FBI Surges Resources to Minnesota Amid Fraud Investigations Linked to Somali Community 
Trump–Netanyahu Talks Aim to Revive Gaza Ceasefire and Address Iran, Hezbollah Tensions 
Jazz Ensemble Cancels Kennedy Center New Year’s Eve Shows After Trump Renaming Sparks Backlash 
Kremlin Says Ukrainian Drone Attack Hardens Russia’s Stance on Peace Talks 
Australia Orders Independent Review After Bondi Mass Shooting, Albanese Resists Royal Commission Calls 
Trump Administration Probes Corporate DEI Programs, Raising Questions for Google Stock 
Najib Razak Files Appeal Against Latest 1MDB Corruption Conviction and 15-Year Sentence 
Peruvian Shamans’ New Year Ritual Predicts Illness for Trump, Fall of Maduro, and Global Political Shifts 
Bolsonaro Undergoes Phrenic Nerve Block Procedure After Surgery-Related Complications 
Bukele Signals Willingness to Extend Power as El Salvador’s Term Limits Are Scrapped 
Boeing Secures $8.6 Billion Pentagon Contract for F-15 Jets for Israel 
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Drone Plot Against Putin as Peace Talks Face New Strain 
Trump and Zelenskiy Signal Progress Toward Ukraine Peace Deal, Donbas Still Unresolved 
California Drops Lawsuit Over Federal Funding Cuts to High-Speed Rail Project 
Zelenskiy and Trump Meet in Florida as Ukraine Peace Talks Face Major Hurdles 
Lockheed Martin Secures $92.8M AEGIS Sustainment Contract from U.S. Navy 
Trump and Netanyahu Diverge on West Bank Policy Amid Rising Tensions 
Among the issues between the US and China is trade, with relations taking a hit in recent years under the previous administration. The trade conflict between the two countries remains, and now GOP Senator Marco Rubio is calling on the administration of US President Joe Biden to block the video app TikTok in the US.
Rubio issued a statement calling on Biden to block the short-form video app that has become one of the most used smartphone apps from the US. The Florida Republican Senator cited that China has taken an ownership stake in a key subsidiary of TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, which is based in Beijing. The Biden administration previously reversed some Trump-era executive orders placing a ban on new downloads of TikTok and another app, WeChat.
“Beijing’s aggressiveness makes clear that the regime sees TikTok as an extension of the party-state and the US needs to treat it that way,” said Rubio in the statement. “We must also establish a framework of standards that must be met before a high-risk, foreign-based app is allowed to operate on American telecommunications networks and devices.”
Biden has already ordered the Commerce Department to conduct a review on security concerns posed by the two apps along with others.
Corporate records have shown that the Chinese government has taken an ownership stake in a ByteDance entity in 2021. The move has raised questions on how much influence Beijing looks to have in the tech sector of the country that already faces regulatory action. Despite having a one percent stake in the entity, the Chinese government so far does not have any share in TikTok, according to people knowledgeable of the matter.
TikTok is also not available in China.
Biden is still facing mounting criticism and pressure over the chaotic situation in Afghanistan even after defending his decision to withdraw the US troops from the ground of the war-torn country. In an interview with ABC News Wednesday, Biden said that chaos was inevitable when it came to leaving Afghanistan.
“The idea that somehow there’s a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don’t know how that happens,” said the US leader in the interview.
