promoearn: 'This man is deadly'

Thursday, January 7

Congress staffers barricade themselves after Trump supporters stormed inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC on Jan. 6, 2021. Donald Trump's supporters stormed a session of Congress held today, January 6, to certify Joe Biden's election win, triggering unprecedented chaos and violence at the heart of American democracy and accusations the president was attempting a coup.

Lawmakers prepared to fight or be killed as Trump mob attacked US Capitol. Pelosi calls for Trump's removal using 25th Amendment. It's Thursday's news.

Somehow, what happened in Washington, D.C., yesterday wasn't a fever dream, and our reporters have been working tirelessly to bring you updates from the nation's capital. Need a recap before diving into today's news? (I did.) Here's a timeline of how the events at the U.S. Capitol unfolded.

It's Ashley. Let's get to the news you need to know.

Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.

Jack Gruber/USA TODAY

But first, help USA TODAY identify rioters who stormed the Capitol: We won't publish anything about you unless you give us permission, and you'll be helping us report this important story.

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Lawmakers prepared to fight or be killed as mob attacked

For U.S. lawmakers, Wednesday began with a ceremonial task that has been repeated every four years since the nation's founding. But a half-hour into a session focused on certifying the election of President-elect Joe Biden, everything changed.

USA TODAY's national correspondent Marco Della Cava spoke to lawmakers to capture the horrific scene on the floor of the U.S. Capitol:

As supporters of President Donald Trump smashed their way into the building — the first attack on the Capitol since British troops torched the imposing edifice in 1814 — members of Congress were thrust into a chaotic wartime scene. Tear gas was fired. Guns were drawn. Barricades were erected. Blood was spilled.

That's when Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., turned to Rep. Collin Allred, D-Texas, a 6-foot-1 former linebacker for the Tennessee Titans, and asked him whether he was willing to stand and fight. "He said, 'I'm ready to go,'" Maloney said.

A few elected officials reverted to their military backgrounds and stood shoulder to shoulder with Capitol Police. Others drew on medical experience to comfort and assist elderly peers. And many called loved ones and prayed.

Interviews with more than a dozen lawmakers, as well as their descriptions of the day posted on social media, made it clear that two emotions dominated: shock and determination. These are their stories.

Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., stands on a chair as lawmakers prepare to evacuate the floor as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) ORG XMIT: DCSA346

J. Scott Applewhite, AP

Calls for invoking the 25th Amendment have moved to impeachment rumblings

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the growing calls by many Democrats to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office in the final days of his presidency, telling reporters at a press conference that if this wasn't done, the House would be prepared to vote on articles of impeachment. "This man is deadly – to our democracy and to our people," Pelosi said. Her comments came shortly after the Senate's top Democrat, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, joined the chorus of lawmakers calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and move with the Cabinet to remove Trump.

In the more than 50 years since the Constitution was amended to create a way to remove a president unable to do his job, the 25th Amendment process has never been triggered. Here's what you need to know about whether the 25th Amendment can be used to remove Trump.

President Trump spoke to the crowd and urged them to go to the building. Then the crowd turned violent as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Getty

What everyone's talking about

•	A West Virginia lawmaker recorded himself storming the U.S. Capitol, prompting calls for his resignation.
•	Trump has been blocked from posting to Facebook, Instagram "indefinitely," at least through end of term.
•	Democratic wins in Georgia Senate races will give a boost to Biden's economic plan, but just a modest one.
•	Joe Biden, activists decry "double standard" as police response to Capitol attack seemed muted in contrast to Black Lives Matter protests.
•	If you canceled dry January during chaos at the Capitol, here's why you should reconsider.

Woman killed during riot was a military veteran

Four deaths and more than 50 arrests were linked to the insurrection , including military veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was shot by U.S. Capitol Police amid the riot inside the building. The officer who shot Babbitt has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation, police said. Numerous media outlets named Babbitt as a 35-year-old San Diego woman, and KSUI-TV quoted her husband saying she had been a staunch Trump supporter and "a great patriot." Three other people also died of medical emergencies during the riot.

•	Who were the three people who died of medical emergencies on Capitol grounds?

Air Force Base in Alaska pictured Airman Ashli McEntee with her then husband, Sgt. 1st Class Timothy McEntee, after they had adopted her military working dog.

Eielson Air Force Base courtesy photo

Elaine Chao, Mick Mulvaney, Stephanie Grisham, other officials resign after riot

Less than 24 hours after the mob stormed the Capitol, two of Trump's key administration officials had resigned, including a Cabinet member. And there may be more to come.

•	Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said the rioting "has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside" and she would be resigning, she announced Thursday.
•	Paul Irving, the House Sergeant at Arms — the chamber's top law enforcement official, is resigning in the aftermath, Pelosi said.
•	Hours earlier, Mick Mulvaney, Trump's former acting chief of staff, announced he has resigned from his role as the U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland.
•	Matthew Pottinger, deputy national security adviser, also resigned in the wake of the unrest, according to one of the president's advisers.
•	Stephanie Grisham, first lady Melania Trump's chief of staff and a former press secretary to the president, also resigned.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, left and his wife Elaine Chao wave to supporters at a victory celebration at the Marriott East hotel in eastern Jefferson County. McConnell handily won his sixth senate term. Nov. 4, 2014.

Jessica Ebelhar, Louisville Courier Journal

Real quick

•	The death of a Florida doctor after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine is under investigation.
•	A Chattanooga assistant football coach was fired for a derogatory tweet directed at Stacey Abrams.
•	The Labor Department has suspended enforcement of Trump's executive order restricting diversity training by government agencies.
•	C-SPAN political editor Steve Scully returned to work after suspension for lying about getting hacked on Twitter.
•	Aloha, aliens? A glowing blue UFO was spotted in Hawaii sky.

After mass chaos, it's official.

Standing in a Senate chamber that just hours earlier had been swarmed in an attempt to halt the counting of Electoral College votes, Pence certified the results, confirming Biden's win . The statement from Pence came at 3:41 a.m. ET, capping a historic joint congressional session that was interrupted for several hours when the mob broke through Capitol defenses and sent the building into lockdown. Pence certified what has been known for weeks: that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris won the 2020 presidential election with 306 Electoral College votes, beating out the 232 votes for Trump and Pence.

•	Who voted against certification? Why these GOP lawmakers did.

Vice President Mike Pence said "today was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol" as the Senate restarted the Electoral College count.

USA TODAY

A break from the news

•	💰 Elon Musk has dethroned Jeff Bezos as the world's richest person, reports say.
•	🚘 Want a new car? Get ready to pay more than $40,000 as prices continue to rise.
•	✈️ Ask the Captain: Why do we have to put our seats and tray tables in upright position during takeoff and landing?

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.