Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 White House: Three Americans Believed Captured By Russian Army
A third American is feared missing in Ukraine. The news comes after two U.S. military veterans, both from Alabama, were reported missing, with a photo showing them in back of a Russian truck with their hands tied. The men were last heard from as their group was taking heavy fire near the Russian border. State Department spokesman Ned Price says that the department has spoken to the family of the third person, but didn't release further details. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has denied knowledge of the captured Americans. Still, Russia considers all foreigners fighting with Ukraine to be “mercenaries” – and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov notes that means they aren’t protected as combatants under the Geneva Convention.
2 January 6th Hearing: Trump Knew He Was Wrong, But Pushed On Anyway
Then-Vice President Mike Pence's life was literally in danger on January 6th, 2021. So said California Democrat Pete Aguilar [[AG-will-are]] during the third public hearing of the committee investigating last year's attack on the U.S. Capitol. Here’s a rundown of the day’s big moments: Aguilar described Secret Service efforts to move Pence and said, at one point, rioters came within 40-feet of a room where he was located. Rioters were angry that Pence had not agreed to take steps to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Some chanted, "Hang Mike Pence!" Thing is? It never needed to be that way. According to several witnesses from inside the Trump White House, President Trump was well aware that he was wrong constitutionally with regard to Pence’s ability to overturn the results of the presidential election – but pressured him anyway. As for Trump’s connection to the violence, his tweet slamming Pence at 2:24p saw the crowds both outside the Capitol and inside the Capitol surging. As Mississippi Democrat Bennie Thompson noted, Trump "turned the mob" on Pence. Notable moments included the descriptions of the ire Trump had for Pence. Former first Daughter Ivanka Trump’s deposition revealed that she’d witnessed it herself when she walked in on a phone call between her father and Mr. Pence.
3 AL Church Shooting Leaves Two Dead
The death toll has gone up following a shooting at a church near Birmingham, Alabama. Vestavia Hills Police Captain Shane Ware says they're still trying to piece together exactly what happened. The attack took place at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills. The FBI, ATF, US Marshals and local law enforcement all responded to the scene and the suspected shooter was taken into custody. The bloodshed comes on the eve of the seventh anniversary of the massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. As you might recall, nine people including State Senator and Reverend Clementa Pinckney were killed in the 2015 mass shooting.