Monday, Jan. 9
- President
Joe Biden arrived in Mexico for the ÒThree AmigosÓ summit: bilateral
meetings with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador
and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The trio discussed migration,
drug trafficking, climate change, manufacturing and trade among other
issues of mutual interest. Biden said the gathering Òwill deepen our
coordination and advance our shared priorities for North America.Ó
- Biden
approved an emergency declaration for 17 California counties, including Sonoma
County, in response to the devastating week of storms that killed at least
17 people since Dec. 31 and knocked out power for hundreds of thousands.
The declaration authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to
coordinate disaster relief efforts and mobilize emergency resources.
- The
House, presided over by newly elected Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy,
passed a rules package to govern the House for the next two years.
Democrats argued these new guidelines will make it more difficult to approve
essential legislation like government budget measures.
- The
Supreme Court allowed messaging platform WhatsApp
to pursue a lawsuit against IsraelÕs NSO Group, which makes a spyware
program called Pegasus that is linked to the state surveillance of journalists,
human rights advocates and dissidents worldwide.
- Canada
finalized an agreement with the United States government and arms
manufacturer Lockheed Martin to purchase 88 F-35 fighter jets for $14.2
billion.
- The
Securities and Exchange Commission charged former McDonaldÕs CEO Stephen
Easterbrook with making false and misleading statements to investors about
the circumstances of his 2019 termination. Easterbrook was hit with a
five-year officer and director bar and a $400,000 civil penalty.
Tuesday, Jan. 10
- A
White House lawyer announced that classified documents from Joe BidenÕs
time as vice president were discovered in November by the presidentÕs
personal lawyers at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global
Engagement, a Washington think tank named after Biden. Attorney General
Merrick Garland asked the attorney to review the classified documents,
which had been handed over to the National Archives.
- House
Republicans voted to launch an investigation into BidenÕs so-called
ÒweaponizationÓ of the federal government. Republicans claim that Biden is
unfairly using federal agencies to investigation former President Donald
Trump and his supporters. Democrats branded the investigation as a
Òpartisan fishing expedition.Ó
- The
White House announced a series of pledges made with Mexico and Canada
ahead of the ÒThree AmigosÓ summit including a commitment to cooperation
on bolstering the supply of semiconductors in North America, a new
agreement on addressing climate change, an updated strategy for dealing
with drug smuggling and modest new migrant crisis measures.
- The
Pentagon announced that about 100 Ukrainian troops would soon be headed to
the U.S. to begin training on the Patriot surface-to-air guided missile
defense system, which can target aircraft, cruise missiles, and
shorter-range ballistic missiles that Russia has deployed.
Wednesday, Jan. 11
- White
House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said
Biden Òcommends the leadershipÓ of IllinoisÕs governor and legislators
whose work led to Illinois becoming the ninth state to ban the sale of
assault weapons.
- Japan
and the U.S. released a joint statement unveiling plans to strengthen
security cooperation in the face of shared worries about China, which,
they say, poses an ÒunprecedentedÓ threat to international order. The two
countries pledged to Òprevail in a new era of strategic competition.Ó
- Deputy
U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills lashed out at the Wagner Group, a
Kremlin-backed Russian military contractor, at a United Nations Security
Council meeting on West Africa and the Sahel region of North Africa. Mills
accused the group of interfering in the internal affairs of African
countries and Òincreasing the likelihood that violent extremism will growÓ
in the Sahel.
- The
Federal Aviation Administration halted plane departures within the U.S.
for over two hours due to a problem with a system used by pilots to alert
them of hazards and changes to airport facilities and procedures.
Thursday, Jan. 12
- Scientists
with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the past nine years have been
the warmest since modern records began in 1880, and that 2022 is tied for
being the fifth hottest year on record.
- The
Department of Homeland Security announced that it extended temporary
deportation relief to Somali citizens in the U.S. for 18 months due to the
extremity of the humanitarian crisis and armed conflict in the African
nation.
- The
federal trial against former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio
and four lieutenants, who have been charged with seditious conspiracy in
the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, began. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason
McCullough said the Proud Boys intentionally assembled a Òfighting forceÓ
to stop the transfer of power to Biden.
- White
House special counsel Richard Sauber said a
Òsmall numberÓ of classified documents from BidenÕs time as vice president
were found at BidenÕs Delaware home. The files were turned over to the
Justice Department. More documents were discovered on Saturday.
- Attorney
General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate BidenÕs
handling of classified documents.
- Forty-six
House representatives called on the Biden administration to revoke any
U.S. visa held by former Brazilian President Jair
Bolsonaro following SundayÕs attack on BrazilÕs
capital, when hundreds of Bolsonaro supporters
stormed government buildings.
- The
SEC charged two cryptocurrency firms, Genesis
Global Capital and Gemini Trust Company, with illegally selling securities
to hundreds of thousands of investors through their crypto lending
program.
Friday, Jan. 13
- Biden
hosted a visit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
at the White House. ÒThe United States is fully, thoroughly, and
completely committed to the alliance [between the U.S. and Japan],Ó Biden
said to Kishida. ÒAnd weÕre stepping up to hold
[Russian President Vladimir] Putin accountable for his unprovoked war in
Ukraine, and I want to thank you, thank you for your strong leadership on
this.Ó
- Treasury
Secretary Janet Yellen said the U.S. will likely
hit its $31.4 trillion statutory debt limit on Jan. 19, which will force
the Treasury to launch cash management measures to prevent default until
early June. She sent a letter to congressional leaders to warn them of
this and urge them to raise the debt ceiling.
- Republican
Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee, said he had written to Secretary of State
Antony Blinken requesting records related to the
U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, including intelligence assessments
and communications with the Taliban.
Saturday, Jan. 14
- Biden
made another major disaster declaration for the entire state of
California. The declaration orders federal aid to supplement state,
tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas that were affected by
severe winter storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides.
Sunday, Jan. 15
- In a
Wall Street Journal interview, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani defended the U.S.Õs continued presence
in the Middle Eastern country, apparently contradicting the position held
the powerful Iran-aligned groups that nominated the prime minister last
year.