Monday, May 23
- President
Joe Biden said that the United States would defend Taiwan militarily if
the self-governed island were attacked by China. ÒWe agree with the ÔOne
ChinaÕ policy; weÕve signed on to it and all the attendant agreements made
from there,Ó Biden said. ÒBut the idea that it can be just taken by force
is just not appropriate.Ó In response, the Chinese State CouncilÕs Taiwan
Affairs Office warned that the U.S. is Òplaying with fire.Ó
Tuesday, May 24
- The
FBI released data showing that 2021 had the highest ever rate of active
shooter incidents in the U.S. There were 61 such incidents — a 52%
increase from 2020.
á
Meteorologists with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration released forecasts for another record-shattering
Atlantic hurricane season for the seventh consecutive year, estimating 14 to 21
named storms, six to 10 of which will become hurricanes and three to six of
those developing into major hurricanes during the June 1 to November 30 season.
- The
U.S., Japan, India and Australia — known as the ÒIndo-Pacific QuadÓ
— launched a maritime initiative to combat illegal fishing, pledging
to invest more than $50 billion in developing infrastructure in the
Indo-Pacific region. The initiative is called the Indo-Pacific Partnership
for Maritime Domain Awareness.
Wednesday, May 25
- Biden
signed an executive order aiming to advance Òeffective, accountable
policingÓ in the U.S. and strengthen public safety. The order revises
use-of-force policies for 100,000 federal law enforcement officers, creates
a national registry of police misconduct and limits the resale of U.S.
military equipment to state and local police departments, among other
measures.
- Biden
gave a speech in the wake of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, pleading to
elected representatives to pass Òcommon-senseÓ gun control legislation.
ÒWhen, in GodÕs name, are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?Ó he
asked. ÒIÕm sick and tired. We have to act. DonÕt tell me we cannot have
an impact on this carnage.Ó
á
Robert Malley, U.S.
special envoy for Iran, testified before Congress to defend the U.S.'s efforts
to return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, although he acknowledged that
prospects of restoring the agreement are Òtenuous at best.Ó Malley
said, ÒIf Iran maintains demands that we go beyond the scope of the [the
original agreement], we will continue to reject them and there will be no
deal.Ó
Thursday, May 26
- The
Labor Department reported that the number of Americans collecting
unemployment benefits is at its lowest rate in nearly five decades.
Applications for unemployment benefits fell by 8,000 to 210,000 for the
week ending May 21.
- Secretary
of State Antony Blinken gave a speech in which
he unveiled the U.S.Õs multi-pronged strategy amid intensifying
competition with China, which he called the Òmost serious long-term
challenge to the international order.Ó Blinken
explained, ÒWe will invest in the foundations of our strength here at home
— our competitiveness, our innovation, our democracy. We will align
our efforts with our network of allies and partners acting with common
purpose and in common cause, and harnessing these two key assets weÕll
compete with China to defend our interests and build our vision for the
future.Ó
- The
U.S. renewed calls for YemenÕs Houthi rebels to
release detained U.S. embassy staff after the death of Abdulhameed
Al-Ajami, a retired employee of the U.S. Agency for International
Development who was in the rebelsÕ custody. ÒWe extend our condolences to
his loved ones and call on the Houthis to end this injustice and release
every single current and former U.S. Embassy employee now,Ó the embassy
said in a statement.
- The
Justice Department announced that it secured the forfeiture of a Maryland
property purchased by former Gambian President Yahya
Jammeh with about $3.5 million in alleged
corruption proceeds, the result of a civil forfeiture complaint filed by
the U.S. in 2020. ÒThe United States intends to sell the property, and
recommend to the Attorney General that the net proceeds from the sale of
the forfeited property be used to benefit the people of The Gambia harmed
by former President JammehÕs acts of corruption
and abuse of office,Ó the department said in a statement.
- U.S.
officials expressed disappointment at the United Nations Security Council
after China and Russia vetoed an effort to tighten U.N. sanctions on North
Korea. The remaining 13 council members all voted in favor of the
resolution, which was drafted by the U.S. and proposed banning tobacco and
oil exports to North Korea.
Friday, May 27
- Secretary
of State Blinken told his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid to conclude
Israel's investigation into the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who was
killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.
- The
U.S. and Germany signed an agreement to deepen cooperation on shifting
from fossil fuels to renewable energy in an effort to rein in climate
change. The two countries will develop and deploy technologies to
accelerate the transition to clean energy, especially offshore wind power,
zero-emissions vehicles and hydrogen.
- The
U.S., Japan and South Korea released a joint statement strongly condemning
North KoreaÕs recent ballistic missile launches.
ÒEach of these launches violated multiple UNSC [United Nations Security
Council] resolutions and posed a grave threat to the region and the
international community,Ó the statement read. ÒWe urge the DPRK to abide
by its obligations under UNSC resolutions and immediately cease actions
that violate international law, escalate tensions, destabilize the region,
and endanger the peace and security of all nations.Ó
- Former
President Donald Trump lost a bid to stop the New York state attorney
generalÕs investigation into his business practices, allowing the
three-year probe to continue. Federal District Judge Brenda Sannes ruled that federal judges are barred from
interfering in state-level investigations.
- The
U.S. and the Netherlands issued a joint statement calling for
international action to address the Òimminent threatsÓ of a Òdecaying and
unstableÓ oil supertanker called the FSO Safer, which holds more than one
million barrels of oil off the coast of Yemen. ÒIt could leak, spill, or
explode at any time,Ó the statement said.
Saturday, May 28
- Blinken released a statement expressing concern over
ChinaÕs Òefforts to restrict and manipulateÓ UN human rights chief
Michelle BacheletÕs visit to China's Xinjiang
region, where the Chinese government is accused of detaining more than a
million people in indoctrination camps. Blinken
claims the visit did not enable Bachelet to conduct
Òa complete and independent assessment of the human rights environment in
[China].Ó
Sunday, May 29
- The
Justice Department announced that it will review
the law enforcement response to the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left
19 school children and two teachers dead. The goal of the review is Òto
provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and response
that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first
responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events,Ó Justice
Department spokesman Anthony Coley said.