Former Vice President Pence on Thursday called Jan. 6 a "dark day" in U.S. history, his strongest statement yet on the Capitol insurrection.
What he's saying: "...President Trump and I have spoken many times since we left office," the former VP said in a public address in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. "And I don't know if we'll ever see eye to eye on that day. But I will always be proud of what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years."
The Department of Justice is planning to coordinate its ransomware attack investigations with similar protocols it uses for terrorism cases, according to internal guidance sent to U.S. attorney’s offices reviewed by Reuters.
Why it matters: The new guidance comes in the wake of at least two significant ransomware attacks against major U.S. businesses in roughly a month and as the Biden administration attempts to devise ways to thwart future attacks.
The Jan. 6 insurrection caused at least $1.5 million worth of damage to the Capitol, prosecutor Mona Sedky said during court proceedings Wednesday, according the Washington Post.
Why it matters: More than 450 people have been charged so far over their alleged participation in the deadly Capitol riot. Prosecutors want some to contribute restitution payments for the damages as part of plea deals, the Post reported.
Joel Greenberg, an ex-associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19, after pleading guilty to six federal charges — including wire fraud and sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
The state of play: Greenberg, who was previously a Seminole County, Florida, tax commissioner, signed a plea deal last month, that was formally accepted by a judge on Thursday.
President Biden has decided against appointing his own commission to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection and will instead increase pressure on Congress to establish a committee, White House officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: Some House Democrats suggested Biden create a presidential commission after Senate Republicans blocked the establishment of a bipartisan, independent panel. This decision signals his preference for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to take the lead.
President Joe Biden issued an executive order Thursday that would ban Americans from investing in companies linked to China's military and its surveillance activities.
Why it matters: Biden's executive order is an expansion of one issued by the Trump administration in November 2020, and it shows that the Biden administration is "continuing some of the hard-line China policies left by former President Donald Trump," according to the Wall Street Journal.
As Vice President Kamala Harris prepares for her first foreign trip, the country that will welcome her has become mired in debates over corruption.
Driving the news: The country's Congress just confirmed judges who are under investigation to the Constitutional Court and President Alejando Giammattei criticized members of the country’s special prosecutor who oversees corruption cases yesterday.
President Joe Biden has proposed focusing on a minimum corporate tax rate of 15%, as well as increased Internal Revenue Service funding, as a way to to pay for a possible infrastructure package, White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Thursday.
Driving the news: The proposal could could help negotiations with Senate Republicans. Biden made the offer in his meeting yesterday with Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R- W.Va.) who is leading a group of GOP centrists trying to find a compromise on infrastructure spending.
The memorial on the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, known as "George Floyd Square," will be taken down Thursday — more than a year after Floyd's death, the Washington Post reports.
Between the lines: "City leaders have faced increasing pressure to reopen the intersection because of what neighbors and business owners describe as an uptick in violence in the area," the Post writes.
The FBI is investigating Postmaster General Louis DeJoy over campaign fundraising activity involving his former business, a spokesman for DeJoy confirmed to the Washington Post.
Why it matters: DeJoy, a major donor to former President Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee, has seen his tenure plagued by controversy since his appointment in May 2020.
The Biden administration on Thursday laid out its framework for sharing vaccines for the world and named the recipients of the first 25 million doses, taking a major step toward becoming a global vaccine supplier.
Why it matters: The U.S. had until recently been the only major vaccine producer to keep virtually its entire supply at home, while countries looked to Russia or China for doses. But Biden has pledged to share at least 80 million doses this month and additional shipments beyond that.
The White House announced Thursday that President Biden will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, on June 14.
Why it matters: The two leaders have had a strained relationship in the past, which has been exacerbated by Biden's decision in April to formally recognize the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turkish forces as an act of genocide.
Former CDC Director Robert Redfield told Vanity Fair that he received death threats from other scientists after telling CNN in March that he believes the coronavirus accidentally "escaped" from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Why it matters: The allegation was featured in a sweeping investigation by Vanity Fair into the battles over the origins of COVID-19 that have raged inside the U.S. government and scientific community.
South Carolina state Sen. Mia McLeod (D) became the first Black woman to run for the governor in the state after she announced her bid in the 2022 race on Wednesday.
Why it matters: A Black woman has never served as a governor in the U.S., though Democrats also haven’t been elected to a statewide office in South Carolina in 15 years, according to AP.
The Biden administration is urging businesses to take "immediate steps" to increase their ransomware defenses in the wake of several high-profile cyberattacks, according to a White House memo obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: The U.S. government's former top cybersecurity official Chris Krebs has described ransomware as a "global pandemic" — a crime that is increasingly common, but highly disruptive.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) denies he's obstructed justice after Politico reported late Wednesday that federal prosecutors are looking into the allegation as part of a sex crimes investigation.
Driving the news: Per Politico, the obstruction of justice inquiry centers on a call Gaetz had with a witness in the Department of Justice case against Joel Greenberg, a former associate of the congressman, who's pleaded guilty to charges including sex trafficking a 17-year-old girl and wire fraud.
Attorneys for Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said Wednesday they've hired a private investigator to find Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) in order to serve a lawsuit that alleges he and other pro-Trump allies bear responsibility for the Capitol riot.
Driving the news: Swalwell's attorneys claim in a court filing that Brooks is avoiding being served the suit, with their calls and emails going unanswered.
President Biden offered his "warm congratulations" to Israel's incoming President Isaac Herzog Wednesday night, as Benjamin Netanyahu's political rivals push for the prime minister's ouster.
What he's saying: Biden noted in a statement that Herzog, with whom he has a personal relationship, has throughout his career "demonstrated his unwavering commitment to strengthening Israel's security, advancing dialogue, and building bridges across the global Jewish community."
Why it matters: The land commissioner is the last of the Bush family still in office. He's also the first in his family to publicly support former President Trump, who's previously mocked his father, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, uncle and former President George W. Bush and grandfather, former President George H.W. Bush.
The Trump administration secretly seized the phone records of four New York Times reporters, the newspaper wrote Wednesday.
Why it matters: The disclosure comes less than a month after it was revealed that the Department of Justice under former President Trump obtained the communication records of three Washington Post journalists and one CNN reporter.
