Monday, Aug. 17

á             The White House announced it will tighten restrictions on Huawei Technologies by cracking down on its access to commercially available computer chips as part of an effort to reduce the telecommunication leaderÕs dominance in 5G technology, due to the belief that the company hands over user data to the Chinese government.

á             The Department of the Interior approved an oil and gas leasing program within AlaskaÕs Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a 1.6-million acre swath of land on the stateÕs north shore with the Beaufort Sea.

á             White House advisor Jared Kushner said the United States will not consent to Israeli annexations in the occupied West Bank for Òsome timeÓ and will instead focus on the Israel-United Arab Emirates normalization deal and other peace efforts in the region.

á             The Justice Department announced Central Intelligence Agency and FBI officer Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 67, was arrested and charged with spying for China in a years-long operation.

á             Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray claiming the bureau was improperly prioritizing Trump-sought investigations.

Tuesday, Aug. 18

á             The Republican-led Senate intelligence committee concluded, in its final report on election interference, that the Kremlin launched an aggressive effort to meddle in the 2016 presidential election on behalf of President Donald Trump.

á             On the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, Trump posthumously pardoned Susan B. Anthony, a leader in the white womenÕs suffrage movement who was arrested for voting in 1872.

á             Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced he would suspend all operational reforms and initiatives at the Postal Service until after the November election. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called this "wholly insufficient" since DeJoy does not plan on Òreplacing the sorting machines, blue mailboxes and other key mail infrastructure that have been removedÓ nor reinstating overtime to ensure mail is delivered on time.

Wednesday, Aug. 19

á             Former Vice President Joe Biden was formally nominated as the Democratic candidate for president in the 2020 election at this yearÕs virtual Democratic National Convention.

á             Trump called for a boycott of Goodyear Tires in response to a company policy barring employees from wearing political attire at work.

á             The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on two United Arab Emirates-based companies, Parthia Cargo and Delta Parts Supply FZC, accusing them of providing resources to Iranian airline Mahan Air, which is blacklisted under U.S. sanctions.

á             The White House ended three bilateral agreements with Hong Kong covering Òthe surrender of fugitive offenders, the transfer of sentenced persons, and reciprocal tax exemptions on income derived from the international operation of ships.Ó This move continues to deteriorate U.S. relations with China following TrumpÕs order last month to end Hong KongÕs special status under U.S. law to punish China for what he called Òoppressive actionsÓ against the former colony.

Thursday, Aug. 20

á             The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported about 1.1 million Americans filed for unemployment in the week ending Aug. 15, which is 135,000 more than the previous week when the weekly statistic fell below one million for the first time since March.

á             Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor, tested positive for the coronavirus.

á             District Judge Victor Marrero dismissed a lawsuit by Trump seeking to block enforcement of a grand jury subpoena for eight years of his personal and corporate tax records.

á             The U.S. blacklisted senior Syrian government officials and leaders in the Syrian military in a sanction imposition campaign with the goal of cutting off funds to Syrian President Bashar al-AssadÕs government.

á             The Trump administration formally notified the United Nations of a request to restore all UN sanctions on Iran because of IranÕs violations of the 2015 nuclear deal, a deal from which the U.S. itself also withdrew in 2018.

Friday, Aug. 21

á             Attorney General William Barr said he would be "vehemently opposed" to pardoning former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, following an interview in which Trump suggested he might consider it. Snowden was charged under the Espionage Act in 2013 with disclosing details of classified government surveillance programs.

á             DeJoy appeared at to the Senate in his first public appearance before Congress, seeking to assure the public that ballots would be handled "securely and on time" in the November presidential election after bipartisan concerns were raised that his gutting of the Postal Service would affect mail-in ballots being counted on time.

Saturday, Aug. 22

á             Trump claimed that a Òdeep stateÓ within the Food and Drug Administration is intentionally slowing progress on a vaccine so it would not be available until after the November election.

á             The House passed a Postal Service rescue bill that would require same-day processing for mail-in ballots, infuse the service with $25 billion and erase changes made by DeJoy. It is given little chance of passing in the Senate.

Sunday, Aug. 23

á             Kellyanne Conway, one of TrumpÕs longest-serving aides, announced she plans to leave the White House at the end of August. This news follows the public revelation that her daughter, Claudia Conway, a vocal critic of her mother on social media, is seeking emancipation due to an abusive home situation.

á             The FDA authorized the use of plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 to treat the coronavirus in others.