US News
- The new Covid bailout bill will authorize $900 billion in spending. Each American will get a small $600 check, however, the major bailouts go to those well connected in DC. The bill authorizes the Smithsonian to build two new museums, a presidential library, and ‘normalizes’ relations with Sudan. The bill is nearly 6,000 pages and Congress is being given just hours to read it before voting. [Link]
- Rep. Justin Amash introduces a bill that would require national emergencies to get Congressional approval after 60 days. The US has 35 ongoing national emergencies that give the president more executive power. Some of the national emergencies date back to the Carter administration. [Link]
- A mother was threatened with arrest for attempting to pick up her children from school without an ID. [Link]
- The US placed sanctions on three Nicaraguan officials and three Cuban businesses. [Link]
Great Power
- Biden’s chief-of-staff says the incoming administration will go beyond sanctioning Russia for a hack they have no evidence Russia committed. [Link]
- The US issued travel bans against several Chinese officials. [Link]
- The US, Japan, and France held war games in the Philippines Sea. [Link]
Afghanistan
- A roadside bomb killed five doctors in Kabul. [Link]
- A journalist was killed by gunmen in Afghanistan. The Taliban denied they were involved in the killing. [Link]
- The Afghan government said recent operations killed 29 Taliban fighters. [Link]
