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U.S. warns Russia against nuclear-capable anti-satellite weapon
The Biden administration recently issued direct warnings to the Russian government against deploying a nuclear-capable anti-satellite weapon, U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News. The warning was part of a broader diplomatic push that has also involved urging the Indian and Chinese governments, among others, to weigh in directly with Moscow.
The talks come after a warning from House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Turner, Republican of Ohio — who issued a cryptic statement last week regarding a “serious national security threat” — propelled the matter to public prominence.
White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby later said Turner’s concern was related to a space-based “anti-satellite capability” being developed by Russia, but added the capability had not yet been deployed and did not pose any immediate threat to American citizens.
If such a weapon were deployed, Russia would be in violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which bans putting weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, in space. More than 130 countries, including the United States and Russia, are signatories of the treaty.
“We are not talking about a weapon that can be used to attack human beings or cause physical destruction here on Earth,” Kirby said. “That said, we’ve been closely monitoring this Russian activity, and we will continue to take it very seriously.”
CIA Director William Burns recently engaged with Russian spy chief Sergei Naryshkin about the matter, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks.
In bilateral meetings at last week’s Munich Security Conference, Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised Russia’s pursuit of anti-satellite capabilities with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, another U.S. official said.
Russia has denied any effort to deploy nuclear weapons in space.
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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