Chicago officers caught sleeping amid looting
Thirteen Chicago police officers were caught on video relaxing in the office of Rep. Bobby Rush without his knowledge two weekends ago as looting took place outside the door during protests over George Floyd’s death, Mr. Rush said.
At a news conference Thursday, the Democratic congressman said he had already delivered the security footage to Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the head of police. The footage shows officers sleeping, lounging on a sofa and talking on their cellphones during the same overnight hours when looting and violence were taking place at the outdoor mall where Mr. Rush’s office is located.
“They even had the unmitigated gall to go and make coffee for themselves and pop some popcorn — my popcorn, in my microwave — while looters were tearing apart businesses within their sight, within their reach. And they were in a mood of relaxation, and they did not care about what was happening to the businesspeople in this city,” Mr. Rush said. “They didn’t care. They absolutely didn’t care.”
Ms. Lightfoot joined Mr. Rush at the podium to publicly apologize for how Mr. Rush’s office was “treated with such profound disrespect” May 31 and June 1.
Senate panel gives Graham new power
The Senate Judiciary Committee gave Chairman Lindsey Graham, a strong ally of President Donald Trump, sweeping subpoena authority to dig into the Russia investigation that began late in the Obama administration.
The committee voted 12 -10 Thursday to let Mr. Graham demand information from numerous Obamaera officials, including former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and ex-FBI Director James Comey.
The politically charged investigation, and a parallel inquiry by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, are intended to wrap up shortly before the November election.
Mr. Graham, who is up for re-election in South Carolina, has resisted calling former President Barack Obama or former Vice President Joe Biden to testify. Yet after a sometimes heated debate in the committee over the past two weeks, Mr. Graham now has the authority to issue subpoenas to more than 50 people as part of his panel’s review of the origins of the investigation.
White nationalist in Norway gets 21 years
A white nationalist Norwegian who killed his stepsister and then stormed an Oslo mosque and opened fire, hitting no one, was found guilty Thursday and sentenced to 21 years in prison, the longest jail term allowed under Norwegian law.
Philip Manshaus, who had said in court that he regretted not having caused more damage, “has proven to be an extremely dangerous person,” prosecutor Johan Oeverberg said as he demanded the maximum penalty.
Judge Annika Lindstroem of the Oslo District Court said Mr. Manshaus had plans to kill as many people as possible and set the mosque on fire. In court, Mr. Manshaus confessed to the acts but called them “emergency justice.”