Plus, the UN calls for billions to keep Afghanistan from collapse.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is the most powerful Trump ally yet called for testimony by the January 6 committee; the UN calls on the West to unfreeze Afghan assets to avert disaster. Tonight's Sentences was written by Ellen Ioanes. The Kevin McCarthy-January 6th committee showdown  - House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is the latest ally of former president Donald Trump to be called for an interview by the congressional committee investigating the January 6 attacks. He's the highest-ranking politician to be called by the committee to give testimony, although he has publicly stated that he won't do so. [January 6th Select Committee]
- At the time of the riots, and shortly thereafter, McCarthy denied that the 2020 election was stolen, got in heated arguments with Trump, and repeatedly decried the attacks as contradictory to the Democratic process. However, after a meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago later in January, McCarthy again backed the former president.
- Committee Vice Chair Liz Cheney, one of two Republicans on the committee, hasn't ruled out a subpoena to compel McCarthy to cooperate. "He's clearly trying to cover up what happened," she said in a CNN interview. [Guardian / Hugo Lowell]
- "The committee's only objective is to attempt to damage its political opponents," McCarthy said in a response to the committee's request on Wednesday, elaborating that its "abuse of power ... stains this institution today and will harm it going forward." The committee's increasingly aggressive tactics could come back to haunt Democrats in the fall, particularly if Republicans win the House and McCarthy becomes speaker. [NYT / Luke Broadwater]
- McCarthy already promised to punish Democrats, telling the conservative outlet Breitbart on Monday that he would remove Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar (MN), Eric Swalwell (CA), and Adam Schiff (CA) from their committees if he wins leadership of the chamber after the 2022 midterm elections. He's also threatened to retaliate against Pelosi for refusing to place McCarthy's picks, Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Jim Banks (R-IN), on the January 6 committee. [Axios / Jonathan Swan]
UN calls for funding, release of frozen assets, to stave of Afghanistan catastrophe - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pleaded for the release of frozen funds to keep Afghanistan's economy afloat and stave off extreme poverty and starvation through the winter. Currency reserves have been frozen and international aid has dissipated since the Taliban took over the government again in August. [Reuters / Michelle Nichols]
- Part of the challenge of getting desperately needed funding to the Afghan people — millions of whom are living in extreme poverty and on the brink of starvation amid an economic free fall and food crisis — is avoiding the Taliban, which many nations including the US do not recognize as a legitimate government. Many members of the group, including Acting Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salaam Hanafi, have been sanctioned by the West as members of a terrorist organization. [Bloomberg / Eltaf Najafizada]
- The US had pledged an additional $308 million in humanitarian assistance to people both inside Afghanistan and refugees in neighboring countries for a total of more than $780 million since October, as well as 1 million additional doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. But the Taliban want a bigger role in delivering aid to the Afghan people — which means that the US and other institutions would have to work with them as they do other governments. [Al Jazeera]
- Guterres had called on Tuesday for $4.4 billion in international funding to mitigate the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Afghanistan, in the largest appeal the UN has made for a single country. UN aid chief Martin Griffiths is set to meet virtually with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the US's capabilities and role in getting much-needed cash into the Afghan financial system. [AP / Edith M. Lederer]
- About 23 million people — more than half of the Afghan population — are facing severe hunger, and most people do not have sufficient fuel or shelter to protect them from the winter cold. [Politico / Alexander Ward and Quint Forgey]
US President Joe Biden will double free Covid-19 tests and add N95 respirators to the free resources available to Americans to fight the omicron surge. [AP / Zeke Miller] "The humanitarian situation is dire and it's unacceptable that humanitarian aid is not getting through in a sufficient manner. As prime minister and peace prize laureate, Abiy Ahmed has a special responsibility to end the conflict and contribute to making peace." Vox's Constance Grady talks with novelist Lauren Groff about her latest book, the National Book Award finalist Matrix. [Spotify] This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution. View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 11, Washington, DC 20036.
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