Nine media organizations, including CNN, have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the FBI and US Attorney's Offices at the Justice Department for access to surveillance tapes of the Capitol Hill riot on January 6, 2021. The tapes, which have been provided exclusively to Fox News, contain 44,000 hours of footage and the plaintiffs argue that they should be made available to all media outlets. The lawsuit argues that the tapes are of public interest and the media outlets have diligently sought access to them for the past two years.
Posts tagged as “Capitol Hill”
Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a former middle school principal, sparked a heated debate on Capitol Hill when he yelled at his GOP colleagues for not supporting stricter gun measures in the wake of the Nashville school shooting. Rep. Bowman accused Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., of “carrying water for the gun lobby” and called his colleagues “cowards” for not doing more to protect children. His passionate plea for stricter gun control legislation has been met with mixed reactions from both sides of the aisle, sparking a much-needed conversation about the issue.
NFL player Ryan Hamlin recently joined Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Bill Posey on Capitol Hill to introduce the Access to AEDs Act, which seeks to raise awareness of the dangers of sudden cardiac arrest in children and increase access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in schools. Hamlin, who experienced sudden cardiac arrest himself, shared that more than 7,000 children under the age of 18 experience sudden cardiac arrest every year in the US, and that 1 in every 300 youth have an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk. The Act is supported by organizations such as the American Heart Association and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, and would provide grants to schools to purchase AEDs and provide training for staff and students on how to use them.
Manuel Oliver, the father of a Parkland shooting victim, was arrested on Capitol Hill while protesting gun violence during a House subcommittee hearing. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) compared Oliver to the Capitol rioters, sparking outrage among gun control advocates who argue that Oliver's actions were a peaceful protest. The incident has highlighted the need for stricter gun control legislation to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) has become a vocal supporter of TikTok, defending the platform against bipartisan efforts to ban it. Bowman argues that he hasn't seen any evidence of espionage and that the platform provides a space for content creators to share their ideas. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer is expected to testify before a House panel this week, which could affect the debate over the app's future in the U.S. and Bowman's support.
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) has denied allegations that he was the mastermind behind a credit card skimming operation in 2017, as stated in a sworn declaration by his former roommate Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha. Santos claims he is innocent and that Trelha provided him with the materials and taught him how to put skimming devices and cameras on ATM machines. The FBI and other federal law enforcement officials are currently investigating the allegations against Santos.
On Tuesday, a data breach at the Washington, D.C. health insurance marketplace potentially exposed the personal identifiable information (PII) of hundreds of lawmakers and staff. House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine L. Szpindor informed recipients of the breach in an internal memo and warned them that their data may have been compromised. The FBI is currently investigating the breach and the House is providing additional security measures to protect the data of its members and staff.
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has agreed to testify before a Senate committee investigating allegations of union-busting leveled against the coffee chain. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has been a vocal advocate for workers' rights and has recently released a book on Social Security and the future of jobs. The Senate panel was set to vote Wednesday to subpoena Schultz if he did not willingly agree to testify, but with Schultz now agreeing to appear, the vote is no longer necessary.