Judge won’t delay trial for Trump ex-adviser Steve Bannon
A federal judge has declined to delay the upcoming trial of Steve Bannon, an adviser to former President Donald Trump who faces contempt of Congress charges after refusing for months to cooperate with the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection. Bannon is still scheduled to go on trial next week. That’s despite telling the House committee late Saturday that he is now prepared to testify. It’s unclear whether Bannon will again refuse to appear before the committee with the trial pending. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols also ruled against several requests by Bannon’s attorneys to seek the testimony of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi or the committee chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi.
States with abortion bans risk losing their economic edge
For companies anchored in economically vibrant conservative states such as Texas, Tennessee and Georgia, the rollback of women’s rights is no longer a hypothetical scenario but an immediate challenge. It represents a potential disruption to the calculus that makes Republican-led Sun Belt states a draw for big companies, which tend to embrace the reduced taxes and regulations while treating local social policy as something of a sideshow. That bargain may have grown more difficult in states that have imposed punitive abortion restrictions. Some of the country’s biggest businesses have announced they would take steps to help employees who need abortion access but cannot obtain it in their home states.
Surrounded by survivors of gun violence, Biden calls for more action
President Joe Biden welcomed hundreds of survivors and family members of victims of mass shootings to the White House on Monday to promote newly enacted bipartisan gun legislation. “Today is many things,” Biden told the crowd. “It is proof that, despite the naysayers, we can make meaningful progress on gun violence.” The law includes expanded background checks for people younger than 21 who seek to buy guns and allocates millions of dollars for government mental health efforts and implementation of the so-called red-flag laws that give officials the ability to temporarily confiscate guns from people deemed dangerous by a judge.
White House: Iran set to deliver armed drones to Russia
The White House says it believes Russia is turning to Iran to provide it with “hundreds” of unmanned aerial vehicles, including weapons-capable drones, for use in its ongoing war in Ukraine. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday it was unclear whether Iran had already provided any of the unmanned systems to Russia, but said the U.S. has “information” that indicates Iran is preparing to train Russian forces to use them as soon as this month. Sullivan’s revelation comes on the eve of President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel and Saudi Arabia, where Iran’s activities will be a key subject of discussion.
Russia steps up attacks on civilian areas, even with advance paused
Over one town, an arc of fireballs burst and drifted down like fireworks, setting gardens and homes ablaze. In another, Russian missiles slammed into a five-story apartment block, shearing off a side of the building and killing at least 30 people. Officially, Russia’s military has paused its drive to seize Ukrainian territory, but in recent days, it has stepped up its haphazard attacks on civilian areas. Russian forces are using the lull in their ground offensive to regroup and resupply, military analysts said Monday. Beyond the front lines, the destruction and casualties continue as residents are bracing for a renewed, all-out assault.
Suspect in Abe shooting held a ‘grudge.’ Scrutiny falls on a church.
When Tetsuya Yamagami was arrested after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, he told the police he had “a grudge” against a “certain group.” But authorities haven’t identified the organization or explained its connection to Abe. Scrutiny is now focused on the Unification Church. At a news conference Monday, church officials detailed the organization’s ties to Yamagami’s mother, describing her as a longtime member. The church said it had no records indicating that Tetsuya Yamagami had ever been a member and was not aware of any threats directed by him at its members.
China cities impose partial lockdowns as new COVID cases are reported
At least three Chinese cities put in place partial lockdowns and the gambling hub of Macao shut its casinos for the second time since the start of the pandemic, as authorities tried to stamp out the latest coronavirus outbreaks. In mainland China, the cities of Xi’an, Lanzhou and Haikou imposed partial lockdowns, closing nonessential businesses and enforcing mass testing, setting restrictions on several million residents. In Macao, a semi-autonomous Chinese city, authorities also closed nonessential businesses, including its 42 casinos, which are the main drivers of the city’s economy, and asked residents to stay home except to buy food.
By wire soures