Covid
- The Supreme Court strikes down the Biden requirement that employers mandate the covid vaccine or mask and test employees weekly. The court approved Biden’s requirement for all healthcare staff at federally funded facilities to get the covid vaccine. [Link]
- Biden plans to double the number of covid tests the US is buying to one billion. The administration will announce plans on a program to distribute N-95 masks for free. [Link]
- The Pentagon signs contracts to buy 380 million covid tests. [Link]
- The Marines granted the Pentagon’s first two religious exemptions. Over 18,500 soldiers have applied. [Link]
- Poorer nations rejected over 100 million doses of the covid vaccine in December. Most were rejected due to their short shelf life. [Link]
US News
- A Florida resident was sentenced to years in prison for exporting rebreathers to Libya. Another man was sentenced to five months in prison for involvement in the crime. [Link]
- Former Google employees are landing key posts in the Biden administration. [Link]
- The USS Carl Vinson suffered four “Class A mishaps” – an incident causing at least $2.5 million in damages – in the final six weeks of 2021. [Link]
- The Pentagon will allow a special operations soldier to retire with a written reprimand after allegedly sexually assaulting a Thai translator. [Link]
Russia
- Ted Cruz’s Nord Stream 2 sanctions bill fails in the Senate. [Link]
- Ukraine spent over $1 million on lobbying in the US. [Link]
- The CIA hired paramilitaries to train Ukrainian forces in the US. [Link]
- Russia says it does not see grounds for further talks with the US and NATO unless the US shows flexibility. [Link]
- Russia says it could deploy troops to Venezuela or Cuba. [Link]
- National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan claims the chance that Russia invades Ukraine is high. [Link]
- Troops from the Russian-led CSTO begin withdrawing from Kazakhstan. [Link]
China
- The US moved several warships into the South China Sea. [Link]
Korea
- North Korea test-fired two missiles. [Link]
Afghanistan
- The UN calls on the US to release frozen Afghan funds. [Link]
Middle East
- 110 Republican Congressman issued a letter calling for Biden to exit talks with Iran and increase pressure. [Link]
- Four rockets targeted the US Embassy in Baghdad. One of the rockets injured three civilians. [Link]
- Three people were killed in Syria in two suicide bombings near the Turkish border. [Link]
