Carrie Johnson

They lacked helmets, riot shields, and other equipment when they were confronted by some hostile crowd members at a racial justice protest in June 2020.

To diffuse the situation, FBI agents closest to the crowd took a knee.

They were investigated over the matter years ago, but nothing happened.

Then, after new leaders joined the Bureau this year, they were investigated again and fired for unprofessional conduct, shortcutting the formal discipline process.

Now, those 12 former agents are asking for back pay and to return to their jobs.

The FBI declined comment, citing pending litigation.

Carrie Johnson, NPR News.

President Trump has been vocal about his desire to see the Justice Department charge Tish James, one of his most prominent critics.

A federal judge threw out a bank fraud case against her after ruling the prosecutor who brought the case had been unlawfully appointed.

This week, the DOJ tried again with a different prosecutor in Virginia.

But the grand jury appears to have rejected charges.

A rare move, but one that's happening more often this year.

James says the charges are baseless and it's time for the weaponization of the justice system to stop.

Her lawyer says this should be the end of the case.

Carrie Johnson, NPR News.

The FBI has spent years searching for the person who put bombs near the Democratic and Republican Committee headquarters, hours before the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Now, a federal law enforcement source says authorities think they have identified the culprit.

FBI agents conducted 1,000 interviews and reviewed nearly 40,000 video files.

But the alleged bomber remained elusive for years, despite a half-million-dollar reward.

New leaders at the FBI and the Justice Department intensified their focus on the case this year.