1/ The U.S. shot down three “unidentified object” flying over Alaska, Canada, and Michigan – the fourth such downing in eight days. Pentagon and intelligence officials said they couldn’t confirm whether the objects were a balloon, but said they were traveling at an altitude – about 20,000 feet – that made it a potential threat to civilian aircraft. The Chinese spy balloon that drifted over the U.S. flew at 60,000 feet, which didn’t pose a danger to aircraft. Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Northern Command, said: “I’m not going to categorize them as balloons. We’re calling them objects for a reason. I’m not able to categorize how they stay aloft.” After the briefing, a defense official clarified that there was “no indication of aliens or extraterrestrial activity with these recent takedowns.” The Pentagon later said the unidentified flying object shot down in Canadian airspace appeared to be a “small, metallic balloon with a tethered payload below it.” The Biden administration, meanwhile, announced the formation of an interagency group to address the unidentified objects flying over North American skies. (Associated Press / CNN / ABC News / NBC News / New York Times)

2/ A Georgia judge ruled that portions of a Fulton County grand jury’s investigation into Trump and his allies’ actions after the 2020 election be made public. In an eight-page ruling, Judge Robert McBurney ordered the report’s introduction and conclusion, as well as the section where jurors expressed concern “that some witnesses may have lied under oath during their testimony,” to be made public on Thursday. Those witnesses are not identified. Recommendations on who should or should not be prosecuted will also remain secret to protect their due process rights. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said last month that decisions on whether to bring charges were “imminent.” (NBC News / Politico / New York Times / Associated Press / NPR / CNN / Wall Street Journal)

3/ The special counsel investigating Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol subpoenaed Pence for documents and testimony. Jack Smith’s office wants Pence to testify about his interactions with Trump leading up to the 2020 election and the day of the attack on the Capitol. Trump’s lawyers, however, are expected to fight Pence’s subpoena on exec...