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Videos show fatal shooting during rampage at the Capitol

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force veteran killed during the storming of the Capitol was shot as she began to climb through the broken part of a door leading into an area known as the Speaker’s Lobby, videos posted online show.

Minutes before the shooting Wednesday, the large crowd of angry pro-Trump loyalists, one carrying an American flag, taunted several police officers whose backs were to the barricaded doors. Members of the mob sought to force their way into the long corridor, which is just outside the House chamber where members of Congress were supposed to be meeting to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

One man punched the glass over the shoulder of an officer, cracking it. Others shouted profanities at the police and at the members of Congress who can be seen through the glass.

Then, in one of the videos, the officers who’d been guarding the doors into the Speaker’s Lobby are seen moving away from the entry.

As an unidentified person yells “Go, bust it down,” Ashli Babbitt, 35, wearing a stars and stripes backpack, steps up and begins to go through the waist-high opening when a gunshot is heard. She falls backward. Another video shows other unidentified people attempting to lift Babbitt up. She slumps back to the ground.

The brief moments captured in the clips, posted on YouTube and Twitter, show the chaotic and often violent moments before Babbitt’s death Wednesday. Capitol Police on Thursday identified Babbitt, of San Diego, as the woman who was fatally shot.

The video clips underscore the hostility and confusion just before Babbitt’s death. A third video shows the gunshot was fired by an unidentified officer inside the Speaker’s Lobby just as other officers wearing helmets and toting weapons had moved up the stairs behind the crowd and had arrived just outside the door. One of them raises his weapon toward the Lobby doors and then quickly lowers it.

The inside of the Speaker’s Lobby appears to be mostly empty at that point, and chairs have been stacked against the doors on the inside.

The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement Thursday that members of Congress were sheltering-in-place as rioters were forcing their way toward the House chamber.

“A sworn USCP employee discharged their service weapon, striking an adult female,” whom Capitol Police identified as Babbitt.

The videos suggest a lack of communication between the officers, said Mark Lomax, who was executive director of the National Tactical Officers Association, and is now CEO of the consulting firm Lancer Cobbs.

“There were police on the protesters side, engaged and embedded with these individuals,” he said. “It did not seem like a threatening situation for the officers.”

But the officer on the other side of the door who shot must have perceived a threat, he said.

Geoffrey Alpert, a criminology professor and use of force expert at the University of South Carolina, questioned why the officers blocking the door walked away before the tactical officers coming up the stairs took their place.

“That didn’t make sense,” he said. “Things could have been avoided with them waiting 30 seconds probably.”

Wednesday’s pro-Trump rampage at the Capitol shocked other countries around the world and led to the resignations of three senior Capitol security officials over the failure to stop the breach.

Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died Thursday night from injuries suffered during the riot. He’s the fifth person to die because of the Capitol siege. Three other people died after “medical emergencies.

On social media, Babbitt often ranted against President Trump’s frequent targets — illegal immigration, government mandates to contain the coronavirus and, most of all, his critics.

Her Twitter account promoted mainstream conservative views but also included references to the QAnon conspiracy theory, which centers on the baseless belief that Trump has been secretly fighting deep state enemies and a cabal of Satan-worshipping cannibals operating a child sex trafficking ring.

Babbitt, who identified as a Libertarian and supporter of the Second Amendment, frequently posted unsubstantiated views about election fraud by the president and his most extreme supporters — activists whose conspiracy theories and unflinching support for Trump have attracted large online followings.

Videos she posted online show her fulminating against illegal immigration. Her posts were at times profane.

Babbitt appeared to view pleas to wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as an affront to her personal freedoms. She backed a recall drive against California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who has imposed strict stay-at-home orders.

“Mask Free Autonomous Zone Better Known as America,” read a large sign on the front door of a pool service business she ran with her husband in Spring Valley, near San Diego.

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North Florida News

Gov. Ron DeSantis Names Alex Peraza to Miami-Dade Judicial Nominating Commission

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN)Ron DeSantis announced Friday the appointment of Alex Peraza to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, which serves Miami-Dade County.

Peraza, of Coral Gables, is a partner at Diamond Kaplan & Rothstein, P.A., a law firm based in South Florida.

The Judicial Nominating Commission is responsible for reviewing and recommending qualified candidates for judicial appointments within the circuit.

Peraza earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and his juris doctor from the University of Florida. His appointment term will run through July 1, 2027.

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Florida

Advocates Oppose Florida Medicaid Work Reporting Bill, Cite “Deathbed Exemption” and Coverage Gap Risks

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — A Florida Senate committee on Monday advanced SB 1758, legislation that would impose Medicaid work reporting requirements in a state that has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Advocates say the proposal would push thousands of low-income Floridians into the state’s existing coverage gap and create new administrative barriers for people with serious illnesses.

The bill goes beyond the recently passed federal measure, H.R. 1 — known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which exempts non-expansion states from federal Medicaid work reporting requirements. Critics argue Florida lawmakers are moving forward despite that exemption.

Bill Would Add Work Reporting and “Deathbed Exemption”

SB 1758 would require certain Medicaid recipients to document at least 80 hours per month of work or qualifying activities to maintain coverage. The bill includes exemptions, including a recently added provision that would exempt terminally ill parents only if they can prove a life expectancy of six months or less.

Sadaf Knight, CEO of Florida Policy Institute, said the amendment would require a single mother who is terminally ill and earning less than $8,000 a year to meet monthly work reporting requirements unless she can demonstrate a six-month prognosis.

“It is hard to grasp how we arrived at a policy that effectively asks someone facing the end of their life to prove they are dying quickly enough to keep their Medicaid,” Knight said.

Opponents say the proposal would increase administrative costs while stripping coverage from residents who are already working or unable to work due to caregiving responsibilities or medical conditions.

Advocates Warn of Coverage Gap, Legal and Fiscal Risks

Florida is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid, leaving an estimated 260,000 residents in the coverage gap — earning too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but too little to receive federal marketplace subsidies.

More than two dozen organizations signed a letter urging members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to reject the bill. Signatories include the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Southern Poverty Law Center, UnidosUS, The AIDS Institute, Florida Policy Institute, Florida Voices for Health and 1199SEIU.

Melanie Williams of Florida Health Justice Project called the bill “fiscally reckless,” noting that the state has already spent $1 million defending wrongful Medicaid terminations in federal court and that the Department of Children and Families has reported budget constraints in addressing court-mandated changes.

Rachel Klein of The AIDS Institute said federal law prohibits non-expansion states from implementing Medicaid work requirements and warned the measure could face legal challenges. Others argued the costs of building a new reporting system would outweigh any potential savings.

Advocates say the Legislature should focus instead on expanding access to affordable coverage amid rising health care costs and expiring enhanced premium tax credits.

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Florida

Bracy Davis, Rosenwald File Bill to Fix My Safe Florida Home Program Application Barriers

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Senator LaVon Bracy Davis and Representative Mitch Rosenwald have filed legislation aimed at expanding access to the My Safe Florida Home Program by allowing homeowners to reapply when applications were previously deemed abandoned or withdrawn due to errors or omissions.

The measure, SB 1148/HB 1045, would modify program rules to permit subsequent applications when the original filing was rejected because of compliance-related mistakes, provided there is good cause and the applicant corrects the issue in a timely manner.

Expanding Access to Homeowner Assistance
The My Safe Florida Home Program is a state initiative that provides eligible Florida homeowners with inspections and grant funding to help strengthen their homes against storms while reducing insurance costs. The program is administered by the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Current rules allow for reapplication if an application was denied or withdrawn due to errors or omissions. However, the proposed legislation would also allow reapplication when an application was deemed abandoned or withdrawn because of similar compliance-related issues.

Addressing Bureaucratic Barriers
“At a time when Florida’s families are struggling with rising insurance costs, we cannot allow bureaucratic technicalities to block access to affordability tools,” said Bracy Davis, a Democrat from Ocoee.

The bill responds to concerns from homeowners who were unable to submit a new application after their original submission was closed due to misunderstandings or reasonable mistakes regarding program requirements.

Focus on Seniors and Low-Income Homeowners
Rosenwald, a Democrat from Oakland Park, said the legislation is intended to help vulnerable homeowners who rely on the program for financial relief.

“This program can be a lifeline for seniors and low-income homeowners,” Rosenwald said. “In response to Floridians reporting that they were blocked from submitting a new application because of a misunderstanding or reasonable mistake concerning program compliance, I filed this glitch bill.”

If approved, the legislation would ensure more homeowners have access to financial assistance aimed at strengthening homes and improving insurance affordability across Florida.

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