WASHINGTON — The White House announced the U.S. had shot down a "high-altitude object" over Alaskan airspace Friday less than a week after the military shot down a spy balloon from China.
Spokesperson John Kirby told reporters the object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and “posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight." He could not say whether it was from China or even whether it was a balloon.
Former vice president Mike Pence received a subpoena from the special counsel overseeing inquiries into Donald Trump's efforts to subvert the 2020 election and the former president's retention of classified documents. In addition, the FBI has searched Pence's home for classified files.
It was not immediately clear what special counsel Jack Smith is seeking from Pence, but the demand likely marks a major escalation in the inquiry since Smith was appointed to manage the inquiries in November by Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Here's what else is happening in politics:
- Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman has been discharged from the hospital after he was admitted earlier this week for feeling lightheaded.
- Biden meets with the president of Brazil. The meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva comes about a month after a riot in Brazil that mirrored the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
- McConnell shuns Rick Scott 'sunset' plan: Mitch McConnell said any proposal to sunset Social Security and Medicare belongs Sen. Rick Scott – not the GOP.
Biden, Lula talked climate change, Amazon rainforest
Climate change and preserving the Amazon rainforest dominated President Joe Biden’s meeting Friday with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
"I can reassure you and the rest of the world that you can count on Brazil in the fight for democracy and in the fight for the preservation of the Amazon rainforest,” Lula said in translated remarks ahead of the bilateral meeting. “We need to take care very carefully of what god gave us, that is the planet earth.”
Lula also took a swipe at his predecessor, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. He said the former president isolated the country and “didn't enjoy to keep international relations with any country."
"His world started and ended with fake news in the morning, afternoon and at night," Lula said.
"Sounds familiar," Biden joked, hinting at his predecessor and possible 2024 rival former President Donald Trump.
– Rebecca Morin
U.S., Canada defense chiefs discuss mutual threats, including Chinese spy balloon
Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on Friday to discuss issues of mutual military cooperation, including tracking the Chinese spy balloon that traversed the airspace over both countries last week.
Anand thanked Austin “for the United States’ close collaboration during the response to China’s high-altitude surveillance balloon,” according to a readout of the meeting provided to USA TODAY by the Canadian embassy in Washington.
Anand and Austin “agreed that continued cooperation between Canada and the United States, including through NORAD, ensures the security and defense of North America – and that NORAD modernization is a pressing mutual priority.”
NORAD, short for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, is the bi-lateral U.S.-Canada military command that provides continuous real-time worldwide detection, validation and warning of incoming ballistic missiles and other potential airborne threats – including balloons.
– Josh Meyer
More:White House says a second 'high altitude object' shot down over Alaska
'High altitude object’ shot down over Alaska, White House says
White House spokesperson John Kirby said Friday that the Department of Defense shot down a “high altitude object” that was in Alaska’s airspace in the last 24 hours.
Kirby said the object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and “posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight.” As an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of the Pentagon, President Joe Biden ordered the military to down the object, Kirby said.
The news of a second object comes just days after the U.S. shot down a spy balloon from China that the State Department said carried devices to intercept sensitive communications. Kirby told reporters he couldn't say whether the second object was a balloon or even if it came from China.
"We just don't know who owns this object," he said.
– Rebecca Morin
Surveillance balloon:Chinese spy balloon sought secret US communications signals, State Department says
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman discharged from hospital
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., has been discharged from the hospital after he was admitted earlier this week for feeling lightheaded.
Tests found no evidence of a stroke or seizures, according to Fetterman’s Communications Director Joe Calvello. The Pennsylvania senator spent two nights at George Washington University Hospital.
“John is looking forward to spending some time with his family and returning to the Senate on Monday,” Calvello said in a statement.
– Rachel Looker
Biden’s on-off relationship with Fox Corp. is back on for ‘super’ occasion
Presidents in recent years have granted interviews to the network hosting the Super Bowl and White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden was looking forward to an interview on Fox Soul, a streaming sister service to the conservative Fox News.
But she tweeted Friday that Fox Corp. asked for the interview to be canceled.
The parent corporation issued a statement Friday changing course. “After the White House reached out to FOX Soul Thursday evening, there was some initial confusion. FOX Soul looks forward to interviewing the President for Super Bowl Sunday,” the company said in a statement.
– Bart Jansen
Biden calls shooting down unidentified object a ‘success’
President Joe Biden said the order to shoot down an unidentified object went smoothly.
“It was a success,” Biden said in response to a question about the object. Biden gave the order Friday to shoot down the object that was over Alaska and was first detected Thursday evening.
The Biden administration said the United States has not determined whether the object was a balloon or where it was from. The administration shot down a Chinese spy balloon Saturday that had maneuvered over sensitive U.S. missile and nuclear weapons sites.
– Rebecca Morin
Rep. Angie Craig on assault: ‘My morning coffee really saved the day’
Minnesota Democratic Rep. Angie Craig said she used her cup of hot coffee to defend herself after she was assaulted yesterday in her Washington D.C. apartment building elevator.
“My morning coffee really saved the day yesterday, but not exactly how I expected it to,” she said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Craig’s chief of staff said the attack was not politically motivated. The Minnesota representative suffered bruising and is back home in Minnesota recovering.
– Rachel Looker
National Archives releases email under FOIA about retrieving Biden documents
The National Archives released 74 pages of correspondence with President Joe Biden’s personal lawyers about the retrieval of classified and other documents from his former office in November.
The pages released under the Freedom of Information Act contain emails making the arrangements for government staffers to pick up documents from the Penn Biden Center in Washington, where Biden’s lawyers had found a small number of classified documents.
The email exchanges, which are heavily repetitive, began Nov. 7 between Gary Stern, general counsel for the archives, and Biden lawyers Bob Bauer and Patrick Moore. The exchanges are mostly about logistics such as timing and parking.
But Jay Bosanko, a coordinator with the National Archives, mentions in a Nov. 7 email the government would take temporary physical custody of all of the textual material “based on some discussions this evening.” Stern told Moore to ensure “boxes in your office in Boston remain secure in a locked space and are not accessed by anyone” so the agency could pick them up and move them to the John F. Kennedy presidential library.
– Bart Jansen
FBI searches former VP Mike Pence's home for classified files
Carmel, Indiana, police said the FBI arrived at Pence's home in the area Friday morning. Police said they were providing traffic control and not assisting in the search. The FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A handful of classified documents were found Jan. 16 at Pence’s home and placed in a secure safe until the FBI retrieved them, a Pence representative told the National Archives in a letter. Classified documents have also been found in President Joe Biden’s and former President Donald Trump’s possessions.
– Kevin Johnson, Bart Jansen
Biden heads to Poland ahead of anniversary of Ukraine-Russia war
President Joe Biden is heading to Poland later this month ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia launching an invasion of Ukraine.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the president will deliver remarks on “how the United States has rallied the world to support the people of Ukraine as they defend their freedom and democracy” and how the U.S. will continue to stand with Ukraine for however long the war takes.
Biden will be in Poland from Feb. 20 to Feb. 22.
– Rebecca Morin
Biden won’t do Super Bowl interview as White House blames Fox
President Joe Biden won’t take part in a Sunday interview ahead of the Super Bowl, breaking a tradition for presidents as the White House blamed Fox for cancelling.
“The President was looking forward to an interview with Fox Soul to discuss the Super Bowl, the State of the Union, and critical issues impacting the everyday lives of Black Americans,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. “We’ve been informed that Fox Corp has asked for the interview to be cancelled.”
Fox, as the networking airing the Super Bowl, was in line for the Super Bowl interview. Fox Soul is a streaming service owned by Fox that targets Black viewers. Fox News, long the preferred network for conservatives, routinely draws criticism from the White House.
Biden took part in Super Bowl interviews during his first years in office, first with CBS and last year with NBC. A spokesman for Fox did not respond to a request for comment.
– Joey Garrison
White House changing communications directors
Ben LaBolt, who handled White House communications for the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, will take over the job as White House communications director at the end of the month, President Joe Biden announced Friday.
LaBolt, who currently leads a communications and marketing agency, will be the first openly gay White House communications director, according to the administration.
He is replacing Kate Bedingfield, who was Biden’s deputy campaign manager in 2020 before becoming his White House communications director.
It’s the latest staff change among top administration officials as Biden’s first time has passed the half-way mark and he prepares for an expected re-election bid.
– Maureen Groppe
'Sick puppy': what are the names Republicans have called George Santos?
Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., has been plagued by intense backlash since admitting to lies about his personal life and credentials, and is beset by multiple investigations at the state and federal level about his campaign finances, a House Ethics complaint and calls from members in both parties to resign.
From “a joke” to a “sick puppy,” many of Santos' Republican colleagues have been sharp tongued in rebuking the freshman congressman.
– Candy Woodall, Rachel Looker
Suspect arrested in assault of Minnesota congresswoman
A suspect has been arrested for assaulting Minnesota Democratic Rep. Angie Craig, police said late Thursday.
Police said they arrested 26-year-old Kendrick Hamlin for the Thursday morning attack, which occurred in an elevator in Craig’s apartment building. Craig suffered bruising, but is “otherwise physically okay,” her chief of staff, Nick Coe, said Thursday.
– Ella Lee
McConnell distances GOP from Scott on Social Security, Medicare sunset plan
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said any proposal to suSocial Security and Medicare belongs Sen. Rick Scott – not the GOP.
“Unfortunately, that was the Scott plan, that’s not a Republican plan,” McConnell said on a Kentucky radio program.
McConnell’s comments about Scott, a GOP rival, come as the White House continues to spotlight how Republicans heckled — and apparently committed not to touch entitlement programs — during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.
“Speaker (Kevin) McCarthy said Social Security and Medicare are not to be touched and I’ve said the same,” McConnell told radio host Terry Meiners on Thursday.
“And I think we’re in a more authoritative position to state what the position of the party is than any single senator.”
– Phillip M. Bailey
Spy fears prompt proposed laws aiming to ban Chinese land ownership
Lawmakers in Texas, Florida, Arkansas and in Congress have proposed laws banning citizens of China from buying land, homes and other buildings in the United States.
It's a move they say will help protect the United States from interference by adversaries like China's government, which they accuse of spying, theft and risking the American food supply. But critics say the laws – which sometimes also include bans on land purchases by North Koreans, Russians and Iranians – hark back to racist laws from the early 1900s preventing Asian Americans from becoming property owners.
The Chinese surveillance balloon that floated across the U.S. last week before it was shot down Saturday has brought fresh attention to the growing tensions between the U.S. and China.
–Trevor Hughes, Ella Lee
Biden to talk climate change, democracy with Brazilian president
Roughly a month after Brazil faced riots that mirrored the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, President Joe Biden is slated to meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva Friday at the White House. The two leaders are expected to talk about climate change and protecting democracy.
Biden and Lula will also discuss the Ukraine and Russia war, the G-20, which Brazil is hosting next year, and immigration. There could be tension between the two leaders over the Ukraine-Russia war as Lula has declined to provide weapons to Ukraine and has indicated Ukraine should negotiate more with Russia to end the war.
– Rebecca Morin
Poll: Record level of American adults dissatisfied with abortion laws
Nearly eight months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Americans are more dissatisfied with abortion policies in the U.S. than at any other point in Gallup’s 23-year-trend.
A record high of 69% of American adults are dissatisfied with abortion laws according to a Gallup poll, while only 26% are satisfied. Of the 69% who are dissatisfied, 46% want less strict laws compared to 15% who want more strict laws.
Half of the women surveyed are dissatisfied with U.S. abortion laws and want less strict laws, an 18-percentage point increase over the past year. Meanwhile, 41% of men were dissatisfied and favored less strict laws, a 13-percentage point increase, over the past year.
The poll was conducted from Jan. 2 through Jan. 22, 2023 and is a reflection of how the public has responded to the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June 2022.
– Mabinty Quarshie
Why Biden keeps revisiting the Social Security, Medicare heckling episode
President Joe Biden won’t let Republicans forget about their heckling – and apparent commitment not to touch Medicare or Social Security – during his State of the Union address this week.
“It sounded like they agreed to take these cuts off the table. I sure hope so. I mean it," Biden said, speaking Thursday at the University of Tampa in Florida.
Republicans booed and jeered Biden during the State of the Union when he accused them of wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare, pointing to a proposal by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., to sunset all federal programs every five years. The White House believes the moment backed Republicans – who have pushed unspecified spending cuts during debt ceiling talks – into a corner.
“I know that a lot of Republicans' dream is to cut Social Security and Medicare. Well, let me say this. If that's your dream, I'm your nightmare,” Biden said.
– Joey Garrison
More:Hunter Biden, White House, House GOP clash over widening investigation of Joe Biden's son
'It's time for him to go': Democrats introduce resolution to expel Santos
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., referred a resolution Thursday to the House Ethics Committee to expel Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress. The freshman representative called Santos a fraud and a liar.
“It’s time for him to go,” Garcia said. “We have given him plenty of time to resign and he has chosen not to do so.”
Santos told USA TODAY “it’s their prerogative" and maintained his position that he will not resign from office.
“They can do whatever they want. For people who like to talk about silencing voters, they want to silence 142,000 people who voted to send me here," he said.
– Rachel Looker and Candy Woodall
Republican rebuke:Mitt Romney calls George Santos 'a sick puppy' after Biden State of the Union
Trump's Facebook account is restored
Brace yourselves for Donald Trump's first new Facebook post.
Meta Platforms Inc. mechanically restored Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts Thursday, more than two years after suspending him for improper content in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
The social media giant announced Jan. 25 that it would lift Trump's suspension, and threatened more penalties if the ex-president again violates its content policies.
– David Jackson
Iowa added to Haley's 2024 announcement itinerary
Having already announced events in South Carolina and New Hampshire, soon-to-be presidential candidate Nikki Haley has added another early contest state to her announcement tour: Iowa.
Haley, who formally announces her candidacy Wednesday in Charleston, S.C., will conduct a town hall in Urbandale, Iowa, on Feb. 20, and Marion, Iowa, on Feb. 21, according to her campaign. The 2024 GOP presidential campaign kicks off in the Hawkeye State which holds the first caucus in the nation.
The former United Nations ambassador who is challenging Donald Trump for the GOP nomination in 2024 has two halls in New Hampshire late next week.
– David Jackson
More:Nikki Haley to launch 2024 presidential bid in Charleston on Feb. 15
