Friday morning news: February 16, 2024

National security threat » The Biden administration has confirmed reports that the serious national security threat intelligence officials are warning about is indeed a Russian anti-satellite weapon.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken:

BLINKEN: This is not an active capability. But it is a potential one that we’re taking very, very seriously.

At the White House, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby echoed those remarks. But he also sought to downplay the threat.

KIRBY: We are not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack human beings or cause physical destruction here on Earth.

He added that an anti-satellite weapon could have …

KIRBY: Some impact on services here on Earth across the world.

But analysts say Kirby’s suggestion that the threat is merely some impact on services dances around the fact that Russia is building a weapon of war.

John Hardie with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Russia’s goal is not to knock out your Google Maps navigation.

HARDIE: Satellites are integral to U.S. military operations, and the Russians know that. In the event of a potential conflict, they want to be able to render us deaf and blind, crippling our ability to respond to Russian aggression.

And that technology, if deployed, has the potential to significantly neutralize America’s military might.

SOUND: [Gaza war]

Israeli raid - Gaza hospital » In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces continue to battle Hamas militants.

SOUND: [Gaza war]

Israeli special forces raided Gaza’s largest functioning hospital on Thursday.

Chief military spokesman Daniel Hagari:

HAGARI: We have credible intelligence from a number of sources, including from released hostages, indicating that Hamas held hostages at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, and that there may be bodies of our hostages in the Nasser Hospital facility.

Hagari called Israel’s operation inside the hospital precise and limited and said Israel would not forcibly evacuate patients or staff.

Inside the hospital video appears to show dismal conditions – with patients in beds lining the corridors.

Hagari said Israel has helped deliver medical supplies and equipment to the facility.

But The Associated Press is reporting that one patient was killed and six others wounded by Israeli fire hours before the raid.

Fani Willis » Inside a courthouse in Atlanta on Thursday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis denied she’s done anything wrong.

WILLIS: You’re confused. You think I’m on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I’m not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial.

Willis is currently prosecuting Donald Trump and numerous co-defendants. And lawyers for Trump and others say Willis hired her romantic partner Nathan Wade to work on the prosecution, and that, among other things, the couple may have taken vacations with the money paid to him.

Willis insists that while Wade booked trips for the couple, she always paid him back in cash.

WILLIS: I’ve only given him cash, as I mentioned, three or four times. There’s no ledger. This is friends handing money off to each other.

Willis and Wade testified that they became romantically involved after Willis hired him to work on the case. But a former coworker refuted that testimony.

Defense attorneys are asking the judge to remove Willis from the case.

Trump hush money case » Meantime, in New York a criminal case against Trump will go to trial on March 25th. The case surrounds accusations that Trump violated campaign laws by allegedly paying hush money related to an extramarital affair.

The judge in that case denied the former president’s request to delay the trial.

TRUMP: I’m running for election. How can you run for election and be sitting in a courthouse in Manhattan all day long?

Trump maintains he’s done nothing wrong and that the case is politically motivated.

Trump NATO / France » While speaking outside the New York courtroom, Trump also doubled down on a controversial comment he made last weekend. He told reporters yesterday that other NATO member nations are not paying their fair share into the alliance’s defense budget.

TRUMP: And it’s much more important to them because we have an ocean in between. So NATO countries have to pay up.

Last weekend Trump suggested that if he’s reelected, the United States would not defend any NATO nation that doesn’t spend the required 2 percent of their GDP on defense. He added, in fact, I would encourage Russia to do whatever they want.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg reacted strongly to that remark.

STOLTENBERG: Any suggestion that we are not standing up for each other, that we’re not going to protect each other, that does undermine the security of all of us.

France this week announced it will meet its 2% target this year.

NATO expects 18 out of 31 allies to meet the commitment this year, up from only 11 in 2023.

FBI informant charged with lying about Hunter B. » The Justice Department has charged an FBI informant with lying to authorities about President Biden’s son, Hunter. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports:

KRISTEN FLAVIN: Alexander Smirnov reported in June 2020 that executives associated with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million dollars each in 2015 or 2016. But prosecutors say that wasn’t true.

They also say Smirnov lied about the timing and significance of his own communications with Burisma.

Authorities indicted the 43-year-old on charges of making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Kansas City shooting update » Police in Kansas City have released one of the three people detained in connection with Wednesday’s shooting at the Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade. They said the man was not involved in the shooting. Two juveniles, though, remained in custody.

Authorities said a gun battle appeared to stem from an argument between several people. The shootout killed one person and wounded more than 20.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Culture Friday with John Stonestreet. Plus, two-faced words on this month’s Word Play.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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