US News
- Rep. Nancy Mace introduces a bill to legalize marijuana. [Link]
- The judge in the Kyle Rittenhouse case dismissed the weapons charge after the prosecutor agreed the rifle Rittenhouse carried was not short-barreled. Both sides concluded their closing arguments and jury deliberation is set to begin today. [Link]
- Merck and Pfizer agree to license their anti-covid pills allowing the pills to be manufactured by other companies. [Link]
- Biden signs the infrastructure bill into law. The law spends $1.2 trillion over eight years. [Link]
- Steve Bannon surrenders to police after being charged with contempt of Congress. [Link]
Pentagon
- General Atomics is building a new drone capable of carrying 16 hellfire missiles, four times the amount a Reaper drone can carry. [Link]
- The Pentagon says the Oklahoma National Guard will have to comply with the covid vaccine mandate. [Link]
- Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will be briefed on a 2019 airstrike in Syria that the NYT recently revealed killed scores of civilians. [Link]
- A Swedish non-profit V-Dam finds that mostly America and its allies are responsible for the world becoming less democratic. [Link]
Latin America
- The US announced new sanctions on several Nicaraguan officials. [Link]
- A suspect in the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Mosie was arrested in Turkey after flying out of Miami. [Link]
Russia
- The US criticizes Russia for a missile test that blew up a Russian satellite. The US says the debris from the test caused the International Space Station to take evasive action. [Link]
- NATO head Jans Stoltenberg warns of a Russian military buildup near Ukraine and possible Russian aggressive actions. [Link]
- NATO affirmed it stands with Ukraine. [Link]
- A German energy regulator temporarily suspended the license for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline because the Russian gas company failed to set up a German subsidiary. [Link]
- Russia and China begin a new joint helicopter project. [Link]
Poland-Belarus Border Crisis
- Poland will buy 300 used MRAPs from the US. [Link]
- Poland, Lavatia, and Lithuania are considering invoking Article 4 of NATO which consultation when a member’s borders are threatened. [Link]
China
- Biden and Xi hold a virtual meeting. [Link]
- Japan and Australia conduct joint naval military drills. [Link]
Armenia
- Fighting broke out on the Armenian-Azeri border. Both countries claim the other country started the fighting. Armenia reports losing two defensive positions. [Link]
Afghanistan
- Universal Studios will make a move on the Afghan withdrawal. [Link]
Middle East
- New corruption allegations against the Netanyahus delay the former prime minister’s trial. [Link]
- Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank. The Israeli forces were carrying out a raid in Tubas when a confrontation between residents and soldiers broke out resulting in soldiers shooting the Palestinian in the heart. [Link]
- Iran invites the IAEA head to Tehran after the agency complained about its lack of contact with the new Iranian administration. [Link]
- The EU places sanctions on four newly appointed Syrian government officials. [Link]
- A US drone strike in Yemen killed three suspected AQAP members and wounded two civilians. [Link]
