It's Wednesday morning, what do we know?
Bombshell testimony at the January 6th hearing & dozens remain missing after a Russian attack on a Ukrainian mall
The House January 6th Committee
The committee held a surprise sixth hearing on Tuesday that included a barrage of bombshell testimony from witness Cassidy Hutchinson and explosive new evidence
Among the new facts presented at the hearing:
Rudy Giuliani–and presumably Trump–were directly involved with the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys plans to attack the Capitol
Mark Meadows was in direct contact with the ‘war room’ set up by Giuliani, Eastman, et al, at the the Willard Hotel
Meadows knowingly and deliberately ignored warnings of violence he received from the Justice Department and Secret Service
Contrary to what was previously known, Trump planned to join the mob at the Capitol. It seems apparent Trump intended to join the attack, enter the Capitol, personally stop the electoral vote count and seize power
Trump knew his supporters were armed and attempted to take measures to ensure that they remained armed
Once Trump’s attempts to join the Insurrection failed, he purposely chose to take no action to stop the attack. This, despite repeated pleas from staff and family throughout the afternoon to call off the mob
Angered that Pence refused to go along with his scheme, Trump’s 2 p.m. tweet was designed to incite the mob to go after the former vice president
Trump intended to pardon the rioters but was persuaded not to by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and others
Trump and his associates have been actively trying to tamper with witnesses and obstruct investigations by the committee and the Justice Department
There was contested testimony from star witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, that Trump attempted to commandeer the presidential limo, then attacked his head of security, Robert Engel, inside the limo, in an effort to get to the Capitol. Though this detail was the day’s most explosive, it’s relevance as a legal matter is less significant than the possible witness tampering, the conspiracy to attack the Capitol and Trump’s wanton dereliction of his constitutional duties
Much more on yesterday’s testimony later today
What do we know in Ukraine?
Dozens remain missing after Russia’s attack on a shopping mall in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk. The official death toll remains at 18, with scores more injured and at least 36 people still unaccounted for
Finland and Sweden will become NATO members, after Turkey withdrew its objection to the two nations joining the alliance. It’s been reported that Turkey changed its position after President Biden personally spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday
What else do we know?
The bodies of 51 illegal migrants were discovered in an abandoned trailer near San Antonio, Texas. The trailer, which had no air conditioning, was found in an industrial area on the outskirts of San Antonio on Monday. Two men have been arrested in connection with the deaths
Judge Christine Weems blocked officials in Texas from enforcing a nearly 100 year old ban on abortion. The judge’s restraining order allowed health care providers to resume abortion procedures in the state for the time being
Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday for helping Jeffery Epstein sexually abuse underaged girls for more than a decade. The judge in the case, U.S. Circuit Judge Alison Nathan, said of the convicted felon, "Maxwell directly and repeatedly and over the course of many years participated in a horrific scheme to entice, transport and traffic underage girls, some as young as 14, for sexual abuse by and with Jeffrey Epstein. The damage done to these young girls was incalculable."
That’s a lot of depressing news. Look forward to an updated analysis on the hearings.