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After Capitol mob assault, acting AG says ‘no tolerance’ for violence at Biden inauguration

The acting head of the Justice Department said Tuesday that there will be “no tolerance whatsoever” for those who seek to disrupt President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20. In the wake of the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said during a brief, unlisted video posted to the Justice Department’s YouTube channel that the assault was “an intolerable, shocking and tragic episode in our nation’s history.” He had a warning for those looking to act violently in the nation’s capital next week. “We will have no tolerance whatsoever for any attempts to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power on Jan. 20, that our constitution calls for. We will have no tolerance for any attempts to forcefully occupy government buildings,” Rosen said. “There will be no excuse for violence, vandalism, or any other form of lawlessness.” He asked for the public’s help in reporting any criminal activity or plans for violent activity to the FBI. “The Department of Justice will seek to hold any violators accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Any wrongdoers will be caught, and they will be accountable,” Rosen said. A Department of Defense official has told CBS News that the threat level at the Capitol is “very high” right now — “higher than has been reported.” Roughly 2,000 National Guard troops are at the Capitol as of Wednesday, and they are authorized to carry arms, though not all of them are armed. In addition, a 7-foot-tall “non-scalable” fence was built around the Capitol complex last week, and widespread street closures lock down a large swath of D.C. a week before President-elect Joe Biden is set to be sworn in from the Capitol steps. Watch Rosen’s video below.

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CBS News contributed to this report.

Europe’s tallest statue of the Virgin Mary is inaugurated in a small Polish village

KONOTOPIE, Poland (AP) — An enormous statue of the Virgin Mary that is believed to be Europe's tallest was inaugurated on Saturday in a small Polish village, in the presence of legendary anti-communist leader Lech Walesa. Hundreds of people took part in the consecration of the monument, which towers 55.6 meters (182 feet) over Konotopie in central Poland, the home of fewer than 150 people. While helicopters scattered miniature red roses over the crowd, priests in white robes celebrated Mass and the popular Mazowsze folk ensemble sang and danced to traditional Polish music. The Polish statue is taller — if less dramatically located — than the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which measures some 38 meters (125 feet) including its pedestal. Its height includes a crown-shaped 15-meter (49-foot) pedestal.
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