Taken from the internet: WASHINGTON — The nation's lawmakers took to their electoral duties late Wednesday amid broken glass and smashed doors in the U.S. Capitol following an historic day of havoc wrought by pro-Trump rioters who breached the building in hopes of thwarting President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Vice President Mike Pence affirmed Biden's win early Thursday. Thousands of rioters had gathered at the National Mall to protest the election results. At a campaign-style rally about an hour before the mob broke through police lines at the Capitol, Trump had urged them to go to the building.D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee said the chaotic day included four fatalities: a woman who was shot by the U.S. Capitol Police, as well as three others — two men and one woman — who died in “separate medical emergencies.” Police had made "in excess of 52 arrests," including 26 on U.S. Capitol grounds, he said.At least 14 Metropolitan Police Department Officers were injured during the demonstrations, Contee said. Two pipe bombs — one from the DNC and one from the RNC — were also recovered by police, he said. By 11 p.m., the once-crowded streets were almost entirely deserted except for roving police patrols and a handful of journalists leaving the area. About 20 law enforcement officers were guarding a barricade along Pennsylvania Avenue, near the reflecting pool in front of the U.S. Capitol. Little sign remained of what were massive crowds, save for overflowing trash cans and the occasional discarded Trump flag. The FBI started an investigation, seeking the public's help to identify unlawful individuals. The agency's Washington field office launched an online form for "information related to violent activity at the U.S Capitol Building.""Our goal is to preserve the public’s constitutional right to protest by protecting everyone from violence and other criminal activity," the FBI said.Also Wednesday night, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a 15-day extension of the public emergency she declared earlier in the day "so that we can continue to ensure peace and security through the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris."She added, "Today may be a dark day for our democracy, but there is hope and change coming." After both the House and Senate voted to rejected an objection to Arizona's 11 Electoral College votes for Biden, lawmakers will return to a joint session of Congress and continue counting the Electoral College votes in alphabetical order by state. Lawmakers in both chambers took turns offering somber words Wednesday night reflecting on the day's maelstrom and urging members to certify the presidential electoral votes. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Congress had faced a "failed insurrection."Hundreds of people broke into the building and filtered through Statuary Hall. Some entered the Senate chamber and faced off with police at the door to the House chamber. Trump later tweeted asking rioters to "stay peaceful'' and taped a video urging them to go home and advocating for law and order while referring to "a fraudulent election'' that "was stolen from us.'' President-elect Joe Biden had called for Trump to go on national TV and demand an end to "this siege,'' adding, "It’s not protest, it’s insurrection. "The Washington, D.C., National Guard was mobilized to support local law enforcement As a 6 p.m. ET curfew took effect, police in riot gear stood outside the Capitol and held rioters at bay. Police used tear gas and percussion grenades to disperse the mob. Trump has unsuccessfully tried to overturn election results in six battleground states through dozens of failed lawsuits, falsely claiming the election was stolen despite no evidence of widespread fraud. Although several Republican legislators indicated they would object to the certification of electoral votes for Biden, the campaign lacks the votes needed to overturn the results.
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