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Lawmakers face time crunch on infrastructure deals

July 6, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — When the Senate returns to Washington next week, lawmakers will be in a race against the clock to navigate a precarious political landscape in time to progress President Joe Biden’s infrastructure agenda before the summer comes to a close.

There are only four weeks remaining for lawmakers to make major moves on infrastructure, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has promised that both a bipartisan package focused on core infrastructure items and a second, larger, fast-tracked budget bill aimed at other priorities in Biden’s American Families Plan will be introduced in July.

Prospects for the $1.2 trillion bipartisan deal, forged by a group of five Senate Democrats and five Senate Republicans got a boost Tuesday from the bipartisan House Problem Solvers caucus, who gave the proposal it’s seal of approval in a statement.

“I’m thrilled to have the Caucus’s support for our bipartisan agreement to make historic investments in upgrading America’s critical infrastructure, creating jobs and expanding economic opportunities across the country without raising taxes,” said Senator Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., who led Senate negotiations on the bipartisan infrastructure package.

But critically, the caucus only lent it support to the stand-alone bipartisan bill. The group did not endorse tying the bipartisan infrastructure package to a larger bill that would be passed using a fast-track budget procedure called reconciliation, as some progressive Democrats have called for.

“We support bringing this bipartisan, bicameral proposal, which is strongly supported by the White House, to the House floor as a stand-alone vote,” Problem Solvers Caucus co-Chair Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., said Tuesday. “Let us vote on this package now — no strings attached. Let this bill be considered up-or-down on its own merits.”

It is not yet clear whether lawmakers will have a chance to consider the bipartisan package separate from a reconciliation package. Democratic leaders are pursuing a “two-track” approach that would move both pieces of legislation at the same time.

Biden faced considerable backlash following the announcement of the bipartisan deal last month for saying he would only consider the bipartisan package “in tandem” with the larger reconciliation package. The president had to issue a clarification to soothe Republican detractors.

Republicans have all but demanded the bipartisan bill stand alone for it to earn their backing while progressive Democrats have threatened to vote against the bipartisan deal unless they’re assured the larger package will also pass.

Legislative language is still coming together behind the scenes while the Senate is on recess.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing Tuesday that the White House is in contact with congressional staff working on crafting both the bipartisan package and the legislation that would be used in a budget reconciliation process. No bill text on either package is yet available.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to happen with Congress, and we expect over the next week there to be a lot of behind the scenes bill writing negotiations discussions on Capitol Hill, long nights, lots of coffee over the course of the next several days,” Psaki said. “Given that Leader Schumer has conveyed that he would like to see both the reconciliation package and the infrastructure bill on the floor in July, and we’re in July now in terms of the president’s priorities.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reaffirmed on Wednesday that she is still committed to tying the bipartisan package to a reconciliation package. It remains to be seen if those commitments will be enough to coax progressives in both the House and Senate who are reluctant to support the bipartisan deal without assurances of a reconciliation package to vote in favor of the bipartisan deal.

Democrats are working with the narrowest of margins in both chambers. In the House, there is a slim majority. In the Senate, every single Democrat, plus the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris, will be needed to pass a reconciliation package that will almost certainly face unanimous opposition from Senate Republicans.

Unanimity among the Senate Democratic Caucus is going to prove its own challenge, especially under such time constraints. Budget reconciliation is a time-consuming process, and Democrats as of late are on wildly different pages about the appropriate amount of money to allocate.

Budget Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., whose committee will lead the reconciliation process, has proposed as much as $6 trillion for the second package. But moderate Democrat Joe Manchin said he will only support that which can be credibly paid for.

“I want to make sure we pay for it. I do not want to add more debt on,” Manchin said on ABC News’ “This Week.” “So if that’s $1 trillion or $1.5 trillion or $2 trillion, whatever that comes out to be over a 10-year period, that’s what I would be voting for,” Manchin said.

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell conceded at a press event on Tuesday that if all Democrats are united behind a reconciliation effort, there’s little he can do to prevent them from moving forward.

That leaves the Republican leader dependent on Manchin — as well as other moderate Democrats — who he said may find the spending levels Sanders is proposing “offensive.”

McConnell said he still sees a path forward on the bipartisan infrastructure deal but promised that Senate Republicans are “going to make it hard” for Democrats to move forward on a reconciliation package.

“This is not going to be done on a bipartisan basis,” McConnell said of the larger reconciliation package. “This is going to be a hell of a fight over what this country ought to look like in the future and that’s all going to unfold here in the next few weeks.”

Biden doubles down on vaccine efforts after missing July 4 goal

July 6, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Sarah Silbiger/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images

(WASHINGTON) — President President Joe Biden is doubling down on efforts to get more Americans vaccinated despite missing his self-imposed Fourth of July deadline of having 70% of American adults vaccinated with at least one dose and 160 million people fully vaccinated.

The president was briefed on the state of the coronavirus by his COVID-19 response team Tuesday afternoon and continued to urge Americans to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated — particularly as the delta variant continues to spread across the country.

“Our fight against this virus is not over. Right now, as I speak to you, millions of Americans are still unvaccinated and unprotected. And because of that, their communities are at risk, their friends are at risk, the people that they care about are at risk. This is an even bigger concern because of the delta variant,” Biden said in remarks Tuesday afternoon.

The president said one topic of discussion during his briefing was the alarming rate of spread for the variant he described as “more easily transmissible” and “potentially more dangerous.”

“It seems to me it should cause everybody to think twice. And it should cause reconsideration, especially to young people who may have thought that they didn’t have to be vaccinated, didn’t have to worry about it and didn’t have to do anything about it up to now.”

The president stressed the efficacy of the vaccine against the delta variant, and said the administration’s efforts to get more shots into arms was far from over — pledging to “devote the remainder of the summer to a special focus on five ways to make gains” in the vaccination rate, in part by turning to a hyperlocal focus in place of mass vaccination sites.

“We need to go to community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood and, oftentimes, door to door — literally knocking on doors — to get help to the remaining people protected from the virus,” Biden said.

“We’re gonna put even more emphasis on getting vaccinated in your community, close to home, conveniently, at a location you’re already familiar with,” Biden said, “First thing we’re gonna do, this includes 42,000 local pharmacies where folks with questions can talk to the pharmacists they know and already have … dealt with.”

The White House will also focus on getting the vaccines to more family doctors and health care providers, according to Biden, to allow those hesitant to get the vaccine “from the folks that they know and they trust the most.”

The administration will also increase the number of vaccines available to pediatric doctors in an effort to ramp up rates among children 12 to 18 as they prepare for the upcoming school year.

Biden reiterated the administration’s call to employers to reduce barriers for their employees to get their shots and said the administration would expand their mobile clinic outreach in an additional effort to meet Americans where they already are.

“At special events, summer festivals, sporting events, as well as places of worship, wherever we can find people gathered,” he said

The White House faces an uphill battle on that front. A new ABC News-Washington Post poll found that among unvaccinated Americans, 74% said that they are unlikely to get the vaccine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki was pressed Tuesday afternoon about the polling and if unvaccinated Americans were still persuadable. Psaki said that the community approach was already having an impact.

“So, we’ve seen, actually, even people who didn’t — had no intention of getting the vaccine for a range of reasons, maybe they didn’t know how to get it, maybe they don’t know where to get it, maybe they were scared of the impacts, actually get vaccinated. And that, to us, is an encouraging sign that we can continue to press and make progress moving forward,” she said.

While neither of Biden’s July Fourth goals have been met, the president did tout the strides the U.S. has made under his administration, teasing that his goal of having 160 million Americans fully vaccinated should be met at the end of this week — only a few days off from his self-imposed deadline.

“We can’t get complacent now. The best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family and the people you care about the most is get vaccinated. The best thing the community can do to protect themselves is to increase vaccination rates. You can do this. You can do this. Let’s finish the job, finish it together,” he said.

Nearly 150 COVID-19 cases tied to Texas church summer camp

July 6, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(LEAGUE CITY, TX.) — Nearly 150 children and adults have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a church summer camp in Texas, officials announced.

The Clear Creek Community Church, based in League City, Texas, announced that Sunday services would be canceled this week due to the number of cases.

Over 400 people participated in Camp Creek, a four-day camp for 6th to 12th graders, in late June.

Upon returning, more than 125 of the people who attended tested positive for the virus, the church said in a statement, and “hundreds more were exposed to COVID-19 at camp.”

The Galveston County Health District, which is investigating the outbreak, told ABC News that 57 Galveston County youth and adults who attended the camp tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 90 people, including non-Galveston County residents, have self reported to the district that they tested positive for the virus, bringing the total tally to at least 147.

It’s not clear if the campers who are eligible for the vaccine were vaccinated prior to the camp trip. The church has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.

The church is contacting all those impacted.

“From the beginning of the pandemic, we have sought to love our neighbors by practicing strict safety protocols. We are surprised and saddened by this turn of events. Our hearts break for those infected with the virus,” Bruce Wesley, the church’s lead pastor, said in the statement.

The church recommended in-person worship starting April 7 and allowed for the removal of masks in May, in accordance with the state’s phased reopening.

The Galveston County Health District was notified of the first positive case tied to the camp on June 27, GCHD said in a release.

GCHD officials told ABC News on Tuesday the delta variant was identified in three test samples tied to the outbreak, and additional samples are being tested.

Of the 57 Galveston County cases, six are breakthrough cases, defined as someone becoming infected more than 14 days after their second COVID-19 vaccination, according to the department.

In total, 47 of the cases are among those 12 years and older, and 10 cases are in children younger than 12.

“This is a reminder that COVID-19 is still here and we have to take precautions,” Dr. Philip Keiser, the Galveston County local health authority, said. “If you’re old enough to get vaccinated and haven’t, now is the time. These vaccines are safe and offer the best protection against COVID-19 to you, your family and your community.”

In Galveston County, the population of those aged 12 and up is 57% partially vaccinated and 52% fully vaccinated. Overall in Texas, 51% of the population aged 12 and up is fully vaccinated, per state data.

White House officials recently said younger Americans seem “less eager” to get the COVID-19 vaccine. At the moment, anyone 12 and older can receive the Pfizer vaccine. Those who are 18 and older are eligible for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

“Younger people, particularly those in their 20s, have felt less vulnerable to the disease and, therefore, less eager to get shots. They were made eligible later, so they have not been eligible as long, and we continue to see hundreds of thousands of young people vaccinated each week,” White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz.

In a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, among those not vaccinated, 74% said they probably or definitely won’t get a shot, which is up from 55% in April.

The result may be increased cases among youth. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released July 2 shows that confirmed COVID-19 admissions among those under 18 increased 11% over the past week.

Emails suggest slow response to repair plans in the weeks before Surfside condo collapsed

July 6, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(SURFSIDE, Fla.) — Champlain Towers South condo board members, Surfside town officials, and engineers grappled with issues related to the building’s 40-year recertification process, potentially delaying much-needed plans for repairs in the weeks leading up to the collapse of the building, emails released by the town show.

It’s unclear if or how the apparent delays in the repair plans detailed in the messages may have contributed to the collapse, but the series of emails published by the Town of Surfside offers a glimpse into what kind of communication was taking place right before the deadly accident.

As of Tuesday, 32 people were confirmed to have died and 117 people remained unaccounted for following the collapse of the 12-story building on June 24.

In the weeks before Champlain Towers South’s collapse, emails about a “dire parking situation” suggest that the town’s approval process for a satellite parking space may have contributed to delays in submitting plans for repairs of the condo building, the documents show.

In one email dated May 20, Champlain Towers South engineering consultant Frank Morabito told Surfside town planner Walter Keller that before the engineers could begin working on the building, they needed to hear from the town about how to deal with the upcoming issue of construction vehicles occupying a significant portion of the residents’ parking spaces, according to the documents.

The emails suggest that Morabito and the Champlain Towers South Condo Association did not receive a reply from town officials for a month, prompting building manager Scott Stewart to email Keller, town manager Andrew Hyatt, and Surfside building official James McGuinness on June 21, asking for prompt approval of a satellite parking location for five vehicles so renovation plans could “keep moving forward.”

“This is holding us up, and costs are going up, and [our] 40 year is coming up fast,” Stewart wrote three days before the collapse. “This temporary satellite parking location would allow us to better expedite the repairs on one of [the] Surfside gateway properties.”

According to the records, the town manager and the town building official responded to Stewart on June 22 and 23 — the eve of the collapse — about issues that needed to be addressed before they could grant temporary use of the requested satellite parking lot.

Meanwhile, McGuinness, the town official, was in correspondence with a real estate management company regarding remodeling work that was needed on the building’s facade, pool, and plaza, another chain of emails shows. According to the emails, the condo sought to submit a dry run to “at least start reviews of the plans” as early as June 9, then later followed up with the building official for an invoice for the dry run.

Surfside officials told ABC News that McGuiness was not available to comment on the matter.

Earlier emails outlined challenges faced by building representatives as they tried to keep repairs on track. In a message dated May 26, resident and former condo board member Myriam Notkin complained about tar kettle fumes coming into her apartment during the building’s roof repair, asking if the operation could be relocated. Condo board president Jean Wodnicki responded that the roof remediation plan was approved by the town and that the operation couldn’t be relocated without significantly changing the course of the project.

“We have had a number of presentations on the plans over the last 6 months outlining the process,” Wodnicki wrote in an email responding to the complaint. “The specific location of the coal tar kettle and crane has been explained to the residents for at least a month.”

Further delays could cause further damage and more expense, Wodnicki wrote in the email, noting that the roof repair needed to be done before the rainy season.

Notkin is among those missing following the collapse.

In response to questions about the emails released by Surfside, town manager Hyatt said in a statement that at no point did the Champlain Towers South Condominium Association indicate in any plans or permit applications that emergency action by the town was required.

“There was no indication during any communications between the Town and the association by telephone or electronic mail that this submission required emergency action by the Town of Surfside,” Hyatt said. “The scope of work for repairs was not received until June 21, 2021, and not in the form of a building application. To date, no permit application for these specific repairs has been received by the Town.”

Hyatt also emphasized that plans sent to officials in May were only preliminary.

“The plans received by the Town of Surfside beginning on May 12, 2021, were preliminary and clearly marked ‘Not for construction.’ The Town’s position is that these plans were not final. In fact, no applications for construction permits were submitted,” he said. “It would appear that the Champlain Towers South Condominium Association sought to address a number of issues outside the scope of any proposed 40-year re-certification work such as the installation of new natural gas service and delivery lines, the reconfiguration of existing parking, the moving of parking off site, and other repairs.”

Asked about the messages, a spokesperson for Champlain Tower South Condominium association said, “The emails speak for themselves.”

Joel Figueroa-Vallines, an Orlando-based forensic structural engineer and president of SEP Engineers, told ABC News that the delay in addressing issues with the building is concerning, and that periodic checkups, inspections and overall maintenance are important to keep a building in good shape. Figueroa-Vallines has no ties to Champlain Towers South, and no personal knowledge of the investigation.

For officials, the latest emails are among the many things that will be investigated.

Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told ABC News that he’s still in the process of gathering information to understand what exactly happened, but said, “I think it sounds like those emails are going to be important.”

Last week, a team from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was sent to the site by the Biden administration, and is currently in the preliminary stages of investigating what caused the apparent building failure.

“It will take time, possibly a couple of years, but we will not stop until we have determined the likely cause of this tragedy,” said Dr. James Olthoff, the director of the NIST, which also investigated the collapse of the World Trade Center.

Worker shot dead on golf course because he stumbled upon crime in progress, police say

July 6, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(ATLANTA) — A Georgia golf pro was gunned down on the course where he worked because he stumbled upon a crime in progress, police said Tuesday.

Eugene Siller was shot in the head on Saturday on the green of the 10th hole at Pinetree Country Club in Kennesaw, near Atlanta, the Cobb County Police Department said.

Two other men were found shot dead in the bed of a white Ram 3500 pickup truck that was on the green, police said.

Police said Tuesday that they believe Siller was shot because he was a witness who “happened upon a crime in progress involving the unknown suspect” and the two victims in the truck.

No arrests have been made but police said Tuesday they’re following “active leads.”

The victims in the truck don’t appear to have any connection to the country club, police said. One of the men was the truck’s owner, Paul Pierson, and the second victim hasn’t been identified, police said.

A motive isn’t clear, police said.

Police added that they don’t believe there’s an active threat to the public. Anyone with information is asked to contact the police at 770-499-4111 or at cobbpolicecrimetips@cobbcounty.org.

More than 125 COVID-19 cases tied to Texas church summer camp

July 6, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(LEAGUE CITY, TX.) — More than 125 children and adults have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a church summer camp in Texas, officials announced.

The Clear Creek Community Church, based in League City, Texas, announced that Sunday services would be canceled this week due to the number of cases.

More than 125 children and adults have tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a church summer camp in Texas, officials announced.

The Clear Creek Community Church, based in League City, Texas, announced that Sunday services would be canceled this week due to the number of cases.

It’s not clear if the campers who are eligible for the vaccine were vaccinated prior to the camp trip. The church has not responded to ABC News’ request for comment.

The church is contacting all those impacted.

The church recommended in-person worship starting April 7 and allowed for the removal of masks in May, in accordance with the state’s phased reopening.

The Galveston County Health District is investigating the outbreak.

The department was notified of the first positive case tied to the camp on June 27, GCHD said in a release.

In a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, among those not vaccinated, 74% said they probably or definitely won’t get a shot, which is up from 55% in April.

6 months after Capitol riot, progress meets with push for further investigation

July 6, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — While Capitol Police are marking six months since the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by touting changes the agency has made to better prepare for such incidents, Congress continues its push for further investigations into the deadly incident.

In a letter released by the Capitol Police Tuesday morning, acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman paid tribute to the officers who lost their lives defending the Capitol in January and charted a path forward for the agency.

“We will never forget USCP Officers Brian Sicknick and Howie Liebengood, who died after the attack, nor the sacrifices of the nearly 150 law enforcement officers who were injured,” she wrote. “Throughout the last six months, the United States Capitol Police has been working around the clock with our Congressional stakeholders to support our officers, enhance security around the Capitol Complex, and pivot towards an intelligence-based protective agency.”

A Jan. 6 rally in support of then-President Donald Trump turned deadly after Trump encouraged his supporters to march to Capitol Hill, where Congress was meeting to certify Joe Biden’s election win.

Rioters breached barricades and security checkpoints, forcing Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers to evacuate or shelter in place and temporarily disrupting the certification. Five people, including Sicknick, died during or after the riot, 140 police officers were injured and the Capitol building suffered approximately $1.5 million in damage.

Pittman touted changes the agency has made since then, such as increased information sharing and training.

She wrote that the U.S. Capitol Police have opened offices in Florida and California to monitor threats outside the district, with more offices set to open, and is working with congressional oversight committees so the Capitol Police can immediately request assistance from the National Guard.

The National Guard, which was stationed at the Capitol since Jan. 6, left on May 24.

“Those are just some of the improvements the United States Capitol Police is making, with the support of our Congressional stakeholders, in the wake of the January 6 attack,” Pittman wrote.

The Justice Department has charged more than 500 people with actions related to the riot at the Capitol — with crimes ranging from misdemeanors to conspiracy.

The FBI is still on the hunt for the suspect who it said placed pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee the night before the riot.

The U.S. Capitol has seen an increase in physical security measures since the riot as well.

In a statement, Capitol police said they don’t discuss plans due to security concerns, but the outer permitter of the fencing that has been around the Capitol since right after the attack came down on March 24 and the remainder is slated to come down this week, sources familiar with the plan told ABC News.

The move comes as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi created a House committee to investigate the events of Jan. 6 last week after Republicans in the Senate blocked the creation of a bipartisan committee to investigate the attack in a late May vote.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell pointed to investigative work being done by Senate committees, most notably a joint effort by the Senate Rules and Homeland Security, as evidence for why a bipartisan commission was not needed.

That joint effort yielded a 95-page report that found significant breakdowns ranging “from federal intelligence agencies failing to warn of a potential for violence to a lack of planning and preparation by (U.S. Capitol Police) and law enforcement leadership.”

But the joint report was narrow in scope and did not examine events leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Democrats called for further action, prompting Pelosi to form the select committee.

She tapped GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, who was stripped from her No. 3 leadership position in the House Republican conference due to her criticism of Trump, to serve on the committee, along with seven other Democrats.

“We are very honored and proud she has agreed to serve on the committee,” Pelosi told reporters Thursday.

House Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., will serve as chairman, which was widely expected.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy is allowed to appoint five Republicans to the committee, in consultation with Pelosi, who has ultimate veto power, but McCarthy has not yet named Republican members to the committee.

ABC News’ Alexander Mallin contributed to this report.

Pentagon cancels $10B JEDI cloud contract involving Amazon, Microsoft

July 6, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — After years of legal wrangling, the Department of Defense has canceled its cloud-computing contract with Microsoft that could have been worth $10 billion.

The contract to build a cloud-computing system for the Pentagon was the subject of a lengthy legal battle, as Amazon alleged it was passed over for the lucrative deal due to political reasons.

The Department of Defense did not mention the legal battle, but said the contract was canceled due to evolving requirements, tech advances and different needs than when the contract was first offered.

“With the shifting technology environment, it has become clear that the JEDI Cloud contract, which has long been delayed, no longer meets the requirements to fill the DoD’s capability gaps,” a DoD spokesperson said in a statement.

Instead, the Pentagon will now offer deals to Microsoft and Amazon Web Services — the only companies cleared to meet the military’s security requirements — for individual contracts for specific needs.

The Jedi Cloud can be thought of as the military’s classified version of Apple’s iCloud where information could be stored securely and shared across the military’s computer system.

Amazon and Microsoft did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment Tuesday after the news broke.

Gas prices climb as crude oil briefly hits highest prices in six years

July 6, 2021 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — Crude oil prices briefly reached their highest levels in six years early Tuesday before retreating slightly, as surging post-pandemic oil demand and fizzled talks among producers casts new volatility over energy markets.

Futures on West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. crude benchmark, were trading at $73.32 a barrel by midday Tuesday after topping $76.90 a barrel earlier. The price of WTI crude has skyrocketed by more than 50% since the beginning of the year.

Futures on Brent crude, the international benchmark, was $74.50 by midday Tuesday, a slight fall from its early morning high of $77.82. Since the beginning of the year, prices for Brent crude have climbed more than 45%.

The volatility comes as the waning pandemic is leading to a surge in demand for oil as industries reopen and global travel bounces back. In addition, a meeting of members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries scheduled for Monday was abruptly called off. In a brief statement, OPEC Secretary General HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo did not give a reason for the last-minute cancellation, saying the date of the next meeting will be decided “in due course.” The oil producers were expected to discuss increases in production after failing to reach an agreement last week.

Americans are also seeing no relief from soaring gas prices at the pump. On Tuesday, the national average gasoline price was $3.13 per gallon, according to American Automobile Association data.

Moreover, the AAA predicts that gas prices will increase another 10 to 20 cents per gallon through the end of August, bringing the national average to more than $3.25 later this summer.

“Robust gasoline demand and more expensive crude oil prices are pushing gas prices higher,” Jeanette McGee, an AAA spokesperson, said in a statement. “We had hoped that global crude production increases would bring some relief at the pump this month, but weekend OPEC negotiations fell through with no agreement reached. As a result, crude prices are set to surge to a seven year-high.”

States that saw the largest weekly increases at the pump include Idaho (which saw an average increase of 10 cents), Alaska (a 9 cent increase) as well as Washington, Oregon and Colorado (which all saw an increase of 7 cents).

The AAA noted that the last time the national average gas price was $3.25 was in October 2014.

Gas prices have been steadily climbing since the beginning of the year. The national average on Tuesday was 95 cents higher on average than during the same time period one year ago.

Six months after Capitol riot, progress meets with push for further investigation

July 6, 2021 by WDNY Radio

In a letter released by the Capitol Police Tuesday morning, Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman paid tribute to the officers who lost their lives defending the Capitol in January and charted a path forward for the agency.

Rioters breached barricades and security checkpoints, forcing Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers to evacuate or shelter in place, temporarily disrupting the certification. Five people, including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, died during or after the riot, 140 police officers were injured and the Capitol building suffered approximately $1.5 million in damage.

Pittman touted changes the agency has made since then, such as increased information sharing and training.

She wrote that the U.S. Capitol Police have opened offices in Florida and California to monitor threats outside the D.C. area, with more offices set to open, and is working with Congressional oversight committees so the Capitol Police can immediately request assistance from the National Guard.

The National Guard, which was stationed at the Capitol since Jan. 6, left on May 24.

“Those are just some of the improvements the United States Capitol Police is making, with the support of our Congressional stakeholders, in the wake of the January 6 attack,” Pittman wrote.

The Justice Department has charged more than 500 people with actions related to the riot at the Capitol — with crimes ranging from misdemeanors to conspiracy.

The FBI is still on the hunt for the suspect who it says placed pipe bombs outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee the night before the riot.

The U.S. Capitol has seen an increase in physical security measures since the riot as well.

In a statement, Capitol police say they don’t discuss plans due to security concerns, but the outer permitter of the fencing that has been around the Capitol since right after the attack came down on March 24 and the remainder is slated to come down this week, sources familiar with the plan told ABC News.

The move comes as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi created a House Committee to investigate the events of Jan. 6 last week after Republicans in the Senate blocked the creation of a bipartisan committee to investigate the attack in a late May vote.

That joint effort yielded a 95-page report that found “significant breakdowns ranging “from federal intelligence agencies failing to warn of a potential for violence to a lack of planning and preparation by (U.S. Capitol Police) and law enforcement leadership.”

But the joint report was narrow in scope and did not examine events leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Democrats called for further action, prompting Pelosi to form the select committee.

She tapped GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, who was stripped from her No. 3 leadership position in the House Republican conference due to her criticism of former President Donald Trump, to serve on the committee, along with seven other Democrats.

“We are very honored and proud she has agreed to serve on the committee,” Pelosi told reporters Thursday.

House Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., will serve as chairman, which was widely expected.

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