AP source: Pence subpoenaed by special counsel probing Trump
Former Vice President Mike Pence has been subpoenaed by the special counsel overseeing investigations into efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election. That’s according to a person with direct knowledge of the subpoena who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss a sensitive issue. The subpoena to Pence as part of the investigation by special counsel Jack Smith was served in recent days. The extraordinary scenario of a former vice president potentially testifying against his former boss in a criminal investigation comes as Pence considers launching a 2024 Republican presidential bid against Trump.
Rioter who menaced officer with Confederate flag gets prison
A Delaware man who threatened a Black police officer with a pole attached to a Confederate battle flag as he stormed the U.S. Capitol has been sentenced to three years in prison. Kevin Seefried tearfully apologized for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot before U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden sentenced him on Thursday. Justice Department prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of five years and 10 months for Seefried, a drywall mechanic from Laurel, Delaware. Seefried and his adult son, Hunter, stormed the Capitol together. In October, McFadden sentenced Hunter Seefried to two years of imprisonment.
Zelenskyy makes appeal for EU membership
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that “a Ukraine that is winning” should become a European Union member. He argued the bloc won’t be complete without it. Zelenskyy made his comments in an address Thursday to the European Parliament on a rare, two-day trip outside Ukraine, which has been battling a full-scale Russian invasion for nearly year. The Brussels visit comes as Russia intensifies attacks in eastern Ukraine. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said allies should quickly consider giving long-range weapons systems and fighter jets to Ukraine. Zelenskyy earlier visited the U.K. and France, and will head home with commitments of more military aid and goodwill.
US: China balloon could collect intelligence signals
The Biden administration says the China balloon shot down by the U.S. was equipped to collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial spy program that has targeted more than 40 countries. In a statement Thursday, the administration cited imagery of the balloon from American U-2 spy planes. Meanwhile, the U.S. House voted unanimously to condemn China’s actions. The administration statement from a senior State Department official offered the most detail to date linking China’s People’s Liberation Army to the balloon that traversed the United States. The public details are meant to refute China’s persistent denials of wrongdoing.
Nicaragua frees hundreds of political prisoners to US
Nicaragua released 222 political prisoners early Thursday, including a U.S. citizen, in a deal negotiated with Washington that marks one of the biggest prisoner releases ever involving the United States, according to senior Biden administration officials. The Nicaraguan government, which sought nothing in return, agreed to release the prisoners to the United States as a way to signal a desire to restart relations with the country, the officials said. The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on the government and family of President Daniel Ortega in recent years, as the country has slid into autocratic rule and targeted opponents in civil society, the church and the news media.
By wire sources
