Bannon surrenders on 2 contempt of Congress charges
Steve Bannon, who served as a senior aide to former President Donald Trump, surrendered to authorities and appeared in federal court Monday, three days after he was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to provide information to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Bannon’s formal booking and first court appearance in the case marked an escalation in the clash between Trump’s allies and the committee. Bannon did not enter a plea Monday. He was released pending his next hearing Thursday before Judge Carl Nichols of the U.S. District Court in Washington.
Rittenhouse case in jury’s hands as closing arguments wrap up
The jury will begin Tuesday to deliberate the fate of Kyle Rittenhouse, who is accused in the shootings of three men in the aftermath of protests in 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. At the center of the trial is the question of whether Rittenhouse was reasonable in his belief that shooting the three men was necessary to save himself from death or serious injury. Thomas Binger, the prosecutor, showed jurors during his closing argument Monday a drone video he said showed evidence that Rittenhouse had provoked the confrontation by pointing his gun at a bystander. “You cannot claim self-defense against a danger you create,” Binger said.
Biden and Xi meet virtually as US-China chasm widens
President Joe Biden opened his virtual meeting with China’s Xi Jinping on Monday by saying the goal of the two world leaders should be to ensure that competition between the two superpowers “does not veer into conflict.” While the two leaders opened their meeting with friendly waves, they were meeting at a time of mounting tensions in the U.S.-China relationship. Biden has criticized Beijing for human rights abuses against Uyghurs in northwest China, suppression of democratic protests in Hong Kong, military aggression against the self-ruled island of Taiwan and more. Xi’s deputies, meanwhile, have lashed out against the Biden White House for interfering in what they see as internal Chinese matters.
Russian test blamed for space junk threatening space station
A Russian weapons test created more than 1,500 pieces of space junk now threatening the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station, according to U.S. officials who called the strike reckless and irresponsible. The State Department confirmed Monday that the debris was from an old Russian satellite destroyed by the missile. In condemning Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said satellites were also now in jeopardy.
By wire sources.