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A federal grand jury on Friday indicted former Trump adviser Steven Bannon on two counts of contempt of Congress for his failure to comply with a subpoena issued by the House Jan. 6 select committee.

Why it matters: It's the first such indictment to come out of the committee's investigation of the Capitol insurrection — and the first time the Justice Department has charged someone for contempt of Congress since 1983.

Bannon faces fines and possible jail time. Each count of contempt of Congress carries a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in jail, per the DOJ. 

Catch up quick: Bannon's lawyer told the panel in October that he would not cooperate, citing an assertion of executive privilege by former President Trump.

Democrats and many legal experts criticized the claim of privilege as dubious, as Bannon had been fired by Trump in 2017 and was a private citizen at the time of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

The committee moved quickly to hold Bannon in contempt, claiming in a report that statements he made publicly on Jan. 5 "suggest that he had some foreknowledge about extreme events that would occur the next day."

The House voted 229-202 on Oct. 21 to hold Bannon in contempt. Nine Republicans voted in favor of the resolution.

What they're saying: "Steve Bannon’s indictment should send a clear message to anyone who thinks they can ignore the Select Committee or try to stonewall our investigation: no one is above the law," Jan. 6 select committee chair Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.) and vice chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said in a statement. 

"We will not hesitate to use the tools at our disposal to get the information we need."

Between the lines: Democrats had feared that it could take months for the Justice Department to prosecute Bannon, stalling the investigation and giving incentive to other Trump associates not to cooperate.

News of the indictment came the same day that the committee threatened to hold former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt, after he declined to appear for his scheduled testimony.

The committee has subpoenaed dozens of other former Trump aides. It's unclear how many will now choose to cooperate in light of the charges against Bannon.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout. 

Steve Bannon indicted for contempt of Congress

Bannon refused to comply with a subpoena issued by the House Jan. 6 select committee.

Steve Bannon

Donald Trump

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has launched a Twitter campaign to get the U.S. Senate to back sanctions in a last-ditch effort to block the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

Why it matters: President Biden waived sanctions on the operator of the Kremlin-backed pipeline, which will bypass Ukraine and deliver Russian gas directly to Europe, in order to protect the U.S. relationship with Germany.

Congressional sanctions, already passed by the House of Representatives on a voice vote, would also need to be adopted by the Senate to be included in the annual National Defense Authorization Act. 

The Senate version of the NDAA has advanced out of committee, but a floor vote has not yet been scheduled.

What we’re watching: In recent months, Russia has been leveraging its energy exports — and exacerbating an energy crisis in Ukraine and Europe — in some of the very ways that critics of Nord Stream 2 had warned about.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin squeezes Ukraine with his energy exports, he's amassing close to 100,000 troops near Ukraine's borders along with battle tanks and self-propelled artillery.

Sources in the U.S. national security community are increasingly concerned that Russia will invade Ukraine again and seize even more territory than it did in 2014.

Driving the news: "Blackmailing Europe over gas must be stopped forever," Zelensky tweeted on Friday. "We're grateful to the House for including an #NDAA amendment that will stop Nord Stream 2. Asking all friends of and in the US Senate to now back this amendment at the Senate level."

The amendment Zelensky is referring to has been introduced by a group of Republican senators, led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member James Risch (R-Idaho).

The amendment would impose mandatory sanctions on the company in charge of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, overriding the Biden waiver that effectively green-lit the completion of the pipeline earlier this year.

The amendment would also remove remaining waivers on sanctions against the companies involved in testing and certifying the pipeline.

Flashback: Biden reached an agreement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in July intended to stop Russia from weaponizing energy projects like Nord Stream 2 to harm vulnerable nations such as Ukraine.

The agreement states that Germany will impose consequences on Russia if it uses energy as a weapon. The language leaves plenty of room for inaction, and on Oct. 26, the German Ministry of Economics certified that Nord Stream 2 does not pose a threat to the energy security of Germany or the European Union.

Opponents of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, including members of Congress and senior officials from Eastern European governments, criticized the U.S.-Germany deal for being toothless and carried out over their heads.

What they're saying: Biden officials are now acknowledging that Russia is using energy in a concerning way. Amos Hochstein, the State Department's senior adviser for global energy security, told CNBC that it almost amounts to weaponization.

"They [Russia] have come very close to the line of using it as a weapon," Hochstein said, "by suggesting that if a political decision was taken in Germany … to certify the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, all of a sudden, gas would appear, and there would be plenty of gas from Russia for Europe."

But by stopping short of calling it weaponization, the Biden administration is leaving itself room to avoid imposing additional sanctions on the pipeline.

The State Department and White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

What to watch: Construction on Nord Stream 2 has been completed, and the pipeline is now awaiting regulatory approval from Germany. It's unclear if the sanctions would stop the gas from flowing — but there's no doubt it would make moving forward very painful for Germany.

Ukraine publicly pleads with U.S. Senate to sanction Putin's pipeline

The Senate is weighing legislation to override Biden's waiver on Nord Stream 2 sanctions.

Zelensky visiting Biden in September. Photo: Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Nord Stream 2

Policymaking

Russia

Conflicts, policies and powers are intersecting and shaping the world. Breaking news and analysis of national security, foreign policy and global crises.

World

President Biden will hold a virtual summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, marking the most public direct engagement between the two leaders since Biden took office, the White House announced Friday.

Why it matters: The Biden administration views the rise of China as the top geopolitical challenge that the U.S. will face in the 21st century, but has stressed the need for cooperation with the world's second-largest economy.

 The backdrop: The video conference will come just weeks after Biden rebuked Xi for not attending COP26 or presenting any new climate commitments in his written address to the global summit.

"The rest of the world looked at China and said, 'Well, what value are they providing?'" Biden said in his final press conference in Glasgow. "And they've lost an ability to influence people around the world and all the people at COP."

Days later, China agreed in a surprise joint statement with the U.S. to "raise ambition in the 2020s" to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement.

What they're saying: "The two leaders will discuss ways to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the PRC, as well as ways to work together where our interests align," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

"Throughout, President Biden will make clear U.S. intentions and priorities and be clear and candid about our concerns with the PRC."

Psaki later said at a press briefing that she does not expect Biden to hold a press conference after the summit, which will take place in the evening.

The big picture: Biden has said that the U.S. and China must cooperate on issues of mutual interest, such as climate change, but that the relationship will largely be defined by intense competition.

He has stressed that the U.S. is not seeking conflict or attempting to constrain China, but that Beijing must adhere to the international rules-based order.

In a letter to the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations this week, Xi said that cooperation is "the only right choice," and that "China stands ready to work with the United States" to confront global challenges and reset the relationship.

Lower-level talks between the two sides have devolved into chaos at various points over the past year, with Chinese officials berating their U.S. counterparts for their criticisms of Beijing's behavior.

Driving the news: The summit comes amid new concerns about the rapid pace of China's nuclear expansion and testing of advanced weapons capabilities. Beijing's military intimidation of Taiwan has also escalated in recent months.

What to watch: Biden will almost certainly raise those military issues at the summit with Xi, in addition to U.S. concerns about China's genocide of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong, trade abuses and more.

China has made it clear that it opposes any "interference" by the U.S. in its domestic affairs, and has condemned the new Indo-Pacific security pact through which the U.S. and U.K. will help Australia obtain nuclear-powered submarines.

It's still unclear how the Biden administration plans to approach the Winter Olympics in Beijing, which begins in February. Human rights groups have called for a diplomatic boycott. 

White House says Biden and Xi will hold virtual summit on Nov. 15

It will be the most public direct engagement between the two leaders since Biden took office.

Then-Vice Premier Xi and then-Vice President Biden at the White House in 2012. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Xi Jinping

China

Joe Biden

Qatar has agreed to become the "protecting power" for U.S. interests in Afghanistan, taking on a formal role as the diplomatic intermediary between Washington and the new Taliban government, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Friday.

Why it matters: The U.S. has shown no indication it will recognize the Taliban government, but diplomatic engagement will be necessary in order to stave off the mass humanitarian crisis bearing down on Afghanistan as winter approaches.

Driving the news: An agreement signed Friday will establish a special section in the Qatar Embassy in Kabul to provide certain consular services to U.S. citizens and monitor the security conditions of American diplomatic assets in Afghanistan. 

A second agreement formalizes the U.S. partnership with Qatar to continue facilitating the travel of Afghans with special immigrant visas granted by the State Department and to have Qatar serve as a transit point for departing Afghans.

Blinken also announced Friday that all U.S. citizens who have requested assistance from the U.S. government to leave Afghanistan — and who have the necessary travel documents — have now been offered an opportunity to do so.

The big picture: Qatar has played a crucial role in U.S. negotiations with the Taliban over the past several years, and it helped facilitate the evacuation of thousands of Americans, Afghans and allies when Kabul fell to the insurgents in August.

The tiny Gulf emirate will take on an intermediary role similar to Switzerland's for U.S. interests in Iran.

The Taliban's political office, with whom the Trump administration negotiated the peace deal that ultimately led to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, is based in Doha.

Qatar agrees to represent U.S. interests in Taliban-led Afghanistan

Qatar will take on a role similar to the one Switzerland plays for U.S. interests in Iran.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken at Doha airport in September. Photo: Olivier Douliery/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Qatar

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows may face criminal contempt charges after he failed to appear before the Jan. 6 committee Friday morning. 

Why it matters: This is the panel's third threat of criminal prosecution made in recent weeks against noncooperative witnesses — a significant escalation by the panel as it tries to enforce subpoenas against Trump's closest aides. 

Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the Jan. 6 panel chair, said in a letter to Meadow's attorney on Thursday that without executive privilege or immunity, "there is no valid legal basis for Mr. Meadows's continued resistance to the Select Committee's subpoena." 

White House deputy counsel Jonathan Su wrote to Meadow's lawyer, George Terwilliger, earlier Thursday saying that President Biden would not assert executive privilege over the documents requested by the select committee. 

This comes after Terwilliger said in a statement that Meadows was instructed by Trump to "respect long-standing principles of executive privilege" and was  "immune" from congressional testimony. 

The big picture: The panel targeted Meadows because it believes he spent much of Jan. 6 with the former president and because his role as former White House chief of staff means he likely has knowledge of Trump's role in efforts to stop the certification of Biden's election win. 

The House of Representatives would need to vote to refer Meadows to the Department of Justice for criminal contempt.

What they're saying: “Mr. Meadows’s actions today—choosing to defy the law—will force the Select Committee to consider pursuing contempt or other proceedings to enforce the subpoena," Thompson and Sen. Liz Cheney (R-WY), vice chair of the select panel, said in a statement Friday. 

"If his defiance persists and that process moves ahead, the record will reveal the wide range of matters the Select Committee wished to discuss with Mr. Meadows until his decision to hide behind the former President’s spurious claims of privilege," they added. 

"While we’re determined to get all the information we’re seeking, Mr. Meadows, Mr. Bannon, and others who go down this path won’t prevail in stopping the Select Committee’s effort getting answers for the American people about January 6th, making legislative recommendations to help protect our democracy, and helping ensure nothing like that day ever happens again.”

Go deeper: House votes to hold Bannon in contempt of Congress

Editor's note: The headline and story have been corrected to reflect that charges have not yet been filed against Meadows. The story has also been updated throughout.

Meadows fails to appear before Jan. 6 panel, could face contempt

This is the Jan. 6 committee's third threat of criminal prosecution made in recent weeks against non-cooperative witnesses.

Mark Meadows speaks into a gaggle of press microphones.

Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Jan. 6 select committee

GLASGOW, Scotland — China used backroom negotiating to make itself a player, though far from a leader, at the global COP26 climate summit. 

Why it matters: It's in the world's best interest for the U.S. and China to manage tensions and cooperate in the future, since the two together account for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases decided not to update its emissions targets or timetables, and President Xi Jinping did not travel to Glasgow for the event either. Instead, he sent just a written statement. 

But China joined Wednesday's surprise climate declaration with the U.S. — and focused on how to implement the landmark Paris Agreement of 2015, without making its targets more aggressive. 

Wednesday's announcement came as a particular surprise since China had mainly been acting behind the scenes at COP26, rather than taking a high-profile role, and relations between the two countries have soured to historic lows in recent months. 

However, the agreement is more of a first step than a final deal, and it rests on a relatively shaky foundation, dependent on the personal friendship and history between U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua.

Both men came out of retirement in the runup to Glasgow, and it’s unclear how long they’ll stay in their posts.

Between the lines: China’s negotiating goals at COP26 appear to be focused more on securing the full implementation of the Paris Agreement than raising the level of ambition, said Bernice Lee, director of research at Chatham House, a U.K. think tank, during a press call on Thursday. 

She said one of Beijing's overall strategies on display at COP26 is trying not to shoulder the blame for standing in the way of a Glasgow agreement, and this joint statement may have been a means to that end.

She called the agreement "the floor, not the ceiling" of potential U.S.-China cooperation.

China’s Glasgow gambit

It set a low bar for itself and is poised to exceed it.

Axios

Friday's top stories

Steve Bannon indicted for contempt of Congress

Ukraine publicly pleads with U.S. Senate to sanction Putin's pipeline

White House says Biden and Xi will hold virtual summit on Nov. 15

Qatar agrees to represent U.S. interests in Taliban-led Afghanistan

Meadows fails to appear before Jan. 6 panel, could face contempt

China’s Glasgow gambit

The future of the big new climate coalitions

Changes to Apple's App Store could come fast

Exclusive audio: Trump defends threats to "hang" Pence

U.S. journalist jailed for 11 years in Myanmar

Jan. 6 panel warns Meadows may face contempt