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A man was arrested in Arizona on suspicion of entering the U.S. Capitol during theJan. 6 riot and yelling and striking two officers.

James Burton McGrew faces multiple federal charges in a complaint made public this week, including engaging inphysical violence in a restricted building and assaulting, resisting or impeding an officer.

A federal complaint with arrest warrant was issued May 27 fromWashington, D.C. McGrew was taken into custodyin Glendale on Friday, according to the FBI.

It was unclear whether McGrew is also an Arizona resident; his hometown was not available from the FBI.

The list: These are the Arizonans arrested so far after rampage at U.S. Capitol

The federal complaint said video footage from a body camera worn by police officers shows McGrew inside the U.S. Capitol shortly before 3 p.m. on Jan. 6 and captures him lifting his white T-shirt to display a large tattoo across his stomach that says"King James."

The FBI says a 2012 booking photo shows that James Burton McGrew has a tattoo across his stomach that says, "King James."(Photo: FBI)

The complaint saidMcGrew aggressively approached law enforcement officers, yelling Were coming in here, whether you like it or not and Fight with us, not against us. Body cameras reportedly show McGrew inside the Capitol Rotunda at 3:05 p.m. whilelaw enforcement tried to push the rioters back.

The federal complaint alleges McGrew was pushed back with the crowd and lungedforward to strike a law enforcement officer. He retreated as officers yelled at the crowd to move back.But within seconds, the complaint alleged, McGrew disobeyed thecommands and moved forward.

The FBI says police officer body camera footage showed a tattoo on James Burton McGrew's stomach when he raised his shirt while inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.(Photo: FBI)

He screamed at officers, according to the federal complaint. When one officertold him toJust leave, just leave man," McGrew screamed back,You leave. You leave. This is our house."

The federal complaint says law enforcement tried to move people toward the door, using batons and telling them to "move back." McGrew allegedly struck another officer and lunged for his baton.

McGrew could not be reached for comment by The Arizona Republic, and court records do not yet list his attorney's name.

Federal prosecutors continue to charge participants in the Jan. 6 riot, adding to dozens of arrests that took place in Washington, D.C., that day. More than 400 people face charges. Five people died. About140 police officers were injured.

Inside: QAnon,Patriot groups that stormed US Capitol have deep roots in Arizona

Many of the rioters came from PresidentDonald Trumps Save America Rally that began hours earlier ata park near the White House. Trump spoke to them for more than an hour, insistingthe presidential election had been stolen.

As Congress started to count Electoral College votes, thousandsof supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building, sending lawmakers scrambling for safety and prompting evacuations.Vice President Mike Pence had to be moved to a secure location.

The FBI said a tipster contacted federal authorities on Jan. 7 with information that McGrew had traveled to Washington to protest what he called the "stolen vote." The tipster claimed McGrew showed a video of himself inside the U.S. Capitol on the day of the riot.Another tipster provided the FBI with photos in February that purportedly show McGrew inside the Capitol.

The FBI said it matched photos of McGrew's tattoo across his stomach with a photo from a 2012 booking photo. It was unclear from the federal complaintwhere the booking photo was taken.

Reach the reporter atanne.ryman@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8072. Follow her on Twitter @anneryman.

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Man arrested in Arizona accused of striking 2 officers in U.S. Capitol riot; identified by his 'King James' belly tattoo - The Arizona Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) What insurrection?

Flouting all evidence and their own first-hand experience, a small but growing number of Republican lawmakers are propagating a false portrayal of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, brazenly arguing that the rioters who used flagpoles as weapons, brutally beat police officers and chanted that they wanted to hang Vice President Mike Pence were somehow acting peacefully in their violent bid to overturn Joe Bidens election.

One Republican at a hearing Wednesday called the rioters a mob of misfits. Another compared them to tourists. And a third suggested the sweeping federal investigation into the riot which has yielded more than 400 arrests and counting amounts to a national campaign of harassment.

Its a turn of events that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another target of the rioters, called appalling and sick, and it raises the possibility that the publics understanding of the worst domestic attack on Congress in 200 years an attack that was captured extensively on video could become distorted by the same kinds of disinformation that fueled former President Donald Trumps false claims of a stolen election. It was the lie about the election that motivated the rioters in the first place.

I dont know of a normal day around here when people are threatening to hang the vice president of the United States or shoot the speaker, or injure so many police officers, said Pelosi, who has pushed for a bipartisan commission to investigate the riots.

The hearing Wednesday was supposed to be the latest dive by congressional investigators into the chaos of Jan. 6 the missed warning signs, confusion and delays that allowed the rioters to terrorize the Capitol for an entire afternoon. But several Republicans used their rounds of questioning not to pepper the witnesses with questions but to downplay the brutal assault on Americas seat of democracy.

Lets be honest with the American people it was not an insurrection, and we cannot call it that and be truthful, said Rep. Andrew Clyde, a Republican from Georgia serving his first term.

Clyde said one video feed of the rioters looked like they were on a normal tourist visit. Those in the video, taken in Statuary Hall, were able to enter the building after rioters broke through glass, pummeled officers and busted through the doors as lawmakers were frantically evacuated. They were headed to the House chamber where they tried to beat down the doors with lawmakers still inside.

Clyde wasnt the only Republican making that argument. Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar portrayed a woman who was shot and killed by Capitol Police as she tried to break through a door next to the House chamber as a martyr. He said Ashli Babbitt was executed and noted she was an Air Force veteran who was wearing an American flag. The Department of Justice decided after an investigation not to charge the police officer who shot her.

The Justice Department, Gosar said, is harassing peaceful patriots across the country as federal prosecutors file charges against hundreds of people who stormed the Capitol and participated in the riot. The massive investigation, one of the largest in American history, remains ongoing with federal agents continuing to serve search warrants and attempting to locate dozens of other people still being sought for questioning.

Georgia Rep. Jody Hice also painted the rioters as the victims, noting that they were four of the people who died, including Babbitt. The other three suffered medical emergencies while part of the crowd laying siege to the Capitol. It was Trump supporters who lost their lives that day, not Trump supporters who were taking the lives of others, Hice said.

A fifth person, Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, collapsed immediately after the insurrection and died the next day. Video shows two men spraying him and another officer with a chemical, but the Washington medical examiner said Sicknick suffered a stroke and died from natural causes. The men have been charged with assaulting the officers.

Two other officers took their own lives in the days afterward, and dozens more were hurt including one officer who had a heart attack and others who suffered traumatic brain injuries and permanent disabilities. The union that represents the Capitol Police said some of the officers may never return to work.

The attempt to defend the insurrectionists came on the same day that House Republicans voted to oust Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney from their leadership team for repeatedly rebuking Trump for his false claims that the election was stolen. Cheney voted with Democrats to impeach Trump for telling his supporters hours before the Jan. 6 attack to fight like hell to overturn Bidens win. Trumps lies about widespread election fraud were rebuked by numerous courts, election officials across the country and his own attorney general.

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who led the Democrats impeachment prosecution and sits on the Oversight Committee, said after the hearing that he believes that Republicans were emboldened and emancipated by Cheneys ouster earlier in the day.

They have declared themselves to be on the side of Donald Trump and the big lie, and the big lie now has spread outwards to include denial of what happened on Jan. 6, Raskin said.

Timothy Naftali, a professor of history and public service at New York University, says it is deeply cynical to set aside the insurrection as if it didnt happen. He compares it to political elites in Southern states after the Civil War who failed to examine its causes, which he says prevented racial reconciliation and healing and still affects the country to this day.

Political amnesia never helps, Naftali said. Its a source of poison.

Given the extensive record of the attack, captured in video and photos seen the world over, defending the insurrectionists required some creative omissions. One point Clyde emphasized was that the rioters never made it to the House floor even though they tried, only to be held back by police officers with guns drawn. Some lawmakers were taking cover in the gallery of the chamber as they tried to beat down the doors.

I can tell you the House floor was never breached and it was not an insurrection, Clyde said. This is the truth.

The mob did break into the Senate minutes after senators had evacuated, some carrying zip ties and tactical equipment. They rifled through desks and hunted for lawmakers, yelling where are they? They walked into Pelosis office, stealing a laptop and calling out her name while some of her staff huddled quietly under furniture.

Other Republicans some quietly, some publicly have made clear they dont agree with their colleagues.

I was there, said Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who was caught in security video being diverted away from the rioters by a police officer. What happened was a violent effort to interfere with and prevent the constitutional order of installing a new president. And as such, it was an insurrection against the Constitution. It resulted in severe property damage, severe injuries and death.

Illinois Rep. Mike Quigley, another Democratic member of the Oversight panel, says the Republican denials are wishful thinking that reverberates with their most partisan voters.

These folks passionately want what they want to be true, Quigley said after the hearing. So its no longer Ill believe it when I see it. Its Ill see it when I believe it.

____

Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Michael Balsamo and Nomaan Merchant contributed to this report.

Read more:
What insurrection? Growing number in GOP downplay Jan. 6 - AP 16 hours ago - The Associated Press

Liz Cheney, the Wyoming congresswoman ousted this week from her House leadership position, is a voice of sanity in the wilderness of lies that is the current Republican Party.

The national party continues to kowtow to Donald Trump, who lost the election in 2020 and relentlessly perpetuates the false narrative that the White House was somehow stolen from him.

While the leadership of the GOP is unwilling to step out from under Trumps shadow and find its next path, the Cambria County Republican Party is positioned to take a higher road and divorce itself from the lies and dangerous tactics.

Step one: Ditch the Cambria County: Trump County slogan. Its at worst insulting, and at best outdated.

Step two: Embrace the long-held positive qualities of Republican politics fiscal responsibility, limited corporate taxes, military superiority and bring forth representatives and candidates who not only trumpet those values but who are unwilling to support strategies built on fear, dishonesty and blame over action.

The party locally and nationally needs to move in a new and better direction.

Cheney represents that there can be an alternative although she never stood a chance in the muck of D.C.

Even her blood ties to father Dick Cheney vice president under George W. Bush and former secretary of defense were not enough to save Liz Cheney from removal Wednesday from her status as the No. 3 GOP House member.

Instead, the national party tightened its hitch on the Trump wagon and the ex-presidents dangerous, divisive ways.

Some Trump backers are attempting to convince us that what we all saw play out on our television screens on Jan. 6 didnt actually happen. Right.

Former Vice President Mike Pence embraced his four years under Trump after literally having his life threatened during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot when re-emerging politically in hopes of recapturing the spotlight. Apparently Pence doesnt believe he has enough juice to stand on his own.

So who does?

Come on, Republicans find an alternative that will bring the heat in the areas of business growth and jobs without burning down the entire house that is American politics.

Cheney ran afoul of Trump and his troops when she called him out following the January insurrection at the Capitol.

She voted with nine other GOP House members who supported impeaching Trump for inciting the violent assault on the halls of Congress even after he had reluctantly left office in defeat.

Among those leading the charge to knock Cheney down a notch were Trump lap dogs Kevin McCarthy of California and Steve Scalise of Louisiana both of whom stood to increase in stature with her demise.

With her removal imminent, Cheney pushed back in a speech to almost no one at the Capitol:

I will not sit back and watch in silence while others lead our party down a path that abandons the rule of law and joins the former presidents crusade to undermine our democracy.

Today, we face a threat America has never seen before a former president who provoked a violent attack on this Capitol, in an effort to steal the election, (and) has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him. He risks inciting further violence.

Inciting violence and undermining democracy are strategies right out of the Trump playbook along with embracing racism and anti-Semitism, seeking support from Christian groups without actually sharing their beliefs, enacting policies that benefit himself and his enterprises, and exhibiting generally petty and unprofessional behavior. (Trump called Cheney a bitter, horrible human being.)

All this to set the stage for the 2022 mid-term elections and the next race for the presidency.

While in the meantime, the Republican Party is bleeding from a million self-inflicted cuts unified behind a dangerous authoritarian rather than positive conservative ideals.

Liz Cheney daughter of Dick Cheney, a disciple of Richard Nixon and architect of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now says she will prepare for a presidential run in 2024.

Liberals dislike Cheney because of her war-hawk lineage and her conservative views on social issues. But at least her stances represent traditional Republican values that can be debated and either backed or opposed.

Trump prefers a power grab without a hint of values and no debate.

As an alternative to the lies of Trump and the spinelessness of GOP leaders in the House and Senate, Cheney would make for a compelling option in a 2024 primary.

And hey, Cambria County: Cheney County would be an upgrade in character and integrity.

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Chip Minemyer is the editor of The Tribune-Democrat and TribDem.com, and CNHI regional editor for Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and West Virginia. He can be reached at 814-532-5091. Follow him on Twitter @MinemyerChip.

Link:
Chip Minemyer | When Liz Cheney is the voice of sanity for the GOP ... - TribDem.com

The first Latino to be elected as mayor of a Georgia city is now turning his attention to the State Capitol.

Loganville Mayor Rey Martinez announced Wednesday that he will run for the Georgia House District 114 seat that long-time Republican state Rep. Tom Kirby currently holds. Kirby announced earlier this week that he plans to retire when his current term ends in 2022, after a decade in the General Assembly.

Martinez, who was elected Loganville's mayor in 2017, will run as a Republican for the legislative seat.

Id like to first thank Rep. Tom Kirby for his years of service on behalf of the citizens of the 114th District," Martinez said in a statement. "We need to continue to have conservative leadership under the Gold Dome, and thats why I am excited to announce my campaign. I am very much looking forward to the hard work ahead to earn the honor to serve you."

Martinez made state history when he was elected as Loganville's mayor in 2017 because he was the first Latino elected to lead a city in the state. Prior to that, he served on the Loganville City Council from 2010 until he was elected mayor.

The mayor is also a U.S. Navy veteran who was serving in the Navy Reserves when he first ran for a seat on the City Council.

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Although city elections are non-partisan affairs, Martinez is no stranger in Republican circles. During the 2016 presidential election cycle, he led the Georgia Hispanics for Trump Coalition. He also spoke at a rally headlined by Mike Pence, who was still just a candidate for vice president at the time, during that election cycle.

Im not running with a lot of empty promises," Martinez said. "As a lifelong Republican andPro-Trump Conservative, I vow to work hard and always fight for theprinciples that brought me into the Republican Party when I cast my firstvote in 1988: lower taxes, personal responsibility, individual freedoms andputting America and Georgia First.

"I am a battle tested fighter with thescars to prove it who is ready to work hard on behalf of the hardworkingpeople on the 114th House District.

Martinez is also touting his leadership in Loganville, including his support of the city's police and balancing the city's budget, something he said he did while keeping taxes low. He is also touting his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"When COVID-19 hit our community, I ensured wefollowed the science to keep each other safe, while also ensuring weprotected our small business owners from being crippled by overreachingmandates," Martinez said. "I was one of the few mayors that chose to safely reopen businessand hold community events like our Independence Day Celebration."

Photos of every 2021 valedictorian and salutatorian from Gwinnett County's public and private high schools. Click for more.

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Loganville Mayor Rey Martinez will run for seat in Georgia House of Representatives in 2022 - Gwinnettdailypost.com

Four business owners in Columbus, Indiana, the hometown of Vice President Mike Pence, share their thoughts on Pence's legacy in the White House. Indianapolis Star

It was a grave, grave disappointment to hear former Vice-President Mike Pence's recent speech in South Carolina.

Pence praised Trump and his presidencybut refused to disavow or even mention the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan 6. That assault was carried out in Trump's name with the express purpose of overturning the result of the 2020 presidential election. Pence was also a main target of that assault because he refused to overturn the certification of the vote on that day.

Even though Pence had echoed Trump's big election lie from November until early January, he knew that Biden's win by more than 7 million votes had been legally verified several times.

And on Jan. 6, Pence courageously upheld the Constitution.

He and his family had to hide during the assault, while protesters yelled "Hang Mike Pence."

But now, for the sake of retaining the support of Trump's base, Pence has turned his back on the truth. In spite of being targeted on Jan. 6, Pence is willing to sweep an act of sedition under the rug. This is truly shocking. Democracy depends upon the truth.

And there is no greater threat to democracy in America than the

conspiracy theory known as The Big Lie. Pence knows that, and yet he is more than willing to brush The Big Lie and Jan. 6 aside in favor of his ambitions.

Zoe Sitzmann

Zionsville

Excellent articleon the umpire shortage.

When I was 16 (1966), I worked at a car dealership in the parts department. One of the mechanics was in his 60s and knew all about auto engines going back to the Model T. When a younger mechanic asked him how to fix an issue with an engine, he asked the younger mechanic if he wanted a remedy or if he wanted a cure. A remedy is a Band-Aid, while a cure fixes the problem permanently.

Using this analogy, I think a cure is needed, not a remedy.

The IHSAA and also the governing bodies of local non-IHSAA sports need to implement the following:

Once the fans in the stands hear this enough times, it will sink in. Once an unruly fan gets ejected, the taunting will stop.

Now it's up to the sports writers at IndyStar to do their part, which is start beating the drum with the IHSAA to implement the above. You know who the folks who make the decisions are, so the ball is in your court.

Once the IHSAA agrees to implementing this set of rules, the media statewide needs to publish articles before each sport season about these road rules.

This will also send the message to the umpires/referees that they are appreciated, and more will join the ranks.

Jan Bednarz

Indianapolis

Kidney Disease is a public health crisis that affects more than 37 million adults in the U.S. and results in greater risk of severe COVID-19 complications.

As a PhD candidate at Notre Dame studying kidney disease, reading the April 12 article on Gov. Eric Holcombs 2021 legislative agenda made me think about how much we spend treating kidney disease versus how little we spend to prevent it. Medicare spends $130 billion, 24% of the budget, on kidney disease patients. Kidney disease affects 11% of adults in the U.S., yet kidney-related research represents less than 0.2% of research at the National Institutes of Health. As NIH funding rose 37% (2015-2020), kidney research funding increased only 19%.

The CDCs Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative is similarly underfunded at $2.5 million. Investment in cancer research increased tenfold, which contributed to a 400% decline in cancer deaths. However, death and disability of kidney patients increased by 65%.

It is imperative that senators Young and Braun prioritize the 37 million Americans with kidney disease and treat these disparities as the public health crisis it is.

Investing in research and early detection at NIH and CDC will relieve the financial burden kidney disease places on Medicareand, more importantly, save lives.

Hannah Wesselman

Granger

The International Affairs Budget makes up 1% of the U.S. federal budget but impacts all aspects of life in America. These funds are imperative for helping the world's poor, and as global citizens, we must back initiatives that save millions of lives domestically and abroad.

As poverty and malnutrition rates drop, emerging markets are created for U.S. companies to reach and trade. Today, 45% of all U.S. exports now go to developing countries. U.S. job creation and national security are all linked to the plight of the world's poor.

Work remains, especially as 131 million people globally are at risk of starvation due to the impacts of COVID-19. Now more than ever, it is vital to prioritize international funding and provide relief to the world's most vulnerable communities.

Representatives shouldtake action to further global poverty reduction efforts and protect vulnerable members of populations other than our own. When we take care of each other, we all benefit.

Mary Molander

Indianapolis

Over a year ago, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and schools in our state had to instantly pivot from in-person to virtual learning. Thousands of children across Indiana were in danger of losing access to the nutrition they rely on from school meals. But Hoosier school nutrition staff immediately stepped up, working day and night to figure out new systems of getting meals to students through grab-n-go pick-ups, meal drop-offs and more.

Because of the crisis, even more families in our community are facing financial strain. In 2021, an alarming 1 in 6 kids could face hunger because of the pandemic. Yet throughout, school nutrition staff have been there, working tirelessly through the summer, through weekends, through holidays, to make sure kids in our state get the nutrition they need.

On School Lunch Hero Day and every day, thank you to all the school nutrition staff across Indiana. You help guarantee kids are healthy and ready to learn, and provide a constant in these challenging times. Your love and dedication for what you do and those you serve are noteworthy and extraordinary. Our gratitude cannot be overstated!

Help No Kid Hungry Indiana celebrate Hoosier Hunger Heroes by sharing the stories that impact your family and community on social media using #ThankAHungerHero and on Facebook (@NoKidHungryIndiana).

Tarrah Westercamp

Greenwood

I was very disappointed to read all the elected officials' Republican responses to President Biden's address to Congress Thursday night. Their published partisan remarks only serve to push the parties farther and farther apart.Being interviewed was their chance to take the high road and prove they are determined to govern the United States of America, not to further partisanship or their own careers.

The only way we will get beyond the Republican-Democrat stalemate in this country is for members of one party to begin publishing their points of agreement with the opposite party. And those of the other party to do likewise.That would be a mark of statesmanship in the leaders.Such statesmanship seems to be lacking. Our Indiana senators and representatives seemed to find no points of agreement with Biden's plans.Such pettiness and partisanship!Americans are weary of this! Democracy is being challenged and tested. We need real leaders who are willing to put the democracy first.

Are there not two elected officials who will take the same platform and declare to the world their willingness to work together?Who will proclaim that democracy is worth saving and thus requires tolerance and compromise?Where are the leaders who will call everyone who wants to live in this democracy to join them?

Let us see the beginning of bipartisanship in our leaders for the sake of the common good of all Americans!

Mary Heins

Indianapolis

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Letters: Pence turns his back on the truth to retain the support of Trump's base - IndyStar