Man ‘planned to bomb National Mall’ on election day – FBI

Federal authorities have charged a New York man with building a 90-kilogram (198lb) bomb they say he planned to detonate on Election Day on the National Mall in Washington. Paul Rosenfeld, 56, of Tappan, was charged Wednesday with unlawfully manufacturing a destructive device and interstate transportation and receipt of an explosive, AP reported. Prosecutors claim he planned to use the bomb to kill himself and draw attention to a political system called sortition, in which public officials are chosen randomly rather than elected. The FBI raided Rosenfeld’s home on Tuesday and allegedly found a functional bomb in his basement which reportedly consisted of black powder inside a plywood box, according to a criminal complaint. It added that agents also found empty canisters of black powder often used in firearms and artillery.