U.S. Senators Move Toward Deal to Strengthen Military Helicopter Safety Rules 
U.S.-Russia Talks in Miami Raise Hopes for Potential Ukraine War Deal 
Venezuela Seeks UN Security Council Meeting Over U.S. Oil Tanker Blockade 
Barham Salih Elected as Next UN High Commissioner for Refugees 
Federal Appeals Court Allows Trump’s National Guard Deployment in Washington, D.C. to Continue 
Trump Announces $1,776 Cash Bonus for U.S. Military Personnel Ahead of Christmas 
Trump Administration Proposes Sweeping Limits on Gender-Affirming Care for Children 
Trump Administration Plans Major Increase in Denaturalization Cases for Naturalized U.S. Citizens 
Canada Signals Delay in US Tariff Deal as Talks Shift to USMCA Review 
Union-Aligned Investors Question Amazon, Walmart and Alphabet on Trump Immigration Policies 
EU Delays Mercosur Free Trade Agreement Signing Amid Ukraine War Funding Talks 
UN Warns Gaza Humanitarian Aid at Risk as Israel Registration Rules Threaten NGO Operations 
Italy Supreme Court Upholds Salvini Acquittal in Migrant Kidnapping Case 
Trump Administration Reviews Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Marking Major Shift in U.S. AI Export Policy 
U.S. Initiates $11.1 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan Amid Rising China Tensions 
Republicans Raise National Security Concerns Over Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools 
US President Joe Biden has signed the Defense Authorization Act into law passed by Congress last week. However, Biden has expressed concerns over some of the provisions and has urged lawmakers to remove such provisions.
Biden signed the Defense Authorization Act into law Friday last week but raised concerns over some of the provisions in the legislation. Such provisions that Biden expressed concern about may pose a challenge to the Biden administration’s prosecution of detainees in the Guantanamo Bay facility.
“I urge the Congress to eliminate these restrictions as soon as possible,” said Biden in a statement released by the White House. The restrictions the US leader referred to in the bill barred the use of funds to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees into the United States, effectively shutting down the facility.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives passed the $1.66 trillion government funding legislation, which would provide the military with record funding and ensure continued emergency aid for Ukraine in its war with Russia. The spending bill was passed on mostly party lines, with a vote of 225-201 in the House, following the Senate’s passage of the bill on Thursday last week on a vote of 68-29.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was among the 18 Republicans who voted in favor of the bill, while only nine House Republicans voted for the legislation.
The legislation would provide more aid for students with disabilities, funding to protect worker’s rights, more job-training resources, more affordable housing for families, veterans, and those fleeing from domestic violence.
The bill would provide the Pentagon with a record $858 billion budget, an increase from $740 billion in 2021. Lawmakers also included a provision to ban the Chinese-owned video app Tiktok on federal government devices.
An estimated $800 billion would be provided for non-military programs, $68 billion more than the amount in the 2022 fiscal year. Ukraine would also receive $44 billion in aid amidst Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington last week, as well as $27 billion for victims of natural calamities, increased funding for those struggling with drug addiction, and more funding to assist infrastructure projects coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was signed in 2021.
