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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS — AFGHANISTAN POLICY
The United States is seeking to regain control of the Bagram air base in Afghanistan, President Trump announced yesterday. “We’re trying to get it back because [the Taliban] need things from us,” Trump said, adding the base is “an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.” Bagram presently remains under the control of the Taliban, following the United States’ withdrawal from the country in 2021. According to sources, Trump has been quietly pushing U.S. national security officials to find a way to regain the base for months. Adam Taylor and Susannah George report for the Washington Post; Natasha Bertrand and Zachary Cohen report for CNN.
Taliban officials late yesterday rejected Trump’s suggestion that the United States may regain control over the Bagram air base, with a foreign ministry official saying that “Afghans have never accepted the military presence of anyone throughout history” and “for other kinds of engagement, all paths remain open for them.” Elian Peltier reports for the New York Times.
A U.S. reoccupation of Bagram could require more than 10,000 troops as well as deployment of advanced air defenses, according to current and former U.S. officials. There is no active planning to militarily take over the base, a U.S. official added. Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali report for Reuters.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS — OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Draft legislation that would hand Trump sweeping powers to wage war against drug cartels he deems to be “terrorists” and nations that have harbored or aided them is circulating in the Executive Branch and on Capitol Hill, sources say. It is unclear who authored the draft congressional authorization or whether it would get accepted by Congress. Charlie Savage and Robert Jimison report for the New York Times.
Amid Washington-Beijing trade negotiations, Trump this summer declined to approve more than $400 million in military aid to Taiwan, sources say. The decision, which would constitute a U-turn in U.S. policy towards Taiwan, may still be reversed, the sources indicate. A White House official said the decision on the aid package had not yet been finalized. Noah Robertson and Ellen Nakashima report for the Washington Post.
Trump yesterday indicated he would talk with Chinese President Xi Jinping today to discuss trade and measures that would allow TikTok to keep operating in the United States. Didi Tang reports for AP News.
Venezuela on Wednesday launched three days of military exercises that Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino framed as part of Caracas’ response to the deployment of U.S. warships to the Caribbean. Mauricio Torres, German Padinger, and Michael Rios report for CNN.
The State Department yesterday announced plans to negotiate new bilateral agreements with countries to deliver health aid without relying on nongovernmental organizations, as well as prioritize the Western Hemisphere and Asia-Pacific over Africa. According to State Secretary Marco Rubio, the new strategy intends to reduce “a culture of dependency” among recipients of U.S. aid. Edward Wong reports for the New York Times.
Canada and Mexico will cooperate on the development of ports, railways, and “energy corridors” between the two countries and other policies, according to a joint plan released after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s meeting with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum yesterday. The plan expresses a “commitment to strengthen” the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, a trilateral trade framework set to be renegotiated next year. Ian Austen and Emiliano Rodríguez Mega report for the New York Times.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
In an 8-3 vote, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices yesterday issued a recommendation to delay the administration of a combination measles, mumps, rubella and chicken pox vaccine, given to about 15% of children, until a child is at least four. The recommendation is the first change to the routine immunization schedule under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who hand-picked the panel’s members. The Committee is expected to hold further votes on hepatitis B and Covid-19 vaccines today. Lena H. Sun and Paige Winfield Cunningham report for the Washington Post.
Trump is expected to fire the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, after he did not press criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James and his office did not uncover evidence that James committed mortgage fraud, sources say. The administration plans to appoint an attorney who would more aggressively investigate James to the post, sources say. Katherine Faulders, Peter Charalambous, and Alexander Mallin report for ABC News.
Defense Department leaders are considering launching a new, Charlie Kirk-centred military recruitment campaign, officials say. According to the officials, the “idea would be to frame the recruiting campaign as a national call to service.” Some DOD leaders have opposed the proposal, warning that the campaign could be perceived as the military trying to capitalize on Kirk’s death, the sources added. Courtney Kube reports for NBC News.
Trump yesterday suggested that “maybe” the licenses of networks giving him negative coverage “should be taken away,” adding that he would leave the decision to Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr. Andrew Pantazi reports for Axios.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr yesterday questioned if the FCC should review whether ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” “still qualifi[es] as bona fide news program” and is exempt from the equal opportunity regime, which requires stations to give equal airtime and access to competing political candidates. Faith Wardwell reports for POLITICO.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
In a bloc vote, the Senate yesterday confirmed 48 of Trump’s nominees. The vote was the first use of a new Republican-backed rule intended to speed up confirmation of nominees. Those confirmed included a number of ambassadors and a new under-secretary for nuclear security. Morgan Rimmer reports for CNN.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) yesterday invited Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to respond to the testimony from the former Centers for Disease Control director, Susan Monarez. Cassidy voted to confirm Kennedy in February after Kennedy made a series of concessions, including a commitment to working within the current vaccine approval and monitoring systems. Robert King reports for POLITICO.
The new Republican-led panel investigating the 2021 Capitol attack has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi, the University of Virginia, and other businesses for information from the previous Democratic-led panel that looked into Jan. 6, Chair Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) announced. Hailey Fuchs reports for POLITICO.
The Federal Communications Commission is “weaponizing its licensing authority in order to bring broadcasters to heel” as part of a “campaign of censorship and control,” commissioner Anna Gomez, the FCC’s lone Democrat, said yesterday. Christine Wang reports for Axios.
U.S. POLITICAL VIOLENCE
During a closed-door meeting, several House Democrats yesterday expressed concerns that lawmakers who vote against a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk could be subjected to threats or even violence, Axios reports, citing senior House Democrats. Andrew Solender reports.
In an open letter, more than 500 mostly left-leaning non-profit groups yesterday urged Trump to end “unjustified” targeting of liberal organizations following Charlie Kirk’s killing, arguing that “the vast powers of the government should not be abused to threaten their constitutionally-protected free speech and other rights.” Fredreka Schouten reports for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
The situation in Gaza City is “nothing short of cataclysmic,” a spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Olga Cherevko, told BBC News. Cherevko said that she witnessed “a constant stream of people crossing from the north to south [Gaza], many on foot” and multiple Israeli strikes “very close” to a U.N. convoy. Many people are unable to comply with Israel’s orders to evacuate the city, Cherevko added. David Gritten reports.
Israel today shut the land crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan until further notice after a driver bringing humanitarian aid from Jordan for Gaza opened fire and killed two Israeli military personnel there yesterday, according to the Israeli Airports Authority. The Israeli military said that a “terrorist arrived in a truck transporting humanitarian aid from Jordan, and opened fire.” Jordan condemned the incident and said it had launched an investigation. Raffi Berg reports for BBC News; Reuters reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
The United States yesterday vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would have demanded an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and a dignified release of all hostages. It was the sixth time the United States has used its UNSC veto powers over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Michelle Nichols reports for Reuters.
The United States and Israel have sent complaint letters to top U.N. officials over U.N. staffers’ protest against the killings of their colleagues in Gaza outside the global organization’s Geneva headquarters yesterday, according to documents seen by Reuters. Earlier this week, U.S. Charge d’Affaires Tressa Finerty described the participation of a thousand U.N. employees in an online briefing with Francesca Albanese, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as a “grave violation of the U.N.’s principle of neutrality on multiple levels.” Emma Farge and Olivia Le Poidevin report.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russia and Vietnam have been concealing arms deal payments to avoid U.S. and other Western sanctions, according to internal Vietnamese documents obtained by AP News. The documents show that since 2023, Vietnam has bought Russian military equipment on credit from Moscow and then paid that credit back through its share of the profits of a Vietnam-Russian oil company in Siberia. David Rising reports.
U.S. and Western intelligence officials have been unable to determine whether the Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace was accidental or not. Sources say the intelligence about the drones, including flight pattern and technical specifications, has been difficult to interpret. A senior U.S. military official assessed the odds that it was intentional as “50-50”, with another U.S. source stating “we just don’t have sufficient intel one way or another.” Katie Bo Lillis, Isabelle Khurshudyan and Natasha Betrand report for CNN.
Trump said yesterday during the press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that Putin’s “let me down. He’s really let me down.” Trump said that he previously believed that the war in Ukraine would be the easiest conflict to resolve because of his relationship with Putin. AP News reports.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
French President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday that snapback sanctions against Iran will likely be triggered at the end of September, at a U.N. Security Council vote next week. Macron told Israel’s Channel 12 that he expects the snapback sanctions to be implemented “because the latest news we have from the Iranians are not serious.” Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Iran decided yesterday to withdraw a resolution prohibiting attacks on nuclear facilities it put forward with China, Russia and other countries for a vote before the International Atomic Energy Agency. The United States has been lobbying to prevent the resolution being adopted, suggesting they would otherwise reduce funding to the IAEA, Western diplomats said. Iran’s Ambassador stated that “guided by the spirit of goodwill and constructive engagement, and at the request of several member states,” the action was withdrawn until next year’s conference. Stephanie Liechtenstein reports for AP News
The United Arab Emirates may downgrade diplomatic ties with Israel if it moves to annex part or all of the occupied West Bank, sources briefed on the deliberations told Reuters. The precise measures that would follow are unknown, though the sources say that the UAE is considering withdrawing its ambassador as part of any response. The UAE last week decided to ban Israeli defense companies from exhibiting at the upcoming Dubai airshow, according to the sources. Alexander Cornwell reports.
Israel carried out a large wave of air strikes in southern Lebanon yesterday, saying it was targeting Hezbollah positions. No casualties have been reported. Mallory Moench and Hugo Bachega report for BBC News.
Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has removed books written by women from universities as part of a wider ban on the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment. They have simultaneously banned books by Iranian authors from universities. A member of the book review panel told the BBC it was to “prevent the infiltration of Iranian content” into the curriculum. Ali Hussaini reports for BBC News.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
ICE is seeking 300 new office spaces to support plans to employ 10,000 thousand new immigration enforcement officers and lawyers, according to federal officials and documents obtained by the Washington Post. A federal official said that ICE staff are placing intense pressure on the General Services Administration to procure the offices, saying “It’s like, we want this yesterday.” Hannah Natanson and Robert Klemko report.
Police arrested more than a dozen elected officials yesterday at a protest against the Trump administration’s treatment of migrants at 26 Federal Plaza, New York. New York City Comptroller Brand Lader and 10 state legislators were forced out of the building after they demanded to inspect the holding rooms for migrants, reported to be unsafe and unsanitary. Emily Ngo reports for POLITICO.
Eleven people detained in Ghana following their deportation from the United States have sued the Ghanaian government, according to their lawyer. Their lawyer said that the detainees have not violated any Ghanaian law and therefore their ongoing detention is illegal. Ghana’s president John Mahama last week claimed that the 14 deportees of West African origin had all been returned to their countries of origin. Thomas Naadi reports for BBC News; Ruth Maclean reports for the New York Times.
The U.S. Embassy in India announced in a statement yesterday that it has denied and revoked visas of Indian business executives and corporate leaders over their alleged connection in trafficking fentanyl precursors. Abhishek Dey reports for BBC News.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A federal judge yesterday issued a preliminary injunction extending a block on the Trump administration’s effort to deport hundreds of Guatemalan children. In the ruling, the judge said that U.S. officials’ claims that the children’s return had been requested by their parents had “crumbled like a house of cards” and that based on evidence before the court, it appeared that immigration officials “intend to send back to Guatemala many unaccompanied children without an identified parent or legal guardian there.” A Homeland Security Department spokesperson said the judge “is blocking efforts to REUNIFY CHILDREN with their families” in order to “get Trump.” Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney report for POLITICO.
The Justice Department yesterday filed an appeal asking the Supreme Court to allow Trump to fire Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook. Sam Sutton and Kyle Cheney report for POLITICO.
Three members of the federal control board overseeing Puerto Rico’s finances yesterday filed a lawsuit alleging their recent firing by the Trump administration was illegal and asking the court to reinstate them to their positions. Dánica Coto reports for AP News.
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