China Warns US Arms Sales to Taiwan Could Disrupt Trump’s Planned Visit 
TrumpRx Website Launches to Offer Discounted Prescription Drugs for Cash-Paying Americans 
New York Legalizes Medical Aid in Dying for Terminally Ill Patients 
TrumpRx.gov Highlights GLP-1 Drug Discounts but Offers Limited Savings for Most Americans 
Trump Endorses Japan’s Sanae Takaichi Ahead of Crucial Election Amid Market and China Tensions 
Missouri Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Starbucks’ Diversity and Inclusion Policies 
Federal Judge Restores Funding for Gateway Rail Tunnel Project 
Ohio Man Indicted for Alleged Threat Against Vice President JD Vance, Faces Additional Federal Charges 
India–U.S. Interim Trade Pact Cuts Auto Tariffs but Leaves Tesla Out 
South Korea Assures U.S. on Trade Deal Commitments Amid Tariff Concerns 
Pentagon Ends Military Education Programs With Harvard University 
Trump Lifts 25% Tariff on Indian Goods in Strategic U.S.–India Trade and Energy Deal 
Nighttime Shelling Causes Serious Damage in Russia’s Belgorod Region Near Ukraine Border 
Trump’s Inflation Claims Clash With Voters’ Cost-of-Living Reality 
Trump Signs “America First Arms Transfer Strategy” to Prioritize U.S. Weapons Sales 
US Pushes Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks Before Summer Amid Escalating Attacks 
The ongoing military-induced violence in Myanmar has led many countries and many political figures to speak out against the violence. Former President Barack Obama joins the many voices in condemning the military coup.
The former president issued a statement criticizing the military crackdown that is currently happening in Myanmar in recent months. Myanmar military chief Min Aung Hlaing took control on February 1, detaining civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other officials, who are under the National League of Democracy, the party that won by a landslide in the recent elections. Junta security forces have since tried to disperse the nationwide protests that have since turned bloody, with over 100 people killed in the violence that occurred.
“The world’s attention must remain on Myanmar, where I’ve been appalled by the heartbreaking violence against civilians and inspired by the nationwide movement that represents the voice of the people,” Obama said in a tweet with the statement.
“The military’s illegitimate and brutal effort to impose its will after a decade of greater freedoms will clearly never be accepted by the people and should not be accepted by the wider world,” wrote the former president in the statement. “I support efforts by the Biden administration and like-minded countries to impose costs on the military and support the return to a democratic path.”
Many countries have since imposed sanctions on the Myanmar military following the takeover. Southeast Asian countries have since sought to take a diplomatic approach to solve the ongoing crisis that the country faces.
In other news, the former president is encouraging Black Americans to continue speaking up and pushing for greater social change in an interview with BET this week. Obama said that times have been hard for Black Americans even before the pandemic broke out in 2020. The former president noted that communities of color have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
Obama’s remarks also follow the recent trial over the murder of George Floyd. Officer Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter for kneeling on Floyd’s neck. Floyd’s death in May 2020, led to widespread protests for the Black Lives Matter movement.
