10 things you need to know today: January 28, 2023

1. Body cam footage of Tyre Nichols’ death released by police

Memphis Police officials on Friday released the body cam footage showing the beating of Tyre Nichols by five Memphis police officers. The footage shows Nichols being held down by the officers after a traffic stop, who proceed to repeatedly beat him with their batons and strike him with their fists and boots. Pepper spray was also seen being used against Nichols as he could be heard pleading for his mother. Nichols, 29, was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Attorneys for the Nichols family have called the video "absolutely appalling," "alarming," and "unconscionable," and the five officers involved have been charged with murder, with Nichols' death sparking nationwide protests and anger.

The Commercial Appeal The Associated Press

2. Trump to spearhead 2024 campaign with stops in New Hampshire and South Carolina

Former President Donald Trump is set to spearhead the first two stops of his presidential campaign over the weekend, embarking on rallies in New Hampshire and South Carolina in an effort to rejuvenate his second bid for the presidency amidst the fallout from continuing criminal investigations and a foundering midterm season for the GOP. A number of prominent South Carolina Republicans, including Gov. Henry McMaster and Sen. Lindsay Graham, have pledged their support behind Trump and are expected to be in attendance at his rally. However, others, including the state's other senator, Republican Tim Scott, have not come out behind the former president, as many reportedly believe the party must move beyond Trump toward a new era.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The Hill The Washington Post

3. Palestinian gunman kills 7 in deadly Jerusalem attack

A Palestinian gunman opened fire outside of a synagogue in east Jerusalem on Friday night, police officials said, killing seven people in one of the deadliest attacks on Israeli citizens in years. Among the dead was a 70-year-old woman, police said. The attack got underway as Israelis in the area were beginning to celebrate the Jewish sabbath, and may have been in retaliation for an Israeli military raid that killed nine Palestinians in the Gaza Strip just a day prior. A number of Palestinians were reportedly seen celebrating the shooting, and the charged violence has cast a shadow over Israel's still-new government, led once again by hardline Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Associated Press

4. Body cam footage of Paul Pelosi attack released by officials

A California court on Friday released the body cam footage showing the police response to the 2022 attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The body cam footage obtained shows police arrive at the Pelosi's house in San Fransisco, where the violent and graphic video shows the suspect, David DePape, beginning to attack Pelosi. Despite police repeatedly ordering DePape to drop the hammer he was carrying, the suspect uses it to start beating Pelosi, who is seen in the body cam footage lying on the ground as police move in to restrain DePape. Additional released footage from surveillance cameras shows DePape allegedly breaking into the Pelosi home.

CNN Politico

5. Harris to lead U.S. delegation to Munich ahead of anniversary of Ukrainian war

Vice President Kamala Harris will lead the U.S. delegation to the Munich Security Conference next month, helming the American diplomatic cache as a signal of the continued alliance between the United States and its European allies. The meeting, which will take place from Feb. 17 to 19, will occur ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Russian war in Ukraine, and sources told Politico that Harris' presence at the German conference is meant to underscore that the United States will stand behind Ukraine, even as all signals point to the war dragging on for at least one more year. She'll also arrive following a series of tense negotiations between Germany and the U.S. about supplying Ukraine with additional weapons.

Politico

6. Man who assaulted Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick sentenced to prison

The rioter who attacked U.S. Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick during the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection was sentenced on Friday to 80 months in prison. Julian Khater pleaded guilty this past September to two felony charges of assaulting police officers with a dangerous weapon and causing bodily injury. Khater, a New Jersey native, used chemical spray to assault police officers during the attack on the Capitol building. Sicknick, one of the men attacked by Khater, would suffer a pair of strokes and died the day after the assault. While Sicknick was determined to have died of natural causes, prosecutors noted that the medical examiner had concluded, "All that transpired [on Jan. 6] played a role in his condition."

Axios The New York Times

7. Pence says ‘mistakes were made’ after classified documents found in home

Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that he takes "full responsibility" for the classified documents that were discovered in his Indiana home last week. The former vice president, speaking about the incident for the first time, said, "Those classified documents should not have been in my personal residence, mistakes were made." Pence added, "I take full responsibility. And I direct my counsel to work with the National Archives, with the Department of Justice, and with the Congress to fully cooperate." The discovery prompted the Justice Department to ask all former presidents and vice presidents to scour their records for any classified documents, as both President Biden and former President Donald Trump are also under investigation for similar matters.

CBS News

8. U.S. prosecutors ask for additional bail restrictions on Sam Bankman-Fried

U.S. prosecutors on Friday asked a federal judge to tighten the bail restrictions for Sam Bankman-Fried, the head of collapsed crypto exchange FTX who was charged with fraud and conspiracy related to the company. Bankman-Fried was released on $250 million bail after the charges were levied. However, in a letter to the judge, prosecutors alleged that Bankman-Fried had attempted to contact former employees of FTX and its holding company, Alameda, through email and the encrypted messaging app Signal. Prosecutors alleged that this may have amounted to witness tampering, and asked the judge to order Bankman-Fried not to contact any former employees of FTX or use any encrypted messages.

ABC News The Wall Street Journal

9. Sabalenka emerges victorious in Australian Open women’s final

Aryna Sabalenka won the Australian Open women's final on Saturday, winning her first Grand Slam title in stunning fashion after former Wimbledon Elena Rybakina in three consecutive sets. Sabalenka, a 24-year-old native of Belarus, used 17 aces among 51 total winning volleys, overcoming seven double faults en route to her victory in one of tennis' most prestigious tournaments. Sabalenka, a rising star within the sport, has now won all 11 games she has played this year, with the Australian Open becoming her second title in 2023. Though she dropped the first set of the day against Rybakina, Sabalenka never faltered again, and went on to a dominating and commanding win.

ESPN

10. ABC News cuts ties with Amy Robach, T.J. Holmes following off-camera affair

ABC News on Friday officially cut ties with GMA3 co-anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes after it was discovered that the pair had developed a secret off-camera relationship. "After several productive conversations with Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes, about different options, we all agreed it's best for everyone that they move on from ABC News," the network said in a statement. When word first leaked of their relationship in late 2022, the pair were allowed to continue anchoring the morning show. However, they were eventually pulled from the air last December amidst concerns that their affair could damage the overall image of Good Morning America. The pair continue to be the focus of numerous tabloid reports.

Variety