National

Three active-duty U.S. Marines have been arrested and charged for storming the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to court documents.

Why it matters: They are the latest in a series of former and current military personnel to face consequences for participating in the deadly attack.

Details: Cpl. Micah Coomer and Sgts. Joshua Abate and Dodge Dale Hellonen were inside the Capitol for roughly 52 minutes after breaching the building, according to an FBI affidavit. 

While inside they took several photos and videos, at one point placing a red MAGA hat on a statue to pose with it, per the affidavit.

Afterward, Coomer posted on Instagram a collection of photos with the caption "Glad to be apart [sic] of history," the affidavit said. In one Instagram conversation on Nov. 7, 2020, Coomer had allegedly expressed "his beliefs that the election was unfair and fraudulent." 

He also at one point noted support for the far-right extremist group Boogaloo Bois, which has called for a second civil war.

Each Marine faces four misdemeanor charges, including disorderly conduct in the Capitol building with the intent to impede or disrupt Congress.

The big picture: The Pentagon has said that domestic extremism poses a serious threat to the military, with extremists often attempting to recruit service members into their movement.

It was a Marine who became the first known active-duty member of the military to be charged for involvement in the insurrection last May.

The majority of Proud Boys members indicted for sedition for violence during the Jan. 6 attack were also U.S. military veterans.

Go deeper: Defense Secretary Austin orders military "stand down" to address extremism

3 active-duty Marines charged for storming Capitol

They are the latest in a series of former and current military personnel to face consequences for participating in the attack.

Photo of a mob of Trump supporters crowded into a Capitol hallway with signs and banners 

Trump supporters swarm a hallway in the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Capitol riot

2020 election

Donald Trump

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Politics & Policy

Former President Trump withdrew his recent pending lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James in a Florida court on Friday. 

Driving the news: The move comes the day after the federal judge overseeing the case blasted Trump and his attorneys for a "continuing pattern of misuse of the courts" and ordered them to pay nearly $1 million in sanctions.

The blistering ruling from District Court Judge Donald Middlebrooks came as part of a separate lawsuit that Trump filed against Hillary Clinton.

What they're saying: In the James lawsuit, Trump alleged the New York attorney general abused her position and embarked on a "war of intimidation and harassment" against him.

Middlebrooks, in Thursday's sanctions order in the Clinton case, said his lawsuits against James, Twitter, and other entities were part of his "pattern of misusing the courts to serve political purposes."

The judge also said he had previously urged Trump and his lawyers to reconsider James’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit because it had "all the telltale signs of being both vexatious and frivolous.”

The big picture: The former president's lawsuit against James came a little over a month after she filed a civil lawsuit accusing Trump and his family members of financial fraud, and referred them to federal prosecutors and the IRS for criminal investigation. 

The civil lawsuit and referral came as a result of her office's investigation into the Trump Organization's business practices. 

Trump repeatedly attempted to halt that probe by refusing to turn over documents and filing another lawsuit against James in December 2021 that was ultimately dismissed the next year.

Go deeper: Trump, attorneys sanctioned over $937,000 for allegedly abusing court

Trump drops lawsuit against N.Y. attorney general after judge's rebuke

A judge cited the lawsuit as an example of Trump's "misuse of the courts."

Former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago in December 2022.

Former President Trump at Mar-a-Lago in December 2022. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates defended press freedoms on Thursday after former President Trump called for journalists who reported on the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on overturning Roe v. Wade to be investigated and possibly jailed.

Driving the news: The Supreme Court said Thursday that its ongoing investigation into the leak to Politico of Justice Samuel Alito's draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson signaling the end of federal protections on abortion had so far failed to identify the responsible party.

"They’ll never find out, & it’s important that they do," Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. "So, go to the reporter & ask him/her who it was. If not given the answer, put whoever in jail until the answer is given. You might add the editor and publisher to the list."

What they're saying: Bates in a statement to Politico on Thursday evening called freedom of the press "part of the bedrock of American democracy."

"Calling for egregious abuses of power in order to suppress the Constitutional rights of reporters is an insult to the rule of law and undermines fundamental American values and traditions," Bates added.

"Instead, it's the responsibility of all leaders to protect First Amendment rights. These views are not who we are as a country, and they are what we stand against in the world."

Meanwhile, Trevor Timm, president of the nonprofit Freedom of the Press Foundation, told The Independent Trump's statement wasn't surprising, given "he's been saying similar things on the campaign trail, but it is appalling."

“No president should be allowed to threaten reporters with jail in order to reveal their sources," Timm added.

"Even a former president, or someone running for the position, saying this can have a chilling effect."

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Trevor Timm, president of the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

White House slams Trump's remarks on jailing Supreme Court leak reporter

Calling for "egregious abuses of power" to suppress reporters' rights is an insult to law, WH spokesperson Andrew Bates told Politico.

Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates (R) speaksduring a press briefing in the Brady Room of the White House in Washington, DC on March 28, 2022. 

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates (R) during a press briefing at the White House in March 2022. Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images

Journalism

Media

After a record economic expansion, the coronavirus pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a recession as unemployment soared to staggering heights. The country now faces urgent questions about how much stimulus is needed for reeling consumers and businesses, and what a recovery might look like.

Economy & Business

A federal judge in Florida ordered former President Trump and his attorneys to pay over $937,000 in sanctions on Thursday,

Driving the news: District Court Judge Donald Middlebrooks ruled that they perpetrated a "continuing pattern of misuse of the courts" in order to "dishonestly advance a political narrative" in his lawsuit against Hillary Clinton.

Why it matters: Trump's suit baselessly accused Clinton, her campaign and other Democrats of working to paint a false narrative about Trump's alleged collusion with Russia in order to win the 2016 presidential election.

Middlebrooks dismissed the case last September, however, calling it a "two-hundred-page political manifesto" and ruling that Trump exceeded the legal statute of limitations.

Details: Under Thursday's order, Trump and his lead attorney, Alina Habba of Habba Madaio & Associates, are "jointly and severally liable for $937,989.39."

This is in addition to the $50,000 fine Middlebrooks issued in November.

What they're saying: "This case should never have been brought. Its inadequacy as a legal claim was evident from the start," Middlebrooks, a Clinton appointee, wrote in the blistering 46-page filing.

"No reasonable lawyer would have filed it. Intended for a political purpose, none of the counts of the amended complaint stated a cognizable legal claim."

"A continuing pattern of misuse of the courts by Mr. Trump and his lawyers undermines the rule of law, portrays judges as partisans, and diverts resources from those who have suffered actual legal harm," he said.

"Mr. Trump is a prolific and sophisticated litigant who is repeatedly using the courts to seek revenge on political adversaries," Middlebrooks added, calling his "use of a frivolous lawsuit" the cornerstone in a larger "plan, or at least a playbook."

What we're watching: Trump's legal team previously said it would appeal the ruling after Middlebrooks tossed out the lawsuit. 

Representatives for Trump and Habba did not immediately return requests for comment.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates. 

Trump, attorneys sanctioned over $937,000 for allegedly abusing court

Trump and his team misused the court system to "dishonestly advance a political narrative," the federal judge said.

Former President Trump waves after speaking during an event at his Mar-a-Lago home on Nov. 15, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle via Getty Images

Judge declines to dismiss contempt charges against ex-Trump aide Peter Navarro

Navarro has "failed to come forward with any evidence" to support his arguments for dismissing the case, the judge said.

Photo of Peter Navarro looking to his right 

Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro walks out of the Prettyman Courthouse in Washington on Aug. 31. Photo: Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images

Peter Navarro

U.S. debt limit and outstanding debt subject to the limit

Data: U.S. Treasury Department, FactSet; Chart: Thomas Oide/Axios

The U.S. has reached its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, the Treasury Department announced on Thursday, with no obvious deal in sight. 

Why it matters: The U.S. government runs on a deficit, so the Treasury Department will start "extraordinary measures" to avoid defaulting on government bonds. 

Driving the news: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in a letter to Congress said that Treasury was instituting a "debt issuance suspension period" beginning Thursday and running through June 5.

In addition, Treasury will not be able to fulfill certain investments, including to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund.

"As I stated in my January 13 letter, the period of time that extraordinary measures may last is subject to considerable uncertainty, including the challenges of forecasting the payments and receipts of the U.S. government months into the future," Yellen stated. 

"I respectfully urge Congress to act promptly to protect the full faith and credit of the United States," she added. 

The big picture: These measures could be exhausted by early summer, Yellen warned last week. 

Congress last raised the debt ceiling in December of 2021, when Democrats held unified control of Congress.

What they're saying: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday that he is "not concerned with a financial crisis."

"In the end, I think the important thing to remember is that America must never default on its debt. It never has and it never will," McConnell said. 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), meanwhile, said: "Political brinkmanship with the debt limit would be a massive hit to local economies, American families and would be nothing less than an economic crisis at the hands of the Republicans."

How the debt ceiling is different than a government shutdown

Government shutdowns come when Congress can't get appropriations bills passed before the existing ones expire. 

The most recent shutdown was in 2018-19, and featured a general stoppage of government services, including furloughs for federal workers. 

The debt ceiling requires Congress to raise the threshold to pay for already-appropriated spending. 

Raising the debt limit was generally not a big fight until the 1980s, but there have been repeated standoffs in the years, according to the Congressional Research Service. 

A debt limit impasse in 2011 led to the first downgrade in history on the U.S. federal credit rating. 

How the Treasury Department's extraordinary measures work

The Treasury Department can prioritize payments, including suspending payments to long-term programs for government employees. It can repay the programs after the limit is raised. 

In her letter to Congress last week, Yellen identified the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund and Government Securities Investment Fund as potential avenues for these extraordinary measures.

Democrats control the White House and Senate, but they'll need to strike some sort of deal with House Republicans. 

Status in the House: Some GOP members say they're firmly against any increase to the debt limit. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday he wants to “set a budget, set a path to get us to a balanced budget and let’s start paying this debt off.”

What the White House is saying: “As President Biden has made clear, Congress must deal with the debt limit and must do so without conditions," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday.

What to know about extraordinary measures as debt ceiling hits

The U.S. has reached its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, with no obvious end in sight.

Debt ceiling

Former President Trump told Fox News Wednesday that his campaign is seeking reinstatement on Facebook as he ramps up his 2024 bid for president. 

Why it matters: Trump was banned from several social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, after the Jan. 6 insurrection. He said he is now working to set up a meeting to discuss his reinstatement with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

What he's saying: Facebook "needs us more than we need them," he said in an interview with Fox News, claiming that the social media giant has "lost $700 billion since I was de-platformed."

"It has been considered a major business mistake for them, Twitter and others."

"If they took us back, it would help them greatly, and that's okay with me," Trump added.

The big picture: Facebook was Trump's main vehicle for digital fundraising ads in 2020. Having access to his accounts would enable him to run ads from his personal pages during the 2024 election.

Facebook has also served as a platform for extremists, many of whom gathered online and planned the assault on the Capitol.

After the Capitol riots, Facebook said it would ban Trump from its platform for two years.

The Trump campaign's general counsel formally requested a meeting with Meta executives in a letter Tuesday, noting that the two-year period lapsed on Jan. 7.

Yes, but: Tech accountability groups are urging Meta to keep Trump off its platforms, citing potential damage spurred by his dangerous rhetoric and false claims of election fraud.

Worth noting: Twitter reinstated Trump's account after Elon Musk took over the company.

Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information. 

Trump: Facebook "needs" him as former President's campaign seeks reinstatement

Trump was banned from several social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Donald Trump stands in front of U.S. flags as he speaks at a 2024 campaign event in Florida. 

Former US President Donald Trump arrives to speak at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Big Tech

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

A federal judge said Tuesday that a California woman who breached the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection "followed then-President Trump’s instructions" in breaking the law.

Driving the news: Danean MacAndrew, who traveled to D.C. from California for Trump's rally and filmed herself storming the Capitol with the mob of pro-Trump supporters, was found guilty on charges including violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building after a three-day bench trial.

What they're saying: Before the Jan. 6, 2021, rally on Jan. 6, MacAndrew tweeted at him "that she too felt that '[t]raps had been set' in the '#RiggedElection' of 2020," District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote in the 18-page opinion. "And at the 'Stop the Steal' rally, then-President Trump eponymously exhorted his supporters to, in fact, stop the steal by marching to the Capitol.

"Defendant marched to the Capitol where, she testified, she understood that only Congress had the power to fix the election’s outcome and that Congress was likely in session while she was around and in the Capitol," Kollar-Kotelly said.

"Every step of the way, from the western boundary of Capitol grounds, to the West Lawn, to the Upper West Terrace, to the interior of the Capitol itself, she saw sign after sign that her presence was unlawful," Kollar-Kotelly said. "Nevertheless, heeding the call of former President Trump, she continued onwards to 'stop the steal.'

"Having followed then-President Trump’s instructions, which were in line with her stated desires, the Court therefore finds that Defendant intended her presence to be disruptive to Congressional business."

The big picture: Kollar-Kotelly's words echo rhetoric in the House Jan. 6 select committee's final report, which alleges that Trump engaged in a "multi-part conspiracy to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 Presidential election."

Other Jan. 6 defendants have also blamed Trump and accused him of giving "presidential orders" to attack the Capitol.

At his first broadcast-network appearance since Capitol riot, former Vice President Mike Pence told ABC's "World News Tonight" that Trump's actions during the insurrection meant he "decided to be part of the problem."

Yes, but: Trump has maintained that the report and its allegations are a political witch hunt. 

The former president had "urged the crowd to 'peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard' on Jan. 6, a fact, just like the Unselect Committee, this biased judge deliberately omitted," said Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington said in a statement to Axios, in reference to both Kollar-Kotelly's ruling and the now-dissolved panel. 

"The violations of due process and unfair treatment of political prisoners by the U.S. government during this saga will forever be a stain on our country," Harrington added.

Go deeper... 187 minutes: Jan. 6 hearing to show Trump's deliberate inaction

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Liz Harrington, a spokesperson for former President Trump. 

Judge: Jan. 6 rioter who broke into Capitol followed "Trump's instructions"

Danean MacAndrew traveled filmed herself storming the Capitol after traveling to D.C. from California.

Photo of Donald Trump raising a finger as he looks into the distance

Donald Trump greets the crowd at his "Stop The Steal" rally on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday urged the Department of Justice's special counsels to treat President Biden and former President Trump equally during the investigations into their possession of classified documents.

The big picture: McConnell, who has publicly feuded with Trump for years, appeared to join GOP lawmakers seeking to draw parallels between the Biden classified documents revelations and the investigation into the Trump classified documents seized from Mar-a-Lago — even as key distinctions remain.

What he's saying: "I think the important thing with regard to documents is that both these guys ought to be treated exactly the same way. Exactly the same way," McConnell said on Kentucky’s NewsRadio 840 WHAS. 

"So I think the attorney general probably did the right thing by having two special counsels," he added.

"What’s good for one candidate for president ought to be good for another one."

Context: Attorney General Merrick Garland last week appointed Robert Hur as special counsel to lead the investigation into classified documents found at Biden's former office and his Delaware home.

Last year, Garland assigned veteran prosecutor Jack Smith to investigate Trump's handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Zoom out: The revelation into Biden's classified documents has fueled the GOP's vow to launch investigations into the president.

Go deeper... How Biden and Trump's classified doc discoveries have differed

McConnell calls on special counsels to treat Biden and Trump docs "exactly the same way"

"What’s good for one candidate for president ought to be good for another one," the Senate GOP leader said.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pictured at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 21, 2022. Photo: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Joe Biden

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Tuesday that the GOP will investigate President Biden's handling of classified records to ensure the law is "applied equally."

Why it matters: Republicans have jumped on Biden since the White House confirmed that at least three sets of classified documents from when he was vice president were discovered in his former office and his home in Delaware. 

What he's saying: "Before the election, they found out President Biden had these documents not under lock ... Prior to an election, they kept it secret. At no time did he get raided by the FBI," McCarthy told reporters Tuesday. 

"They put a special prosecutor only after other people raised the issue ... It just does not seem fair. This is why the American people get so upset and distrust their government when they see that the law is not applied equally."

"I have concerns when any classified documents are anywhere else ... but the one thing I will say here too is a president who just left office is not the [individual] who's packing up their boxes, who's not moving them, so how much does he even know in that process?" he added.

"It's not a fair process when you equalize this out, and that is what is wrong with the system," McCarthy said. "You want the American public to trust the final answer. That's why the House will oversee and look at these investigations as well."

The big picture: Republicans have been using the unfolding controversy to accuse Biden, the Justice Department and the National Archives of a double standard since former President Trump faced an FBI search and a separate special counsel inquiry over multiple documents found at his Mar-a-Lago home last year, Axios' Herb Scribner writes.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed Robert Hur as special counsel to lead the investigation into Biden's handling of the documents.

The president has said he was "surprised" records were taken to his old office and that he doesn't know "what's in the documents."

The White House said it is cooperating fully in contrast to Trump and his allies, who have been openly critical of the ongoing probe from special counsel Jack Smith.

How Biden and Trump's classified doc discoveries have differed

What we know about Biden's classified documents investigation

McCarthy: GOP probe of Biden docs will ensure law is "applied equally"

Republicans have jumped on Biden since it was confirmed that classified records were found in his home and former office.

Photo of Kevin McCarthy speaking into a mic 

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy conducts a news conference in the U.S. Capitols Statuary Hall on Jan. 12. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Kevin McCarthy

Former President Trump on Saturday said he's angrier and more committed than ever as he kicked off his 2024 presidential bid in New Hampshire,  per AP.

Driving the news: "We’re starting. We’re starting right here as a candidate for president," Trump said while delivering the keynote address for the state Republican Party's annual meeting in Salem, New Hampshire, on Saturday morning.

He announced that outgoing New Hampshire GOP Chairman Stephen Stepanek will oversee his campaign in the state, per The Hill.

Trump was headed to South Carolina next, where he was expected to introduce his leadership team in the state.

What he's saying: "I’m more angry now and I’m more committed now than I ever was," Trump said while making his debut on the 2024 campaign trail.

In his speech, Trump talked about his campaign agenda, including his plans to eliminate federal funding for schools that "push" critical race theory or "left-wing gender ideology."

Trump also discussed the military, saying, "We have a great military, but we have some fools on top." He also said he "rebuilt our entire military" during his time as president.

Zoom in: The former president criticized Democrats' effort to move the election calendar to make South Carolina the first state to vote instead of New Hampshire.

“From the very beginning, I’ve strongly defended New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary status,” Trump said in the state. "I’ve been your defender, and I’ve refused to let any Republican … even think about taking that cherished status away."

He accused President Biden of "cruelly and disgracefully trashing this beloved political tradition," suggesting his endorsement of the change was "a revenge on the voters" motivated by Biden's fifth-place finish in 2020's New Hampshire Democratic primary.

The big picture: New Hampshire and South Carolina are pivotal in the early primaries and hold immense power in picking the GOP and Democratic presidential nominees.

Meanwhile, Trump, who is currently the only declared 2024 presidential candidate for either party, is trailing behind expected Republican opponent Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in New Hampshire by a 12-point margin, per a new poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire.

Go deeper: DeSantis calls for "new blood" at RNC

Trump "more angry," "more committed" as he kicks off 2024 campaign

"I’m more angry now and I’m more committed now than I ever was," Trump during his debut on the campaign trail.

Former President Trump speaks at the New Hampshire Republican State Committee's annual meeting on Jan. 28 in Salem. Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

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Exclusive: Facebook to reinstate Trump

The decision will end a two-year ban and allow Trump to post and raise money using the platforms.

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