Russia Accuses Ukraine of Ceasefire Violations Amid Drone and Artillery Attacks 
Russian LNG Shadow Fleet Expands Amid Arctic LNG 2 Sanctions 
Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill Three as Ceasefire Tensions Continue 
TikTok Nears $400 Million Settlement With Trump Administration Over Child Privacy Lawsuit 
Qatar LNG Tanker Crosses Strait of Hormuz Amid Iran War Tensions 
Trump Reportedly Approves Plan to Remove FDA Commissioner Marty Makary Amid Growing Controversies 
Judge Delays SEC Settlement With Elon Musk Over Twitter Stock Disclosure Case 
Trump-Xi Summit Sparks Renewed Hope for Americans Detained in China 
US Auto Industry Urges Trump to Block Chinese EV Market Access 
Malaysia Unveils Energy Security Plan Amid Iran Conflict and Rising Oil Costs 
Trump Rejects Iran Proposal as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Pushes Oil Prices Higher 
Iran Military Readiness Intensifies After Meeting With Mojtaba Khamenei 
Israel’s Secret Iraq Base Allegedly Supported Iran Air Campaign, WSJ Reports 
Ukraine-Russia Ceasefire Confirmed as Prisoner Swap Deal Advances 
Taiwan Confident in Strong U.S. Relations Ahead of Trump-Xi China Summit 
U.S., South Korea Launch Shipbuilding Partnership Initiative 
Germany Rejects Putin’s Proposal for Schroeder to Mediate Ukraine Peace Talks 
For months since the nominations made by US President Joe Biden, dozens of ambassadorial positions remain unfilled due to a blanket hold by Republicans. Over the weekend, the upper chamber voted to confirm former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel to become the US ambassador to Japan.
The Senate voted Saturday to confirm Emanuel as the US ambassador to Japan. Emanuel’s confirmation was at a 48-21 vote, receiving bipartisan support and opposition from lawmakers. The vote to confirm Emanuel came as Democratic Senators struck a deal with Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who placed a blanket hold on the nominees unless the chamber voted on legislation to sanction the Russian gas pipeline. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also warned that the chamber will stay in session even through the holidays to process the backlog of nominees.
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren, Edward Markey, and Jeff Merkley voted against Emanuel’s confirmation. Independent Progressive Senator Bernie Sanders did not vote. Eight Republican lawmakers voted along with most of the Democratic Senators to confirm Emanuel.
“I’m humbled and appreciative of President Biden’s confidence he has placed on me and grateful for the Senate’s bipartisan support, especially from Sen. Durbin and Sen. Duckworth,” Emanuel said in a statement. “As ambassador, I will work tirelessly to deepen our ties as our countries confront common challenges. While Chicago will always be home, Amy and I look forward to this next chapter in Japan.”
Emanuel’s nomination as the US ambassador to Japan was met with criticism from Progressive Democrats. They have cited Emanuel’s handling of the murder of Laquan McDonald by police during his time as the city’s mayor. During his confirmation hearing, Emanuel expressed regret over his handling of the incident but rejected accusations of cover-ups while admitting that he underestimated the need for police reforms.
Emanuel is one of the dozens of ambassadorial nominees that were confirmed by the Senate during the weekend. Biden made new high-profile nominations for ambassador posts this month, as he nominated former US ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy for ambassador to Australia and prominent figure skater Michelle Kwan as the US ambassador to Belize.
