Friday Afternoon Update: Jan. 6 Committee Comes To A Close, Russia Warns U.S., Georgia Bans TikTok For State Devices

This article is a companion piece to today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click here.

January 6 Committee’s Final Meeting Monday

The House committee investigating the Capitol riot will hold its final meeting Monday, wrapping up its year-and-a-half-long inquiry by asking the Justice Department to investigate potential crimes. The committee of seven Democrats and two Republicans has interviewed more than 1,000 witnesses, held several hearings, and collected millions of documents all relating to the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

Russia Warns U.S.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned Thursday that if the United States confirms reports that it plans to deliver sophisticated air defense missiles to Ukraine, it would be “another provocative move by the U.S.” that could prompt a response from Moscow. A Ministry spokesperson said in a weekly briefing that the U.S. had “effectively become a party” to the war in Ukraine, following reports that it will provide Kyiv with Patriot surface-to-air missiles.

Russian Coolant Leak In Space

“A coolant leak from a Russian space capsule attached to the International Space Station was likely caused by a micrometeorite strike, a Russian space official said Thursday,” The Washington Post reported. Both NASA and their Russian counterpart, have said that the incident hasn’t posed any danger to the station’s crew. However, the leak prompted a pair of Russian cosmonauts to abort a planned spacewalk earlier in the day.

Eric Adams Requests $1 Billion For Illegal Aliens

New York City Mayor Eric Adams is requesting $1 billion from the Biden administration to assist with more than 30,000 illegal immigrants who have entered the city.

Two Men Charged With Smuggling Weapons To Russia

Two men in New Hampshire and New Jersey have been charged with smuggling military equipment to Russia and could face 30 years in prison. According to the DOJ, authorities have arrested one Russian national, but are still looking for four others connected to the case.

Layoffs Hit The Washington Post

The Washington Post announced that layoffs will continue into early next year. Publisher Fred Ryan said Wednesday that the cuts will probably amount to a “single-digit percentage” of the company’s 2,500 employees but did not provide specifics. Later, in an email to staff, Ryan said that the plan to cut jobs “in no way signals that we are scaling back our ambitions” but that “like any business, The Post cannot keep investing resources in initiatives that do not meet our customers’ needs.”

Georgia Bans TikTok For State Devices

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has banned the use of TikTok, WeChat, and Telegram from all state-owned devices due to data security concerns.

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