U.S. President Joe Biden met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Friday before traveling to Saudi Arabia. Biden said he remains committed to an independent Palestinian state even if the time isn't right to restart negotiations. Abbas condemned the Israeli occupation of the West Bank but said Palestinians are prepared to restart peace talks. Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem.

U.S. lawmakers' investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol resumed Tuesday with an examination of former President Donald Trump's encouragement to far-right extremist groups to subvert the democratic process. As VOA's congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson explains, investigators argue Trump's claims of election fraud directly led to the attack. Produced by: Katherine Gypson

The select House of Representatives Committee investigating the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol by supporters of then-President Trump is set to hold its next scheduled hearing Tuesday. Committee members say the hearing will focus on white nationalist groups’ participation in the attack. As VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, the seventh hearing follows a closed-door session last week with a former top White House lawyer.

In a visit to Saudi Arabia, Israel and the West Bank next week, President Joe Biden is expected to nudge Riyadh toward diplomatic normalization with Israel. This would be a huge expansion of the Abraham Accords, the Trump-era Middle East peace plan. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report.

In his visit to the Middle East next week, President Joe Biden is set to push for Israel’s deeper integration in the region and urge Gulf countries to pump more oil to alleviate pressure on the global energy market. Observers will watch how Biden balances these U.S. interests with American values of human rights, in light of the killings of journalists Jamal Khashoggi and Shereen Abu Akleh. VOA White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara has the story.

Ukrainian-born Karina Lipsman is running for a seat in the US House. VOA's Yurii Mamon has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Kostiantyn Golubchyk

New details on Trump’s encouragement of January 6 rioters

In the fifth public hearing this month examining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, congressional investigators detailed how former President Donald Trump pressured the nation’s highest law enforcement officials to declare the 2020 election results invalid. As VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson reports, those fraudulent election claims were also pushed by Republican members of Congress who later sought pardons. Producer: Katherine Gypson

The war in Ukraine is causing disruptions around the world, from what President Joe Biden terms a “Putin price hike” for American petroleum consumers to an impending global food crisis. On Wednesday, Biden said he was taking steps to try to offset the effects, something he said he’ll be focusing on ahead of two key summits and a Mideast trip. Anita Powell reports from the White House.

The House of Representatives committee investigating the January 6 , 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol will hold its next hearing Tuesday. The committee has sought to make its case against former President Donald Trump, saying his baseless and repeated claims of a stolen election incited his followers to violence. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports,

In the third day of congressional hearings on the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, U.S. lawmakers alleged former President Donald Trump waged a multiweek pressure campaign on his vice president, Mike Pence, to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 election. VOA’s congressional correspondent Katherine Gypson has more.

Joe Biden plans to visit the Middle East in July, with stops in Israel, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia. It will be the first time an American president flies directly from Israel to an Arab state that doesn't recognize the country. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports.

U.S. lawmakers are still struggling to reach a deal on gun control measures in the wake of last month’s mass shooting that left 21 dead at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. VOA Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson says Democrats are rallying to keep attention focused on the issue.