind to QBs in playoff debuts, particularly rookies. The Eagles, of course, need to firmly lock up the division first over the next two weeks, but I'd bank on a large contingent of the Delaware Valley eating up a chance to put a smackdown on this Commanders squad at home. An Eagles Kelly Green uniform history lesson The Eagles will wear their beloved Kelly Green alternate uniforms on Sunday against the Cowboys in a game that has now been flexed to 1:00 PM. The Eagles' final season with the full-time, primary Kelly Green look was the 1995 campaign. Their final game in the now-throwback set? It was a 30-11 Divisional Round Playoff loss to, coincidentally, the Cowboys on the road. The Eagles were down 30-3 at one point in the fourth quarter. Not great. I can't imagine the internet handling that one well. The Eagles would switch to midnight green ahead of the 1996 season. Will Jalen Carter ever pick off a quarterback spike? On Sunday, Jalen Carter attempted to pick off Jayden Daniels while the Commanders quarterback was spiking the ball: Jalen Carter tried to catch the spike again 😂 pic.twitter.com/SpVQ1Xrql2 That's not the first time Carter has attempted it. Notably, he tried to do so against Kansas City last season: Watch Jalen Carter try to intercept the spike 😂 📺: #PHIvsKC on ESPN/ABC 📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/f0JSux0GFT pic.twitter.com/V3i4C7FItf It'll make for a high-IQ, all-time highlight if he can eventually do it. Eagles fans really hate Greg Olsen The FOX announcing booth at the Linc on Sunday will be the same as the one they had this past week against Washington: Joe Davis and Greg Olsen will be calling the Eagles game again. Back to back games for the Fox crew. Eagles hosting Cowboys is now 1 PM Sunday. pic.twitter.com/nETlCgrpXW I haven't seen a social media uproar of a Philly sports broadcast since the outrage over Joe Buck and Tim McCarver during the 2009 World Series. I'm all in favor of people just irrationally hating things in the sports world, it's what makes the whole experience so thrilling. Olsen may have taken the blowback personally given that he felt the need to defend his in-game takes: Final couple thoughts on todays game- Hurts was NOT knocked out of the game by a dirty hit. His head hit the ground Losing Hurts of course altered the game as we covered AT LEGNTH. (ex, Lack of QB sneak option on 4th down, WAS all but ignoring the pass to load up on Saquon,... I'd expect Olsen to hear it from any Eagles fans he encounters this upcoming Sunday. Follow Shamus on X: @shamus_clancy Follow Shamus on Bluesky: @shamus
By CLAIRE RUSH President-elect Donald Trump has once again suggested he wants to revert the name of North America’s tallest mountain — Alaska’s Denali — to Mount McKinley, wading into a sensitive and decades-old conflict about what the peak should be called. Related Articles National Politics | Inside the Gaetz ethics report, a trove of new details alleging payments for sex and drug use National Politics | An analyst looks ahead to how the US economy might fare under Trump National Politics | Trump again calls to buy Greenland after eyeing Canada and the Panama Canal National Politics | House Ethics Committee accuses Gaetz of ‘regularly’ paying for sex, including with 17-year-old girl National Politics | Trump wants mass deportations. For the agents removing immigrants, it’s a painstaking process Former President Barack Obama changed the official name to Denali in 2015 to reflect the traditions of Alaska Natives as well as the preference of many Alaska residents. The federal government in recent years has endeavored to change place-names considered disrespectful to Native people. “Denali” is an Athabascan word meaning “the high one” or “the great one.” A prospector in 1896 dubbed the peak “Mount McKinley” after President William McKinley, who had never been to Alaska. That name was formally recognized by the U.S. government until Obama changed it over opposition from lawmakers in McKinley’s home state of Ohio. Trump suggested in 2016 that he might undo Obama’s action, but he dropped that notion after Alaska’s senators objected. He raised it again during a rally in Phoenix on Sunday. “McKinley was a very good, maybe a great president,” Trump said Sunday. “They took his name off Mount McKinley, right? That’s what they do to people.” Once again, Trump’s suggestion drew quick opposition within Alaska. “Uh. Nope. It’s Denali,” Democratic state Sen. Scott Kawasaki posted on the social platform X Sunday night. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski , who for years pushed for legislation to change the name to Denali, conveyed a similar sentiment in a post of her own. “There is only one name worthy of North America’s tallest mountain: Denali — the Great One,” Murkowski wrote on X. Various tribes of Athabascan people have lived in the shadow of the 20,310-foot (6,190-meter) mountain for thousands of years. McKinley, a Republican native of Ohio who served as the 25th president, was assassinated early in his second term in 1901 in Buffalo, New York. Alaska and Ohio have been at odds over the name since at least the 1970s. Alaska had a standing request to change the name since 1975, when the legislature passed a resolution and then-Gov. Jay Hammond appealed to the federal government. Known for its majestic views, the mountain is dotted with glaciers and covered at the top with snow year-round, with powerful winds that make it difficult for the adventurous few who seek to climb it. Rush reported from Portland, Oregon.Olivia Hussey, star of the 1968 film 'Romeo and Juliet,' dies at 73Timberwolves didn’t turn to small ball to close last game, and those lineups don’t seem to be on the horizon
Andrej Stojakovic made 11 free throws to help craft a team-high 20 points, freshman Jeremiah Wilkinson had his second consecutive big game off the bench and Cal ran its winning streak to three with an 83-77 nonconference victory over Sacramento State on Sunday afternoon in Berkeley, Calif. Wilkinson finished with 16 points and Rytis Petraitis 13 for the Golden Bears (5-1), whose only loss this season was at Vanderbilt. Jacob Holt went for a season-high 25 points for the Hornets (1-4), who dropped their fourth straight after a season-opening win over Cal State Maritime. Seeking a fourth straight home win, Cal led by as many as 12 points in the first half and 40-33 at halftime before Sacramento State rallied. The Hornets used a 14-5 burst out of the gate following the intermission to grab a 47-45 lead. Julian Vaughns had a 3-pointer and three-point play in the run. But Cal dominated pretty much the rest of the game, taking the lead for good on a Petraitis 3-pointer with 14:50 remaining. Stojakovic, a transfer from rival Stanford, went 11-for-15 at the foul line en route to his third 20-point game of the young season. Cal outscored Sacramento State 26-17 on free throws to more than account for the margin of victory. Coming off a 23-point explosion in his first extended action of the season, Wilkinson hit five of his 10 shots Sunday. The Golden Bears outshot the Hornets 47.2 percent to 43.1 percent. Joshua Ola-Joseph contributed 10 points and six rebounds, Mady Sissoko also had 10 points and Petraitis found time for a team-high five assists. Holt complemented his 25 points with a game-high eight rebounds. He made four 3-pointers, as did Vaughns en route to 18 points, helping Sacramento State outscore Cal 30-21 from beyond the arc. EJ Neal added 16 points for the Hornets, while Emil Skytta tied for game-high assist honors with five to go with seven points. --Field Level MediaSleighing the Digital Divide with Black Friday Tech Deals