Covid

• A Missouri judge stripped the power to enforce covid restrictions from the Department of Health and Senior Services. In response, some counties will abandon covid measures including contact tracing. [Link]
• Millions of Americans have only received one dose of an mRNA covid vaccine. [Link]
• Pfizer’s CEO said people may need a 4th booster shot within 12 months of the third. [Link]
• The Pentagon is considering mandating boosters for all soldiers. [Link]
• Countries are hiring lobbyists – often with ties to Biden and Democrats – to get donations of covid vaccines from the US government. [Link]
• Covax will deliver about 800 million doses of the covid vaccine to low and middle-income countries in 2021. The goal was to deliver over 2 billion doses. [Link]
• The covid vaccine rollout in Zambia reveals the problems with Covax and the consequences of global lockdowns. [Link]

US News

• Assange suffered a ministroke in October. [Link]
• Customs and Border Patrol carried out an investigation into the personal lives of several American journalists without suspicion or warrant. Jeffery Rambo, a border patrol agent, claims he was “vetting” a journalist he was considering using for a psychological operation-misinformation campaign. After Rambo was investigated by CBP, he was allowed to return to the agency. [Link]
• Congress passes a bill allowing the US debt limit to be raised. [Link]
• A Vermont police officer shot Jonathan Mansilla – who was unarmed – and allowed him to bleed to death on the floor of a McDonalds. Mansilla is listed as disabled and his family believes he was trying to flee from the cop who cornered him in the bathroom. [Link]
• Ryan Remmington, the officer who killed Richard Lee Richards, has been fired. The prosecutor is considering bringing charges before a grand jury. [Link]

Foreign Policy 

• The Department of Defense will have the Defense Intelligence Agency head the effort to use open-source intelligence. [Link]
• The NDAA will require the Pentagon to give Congress a report on its conversation with allies about changing the US nuclear policy. Republicans are hoping to prevent Biden from adopting a ‘no first use’ nuclear police. [Link]
• 3M is paying out tens of millions in settlements to veterans because its earplugs were ineffective and caused the vets to develop hearing issues. [Link]
• The White House announces $1.2 billion in private investment for central America. [Link]
• Biden bans any US funding from going to fossil fuel-intensive projects overseas. An exception will be made for projects that impact US national security. [Link]
• Biden announced new sanctions on China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and North Korea. [Link]

Weapons Sales

• The US donated four Huey II helicopters to Bosnia. [Link]
• Colombia received its first 20 Textron M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicles from the US. Colombia will receive 145 vehicles from the United States under the Excess Defense Articles program. [Link]
• The US approves a sale of four Lockheed Martin-made frigates to Greece for $6.9 billion. The US also approved a $2.5 billion upgrade to another Greek ship, Lockheed will also get that contract. France recently signed an agreement with Greece to provide the country with similar ships. [Link]
• The US agreed to sell 300 surplus US Cougar 4×4 mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles to Poland for $27.5 million. [Link]
• The US delivered small arms and ammunition to Ukraine. The weapons are a part of a $60 million military aid package. [Link]
• Australia announces it will buy up to 40 Blackhawk helicopters from the US. [Link]
• The UK will ease its restrictions on exporting arms to human rights violators. [Link]

Haiti

• Haiti’s assassinated leader Moise was working on a dossier of Haitian drug traffickers he planned to turn over to the DEA at the time he was killed. His wife, who survived the assassination attempt, believes the assassins stole the dossier. [Link] 

Russia

• Biden and Putin will likely speak again soon. Putin would like an in-person meeting with Biden. [Link]
• Russia is calling for NATO to remove its membership promise to Ukraine and Georgia. [Link]

China

• The US and Japan agree to strengthen their security ties. [Link]
• Secretary of State Antony Blinkens will travel to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand to increase ties with the US. [Link]

Pakistan

• The Tehreek-e-Taliban killed a government soldier who was aiding a polio vaccination team. The soldier was the first to die after the Pakistani Taliban canceled their ceasefire with the government. [Link]

Afghanistan

• The State and Defense Departments will each conduct review of the final 18 months of the US war in Afghanistan. [Link]
• The World Bank will release $280 million to the UN – $100 million for UNICEF and $180 million for the World Food Programme – to help the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. [Link]
• At least two people were killed when two bombs exploded in Kabul. [Link]

Israel

• Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will travel to the UAE to meet with the crown prince. This will be the first time an Israeli prime minister traveled to the UAE. [Link]
• Israel consulted with the US before striking Iran in June and September. [Link]
• Iran warned the US against carrying out war games with Israel. [Link]

Middle East 

• The US Delta Force committed atrocities in the war against ISIS. [Link]

Africa

• The US will expand the mission of its anti-ISIS coalition by forming the Africa Focus Group. [Link]
• Libya’s election commission delays publishing the list of candidates for the upcoming election to resolve legal issues. The delay could cause the December 24th election to be postponed. [Link]
• The 600 man militia – Puntland Security Force – was trained by the CIA and Navy Seals to fight ISIS and al-Shabaab in Somalia. Now the Puntland Security Force has given up the fight against ISIS to fight for local power. [Link]
• Tigrayan forces seized an Ethiopian town from the government less than two weeks after government forces regained control. [Link]
• Sudanese protesters demand the international community not give any funds to the Sudanese government. [Link]
• The US sanctions a Liberian senator. [Link]