US News
- IRS head Charles Rettis is asking Congress for more authority to regulate cryptocurrencies. [Link]
Great Power
- The US plans to spend $152 million on a Romanian air base to make it a hub for NATO. [Link]
- The Senate passed a massive $250 billion dollar spending bill to increase US competition with China. The taxpayer-funded bill gives $50 billion to the semiconductor industry and spends almost $200 billion on scientific research. [Link]
- Biden is planning to set up a “strike force” to handle China’s alleged unfair trade practices. [Link]
- The US plans to step up cooperation with Pacific island nations to counter Chinese influence. [Link]
- Three US Senators flew to Taiwan on a military plane. The US gave Taiwan 750,000 doses of the Covid vaccine. [Link]
Afghanistan
- New footage shows an Australian soldier executing an unarmed Afghan civilian. The soldiers went on to kill several more civilians during the raid. [Link]
Middle East
- CENTCOM head Gen. McKenzie warns China and Russia will increase intervention in the Middle East. [Link]
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that even if the US returns to the Iran Nuclear Deal, hundreds of sanctions will remain on Iran. [Link]
- The US says Iran needs to allow the IAEA to continue to monitor its nuclear program. Iran has rolled back additional inspections of its nuclear program by the IAEA because the US withdrew from the JCPOA and imposed sweeping sanctions on Iran. [Link]
- Israel carried out strikes against Syria’s capital city. Syrian media reported intercepting the missiles. [Link]
Africa
- At least 160 people were killed when militants raided a village in Burkina Faso. [Link]
- About 36 people were killed during clashes in Darfur. [Link]
- Nigerian officials say militants from Niger crossed the border and killed 88 people in a village. [Link]
- Nigeria banned Twitter two days after Twitter removed a tweet from the Nigerian president.[Link]
