What's next for Jan. 6 hearings?, NBA free agency has arrived: 5 Things podcast

On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: What's next for Jan. 6 hearings?

5 Things producer PJ Elliott speaks with Department of Justice reporter Bart Jansen. Plus, it's Justice Stephen Breyer's last day on the Supreme Court, White House correspondent Francesca Chambers recaps the first day of a NATO summit, a record number of people hit the road for Fourth of July and NBA free agency is here.

Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here.

Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Thursday, the 30th of June, 2022. Today, what's next for January 6th hearings? Plus, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's last day, and more.

Taylor Wilson:

Here are some of the top headlines:

1. The death toll has risen to 53 after an abandoned tractor-trailer was found in San Antonio, officials are calling the tragedy likely the deadliest smuggling incident in US history.

2. R. Kelly has been handed 30 years in prison after a federal judge in New York, imposed the sentence yesterday for sex trafficking. Kelly faces more charges in other federal and state cases.

3. And South Carolina was rocked by a series of earthquakes yesterday. The magnitude 3.6 and 3.5 quakes are some of the strongest to hit the coastal state in years.

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It's been a whirlwind few weeks for the House Committee investigating the January 6th Capitol attack. We've learned more about how former President Donald Trump pushed various officials to try and overturn election results, and about just how close rioters got to attacking people like former Vice President Mike Pence. More hearings are also on the way next month, but what happens now? 5 Things producer, PJ Elliot, caught up with USA TODAY Justice Department Reporter Bart Jansen to find out what we could expect to see once the hearings wrap up.

Bart Jansen:

Attorney General Merrick Garland has said that he's monitoring the hearings closely, as are his prosecutors at the Justice Department. They've been investigating crimes associated with the attack on the Capitol for a year-and-a-half now, and charges are still possible for newly found defendants. Some lawmakers have said that former President Donald Trump and some of his top aides should be prosecuted for some of the actions that they took leading up to January 6th and on that day. Options for the charges include obstruction of Congress, election fraud, conspiracy to conduct either of those crimes. And also, in the latest testimony, lawmakers on the committee have referred to witness tampering as another charge that they expect to investigate, because several witnesses have told the committee that they were contacted before they gave depositions, and heard suggestions that they should remain loyal to Trump. So, those are all charges and issues that the Justice Department will evaluate. That doesn't mean that President Trump or any of his aides will be charged. We'll have to wait and see.

PJ Elliott:

Are there any concerns from Merrick Garland, or anyone at the DOJ, on actually charging former President Trump or anyone in his administration?

Bart Jansen:

Attorney General Merrick Garland has said that he will follow the facts of the law in determining whether to charge former President Trump or anyone else in the January 6th attack. What's intangible as he and the department evaluate potential charges, is that a former president has never been charged before. Even during the Watergate scandal, former President Richard Nixon was not charged. He was named as an un-indicted co-conspirator. His successor, President Gerald Ford, later pardoned him to take any prospect of charges off the table. So, it would be a landmark decision if they decided to charge Trump. On the other hand, lawmakers and others have suggested that it's important to charge Trump if the facts back up charges, because otherwise, it would give a future president carte blanche to behave as illegally as he wanted to.

PJ Elliott:

Is there any sort of timeline for the DOJ to file charges once the January 6th hearings end?

Bart Jansen:

The Justice Department investigation is running parallel to the House Committee's investigation. The House Committee does not press criminal charges at all. What they say they are doing is uncovering evidence that they will put in a report. A final report is expected in the fall, perhaps September. At the same time, the Justice Department is pursuing its own criminal investigations.

We received word a week ago that the Justice Department has served subpoenas on individuals in several states - Arizona, New Mexico, Georgia - who were named as alternate electors, to be sent to Congress, to potentially tip the balance of votes in states that President Joe Biden had won, but that Trump argued should be his. So, the Justice Department investigation is clearly continuing, but they have not yet gotten to the stage of announcing charges.

Taylor Wilson:

For more, you can find a link in today's episode description.

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Associate Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's last day on the court is today, ahead of his retirement, after the court issues its final set of rulings for this term. In January, Breyer told President Joe Biden that he would step down at the end of the term if his replacement was confirmed by the Senate. Breyer is one of three justices in the court's liberal wing who dissented from an opinion last week that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion established by Roe vs. Wade. Former Public Defender Ketanji Brown Jackson takes his place. She rose to become a judge on a powerful appeals court and will make history today as the first Black woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court and the 116th justice overall. She was confirmed earlier this year.

Ketanji Brown Jackson:

I am just the very lucky first inheritor of the dream of liberty and justice for all. To be sure, I have worked hard to get to this point in my career and I have now achieved something far beyond anything my grandparents could have possibly ever imagined. But no one does this on their own, the path was cleared for me so that I might rise to this occasion. And in the poetic words of Dr. Maya Angelou, "I do so now, while bringing the gifts my ancestors gave."

Taylor Wilson:

For more on what comes next for the Supreme Court, check out correspondent John Fritze's work at USATODAY.com, along with some of his appearances on 5 Things over the past week.

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President Joe Biden will wrap up a six day trip to Europe today after meeting with allies at this week's NATO Summit. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers is in Madrid with a recap of the summit's first full day and a look at what's to come.

Francesca Chambers:

The US and its allies are increasingly concerned about Russia's incursion into Ukraine. They're now beefing up their forces, not just the United States, but also the entire NATO Alliance. The NATO Alliance says that it will now put 300,000 troops on high alert. That's up from the 40,000 troops that were previously on high alert under NATO.

The United States Senate is promising quick approval of Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO. This has bipartisan support in Washington, which is a rarity these days.

One question hanging over leaders' heads as they met this week in Europe, was how to get grain faster out of Ukraine, with Russia blocking the country's access to the Black Sea. Leaders said that they discussed it, but they didn't come up with any tangible solutions. And if leaders can't figure out how to get grain out of Ukraine faster, there could be massive food shortages across the globe.

Russia has been a major topic of discussion at NATO, but Present Biden doesn't want allies to forget about China. Biden says that if Russia's allowed to invade Ukraine without consequences, then China could also invade Taiwan. Taiwan is a democratically governed part of China, and the US has committed in the past to helping Taiwan militarily, if China invades. The NATO Summit will conclude on Thursday and President Biden will go out with a bang. The US president plans to hold a press conference before he leaves and returns to Washington.

Taylor Wilson:

For more of Francesca's great work covering the White House, give a follow on Twitter @fran_chambers.

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A record 42 million people are expected to take road trips this year for the 4th of July, according to AAA. And if you're one of them, you might already be stuck in traffic. Drivers should expect some of the worst delays this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon, as commuters leave work early and mix with holiday travelers. According to the transportation data company, INRIX, the best times to travel for the holiday weekend are today before 7:00 AM or after 8:00 PM. Tomorrow, before 10:00 AM or after 9:00 PM. And Saturday, before noon, or after 7:00 PM. Though, Sunday and Monday, which is the 4th, are expected to have low congestion all day.

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NBA free agency is here. Players who decline their options can begin negotiating with teams beginning at 6:00 PM Eastern, 3:00 Pacific, today. The Philadelphia 76ers' James Harden opted out. So, too, did the Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal, though it appears both are likely to return to their old teams on new deals. And the Brooklyn Nets' Kyrie Irving decided to return to the Nets. Meanwhile, on the eve of free agency, Dejounte Murray is heading from the San Antonio Spurs to Atlanta Hawks in a trade. The Hawks send Danilo Gallinari and some first round picks to the Spurs in exchange. Murray was an all-star last year and joins one of the best young players in the league, in Trae Young.

Taylor Wilson:

Thanks for listening to 5 Things. You can find us seven mornings a week wherever you're listening right now. Thanks to PJ Elliott for his fantastic work on the show, and I'm back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA free agency moves, 4th of July travel tips: 5 Things podcast