Monday, Jan. 24

· President Joe Biden, speaking into a live microphone, called Fox News’ Peter Doocy “a stupid son of a b---h” after Doocy asked the president if “inflation is a political liability ahead of the midterms.”

· Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said Iran is willing to engage in direct talks with the United States to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. “[I]f we get to a stage where reaching a good deal with strong guarantees necessitates direct talks with the U.S., we will consider it,” Amir Abdollahian said.

Tuesday, Jan. 25

· A federal appeals court upheld the 2019 conviction of Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, which Guzman’s lawyers had appealed on 10 different grounds, saying “none of these claims has merit.”

· When reporters asked Biden if he was considering personal sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin should Russia invade Ukraine, Biden said “yes” and that there would be “enormous consequences.”

Wednesday, Jan. 26

· The Biden administration approved a $2.5 billion arms sale to Egypt despite calls to curtail U.S. support due to human rights abuse allegations against the Egyptian government. The possible sale includes 12 Super Hercules C-130 transport aircrafts and air defense radar systems.

· House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she will seek re-election, which, if she wins, will be her 19th term in office.

· The Internal Revenue Service’s criminal investigation division said cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens are resulting in “mountains and mountains of fraud” and are ripe with money laundering, market manipulation and tax evasion.

· The U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Sullivan, delivered a letter to Russia regarding Russia’s demands in the Ukraine conflict. The letter, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, offers Russia a “serious diplomatic path” to end the military build-up on the Ukrainian border, gives “a principled and pragmatic evaluation of the concerns that Russia has raised” and proposes “areas where we may be able to find common ground.” Ukraine later backed the U.S.’s response.

· Nicholas Languerand, a man who pleaded guilty to a felony charge after throwing objects at police during last year’s Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, was sentenced to a 44-month prison sentence. Languerand has been jailed since April 2021 and will receive credit for time served. Prosecutors recommended a 51-month sentence, but District Judge John Bates decided on a “modest reduction” because of what he described as Languerand’s “extremely difficult and chaotic upbringing.”

Thursday, Jan. 27

· Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement. Biden pledged to nominate a Black woman to the court, which would be a first in U.S. history.

· Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi supported Russia’s actions in Ukraine, saying that Russia had “legitimate security concerns” and that “All parties should completely abandon the Cold War mentality and form a balanced, effective and sustainable European security mechanism through negotiation.”

· The State Department added the “threat of missile or drone attacks” to a travel advisory for the United Arab Emirates. The country was already on the U.S.’s list of “do not travel” destinations due to the pandemic. “Rebel groups operating in Yemen have stated an intent to attack neighboring countries, including the UAE, using missiles and drones. Recent missile and drone attacks targeted populated areas and civilian infrastructure,” a release from the department explained.

· Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a directive ordering the military to do more to protect civilians from harm in drone attacks and other combat operations. The two page memo read: “The protection of innocent civilians in the conduct of our operations remains vital to the ultimate success of our operations and as a significant strategic and moral imperative.”

Friday, Jan. 28

· A federal judge invalidated a major oil-and-gas lease sale in a federal offshore drilling program, arguing that the government failed to account for the sale’s effects on climate change. The lease offered about 80 million offshore acres in the Gulf of Mexico in an auction last November, which was the largest in U.S. history.

· After a bridge collapsed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hours ahead of his scheduled visit to the city, Biden vowed that his infrastructure spending bill would invest more to prevent such catastrophes in the future. “The idea that we have been so far behind on infrastructure, for so many years — it’s just mind boggling,” Biden said. The bridge collapse caused 10 people to sustain injuries.

· China’s ambassador to the U.S., Qin Gang, warned that the two world powers could end up in a military conflict if the U.S. continues to encourage Taiwan’s independence, calling the topic “the biggest tinderbox between China and the United States.”

· Secretary of Defense Austin said that conflict in Ukraine is “not inevitable” and that “There’s no reason that this situation has to devolve into conflict. [Putin] can choose to deescalate … He can order his troops away. He can choose dialogue and diplomacy. Whatever he decides, the United States will stand with our allies and partners.”

Saturday, Jan. 29

• Reuters reported that the State Department plans to reroute $67 million in military funding to include “livelihood support” for members of the Lebanese military, citing economic turmoil and social unrest. The funding will “strengthen their operational readiness, mitigate absenteeism, and thus enable [Lebanese armed forces] members to continue fulfilling key security functions needed to stave off a further decline in stability,” per a notification to Congress seen by Reuters.

Sunday, Jan. 30

• No news to report.