WASHINGTON — The Senate has passed legislation to beef up security for Supreme Court justices.

Lawmakers are seeking to ensure that justices and their families are protected as the court deliberates abortion access and whether to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.

The bipartisan bill passed by voice vote with no objections Monday.

While it doesn't provide additional funding, that could come later.

The measure aims to put the court on par with the executive and legislative branches, making certain the nine justices are provided security as some protesters have gathered outside their homes.

The legislation comes one week after Politico leaked a draft of a Supreme Court opinion that indicated Roe v. Wade would be overturned as soon as June.

The bill now moves to the House for its consideration before heading to President Joe Biden’s desk.

LAS VEGAS —

No charges will be filed following a brief investigation of the altercation involving pop star Britney Spears, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama and a member of the player's security team, Las Vegas police said Friday.

Spears said she was struck by a security guard as she tried to approach Wembanyama near a restaurant in a Las Vegas casino complex on Wednesday night. Wembanyama said a person — he later was told it was Spears — grabbed him from behind.

Spears filed a police report, alleging battery. The Las Vegas Metro Police Department said its investigation is over and “no charges will be filed against the person involved.”

Police say surveillance video shows Spears inadvertently hit herself in the face after her hand was pushed off Wembanyama.

Wembanyama is scheduled to make his NBA Summer League debut for the Spurs in Las Vegas on Friday night. The 7-foot-3 French teen was the No. 1 pick in last month's NBA draft and is entering the league with as much acclaim as anyone since LeBron James in 2003.

Video below: Victor Wembanyama responds to the incident involving Britney Spears

The altercation happened Wednesday night; Spears said she recognized Wembanyama at another hotel earlier in the evening and when seeing him again at the Aria Resort & Casino she “decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success.”

Spears said, “His security then back handed me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd. Nearly knocking me down and causing my glasses off my face.”

Spears said in posts on Twitter and Instagram that the run-in was “super embarrassing,” and denied grabbing Wembanyama, saying she only “tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.” She also said that she was hopeful of getting an apology from the team or the security guard who she said was involved.

Wembanyama had a different account of the events. He said security advised him to not stop for anyone as he walked into the restaurant, mindful that pausing could cause a stir and allow a crowd to build. He said one person was shouting “sir, sir” to him, “and that person grabbed me from behind,” he said.

He was told hours later that person was Spears. He never saw her, he said, because he never turned around.

WASHINGTON — The reality is political violence is a real threat facing our country.

The Department of Homeland Security has issued bulletins and so has the FBI. Examples have even emerged in recent weeks of the threats officials of both political parties are facing.

This summer, after the Supreme Court decision on abortion, a man was arrested with a gun and charged with attempting to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh near the justice's home.

In July, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY) was attacked by a man at a political rally.

This past week, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal revealed to the Washington Post that an armed man yelled outside her home in Seattle for over an hour.

Also, there was the FBI raid at former President Donald Trump's residence at Mar-a-lago, and the FBI office in Cincinnati was attacked by a Navy veteran, who police say had extremist ties.

On Capitol Hill in 2017, there were around 3,900 threats against members of Congress, according to Capitol Police records.

Last year, there were over 9,600.

OPENING UP

One Member of Congress has been especially forthcoming about the threats he is facing. Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), one of only two Republicans on the January 6th committee, posted on Twitter audio of some of the threatening voicemails his office has received.

"I pray that it be God's will that you suffer," one caller said.

"We know where you live," another called threatened.

INCREASED SECURITY

Those threats, as well as others, have resulted in taxpayers footing the bill for more security for members of Congress. Typically, only those in senior leadership positions, like the Speaker of the House or the minority leader, are given protection.

In recent weeks, security officials at the capitol have approved $10,000 worth of security upgrades for the homes of members of Congress to pay for things like new alarms, doors or lighting.

ISSUE FOR VOTERS

Voters are beginning to take these threats seriously and some recent polls are showing the threat of political violence driving some voters this election.

In fact, a CBS/Yougov poll from late August shows that 64% of Americans believe political violence will increase from here.

In January of 2021, after the January 6th attack, only 51% of Americans thought that.

A recent NBC poll identified the threat of political violence as a driving force among voters this election.

WASHINGTON —

The driver of a U-Haul who crashed into a security barrier in Lafayette Square near the White House Monday night was arrested on multiple charges, including threatening to kill or harm a president, vice president or family member, according to U.S. Park Police.

The truck crashed into security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square at 16th Street just before 10 p.m., and officers detained the driver, the U.S. Secret Service said.

There were no injuries reported to any Secret Service or White House personnel, spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.

A preliminary investigation revealed the driver – who has not been publicly identified – may have intentionally struck the barrier, the Secret Service later said.

While authorities have not provided specific details on the alleged threat, the U.S. Park Police said the man faces the charge of threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a President, vice president or family member.

The driver was also arrested on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, destruction of federal property and trespassing, according to the Park Police.

After the crash, the truck was searched by bomb technicians and no explosives or incendiary devices were found, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told CNN.

Video from CNN affiliate WUSA shows a Park Police officer taking inventory of the U-Haul truck, packing up several pieces of evidence. Among the items that appear to be from the truck are a flag of what appears to be a swastika, a black backpack and a roll of duct tape.

The incident prompted road closures as authorities investigated the crash, and the nearby Hay-Adams hotel was evacuated at the request of the Secret Service, a hotel employee told CNN. The hotel guests and employees were allowed back in when police deemed it safe a short time later.

The FBI’s National Capital Response Squad is assisting Park Police and the Secret Service in the investigation.

Cameras captured the riots at one of America's most cherished buildings.

Windows were smashed, documents spewed across offices and crowds, charging right past Capitol police.

The chaos prompted questions: What went wrong?

"They weren't prepared to deal with this mindset which is obvious, you can see the videos of it when the police were fighting with them trying to maintain the line at the building," Former Kenton County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director William Dorsey said.

Dorsey worked in law enforcement for decades.

He thinks a lack of planning contributed to the mass break-in, but wonders why the building itself wasn't better protected.

"Is there no physical barriers? Steel doors? It just amazes me," Dorsey said.

Political leaders called for a thorough review of the security failures.

Derek Bauman said last year's protests for racial justice brought a very different security response.

"Where was the rubber bullets? Where was the mass tear gassing? Where were the helicopters? Why was it there for that and not these folks and this is the most important location, the house of congress," Bauman said.

Bauman spent 26 years in law enforcement, planning and training for many types of crowd control.

Never before has he heard of something like this.

"What's going on with all the computers and stuff? Have they swepped the office for bugs? Do we know if there were bugs planted under...you don't need to be James Bond to walk in and stick something under a desk somewhere, we don't know because there's no answers and nobody's taken questions," Bauman said.

Bauman said the American people deserve answers about what happened and the actions being taken to investigate what went wrong.

WASHINGTON —

Video above: President Trump condemns violence, calls for calm in video

Potential threats and leads are pouring in to law enforcement agencies nationwide after the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The challenge is now figuring out what's real and what's just noise.

Investigators are combing through a mountain of online posts, street surveillance and other intelligence, including information that suggests mobs could try to storm the Capitol again and threats to kill some members of Congress.

Security is being tightened from coast to coast. Thousands of National Guard troops are guarding the Capitol ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. Governors and lawmakers are stepping up protections at statehouses after an FBI bulletin this week warned of threats to legislative sessions and other inaugural ceremonies.

A primary concern is the safety of members of Congress, particularly when they are traveling through airports, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter.

The FBI and other federal authorities use their substantial resources to prepare. But smaller local police departments lack the staff to hunt down every tip. They must rely heavily on state and federal assessments to inform their work, and that information sometimes slips through the cracks — which apparently happened last week.

A day before the deadly attack on the Capitol, the FBI sent an intelligence bulletin warning of potential violence to other agencies, including the Capitol Police. But officials either did not receive it or ignored it — and instead prepared for a free-speech protest, not a riot. It took nearly two hours for reinforcements to arrive to help disperse the mob. Five people died, including a Capitol officer.

“There are some grammar schools that are better protected than the Capitol,” said Brian Higgins, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and the former chief of a northern New Jersey police force.

Since last week, the FBI has opened 170 case files and received more than 100,000 pieces of digital media. The threats have ranged in specificity and complexity, according to officials briefed on them, making it difficult for authorities to determine which could be credible.

Combing through intelligence isn't the same as shoe-leather detective work. Large departments like New York and Los Angeles have dedicated intelligence units — the NYPD even disseminated its own bulletin ahead of the riot. But smaller police forces rely on joint terrorism task forces and so-called “fusion centers” that were set up around the country after the 2001 attacks to improve communication between agencies.

Norton, Kansas, Police Chief Gerald Cullumber leads a seven-member department in the northwestern part of the state. He said he relies on larger agencies like the Kansas Highway Patrol because his agency is too small to do its own intelligence work. But Cullumber said he stays up to date on the latest information and briefs his officers.

“It doesn’t mean that we rest on our laurels," he said. "It doesn’t mean that we ignore things.”

Once they receive intelligence reports, it’s up to local agencies to plan and take action to keep their communities safe, said Rich Stanek, the former sheriff of Hennepin County in Minnesota who now works in consulting and started the Public Safety Strategies Group.

“If I was the sheriff today, I would be taking it very seriously,” he said. “If they told me Jan. 17 is the date, yeah, I think it’s reasonable to plan for one week ahead and one week behind.”

Mike Koval, who retired in 2019 as the police chief in Madison, Wisconsin, said his state's two fusion centers have technology and resources that go far beyond those of a single local police department.

Staying on top of all the potential intelligence on the internet is like “going to a water fountain to get a drink of water, and it’s coming out with the strength of a fire hydrant and it will take your jaw off,” Koval said.

Meanwhile, elected officials nationwide, including President Donald Trump, have started to urge calm amid the threats. Trump egged on the riots during a speech at the Washington Monument, beseeching his loyalists to go to the Capitol as Congress was certifying Biden’s victory. He took no responsibility for the riot.

“In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind,” Trump said in a statement Wednesday. “That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for. I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers.”

Experts say explicit or implicit bias likely helped downplay last week's threat because the protesters were white, and that must change, said Eric K. Ward, a senior fellow with the Southern Poverty Law Center and an expert on authoritarian movements and hate groups.

That could be why Capitol police were so unprepared, compared with the much more aggressive law enforcement response to last summer's protests following the death of George Floyd and other Black men killed by law enforcement.

___

Dazio reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers Amy Forliti and Doug Glass in Minneapolis, Michael R. Sisak in New York and Maryclaire Dale in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

COLUMBUS, Ohio —

Extra security is in place at Ohio's Statehouse.

Concerns of armed protests and potential violence are looming in the days leading up to the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden.

On Sunday, people peacefully protested in Columbus, but the security plans will be just as stringent in the coming days.

The FBI has warned of potential armed protests across the country.

Officials said nationwide protests may start this weekend and go through the inauguration, and despite calm protests so far, leaders said they've prepared for much worse.

Windows are boarded up and metal fencing is all around the statehouse.

Peaceful protests served as a test run for safety measures put in place ahead of Inauguration Day.

"We are planning for the worst case scenario," Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said last week.

580 Ohio National Guard members have been activated to assist local law enforcement and Ohio state troopers are backing up Columbus police, officials said.

The FBI has warned of armed protests at all 50 state capitols and in Washington, D.C. leading up to Jan. 20.

"In the coming days, we will not allow violence and destruction to be a part of our city," Ginther said.

Sunday, supporters for President Donald Trump and President-Elect Joe Biden converged on capitol grounds.

A man from our area, known as the "Dancing Trucker" made a call for peace.

"I love to dance. It helps me. It helps people that watch me dance. I usually dance for smiles, but today I'm dancing for peace," John Drury said.

Armed protesters came to make a peaceful statement, with one man who said his gun was to ensure his First Amendment right.

Some held a megaphone instead, but there were also signs, Black Lives Matter clothing, Biden-Harris flags and American flags.

Officials hope this peace continues into the coming days.

"Police will be highly visible and we will be wearing body worn cameras. People caught on video or in photos who engage in illegal acts should expect to have their images released to identify law breakers to hold accountable," Columbus Police Chief Tom Quinlan said.

This time, there were dozens of protesters, but officials are prepared for what may come next.

Late last week, Gov. Mike DeWine said there have been direct threats on the Ohio Statehouse, but would not go into detail.

The statehouse and all other state buildings in Columbus are closed through Wednesday.

Officials are asking people to stay out of the downtown area during that time.

DeWine has also authorized 1,000 members of the Ohio National Guard to help in Washington, D.C.

He said the move comes after a request from the U.S. National Guard Bureau.

WASHINGTON — The security in Washington, D.C. is only intensifying with just a few days to go before Inauguration Day.

WHAT IS BEING SHUT DOWN

The National Mall is closed until Thursday at the earliest.

Metro train stations near the Capitol, Pennsylvania Ave, the National Mall and the White House have been shut down already.

Roads near those same areas have been shut down for several days now. The Secret Service will also restrict even more access into the city in the days to come.

Around 25,000 National Guardsmen from all over the country have joined various police agencies to reinforce the security perimeter.

WHERE PROTESTERS CAN GO

Two "free speech zones" have been established for individuals to carry out their First Amendment rights.

John Marshall Park and the Navy Memorial are the two areas where protesters will be able to gather. Those protesters will only have access to the space if they go through metal detectors.

Areas remained mostly empty on Sunday. Plastic shields have been installed to keep the protesters contained.

ARRESTS

Multiple people have been arrested in D.C. over the weekend, mostly at security checkpoints.

One man was arrested Friday after attempting to bypass a security checkpoint with 500 rounds of ammunition and "unauthorized" credentials.

On Sunday, a woman was arrested for impersonating an officer.

FEELINGS FROM THOSE IN D.C.

"It’s tragic to see," Will Mulhern, a D.C. resident, said.

He, like many who live near the security perimeter, developing their own safety plans in case something goes wrong.

"I have talked to my partner about whose house is more secure," Mulhern said.

Meanwhile, those visiting the city remain stunned at the security, including Trump supporters.

"I voted for Trump both times," Andy Lewis from California said.

Lewis says you would have to be idiotic to try and repeat Jan. 6 again. Lewis says the vast majority of Trump supporters don't support violence.

"If you are going to do something do it right, the legal way, do it peacefully," Lewis said.

MASON, Ohio — Kings Island, which on Wednesday announced it would limit its hours due to a shortage of workers, will increase pay for some jobs as it attempts to hire 900 seasonal employees.

Food and beverage service workers, lifeguards and security staff can expect an hourly wage of $18, the part announced in a news release Friday. Kings Island previously raised hourly wages for all employees earlier in May.

Park employees are also now eligible to earn up to $3,000 in bonuses as part of a new program, according to the release. Details about that program were not disclosed.

Even with the end of the Derek Chauvin trial, and as attention again wanes from Minneapolis, the community that occupies the intersection where George Floyd died is as determined as ever to keep his memory alive there.

They're planning for George Floyd Square's next chapter and trying to be a model for a future without traditional policing.

Police are nowhere to be found in George Floyd Square. In fact, they aren't welcome.

A group is trying to prove peace is possible without them.