A bomb threat emailed to officials in several states has briefly disrupted government affairs and prompted some state capitol evacuations, but no explosives have been found and federal officials quickly dismissed the threats as a hoax.

A federal judge will consider arguments over racial discrimination, public safety and local democracy as he decides whether to block appointments to a state-run court set to be created on Jan. 1 in part of Mississippi’s majority-Black capital city.

Democratic congressman Jamaal Bowman has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count for triggering a fire alarm as lawmakers scrambled to pass a funding bill before a government shutdown deadline in September.

Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman says he plans to pay a fine after being charged with a misdemeanor for triggering a fire alarm as lawmakers scrambled to pass a funding bill before a government shutdown deadline in September.

Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman has acknowledged triggering a fire alarm in a U.S. Capitol office building.

A new lawsuit says a Mississippi law will restrict free speech by requiring people to obtain permission from state law enforcement officials for any protest near state government buildings in the capital city of Jackson.

The NAACP warns that “separate and unequal policing” will return to Mississippi’s majority-Black capital under a state-run police department.

The mother of a 25-year-old Black man who was shot to death by Mississippi Capitol Police last year is telling state lawmakers that she strongly opposes giving the state-run police department wider territory to patrol inside the majority-Black capital city of Jackson.

The expected move next week in Congress to overturn District of Columbia laws dealing with criminal justice and voting has created a political tempest in the nation’s capital, with local activists decrying it as the latest effort to undermine the city’s ability to determine its own future.

People in Mississippi’s majority-Black capital city say the mostly white state Legislature is trying to encroach on their rights of self-government.

Mississippi’s top law enforcement official said officers of a special police unit in the capital city of Jackson will not change the way they pursue suspects.

More than a dozen House Democrats were arrested outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday during a demonstration that involved blocking the street to protest the high court’s June decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Federal prosecutors have declined to bring charges against nine people associated with CBS’ “Late Show with Stephen Colbert" who were arrested in a U.S. Capitol complex building last month.

A U.S. Capitol Police officer has fired a gun inside a break room in a House office building and has been suspended.

A Capitol Police assessment flagged comments made by the Texas congressperson as a potential danger, Politico reported.

Congressional security officials have approved the reinstallation of a temporary fence around the Capitol as they prepare for a Saturday rally in defense of the insurrectionists who stormed the building on Jan. 6.

Allies of former President Donald Trump are calling those charged in the Jan_ 6 riot at the U_S_ Capitol “political prisoners.”.

Law enforcement concerned by the potential for violence at a rally in Washington, D.

Law enforcement concerned by the potential for violence at a rally in the nation’s Capitol next week are planning to reinstall protective fencing that surrounded the U.S. Capitol for months after the Jan. 6 insurrection there.

The Senate has voted to award Congressional Gold Medals to the Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department for protecting Congress during the Jan. 6 insurrection, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden for his signature.

In the face of rising regional COVID-19 infection numbers, the nation’s capital is returning to mandatory indoor mask requirements, regardless of vaccination status.

Senate Democrats are proposing $3.7 billion in emergency spending to secure the Capitol, repay outstanding debts from the Jan. 6 insurrection and help the federal government defray costs from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brian Sicknick’s family wants to uncover every detail about the Jan. 6 insurrection by pro-Trump rioters, when the Capitol Police officer collapsed and later died.

At least a dozen of the 400 people charged in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol have made questionable claims about their encounters with officers while inside the building.

Federal prosecutors won’t charge a police officer who shot and killed a woman as she climbed through the broken part of a door during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

More than three months after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, Congress is still trying to figure out how to move forward and prevent future attacks.

More than three months after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, Congress is still trying to figure out how to move forward and prevent future attacks.

The latest deadly breach of the Capitol’s perimeter on Friday could delay the gradual reopening of the building’s grounds to the public just as lawmakers were eyeing a return to more normal security measures after the Jan. 6 riot.

Two capitol police officers were struck by a vehicle near the U.S. Capitol Friday.

A Capitol Police officer has been killed after a man rammed a car into two officers at a barricade outside the U.S. Capitol and then emerged wielding a knife.

National Guard troops were delayed in getting to the building as the rioters beat up police officers and smashed through windows and doors to get in. On Thursday, seven House committees asked 10 federal agencies for documents and communications from the government as part of a wide-ranging investigation. The Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Rules Committee have already held two hearings with security officials about what went wrong. The security officials described violent attacks on overwhelmed police officers and desperate pleas for backup. As the committees investigate, Capitol officials are improving the building's physical security, including reinforcing the House doors that the rioters attempted to breach.

According to the National Guard, troops from some states will stay in Washington for the entire two months. Military leaders were also concerned because governors initially expressed reluctance to have their troops stay in the city. Troops from the District of Columbia Guard will continue in the security mission. As of Friday there were about 4,300 Guard troops in the city. The National Guard Association of the United States also questioned the extension, noting that it was difficult for Guard leaders to find enough volunteers for the mission.

There are currently about 5,100 Guard troops in Washington, and they were scheduled to leave this weekend. Early on, Guard members were briefly forced to take rest breaks and meals in a nearby cold garage, sparking outrage within the Biden administration. In addition, Guard members complained of bad food, and some said they became sick. On Monday, Kirby said about 50 Guard troops had been treated for gastrointestinal issues, out of the 26,000 that deployed to Washington. AdActing Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman made the request to have the Guard members stay on, setting off a series of discussions with the Pentagon and National Guard leaders.

National Guard keep watch on the Capitol, Thursday, March 4, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON – The Capitol Police have requested that members of the National Guard continue to provide security at the U.S. Capitol for another two months, The Associated Press has learned. There were no signs of disturbance Thursday, but the Capitol Police's request for extended Guard assistance appeared mired in confusion within various congressional oversight authorities, according to letters obtained by The AP. The more than 5,000 Guard members currently in Washington, D.C., are all slated to go home March 12, ending the mission. AdCapitol Police officials have also told congressional leaders the razor-wire-topped fencing around the Capitol should remain in place for several more months.

National Guard stand guard at a perimeter fence at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)WASHINGTON – The Latest on a possible threat against the Capitol (all times local):5:50 p.m. Pittman says the board suggested some temporary fencing would be removed starting Friday, and the fencing around the outer perimeter of the Capitol complex would be removed starting March 12. Some fencing is likely to remain as law enforcement officials continue to track an increased number of threats against lawmakers and the Capitol. This comes two months after Trump supporters smashed through windows and doors to try to stop Congress from certifying now-President Joe Biden’s victory.

Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – Worried about continuing threats, the acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police appealed to congressional leaders Thursday to use their influence to keep National Guard troops at the Capitol, two months after the law enforcement breakdowns of the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection. Pittman said she needed the leaders' assistance with the three-member Capitol Police Board, which reports to them. Paul Irving, who served on the Capitol Police Board as House sergeant-at-arms, denied that Sund asked him to call the Guard. He ultimately called the commanding general of the D.C. National Guard just before 2 p.m., who in turn testified that the request for help was delayed by the Defense Department. “We have the razor wire, we have the National Guard.

Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were then rushed to the Capitol, arriving in 18 minutes, Walker said. Much of the focus at Wednesday's hearing was on communications between the National Guard and the Defense Department. Contee said Sund pleaded with Army officials to deploy National Guard troops as the rioting escalated. AdAccording to the Defense Department, Walker was called at 3 p.m. by Army officials, and was told to prepare Guard troops to deploy. Thousands of National Guard troops are still patrolling the fenced-in Capitol, and multiple committees across Congress are investigating Jan. 6.

Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman departs a ceremony memorializing U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, as an urn with his cremated remains lies in honor on a black-draped table at the center of the Capitol Rotunda, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, in Washington. But the wild invasion of the Capitol was far worse than police expected, leaving them unprepared to fight it off. Officers didn’t properly lock down the Capitol complex, even after an order had been given over the radio to do so. She also says officers didn’t understand when they were allowed to use deadly force, and that less-than-lethal weapons that officers had were not as successful as they expected. Capitol Police are investigating the actions of 35 police officers on the day of the riot; six of those officers have been suspended with pay, a police spokesman said.

Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testifies before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs & Senate Rules and Administration joint hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, to examine the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Sund said he hadn’t seen an FBI field office report that warned of potential violence citing online posts about a “war." Sund said he did see an intelligence report created within his own department warning that Congress could be targeted on Jan. 6. ”Sund and Irving disagreed on when the National Guard was called and on requests for the guard beforehand. A House subcommittee will examine damage to the Capitol on Wednesday and will hear testimony from current security officials, including Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman, on Thursday.

Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testifies before a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs & Senate Rules and Administration joint hearing on Capitol Hill, Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, to examine the January 6th attack on the Capitol. Sund said he hadn’t seen an FBI field office report that warned of potential violence citing online posts about a “war." Sund said he did see an intelligence report created within his own department warning that Congress could be targeted on Jan. 6. ”Sund and Irving disagreed on when the National Guard was called and on requests for the guard beforehand. A House subcommittee will examine damage to the Capitol on Wednesday and will hear testimony from currrent security officials, including Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman, on Thursday.

Two Senate committees have summoned top security officials to testify, the beginning of a comprehensive look at what went wrong. In her letter to Democratic colleagues, Pelosi said the House will also put forth supplemental spending to boost security at the Capitol. The hearing will begin a broad examination of the security failures that led to the breach. The security breakdown on Jan. 6, as the House and Senate met for a joint session to count electoral votes, was severe. With the diminished security presence, the rioters not only breached the Capitol but entered the Senate chamber minutes after senators had fled.

In this Jan. 19, 2021 photo, riot fencing and razor wire reinforce the security zone on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Capitol Police say they are stepping up security at Washington-area transportation hubs and taking other steps to bolster travel security for lawmakers. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – That foreboding black fence erected around the U.S. Capitol building has had an unintentional side effect: walling off the local government’s ability to enact new laws. Last Friday, they did the same with a member of Vice President Kamala Harris' staff; Harris, as vice president, presides over the Senate. Only three D.C. bills have been directly overturned since 1975, but members of Congress do sometimes seek to alter or influence D.C. laws by attaching budget riders to certain bills.

In this Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 photo, riot fencing and razor wire reinforce the security zone on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Eileen Putman)WASHINGTON – The House’s chief law enforcement officer is tightening security for traveling lawmakers as Congress reassesses safety in an era when threats against members were surging even before Donald Trump’s supporters attacked the Capitol. Congress' 535 members travel frequently between their homes and the capital, and many have said they feel vulnerable in their districts and when they travel. The House members asked for tightened security procedures. President Joe Biden is in “close touch” with Pelosi about congressional security, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

In this Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021 photo, riot fencing and razor wire reinforce the security zone on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Eileen Putman)WASHINGTON – The House’s chief law enforcement officer is tightening security for traveling lawmakers as Congress reassesses safety in an era when threats against members were surging even before Donald Trump’s supporters attacked the Capitol. Congress' 535 members travel frequently between their homes and the capital, and many have said they feel vulnerable in their districts and when they travel. The House members asked for tightened security procedures. President Joe Biden is in “close touch” with Pelosi about congressional security, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Members of the National Guard walk past the Dome of the Capitol Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021. Now, the Defense Department inspector general will review the Pentagon's “roles, responsibilities, and actions” in preparing for and responding to the riot. He said the information was quickly shared with other law enforcement agencies through the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Washington. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security's inspector general office said it would look into the response of its component agencies, focusing in part on the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. That unit issues alerts to law enforcement agencies around the country.

Member of the DC National Guard walk around the U.S. Capitol grounds, Thursday morning, Jan. 7, 2021 in Washington. The original plans called for having a small National Guard presence with a limited role. Top city, defense, Capitol and law enforcement officials had to figure out what was needed and where it was needed. They also struggled to get the required approvals and then get the Guard members instructed, equipped and on their way. About 340 members of the D.C. National Guard had been requested by Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Capitol police officers stand outside of fencing that was installed around the exterior of the Capitol grounds, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 in Washington. A woman was fatally shot, windows were bashed and the mob forced shaken lawmakers and aides to flee the building, shielded by Capitol Police. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer up FBI agents. The rioting and loss of control has raised serious questions over security at the Capitol for future events. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said that as the rioting was underway, it became clear that the Capitol Police were overrun.

Capitol police officers stand outside of fencing that was installed around the exterior of the Capitol grounds, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 in Washington. A woman was fatally shot, windows were bashed and the mob forced shaken lawmakers and aides to flee the building, shielded by Capitol Police. And as the mob descended on the building Wednesday, Justice Department leaders reached out to offer up FBI agents. The rioting and loss of control has raised serious questions over security at the Capitol for future events. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said that as the rioting was underway, it became clear that the Capitol Police were overrun.

Supporters of President Donald Trump are confronted by Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber at the Capitol, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington. – The storming of the U.S. Capitol is a jarring but natural product of years of violence and hateful rhetoric stoked by disinformation and conspiracy theories, experts on far-right extremism said as they pored over images of Wednesday's riot. Online forums popular with Trump supporters lit up with gleeful posts about the chaotic scenes broadcast from the Capitol. But across both platforms, Trump supporters used the hashtag #StormTheCapitol to document the chaos with photos or video and praise the mob. The storming of the Capitol is the “logical conclusion to extremism and hate going unchecked” during Trump’s presidency, Segal said.

— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) January 6, 2021I like many people voted for President Trump in the 2020 election and hoped for a different result. We are safe, thank GOD for the Capitol Police. My staff and I are safe and we thank the Capitol Police for their efforts to protect us. — Rep. Colin Allred (@RepColinAllred) January 6, 2021President Trump’s assault on our democracy has caused the violence that is happening outside the US Capitol right now. My staff and I are safe and we thank the Capitol Police for protecting us.

The agency's officials did not answer directly when Democrats on the House Committee on Administration asked in 2018 how many lawmakers carry firearms in the Capitol. Aides can carry lawmakers’ weapons for them on the Capitol complex, he wrote. He said members and their staffs carry firearms around the Capitol “all the time,” though he mentioned no names. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., chairman of the House Second Amendment Caucus, justified letting lawmakers carry weapons. Its officers routinely arrest people caught trying to carry weapons at the Capitol.