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A curated weekday guide to major national security news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS – TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
Former President Trump has been notified by federal prosecutors that he faces a criminal investigation over his handling of classified documents after he left Washington. The move suggests Trump could soon face his second indictment as he continues campaigning to be president again. George Bowden reports for BBC News.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS – JAN. 6 ATTACK
Steve Bannon, a former adviser to then-President Trump, has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury concerning the investigation into the Jan. 6 attack. Sources said the subpoena for documents and testimony was sent out late last month. Bannon was previously charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate after he received congressional subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 committee, and he was convicted of two charges in July after a jury trial. Jonathan Dienst, Laura Jarrett, and Ryan J. Reilly report for NBC News.
Peter G. Moloney, 58, was charged yesterday with spraying an insecticide at police officers guarding the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack. Moloney was also accused of attacking news media members outside the Capitol. Moloney was released from custody on a $100,000 bond, and his next court appearance will be on Jun. 20. Alan Feuer reports for the New York Times.
Jay Johnston, the “Bob’s Burgers” comic actor, was arrested in California yesterday and charged with four counts, including civil disorder and entering a restricted building during the Jan. 6 attack. Matt Twomey reports for the New York Times.
OTHER DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee yesterday dropped its plans to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress. Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) said the plans were dropped because the FBI accepted his demand to let all committee members review the 2020 document detailing allegations against President Biden. Andrew Solender reports for Axios.
A two-day stalemate between the hard-right Freedom Caucus and Republican leaders has stopped the House from considering any legislation for the foreseeable future. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) attempted to negotiate with the Freedom Caucus, which is still angry about the debt ceiling deal struck last week. However, the Republican leadership’s negotiations failed yesterday evening, canceling the remaining votes for the week. Amy B Wang, Marianna Sotomayor, Leigh Ann Caldwell, and Paul Kane report for the Washington Post.
Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr asked for more time to file annual financial disclosures, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts confirmed yesterday. Thomas’ request comes after criticism that he did not report luxury travel and real estate deals with a Texas billionaire and Republican donor. Revised ethics rules adopted in March require the justices to provide a fuller public accounting of the free trips and other gifts they accept. Ann E. Marimow and Robert Barnes report for the Washington Post.
Fox News told Tucker Carlson’s lawyers yesterday that the former host breached his contract with the network when he released a new show on Twitter this week, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Carlson’s lawyers have said that any legal action by Fox would violate his First Amendment rights. Sara Fischer and Mike Allen report for Axios.
Instagram’s algorithms connect and promote a vast network of accounts openly devoted to the commission and purchase of underage-sex content, according to investigations by the Wall Street Journal and researchers at Stanford University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Technical and legal hurdles make determining the full scale of the network hard for anyone outside Meta to measure precisely. Meta acknowledged problems within its enforcement operations and said it has set up an internal task force to address the issue. Jeff Horwitz and Katherine Blunt report for the Wall Street Journal.
U.S. RELATIONS
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had an “open, candid” conversation about Israel, the conflict in Yemen, unrest in Sudan, and human rights with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman yesterday, a U.S. official said. The discussion was expected to be dominated by the possible normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, though officials played down the likelihood of any significant progress. A source familiar with the discussions said that developing a civilian nuclear program is among Riyadh’s conditions for normalizing ties with Israel. Humeyra Pamuk and Aziz El Yaakoubi reports for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin uses the word “war” more often instead of the earlier euphemism “a special military operation.” Calling the conflict a war was effectively outlawed for the Russian media by a series of laws soon after the invasion. However, after what Russia considered a major Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow, Putin used the word “war” four times last week. Guy Faulconbridge reports for Reuters.
Damage to the Kakhovka dam has resulted in the flooding of 29 towns and villages along the Dnipro River, Ukraine’s interior minister has said. BBC News reports.
Russian forces are shooting at Ukrainian rescuers trying to reach survivors trapped in flooded areas of occupied Kherson, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Pointing to the fact that the dam has been under Russian forces’ control since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Zelenskyy said the Kremlin was to blame for the dam’s destruction that caused the flooding. Paul Ronzheimer and Zoya Sheftalovich report for POLITICO.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS – CHINA
Taiwan activated its defense systems today after 37 Chinese military aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, flew into the Taiwan air defense zone. This is only the latest Chinese mass air incursion, as regional tensions rise. Reuters reports.
Most Europeans still see China predominantly as “a necessary partner,” according to a poll of more than 6,000 people in 11 E.U. member states carried out in April. Majorities in all 11 countries are unwilling to support the United States against China if there were a military escalation. However, Russia is increasingly seen as an adversary or rival, a view held by 64 percent of respondents. Jana Puglierin and Pawel Zerka report for the European Council on Foreign Relations.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Britain will host key players for a summit on artificial intelligence in the fall to ensure the technology is “safe and secure.” The U.K. aims to respond quickly to a rapidly changing market, as ministers hope to carve a path between strict E.U. regulations and the lighter-touch U.S. approach. Esther Webber reports for POLITICO.
Félicien Kabuga, an 88-year-old man accused of being a financier of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, is unfit to stand trial, a U.N. war crimes court has ruled. Kabuga has “severe dementia,” according to medical experts. He was arrested in Paris in 2020 after evading capture for 26 years. BBC News reports.
Australia has announced it will introduce a national ban on Nazi symbols. Public displays of the swastika or SS symbols will be punishable by up to a year in prison. The move comes amid a resurgence in far-right activity. Last month, Australia’s security chief warned that the country’s extremist far-right was becoming “emboldened” to take to the streets. Tom Housden reports for BBC News.