US News

• A top federal prosecutor walks back claims that there were “kill capture teams” at the Capitol on the 6th. [Link]
• Twitter suspends the account of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. [Link]
• Parler is back online. [Link]
• Biden proposes a new $1.9 trillion ‘relief bill.’ The bill will extend the ban on foreclosures through September 2021. [Link]
• Biden pick for DNI, Avril Haines, will begin her confirmation hearing. She is expected to call for the US to maintain its aggressive position against China. [Link]

Sanctions

• The US imposed new sanctions on Cuba. [Link]
• The US will sanction a Russian pipe-laying ship that was going to be used to complete the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. [Link]
• Trump revoked the export licenses of US companies that sell products to the Chinese company Huawei. [Link]
• The Trump administration is not expected to give India a waiver to buy the Russian S-400 air defense system. The Biden team is expected to hold this position. If a waiver is not granted, India will be sanctioned. [Link]
• Secretary of State Pompeo announced new sanctions on several shipping companies for allegedly doing business with Iran. [Link]

Afghanistan

• The Taliban call on Biden to honor the peace deal calling for the exit of US troops in May. [Link]
• An insider attack killed 13 Afghan police and looted weapons. [Link]
• Two female judges were assassinated in Kabul. The Taliban denied involvement in the attack. [Link]
• The Pentagon reports it met orders to reduce troops levels in Iraq and Afghanistan to 2,500. [Link]

Saudi Arabia

• House Democrats introduce bills to block two arms sales to Saudi Arabia. [Link]
• Saudi Arabia is making overtures to Biden by normalizing relations with Qatar and limiting oil production. Saudi is hoping to maintain aggressive US positions in Yemen and Iran. [Link]
• Five minors remain on death row in Saudi Arabia nine months after Saudi said it would stop executing minors. [Link]

Iran

• The US deployed B-52 to the Middle East for the fifth time since November. Iran will respond by conducting military drills. [Link]