(WASHINGTON) — The first man to stand trial for his role in last year’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will be sentenced on Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C.
Guy Wesley Reffitt, 49, of Wylie, Texas, was convicted by a federal jury in March of five felony counts, including obstruction of justice as well as entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a firearm.
Federal prosecutors with the U.S. Department of Justice have asked that Reffitt be sentenced to 15 years in prison, which would be by far the longest sentence handed down to a Capitol riot defendant. Prosecutors have also — for the first time — asked a federal district court judge to apply a terrorism enhancement, which would effectively define under law that a rioter’s actions amounted to domestic terrorism.
Reffitt is among the more than 850 people who have been charged in connection with the deadly breach of the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, which disrupted a joint session of Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election. Over 200 defendants have already pleaded guilty to a variety of misdemeanors and felony charges, with some being sentenced to years in federal prison.
Reffitt’s attorney, Clinton Broden, asked that his client be sentenced to no more than two years. He said he was shocked by the prosecution’s recommendation, since his client wasn’t accused of entering the Capitol or assaulting any police officers that day.
U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich isn’t bound by any of the recommendations or the federal sentencing guidelines, which in Reffitt’s case call for a prison sentence ranging from nine years to 11 years and three months.
During the trial, prosecutors sought to cast Reffitt, a member of the Texas Three Percenters militia group, as a ringleader of one of the first waves of the mob that breached the Capitol from the building’s west side.
Videos played in court showed Reffitt climbing a stone banister near where scaffolding had been put up in advance of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, and Reffitt confronting U.S. Capitol Police officers who warned him to back down before they fired less-than-lethal ammunition and pepper spray to stop his advance. Other videos presented in court showed Reffitt gesturing to the crowd behind him in what appeared to be an attempt to get them to move up the stairs toward multiple entryways that lead into the building.
At one point in the trial, prosecutors played first-person footage that Reffitt had recorded with a 360-degree camera mounted on his helmet while in the crowd at the “Save America” rally prior to the attack.
“We’re taking the Capitol before the day is out,” Reffitt says in the video. “Everybody is in the same harmony on that … dragging ’em out kicking and f***ing screaming.”
“I didn’t come here to play games … I just want to see Pelosi’s head hit every f***ing stair on the way out,” he says later. “I think we have the numbers to make it happen … without firing a single shot.”
The Justice Department’s case also relied on two key witnesses: Rocky Hardie, a former member of the Texas Three Percenters, who testified against Reffitt in exchange for immunity to cooperate, and Reffitt’s 19-year-old son, Jackson, who submitted an online tip to the FBI first alerting them to his father’s plans weeks before the riot, ultimately leading to Reffitt’s arrest on Jan. 16, 2021.
During an interview with ABC News from jail last December, Reffitt said he “never expected anything like this to happen.”
“This has been disastrous for me and my family, especially for my girls, my son — actually, all of my family,” Reffitt told ABC News.
Burt Metcalfe, the TV producer best known for working on all 11 seasons of the legendary CBS comedy-drama M*A*S*H, died July 27 in Los Angeles, Alan Alda, who played Col. Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce revealed the news Sunday, tweeting, “If you enjoyed MASH it was in large part because of Burt…We were very close. We wrote together, directed together and inspired each other. He was such a good person.” Metcalfe started out as an associate producer and rose to showrunner for the show’s final six seasons. He also directed 31 episodes of M*A*S*H, and executive-produced the CBS series Lou Grant. Metcalfe began his career as an actor during the 1950s and 60s, appearing on such series as Have Gun, Will Travel, Death Valley Days, The Twilight Zone, Perry Mason and The Fugitive…
Rick Gonzalez, best known for his roles on Arrow and Coach Carter, and Pam & Tommy actor Brent Antonello have joined the cast of NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime for season three, according to Deadline. They’ll play NYPD detectives assigned to the Organized Crime unit. Law & Order: Organized Crime follows Christopher Meloni‘s Detective Elliot Stabler, who attempts to rebuild his career following a devastating loss, this time as part of a new elite task force tasked with taking down the city’s most powerful criminal syndicates…
A24’s dark multiverse comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once has reached a major box office milestone, crossing $100 million in global ticket sales — the studio’s first movie to hit that box office benchmark. Everything Everywhere All at Once has earned $68.9 million in the United States and another $31.1 million internationally, putting its global tally at $100 million…
DC League of Super-Pets had an impressive opening weekend, grabbing an estimated $23 million domestically. The animated superhero comedy film, featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, along with Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna and Keanu Reeves, grabbed $41.4 million worldwide.
Jordan Peele‘s Nope slid into second place, delivering an estimated $18.5 million. Its two-week domestic total now stands at $80.5 million.
Thor: Love and Thunder pulled up in third place with an estimated $13.1 million. Its North American tally after four weeks stands at $301 million, for a global haul of $662 million.
Fourth place belongs to Minions: The Rise of Gru, which collected an estimated $10.9 million in its fifth week of release. Its worldwide haul currently stands at $710 million.
Rounding out the top five is Top Gun: Maverick, snagging an estimated $8.2 million in its 10th week in theaters.
The dark comedy Vengeance — written, directed and starring B.J. Novak — was the week’s only other wide release, opening with an estimated $1.75 million — good for just a 10th-place finish despite generally positive reviews.
(NEW YORK) — Before you head to the beach or pool this summer, check the label on your sunscreen bottle.
Edgewell Personal Care Company issued a voluntary recall Friday for three batches of Banana Boat sunscreen after trace levels of benzene were found in the product during an internal review, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The recalled product, Banana Boat Hair & Scalp Spray SPF 30, is packaged in 6-ounce aerosol spray cans, which were distributed nationwide at various retail locations in the U.S. and were sold online.
The affected batches of sunscreen can be identified by the following information, located on the bottom of each can:
Lot Code: 20016AF; Expiration Date: December 2022
Lot Code: 20084BF; Expiration Date: February 2023
Lot Code: 21139AF; Expiration Date: April 2024
Benzene is classified as a human carcinogen, which, through exposure, could potentially result in cancer, according to the FDA.
“While benzene is not an ingredient in any Banana Boat products, the review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can,” the company announcement stated.
Consumers in possession of the recalled sunscreen should stop using the product and discard it immediately.
Edgewell Personal Care Company has notified retailers to remove the remaining aerosol cans from their shelves. Banana Boat is offering reimbursement to consumers who purchased the recalled item.
Any adverse reactions that may be experienced with use of the sunscreen can be reported to the FDA either online or through regular mail.
(SISKIYOU COUNTY, Calif.) — A fire burning out of control in a Northern California national forest and threatening a town of nearly 8,000 people has quickly become the largest wildland fire in the state this year, officials said.
The McKinney Fire in the Klamath National Forest in Siskiyou County, near the Oregon border, had burned 52,498 acres and was 0% contained as of Sunday evening, according to Cal Fire.
Two people were found dead in their car in a driveway in the town of Klamath River, Siskiyou County Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue told ABC News. Firefighters said they suspected that the two were caught in the fast-moving fire as they tried to flee, according to the sheriff. More rescue teams were expected to search the area on Monday.
The fire started around 2:15 p.m. Friday in the Klamath National Forest and has caused the closure of Highway 98 in the area and the evacuation communities, including the partial evacuation of Yreka, California, officials said.
The blaze is burning through drought-dry tinderbox of high grass, brush and timber and its rapid spread has been fanned by gusty winds and numerous dry-lightning strikes, according to Cal Fire.
There was concern that lightning storms over the fire area could have sparked additional fires, officials said. But that same storm system also carried a significant amount of moisture, slowing the fire’s spread significantly over the past 24 hours, the sheriff said on Monday.
“We’re feeling pretty good” about protecting Yreka, whose western fringes were threatened by the fire, he told ABC News.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office told ABC News Sunday afternoon that more than 100 structures have been destroyed, including the homes of several deputies who are continuing to work despite personally being under evacuation orders.
Many of the lost structures are along the Klamath River, with runs parallel to Highway 96, according to a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. The Klamath River Community Hall in Klamath River was also among the structures destroyed, officials said.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said search crews rescued about 60 hikers from a section of the Pacific Crest Trail, a popular backpacking trail that runs from Canada to Mexico.
Sgt. Shawn Richards of Jackson County Search & Rescue told reporters the hikers were not in immediate danger. He said that because of the rapidly spreading fire, unpredictable winds and smoke reducing visibility to roughly 20 feet, the decision was made to rescue the hikers before conditions worsened.
Red flag fire danger warnings were issued in the area Sunday as temperatures, according to the National Weather Service, are forecast to reach 90 to 100 degrees. In addition, there is a 30% chance of thunderstorms moving in Sunday afternoon, according to the weather service.
“Strong gusty outflow winds will continue to be the drivers for the extreme fire behavior,” Cal Fire said in its latest incident report on the fire.
At least 568 firefighters are battling the blaze on the ground and from the air with helicopters and air tankers.
“Really erratic winds from the start of the incident all the way up until now,” Kelsey Lofdah, a firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service, told ABC San Francisco station KGO-TV of challenging firefighting conditions. “Pretty extreme fire behavior throughout the entire shift.”
The Yreka Police Department issued evacuation orders for a neighborhood in the western part of the town “due to its proximity to the fire” about 12 miles away.
“Please leave IMMEDIATELY,” the police department wrote in the evacuation order.
The police department also issued evacuation warnings to residents in all areas of the community west of Interstate 5.
The cause of the fire is under investigation and emergency management officials are assessing the damage.
Californian Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency on Saturday for Siskiyou County due to the effects of the McKinney Fire. A state of emergency frees up more state resources to be used in battling the blaze, including dispatching more firefighters and equipment to the scene.
The McKinney Fire surpassed the Oak Fire in Mariposa County near Yosemite as the largest wildfire in the state this year, according to Cal Fire. The Oak Fire, which started on July 22, was 64% contained on Sunday after burning 19,244 acres and destroying 182 structures, including more than 100 homes, officials said.
ABC News’ Jennifer Watts and Izzy Alvarez contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — The death toll in the devastating flooding that hit eastern Kentucky is continuing to rise as more rain threatens the region, according to officials.
A total of 28 people have been confirmed dead, but that number is expected to increase again, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced Sunday afternoon. The death toll includes at least four children, Beshear said on Saturday.
“We do know of additional bodies that have been recovered but we cannot confirm those deaths at this time,” Beshear said in a recorded video posted online.
Beshear described “widespread damage” that displaced thousands of people, including power outages for thousands of people as well as washed out roads, destroyed homes and flooded schools. Beshear is expected to visit some of the regions impacted by the flooding on Sunday.
More rain is forecast in the area on Sunday and Monday as search and rescue teams continue to look for those who are unaccounted for. The additional precipitation could potentially cause water levels to rise again, with 2 inches to 4 inches of rain possible in the same area that experienced the catastrophic flooding that began with heavy rains on Wednesday.
More than 600 people have been rescued by aircraft and boat since the flooding began, Beshear said.
The destruction in Kentucky is the latest extreme flooding event to take place in the U.S. in less than a week.
Heavy downpours caused flash flooding in Las Vegas on Friday, with rising waters seen on roadways and parking garages in busy parts of Sin City.
The megadrought has caused the soil in the region to become so dry that it could not absorb the heavy rains, which helped to contribute to the flooding.
Earlier in the week, a flash flooding emergency occurred near St. Louis, which had a record-breaking 8.56 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. One person was found dead in a car on Tuesday after the water began to recede, officials said.
Kentucky is working to establish shelters, Beshear said, asking those who want to help to donate cleaning supplies or water. Last week, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration.
“Let us wrap our arms around eastern Kentucky and pray for those impacted,” Beshear said.
ABC News’ Matt Foster, Kenton Gewecke and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
(RONALD TOWNSHIP, Mich.) — Two cyclists were killed and three others injured when a car ran into them at Ronald Township, Michigan, Saturday morning, law enforcement officials announced.
The cyclists were participating in the Make-A-Wish Michigan 35th Annual Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour, a three-day endurance ride throughout most of Michigan, when they were struck, officials said.
Texas police search for suspect in death of world-class cyclist
According to the Ionia County Sheriff Office, the men were traveling southbound when they were hit by an SUV traveling northbound.
One bicyclist was declared dead on the scene, while the other was flown to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids but died from his injuries. The three cyclists who survived are hospitalized with severe injuries, police said.
The police aren’t releasing information on the driver pending an investigation, but he was arrested on two counts of Operating While Intoxicated Causing Death.
“It is with heavy hearts we remember our riders impacted by the tragedy yesterday,” Make-A-Wish Michigan tweeted on Sunday. “Our staff and the entire Make-A-Wish family are heartbroken and offer our deepest sympathy for the riders involved, their loved ones, and all members of the Wish-A-Mile (WAM) community at this time.”
The cyclists’ names will be released once all next-of-kin are notified.
(NEW YORK) — Bill Russell will be remembered as a tremendous rebounder, legendary post defender and NBA Hall of Famer. But more than anything, he will be remembered as the greatest winner in basketball history.
The Boston Celtics legend, who won 11 NBA championships as a player, including two as a player-coach, on his way to the Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 88, his family announced Sunday.
The family said Russell died peacefully with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. Arrangements for his memorial service will be announced soon, the statement said.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver issued a statement calling Russell “the greatest champion in all of sports.”
“The countless accolades that he earned for his storied career with the Boston Celtics — including a record 11 championships and five MVP awards – only begin to tell the story of Bill’s immense impact on our league and broader society,” Silver said.
“At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps” Silver added. “Through the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.”
Silver said that in the 35 years since Russell completed his trailblazing career as the NBA’s first Black head coach, he continued to attend every major NBA Event, including the NBA Finals, where he presented the Finals MVP trophy that was renamed for him in 2009.
“I cherished my friendship with Bill and was thrilled when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Silver said. “I often called him basketball’s Babe Ruth for how he transcended time. Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever.”
There’s no level of play and no role in the sport in which Russell was not a winner. Most notably, he won 11 NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics in the late-1950s and ’60s. The last two titles — in 1968 and 1969 — came as both a player and the head coach.
While at the University of San Francisco, he won back-to-back NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. He won the award for the tournament’s most outstanding player in 1955 and was the UPI collegiate player of the year in 1956. He averaged 20.6 points and 21 rebounds per game as a senior.
And after wrapping up the NCAA title with the Dons in 1956, he went to the Melbourne Summer Olympics and won the gold medal with Team USA. He was captain and led the team in scoring.
The 6-foot-10 Russell caught the eye of legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach in the 1956 NBA draft, so much so that he parted with star center Ed Macauley for Russell, who was drafted No. 2 overall by St. Louis. Russell joined college teammate K.C. Jones as part of the Celtics’ draft class.
The partnership between Russell and Auerbach became the greatest in basketball history. The Celtics won the title in his first season as he averaged 13.9 points and 24.4 rebounds per game.
The Celtics came up short in Russell’s second season in the NBA, through little fault of Russell. He won his first of five MVP awards in 1958, but an injury in the NBA Finals gave an opening for the St. Louis Hawks — the same team that had traded Russell on draft night — to win the title.
It was one of just two times he wouldn’t win the NBA championship. In his 13 years in the league, he failed to win a title in only his second and 11th seasons.
The Celtics, led by Russell, won eight straight titles from 1959 to 1966.
In 1959, the NBA and the country was introduced to the greatest rivalry in the game: Russell versus Wilt Chamberlain. The two weren’t just giants in the paint, they were ultra-athletic, too. They revolutionized a game previously dominated by lumbering centers like George Mikan.
Chamberlain, acknowledged as the best offensive center in the game, and Russell, acknowledged as the best defensive center in the game, would battle for the rest of Russell’s career. Chamberlain, who played for the Warriors and then Sixers, usually got the better of the scoring battle — but Russell’s Celtics won the game.
The two met in the 1960 and ’62 playoffs and then the 1964 NBA Finals after the Warriors relocated to the West Coast. He averaged 11.2 points and 25.2 rebounds per game in a five-game series victory in the Finals. Traded back to the East, the two tangled in the 1965 and ’66 playoffs — both wins for Russell’s Celtics.
Before the 1966-67 season, Auerbach decided to leave the bench and move into an executive role. He passed the role to Russell, who would be a player-coach for the next three seasons.
Russell also made history as the NBA’s first Black head coach.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 — the first Black player to be so honored — but declined to attend the ceremony. He wouldn’t accept his ring until a private ceremony in 2019. He announced on Twitter he had finally accepted the honor, saying he didn’t deserve to be the first Black player to go into the Hall of Fame.
The Celtics retired his No. 6 in 1972 — an event he also did not attend due to a stormy history with Boston media and the city’s racist past. He did later attend a ceremony in 1999 “re-retiring” his jersey. Chamberlain, who died just five months later, was among those in attendance.
Russell’s family recalled his accomplishments off the court, saying in their statement, “But for all the winning, Bill’s understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life.”
“From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to unmask too-long-tolerated discrimination, to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp in the combustible wake of Medgar Evers’s assassination, to decades of activism ultimately recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010,” the family said, “Bill called out injustice with an unforgiving candor that he intended would disrupt the status quo, and with a powerful example that, though never his humble intention, will forever inspire teamwork, selflessness and thoughtful change.”
Former President Barack Obama, who presented Russell with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, released a statement, saying, “Today, we lost a giant.”
“As tall as Bill Russell stood, his legacy rises far higher — both as a player and as a person,” Obama wrote. “Perhaps more than anyone else, Bill knew what it took to win and what it took to lead. On the court, he was the greatest champion in basketball history. Off of it, he was a civil rights trailblazer — marching with Dr. King and standing with Muhammad Ali. For decades, Bill endured insults and vandalism, but never let it stop him from speaking up for what’s right. I learned so much from the way he played, the way he coached, and the way he lived his life. Michelle and I send our love to Bill’s family, and everyone who admired him.”
Accolades for Russell poured in from current and former NBA players.
Current Celtics star Jaylen Brown posted on Twitter a photo of him and Russell along with the message, “thank you for paving the way and inspiring so many.”
Former Celtics great Paul Pierce posted an undated photo on Twitter of him and other NBA player sitting around a table speaking with Russell. “I’ll never forget this day we was like kids sitting around a camp fire listening to your stories,” Pierce wrote.
NBA Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson posted a series of tweets, writing, “I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of the greatest winner the game of basketball has ever seen, a legend, hall of famer, mentor and my friend for over 30 years, Bill Russell.”
“Bill Russell was my idol. I looked up to him on the court and off. His success on the court was undeniable,” Johnson tweeted. “Off the court, Bill Russell paved the way for guys like me.”
Johnson added, “Despite all of his achievements, he was so humble, a gentle giant, a very intelligent man, and used his voice and platform to fight for Black people. Since the day we met, he mentored me and shared advice,” Johnson wrote. ‘He was one of the first athletes on the front line fighting for social justice, equity, equality, and civil rights. That’s why I admired and loved him so much. Over the course of our friendship, he always reminded me about making things better in the Black community.”
ABC News’ Bill Hutchinson and Julia Jacobo contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Sunday’s sports events:
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
INTERLEAGUE
Boston 7, Milwaukee 2
Cincinnati 3, Baltimore 2
San Diego 3, Minnesota 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto 4, Detroit 1
Cleveland 5, Tampa Bay 3
Chi White Sox 4, Oakland 1
Final Houston 3 Seattle 2
Kansas City 8, NY Yankees 6
Texas 5, LA Angels 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis 5, Washington 0
Atlanta 1, Arizona 0
Philadelphia 8, Pittsburgh 2
NY Mets 9, Miami 3
LA Dodgers 7, Colorado 3
San Francisco 4, Chi Cubs 0
WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Chicago 95 Connecticut 92 (OT)
New York 89, Phoenix 69
Las Vegas 94, Indiana 69
Washington 78, Seattle 75
Minnesota 84, Los Angeles 77
During a stop on NBC’s TODAY, Maren Morris took some time to meet one of her biggest fans.
The singer hopped off stage to meet Lily, a blind super-fan who knows every single one of Maren’s songs. They’d actually interacted a little bit in the past — Maren signed a guitar pick for Lily, and the young fan thanked her for the gift when they finally got to meet in person.
Lily also had a question for the country superstar about her two-year-old son, Hayes. “What is Hayes’ favorite song of yours and how is he doing?” Lily asked.
“He’s good. I think he’s home watching right now — I hope,” Maren replied. “I’m gonna say ‘Hummingbird’ because it’s about him…and he’s a feature on it.”
“Hummingbird” comes off of the track list of Humble Quest, Maren’s most recent studio album, and it features a clip of Hayes saying “Mama” at the beginning of the track. It was also written for him by Maren the day she found out she was pregnant.
“I have the record and his name is on it,” Lily says, in response to Maren’s answer to her question. Maren and Lily also posed for some pictures together before the singer left the TODAY set.
