US News
- The NBA says players who are unable to play because of vaccination mandates will not be paid. [Link]
- The House NDAA includes a provision that extends the draft to women. [Link]
- Two Democratic Senators tell Biden to end drone strikes outside of war zones. [Link]
- Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo says the sources for Yahoo!’s article about his plans to assassinate Julian Assange should face prosecution. [Link]
- In 2017, the Senate Intelligence Committee approved the CIA labeling Wikileaks as a ‘hostile intelligence service.’ [Link]
Colombia
- The Colombian government killed the leader of the National Liberation Army (ELN) in an airstrike. [Link]
China
- Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says the US needs to work with European partners to slow Chinese “innovation.” [Link]
- China warns NATO to stay out of the Pacific. [Link]
- China requests the US enter talks about arms control in space. [Link]
Afghanistan
- CENTCOM head Gen. McKenzie says the Taliban offered the US to secure Kabul after the Afghan government fell. McKenzie says the US did not have the resources to do that. [Link]
- Afghanistan’s central bank reported it ran down its cash reserves before the Taliban takeover. However, millions were transferred to provincial branches and were possibly stolen by actors other than the Taliban. [Link]
- The Taliban say the US continues to violate Afghan airspace with drones. [Link]