WEATHER ALERT
Far-right activist Ammon Bundy loses Idaho hospital defamation case, must pay millions in fines
Read full article: Far-right activist Ammon Bundy loses Idaho hospital defamation case, must pay millions in finesA far-right activist who led the takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon now must pay millions of dollars in damages after a hospital in Idaho won a defamation lawsuit against him.
Far-right activist Ammon Bundy's latest standoff is in court
Read full article: Far-right activist Ammon Bundy's latest standoff is in courtA far-right activist best known for his showdowns with federal law enforcement in Oregon and Nevada is now waging a one-sided standoff of a different kind in Idaho.
'Burn boss' arrest inflames Western land use tensions
Read full article: 'Burn boss' arrest inflames Western land use tensionsA ranching family in Oregon is applauding the arrest of the leader of a U.S. Forest Service crew that carried out a planned burn in a national forest that spread onto the family’s property.
Bundy: Campaigning counts as court-ordered community service
Read full article: Bundy: Campaigning counts as court-ordered community serviceFar-right activist Ammon Bundy says time he has spent campaigning to be Idaho's next governor should count toward his order to perform community service after being convicted of obstructing police during his arrest for trespassing at the state Capitol.
Ammon Bundy arrested after missing trial on trespass charge
Read full article: Ammon Bundy arrested after missing trial on trespass charge(AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)BOISE, Idaho – Anti-government activist Ammon Bundy was arrested Monday after failing to attend his trial on charges that he trespassed during an Idaho legislative session last fall. The Ada County Sheriff's office said both Bundy and another man expected to appear for a jury trial on trespassing charges, Aaron von Schmidt, refused to wear masks so they could enter the courthouse for their trials. Both men refused, the Ada County sheriff's office wrote in a prepared statement released later that day. When a team of deputies tried to make the arrests, the protesters resisted, the Ada County Sheriff's Office said. Bundy was arrested for trespassing when he wouldn’t leave the room, and again the next day when he returned to the Statehouse despite a one-year ban.
Idaho bill to outlaw demonstrating at private homes advances
Read full article: Idaho bill to outlaw demonstrating at private homes advancesFILE - In this Aug. 24, 2020, file photo Ammon Bundy, center, who led the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation, stands on the Idaho Statehouse steps in Boise, Idaho. Many of those testifying against the bill used terms common among anti-government activist Bundy and his People's Rights network, contending in general the people were having their rights taken away. Bundy, who has picketed at people's homes and encouraged others to do so, is banned from the Statehouse following his two arrests in the building in August during a special session called to deal with the pandemic. His People's Rights network has grown significantly during the pandemic as precautions to avoid spreading the virus, such as mask-wearing or limits on public and private gatherings, have been put in place. Republican Reps. Ron Nate and Julianne Young opposed the bill, saying they appreciated the idea but that it was too broad.
Mix of extremists who stormed Capitol isn't retreating
Read full article: Mix of extremists who stormed Capitol isn't retreatingFILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, Trump supporters gather outside the Capitol in Washington. Militia members, white supremacists, paramilitary organizations and fervent supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump stood shoulder to shoulder, unified in rage. I’m afraid that we’re going to have to be prepared for some worst-case scenarios for a while," said Amy Cooter, a senior lecturer in sociology at Vanderbilt University who studies U.S. militia groups. To understand the mix of extremists in the Capitol melee, it helps to look at history. ___This story has been corrected to show that the “Texas Militia” group gathered at the Statehouse in Auston while Trump was at the Texas border.
State capitols step up security amid new safety concerns
Read full article: State capitols step up security amid new safety concerns(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)State capitols across the nation stepped up security Monday, deploying National Guard units, SWAT teams and extra police officers while several legislatures convened amid heightened safety concerns following last week's violence at the U.S. Capitol. Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee activated hundreds of National Guard troops to help state police keep order at the state Capitol. Oregon state police will conduct building security training for those who work at the state Capitol, including journalists, on Tuesday and Wednesday. Michigan lawmakers are to return to session Wednesday.
Armed statehouse protests set tone for US Capitol insurgents
Read full article: Armed statehouse protests set tone for US Capitol insurgentsFILE - In this April 15, 2020, file photo, protesters carry rifles near the steps of the Michigan State Capitol building in Lansing, Mich. In May, armed protesters forced their way into the Michigan Statehouse to object to pandemic-related lockdowns. Less than three weeks ago, crowds forced their way into the state Capitol in Salem, Oregon, to protest the building’s closure to the public during a special legislative session on coronavirus measures. “Anybody who was surprised by the fact that they stormed the Capitol, I don't know where they were. Indeed, protests by far-right militia groups are planned in Olympia, Washington, next week when the Legislature convenes there.
Bundy arrested at Idaho Statehouse for second time in 2 days
Read full article: Bundy arrested at Idaho Statehouse for second time in 2 daysBOISE, Idaho Anti-government activist Ammon Bundy was arrested Wednesday for the second time in two days at the Idaho Statehouse. Idaho State Police put Bundy in a wheelchair and removed him from the Senate gallery. Bundy, who led the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, was arrested Tuesday in a committee room and charged with trespassing and resisting and obstructing officers. Idaho State Police say that he is prohibited from coming to the Statehouse for one year following the Tuesday arrest. Lawmakers on Tuesday had to abandon a committee room when a crowd shouted down lawmakers and forced them out.
Anti-government activist Bundy arrested at Idaho Statehouse
Read full article: Anti-government activist Bundy arrested at Idaho StatehouseBOISE, Idaho Authorities on Tuesday arrested anti-government activist Ammon Bundy at the Idaho Statehouse after he refused to leave a meeting room where a few hours earlier angry protesters forced out lawmakers. Bundy didn't respond to a reporter's shouted questions as he was wheeled into an elevator in a chair he apparently refused to get out of. At least two others were also arrested after police cleared the room, and they also refused to follow police commands to leave. Another person was taken into custody earlier in the same room where protesters shouted down lawmakers. The House State Affairs Committee voted 10-5 to kill the legislation that was a primary reason Republican Gov.
2 standoffs in Oregon show differing views of US response
Read full article: 2 standoffs in Oregon show differing views of US responseState leaders are imploring federal forces to leave the progressive city, saying they're escalating a volatile situation. Parker was charged with pointing a semi-automatic rifle at armed federal agents but ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. Kate Brown has compared the presence of federal agents at the Portland protests to pouring gasoline on a fire. The idea that now federal agents are storm-troopers of death I find quite hypocritical." They surrendered as federal agents moved in Feb. 10.
Ammon Bundy vows to defy stay-at-home orders for Easter gathering
Read full article: Ammon Bundy vows to defy stay-at-home orders for Easter gathering(CNN) – Ammon Bundy, the rancher who led an armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, said he plans on holding an Easter gathering despite stay-at-home orders implemented during the coronavirus pandemic. Bundy told CNN he wants to gather several hundred people in Idaho at a yet-to-be-announced location. Idaho is one of the 42 states that have implemented a stay-at-home order aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus. Some in Idaho feel officials aren't doing enough to mandate the stay-at-home order. According to the Statesman, Bundy held a meeting last month in opposition to the stay-at-home order.