Impeachment article has 200 cosponsors: US rep.
The draft, citing "incitement of insurrection," could be introduced Monday.
President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe Biden in 11 days.
Top headlines:
- Rep. Cicilline: 'Just passed 200 cosponsors' on article of impeachment
- GOP Rep. Kinzinger: Best thing for the country is Trump to resign
- Pence to attend Biden's inauguration: Source
- Senate Democrat says Cruz, Hawley should resign or 'the Senate must expel them'
- Trump asked Georgia election investigator to 'find the fraud': Source
Romney puts out lengthy statement on divided nation
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, came out with a lengthy statement Thursday morning analyzing the various divisions in the country and urging a unified path forward.
Romney writes that factors including leadership, the media, social media, the downfall of communities and others "have combined to threaten" the success of the founders' vision for the country.
"Most disappointing of all, too many political figures have stoked these divisions. Demagogues on the left scapegoat the rich; demagogues on the right scapegoat the immigrant. They each scapegoat the other," he writes.
Romney said when selecting elected officials it is important to consider their character. He's looking for someone who "calls upon our better angels"
"Today when I vote, I pay as much attention to the character of the candidate as I do to their policies. If we choose leaders who inflame resentment and division, our nation will be angry and divided. We have a choice to make: Would we rather have our “side” win to punish the “other side” or would we rather have our nation united?"
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
Federal charges against some rioters expected Thursday
Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen has issued an updated statement in response to Wednesday's [storming of the U.S. Capitol](], saying federal prosecutors have been working overnight to identify perpetrators to draw up charges when warranted, including on some who he says will be charged Thursday.
“Yesterday, our Nation watched in disbelief as a mob breached the Capitol Building and required federal and local law enforcement to help restore order. The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that those responsible for this attack on our Government and the rule of law face the full consequences of their actions under the law," Rosen said in a statement, noting law enforcement officials are working with the public to gather evidence.
"Some participants in yesterday’s violence will be charged today, and we will continue to methodically assess evidence, charge crimes and make arrests in the coming days and weeks to ensure that those responsible are held accountable under the law," he added.
A law enforcement official confirms to ABC News that thus far at least a dozen individuals involved in Wednesday's violence are already expected to face charges and that list will grow significantly as more are identified.
-ABC News' Alexander Mallin
Schumer calls for immediate removal of Trump from office
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called for the immediate removal of President Trump from office.
He said in a statement Thursday morning the "quickest and most effective" way to do this would be through use of the 25th Amendment but that if Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet don't act, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president.
“What happened at the U.S. Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president. This president should not hold office one day longer," Schumer said in the statement.
“The quickest and most effective way - it can be done today - to remove this president from office would be for the Vice President to immediately invoke the 25th amendment. If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president," he said.
There have been discussions among some members of Trump's Cabinet and his allies over invoking the 25th Amendment, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the discussions told ABC News.
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
Facebook 'indefinitely' blocks Trump's account
Facebook has taken the unprecedented step of indefinitely blocking Trump's account after removing a video and temporarily suspending his account amid eruptions of violence at the Capitol on Wednesday.
"We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post. "Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete."
As the world watched a pro-Trump mob storm the Capitol Wednesday, Trump shared a video on his social media accounts telling the group "we love you" and "you’re very special" while he told them to go home. The video was soon removed by Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and as pressure mounted, Facebook and Twitter temporarily suspended Trump's accounts.
-ABC News' Catherine Thorebecke
White House flag lowered to half-staff in honor of Capitol police officers who died
Three days after Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died defending the Capitol against insurrectionists the White House lowered the U.S. flag to half-staff.
The decision to lower the flags came hours after Capitol Police also announced the off-duty death of Officer Howard Liebengood. The circumstances of his death have not been made public.
The U.S. attorney's office in Washington opened a federal murder investigation into the death of Sicknick, who died Thursday night after suffering injuries in the violent siege on Capitol Hill, three law enforcement sources confirmed to ABC News.
The investigation is being conducted jointly between the FBI and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, with cooperation from U.S. Capitol Police.
Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said in a statement that the Department of Justice "will spare no resources in investigating and holding accountable those responsible."
-ABC News' Elizabeth Thomas