Today’s Headlines and Commentary

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CNN obtained 2,319 text messages sent and received by Mark Meadows that reportedly detail efforts by members of former President Trump’s inner circle to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The messages—exchanged between Election Day 2020 and President Biden’s Jan. 20, 2021, inauguration—also allegedly contain the reactions of various Trump allies to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and detail Meadows’s central role in attempts to overturn the election. Meadows—former Trump White House chief of staff—turned over the text logs to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The logs detail text messages sent and received by Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump Jr., White House and Trump campaign officials, Cabinet members, leaders of the Republican Party, Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally organizers, My Pillow CEO Mike Lindel, Fox News hosts and more than 40 current and former members of Congress.

A New York judge ruled to hold former President Trump in contempt for his failure to comply with a subpoena requiring that he turn over documents to the office of the New York attorney general, reports CBS News. New York Attorney General Letitia James is currently investigating whether Trump falsely overstated the values of his assets in annual financial statements. According to a recent filing by James’ office, New York investigators reportedly want access to data stored on three of Trump’s mobile devices. 

Emmanuel Macron was re-elected to another five year term as president of France, reports BBC News. Macron defeated his far-right challenger Marine Le Pen by a margin of 58.55 percent to 41.45 percent. After his win, Macron delivered a speech in Paris in which he vowed to unite France and be a “president for all.” 

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin traveled to Kyiv on Sunday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy, according to the New York Times. Zelenskyy announced the visit in a speech prior to the meeting and reported that the leaders planned to discuss U.S. support for Ukraine and military assistance needed by Ukrainian forces. Blinken and Austin are the first senior U.S. officials known to have visited Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion. 

After their meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Blinken and Austin announced that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with an additional $300 million in military financing and also approved a $165 million sale of ammunition, reports AP. At a press conference, Blinken and Austin reaffirmed the U.S.’s support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Austin told reporters that “[Zelenskyy] has the mindset that they want to win, and we have the mindset that we want to help them win.” Austin also reported that the nature of the fighting in Ukraine has shifted because of Russia’s shift in focus away from the Ukrainian capital onto the eastern region of Donbas. To address Russia’s new approach, Austin asserted that—at Zelenksyy’s request—Ukraine will need more tanks, artillery and other munitions.  

Twitter is moving closer to a deal to potentially sell itself to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, writes the New York Times. Musk reportedly secured $46.5 billion in financing for his offer to buy the social networking app, which prices out to approximately $54.20 a share. An agreement between Musk and the company could be announced as soon as Monday, the Times says. 

FBI Director Christopher Wray warned that the current amount of espionage and cybersecurity threats from China were “unprecedented in history,” writes the Hill. In an interview with “60 Minutes,” Wray reported that Chinese state-backed hackers are working to target U.S. innovation, trade secrets and intellectual property. Wray also said that Chinese hackers “have stolen more of Americans’ personal and corporate data than every nation combined.” To adequately address the cyberthreats, Wray reported that the FBI opens a new China counterintelligence investigation approximately every 12 hours and requires the engagement of all 56 FBI field offices. 

ICYMI: This Weekend on Lawfare

Amy J. Nelson explained how emerging technology is creating holes in existing arms control agreements and how policymakers might better respond as the speed of change continues to grow.

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