House Jan. 6 committee holds second public hearing
The House Jan. 6 committee investigating the Capitol attack will reconvene Monday at 10 a.m. for its second public hearing. This is the first of three hearings this week, part of a series of eight. In the first public hearing last Thursday, the committee sought to build a case that former President Donald Trump was the driving force behind an attempted coup that culminated with the deadly insurrection at the Capitol. Last week, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said Monday’s hearing will continue to focus on the fact that Trump knew he had lost the election, but despite that, he engaged in a “massive effort to spread false and fraudulent information.”
Historic heat wave sweeps across much of US
A historic heat wave continues its march across the nation Monday after Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver joined a plethora of cities and towns posting record temperatures and more than 50 million Americans sweltered under heat advisories. Temperatures in California’s Death Valley climbed above 120 degrees while in Phoenix a man grilled burgers and baked a cake on his dashboard. Parts of Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi also faced weekend heat advisories, according to the National Weather Service. The overall weather pattern has been largely stuck in place for more than a week, which allowed heat to build across the central and southwestern United States. Southerly winds will pump hot, humid air into the eastern two-thirds of the nation through Wednesday, forecaster WeatherBug warned. The result: temperatures ranging from 10 to 30 degrees above normal for this time of year.
Murder trial begins in case of college student missing for 26 years
A murder trial gets underway Monday in the case of a California college student who disappeared while walking home from a party in 1996. Paul Flores is accused of killing Kristin Smart during a rape or attempted rape in his dorm room. His father, Ruben Flores, is accused of helping his son hide the body. Both have pleaded not guilty. The Floreses were arrested last year after a podcast, “Your Own Backyard,” brought renewed attention to the case. Four women have told police that Flores drugged and raped them, Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelle said in court last year. Flores hasn’t been charged stemming from those allegations. A major challenge for prosecutors is a lack of physical evidence: Smart’s body has never been found. The trial will begin with jury selection, a process expected to take weeks.
Members of white supremacist group arrested near Idaho Pride event to be arraigned
The 31 members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front arrested near a local Pride event in Idaho over the weekend are scheduled to be arraigned Monday. The men were detained Saturday after they were found packed into the back of a U-Haul truck with riot gear. They were standing inside the truck wearing khakis, navy blue shirts and beige hats with white balaclavas covering their faces when police stopped the vehicle. “They came to riot downtown,” Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White said at a news conference. He said all 31 were charged with conspiracy to riot, a misdemeanor. Police found riot gear, one smoke grenade, shin guards and shields inside the van, White added.
Celtics, Warriors face off in Game 5 of NBA Finals
The Golden State Warriors will host the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday. Both teams enter Monday’s game with two wins in the series, each coming at home and on the road. The Warriors won the last game, 107-97, behind a spectacular 43-point effort from guard Stephen Curry. Through four Finals games, Curry has been the focal point for Golden State, averaging 34.2 points per game. And on the other end, Boston will look for a more efficient outing from All-NBA star Jayson Tatum, who scored 23 points on 8-for-23 shooting, with six turnovers in Game 4. “I know I can be better,” Tatum said Friday night. “So it’s not like I, myself or my team is asking me to do something I’m not capable of.” Game 5 is scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. ET at Chase Center in San Francisco, and will air on ABC.