Russian Attacks Kill Three in Eastern Ukraine as Civilian Casualties Mount 
Trump Administration Declines USMCA Renewal, Opens Talks on New Trade Changes 
France Battles Mediterranean Wildfires as Heatwave Fuels Fire Risk 
US Resumes Dollar Shipments to Iraq After Months-Long Suspension 
US Ambassador Prioritizes Cook Islands Critical Minerals, Warns of China’s Pacific Influence 
UN Warns of Looming Human Rights Catastrophe in Sudan’s Al-Obeid 
Air Force Investigates Officer After Capitol Protest Calling for Trump, Vance Impeachment 
Trump Vows U.S. Will Prevent China From Taking Over the Panama Canal 
South Korea Warns Won Is Undervalued, Boosts FX Coordination With Japan 
Russia’s Deadly Kyiv Missile and Drone Attack Kills 27 as Zelensky Urges Faster Air Defense Support 
State of emergency in Crimea as Ukraine focuses pressure on ‘jewel in Putin’s crown’ 
NRC Proposes Radiation Rule Changes to Boost U.S. Nuclear Power Expansion Under Trump 
EU Chip Industry Faces Growing Risks From China Export Controls and U.S. Technology Dependence: Report 
Amy Coney Barrett Faces Conservative Backlash After Key Supreme Court Rulings Against Trump 
Trump Administration to Launch Voluntary AI Standards for Frontier Models 
US-Iran Doha Talks Show Limited Progress as Hormuz Shipping Remains Key Focus 
Taiwan Simulates Chinese Blockade and Invasion in Major Civil Defense Drill 
President Joe Biden is still in the midst of making nominations for posts in the administration. This week, the White House released Biden’s intent to nominate 11 administration officials to lead national security and law enforcement in the White House and in key agencies.
The White House released Biden’s announcement of nominating 11 administration officials for national security and law enforcement positions under several key agencies, including the White House. The positions would require confirmation by the Senate, which is still in the process of confirming several other nominations made by Biden prior.
The positions that Biden has nominated the officials for include Director of National Counterterrorism Center under the DNI, National Cyber Director in the Executive Office of the President, Army Secretary, DOJ Drug Enforcement Administrator, USAID Assistant Administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean, DOJ Criminal Division Assistant Attorney General, and DOJ Office of Legal Counsel Assistant Attorney General among many others.
Among the nominees, Christine Wormuth would become the first female Army Secretary if she is confirmed by the Senate.
In other news, Biden recently visited Virginia to promote his next major pieces of legislation that come with a hefty $4 trillion price tag. In remarks at a community college, Biden made the case for his proposed tax increase among the wealthiest households in the country. The increased taxes would help fund the American Families Plan and the American Jobs Plan, both proposals aimed at welfare and infrastructure respectively.
This has been met with staunch opposition from the Republicans, who should be noted to have given a tax break for the wealthy back in 2017. Biden made it clear that he was not against corporations but said that it was time for major conglomerates to “pay their fair share.”
“I think it’s about time we started giving tax breaks and tax benefits to working-class families and middle-class families instead of just the very wealthy,” said Biden. The American Families Plan would have an investment of $1 trillion in a span of over 10 years for education and childcare, with $800 billion in tax credits for the middle and low-income families and Americans without increasing their taxes.
