U.S. Defense Chief Pete Hegseth Defends Controversial Second Strike on Suspected Drug-Smuggling Vessel 
California Launches Portal for Reporting Alleged Misconduct by Federal Immigration Agents 
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New Orleans Immigration Crackdown Sparks Fear as Federal Arrests Intensify 
Taiwan Opposition Criticizes Plan to Block Chinese App Rednote Over Security Concerns 
Taiwan Signals Openness to Renew Ties with Honduras as Election Unfolds 
Cuba Reaffirms Anti-Drug Cooperation as Tensions Rise in the Caribbean 
Drones Spotted Near Zelenskiy’s Flight Path in Ireland Trigger Security Alert 
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U.S. Repatriation Flight Carrying 266 Venezuelan Migrants Lands in Caracas 
Hong Kong Faces Low Turnout in “Patriots-Only” Election Amid Public Grief After Deadly Fire 
UN General Assembly Demands Russia Return Ukrainian Children Amid Ongoing Conflict 
U.S. Expected to Expand Travel Ban to More Than 30 Countries 
Trump’s Name Appears on U.S. Institute of Peace Ahead of Rwanda–Congo Deal Signing 
Trump Administration Halts Immigration, Green Card, and Citizenship Processing for 19 Countries 
Michael Dell Pledges $6.25 Billion to Boost Children’s Investment Accounts Under Trump Initiative 
Australia and Japan Strengthen Defence Cooperation Amid Rising Regional Tensions 
With the US leading in COVID-19 vaccine rollouts to Americans, other countries are now calling on President Joe Biden to send assistance in the form of more vaccine doses. Biden announced this week that he is sending an additional 20 million vaccine doses to other countries in need.
Biden announced that he will be sending an additional 20 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, or Moderna on top of the 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine doses that were already being planned to be sent to other countries. The measures, according to administration officials, are just the first step as the US seeks to combat the pandemic that is still affecting the world. Biden previously pledged that the US would become the “arsenal” of global vaccine supply.
Along with the announcement, Biden is set to appoint Jeff Zients, who is the White House coronavirus response coordinator, to lead the charge to beat the pandemic on a global scale. Zients will be working with the National Security Council and other related agencies to bring vaccine doses overseas.
The Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been approved for administering in the US. The AstraZeneca jabs have not been approved. It has yet to be determined which countries would be receiving the doses but Mexico and Canada have already received the AstraZeneca doses from the US. Pfizer has also started sending doses of its vaccine to other countries including Mexico, Canada, and Uruguay.
In other news, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy took a swipe at Biden last week over the president’s apparent requirement to get at least five hours of sleep every night. McCarthy was attempting to compare Biden’s energy to former President Donald Trump, mocking Biden’s sleep requirements.
“At no time, having known Joe Biden for quite some time, does he have the energy of Donald Trump,” said McCarthy on Fox News. “Donald Trump didn’t need to sleep five hours a night.”
The Mayo Clinic says adults would require seven to nine hours of sleep every night. It is unknown how many hours of sleep Biden gets. Biden’s health and mental acuity have frequently been questioned by right-wing commentators.
Nevertheless, many netizens criticized McCarthy’s comments, citing that lack of sleep can increase the risk of dementia in older adults along with other physical and mental health issues.
