Covid

• The CDC tells Americans to take an mRNA vaccination over Johnson & Johnson. [Link]
• The US sends over 200,000 vaccines to Jamaica. [Link]

US News

• Boston police used over $600,000 seized during drug arrests to buy surveillance equipment secretly. [Link]
• In Colorado, police and EMTs have injected people with Ketamine over 900 in the past two and a half years. In 17% of cases, it led to serious complications. [Link]
• Facebook says 50,000 of its users were targeted by spyware from private companies, including Black Cube. [Link]

Haiti

• The remaining kidnapped American missionaries in Haiti have been freed. [Link]

Russia

• Twelve countries – including the US – participated in 4,600 soldier war games in Ukraine. [Link]
• Russia’s security proposal to the US calls for an end to NATO expansion, a reduction in US troops in central/eastern Europe, and a reduction in US war games near Russia’s border. The US rejected the proposal. [Link]
• Russia and China agree to use the US-backed financial system less. [Link]

China

• The Senate passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The bill will head to Biden’s desk. [Link]
• The Senate approves Nicholas Burns to be Ambassador to China. [Link]
• The US blacklisted 42 Chinese firms. [Link]
• The US built software to predict China’s reaction to American aggression. [Link]
• US defense officials from INDOPACOM met with their Chinese counterparts. [Link]

Afghanistan 

• Over 60,000 Afghans who worked for the US – including family members – have applied from Afghanistan to come to the US. Over 33,000 have already cleared vetting and could get on an evacuation. [Link]

Israel

• AIPAC will begin donating directly to US campaigns. [Link]
• Ukraine says Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and the country is considering opening an embassy in the city. [Link]
• Indian and Egyptian activists had their phones hacked with Israeli NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. The Egyptians were also targeted with spyware from a different Israeli firm, Cytrox. [Link]
• Israel’s environmental minister blocks UAE tankers from bringing fuel to Israel’s Red Seaport. Israel and the UAE had agreed to ship fuel to the port as a part of the Abraham Accords. [Link]

Middle East

• Iran talks will pause today and resume later this month. [Link]
• The IAEA will only get access to the surveillance footage from the reinstalled cameras at Karaj once sanctions on Iran are lifted. [Link]
• Defense officials from the US and UAE met to discuss joint security issues. [Link]
• Saudi Arabia carried out a series of strikes on Yemen’s capital. [Link]