Monday Oct. 31
- The Justice Department charged David DePape, the suspect in a violent attack against House
Speaker Nancy PelosiÕs husband Paul last week, with assault and attempted
kidnapping, accusing DePape of threatening to
take Nancy hostage and break Òher kneecapsÓ as well as attacking Paul with
a hammer.
Tuesday,
Nov. 1
- President Joe Biden criticized oil companies like
Chevron and ExxonMobil for profiting off the surge in crude prices after
RussiaÕs invasion of Ukraine. Biden then threatened to impose a windfall
tax if said companies donÕt invest their profits to lower costs for
consumers. ÒItÕs time for these companies to stop war profiteering, meet
their responsibilities in this country and give the American people a
break, and still do very well,Ó Biden said.
- Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily
blocked the House Ways and Means CommitteeÕs effort to obtain former
President Donald TrumpÕs tax returns.
- The Supreme Court declined to block Sen. Lindsey
Graham from testifying in the criminal investigation of TrumpÕs efforts to
overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. Graham argued that, as a
member of Congress, he is protected under the Constitution from
questioning in the investigation.
- The Associate Press reported that United States-trained
Afghan special forces soldiers are now being recruited by the Russian
military to fight in Ukraine. According to three Afghan military sources,
Russia is offering a $1,500 monthly salary and protection from deportation
for themselves and their families.
- North Korea threatened Òpowerful follow-up measuresÓ
after the U.S. and South Korea began the largest joint air exercises
between their two militaries in almost five years. North KoreaÕs foreign
ministry described the air drills as a Òceaseless and recklessÓ military
provocation.
- A federal judge sentenced a 42-year-old Kansas woman,
Allison Fluke-Ekren, who led an all-female ISIS battalion in Syria, to the
maximum sentence of 20 years in jail after she pleaded guilty to terrorism
charges.
- The National Security Council responded to reports of
threats from Iran against Saudi Arabia: ÒWe are concerned about the threat
picture, and we remain in constant contact through military and
intelligence channels with the Saudis. We will not hesitate to act in the
defense of our interests and partners in the region.Ó
Wednesday,
Nov. 2
- The U.S. Government Accountability Office released a
report showing that the U.S. lacks policies to properly document and
address alleged misuse of its military equipment donations in Central
America. ÒItÕs incredibly important that agencies maintain a record of the
allegations theyÕve reviewed,Ó said Chelsa
Kenney, director of international affairs at GAO. The state and defense
departments have provided over $66 million in security assistance to
Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras from 2017 through 2021.
- Trial testimony revealed that days after the Jan. 6,
2021, insurrection at the Capitol, Stewart Rhodes, founder of right-wing
extremist group the Oath Keepers, tried to get a message to Trump urging
him to fight to stay in power.
- National Security Council spokesman John Kirby
accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery shells to be used
in Ukraine, although he said these alleged weapon shipments are unlikely
to change the course of the war.
- The Federal Reserve announced that it raised interest
rates by 0.75 percentage points to curb the effects of severe inflation.
- Biden gave a speech imploring Americans to vote in
the Nov. 8 election. ÒMake no mistake, democracy is on the ballot for all
of us,Ó he said.
- Officials from the U.S. embassy in Moscow met with
imprisoned American basketball star Brittney Griner,
who was arrested and convicted on drug charges in Russia after police
found cannabis vape cartridges in her
belongings. Griner faces nine years in Russian
prison.
Thursday,
Nov. 3
- For the 30th time, the United Nations General
Assembly voted overwhelmingly to rebuke the U.S. for its longstanding
embargo on Cuba amid a substantial economic crisis there. Only the U.S.
and Israel voted against the non-binding resolution condemning the
embargo, while Brazil and Ukraine abstained and 185 countries supported
it.
Friday, Nov.
4
- Reuters reported that a senior U.S. Biden
administration official disclosed that the U.S. believes China and Russia
can persuade North Korea not to resume nuclear bomb testing, which has
been on pause since 2017.
- The U.S. and Canada imposed coordinated sanctions
against Haitian politicians Joseph Lambert and Youri
Latortue, whom they accuse of supporting Haitian
gangs Òthrough money laundering and other acts of corruption.Ó
- The U.S. and its 12 allies on the 15-member United
Nations Security Council clashed with China and Russia by accusing the two
of preventing the council from taking action against North Korea for its
ballistic missile launches.
Saturday,
Nov. 5
- Secretary of State Antony Blinken
reaffirmed the Biden administrationÕs commitment to a two-state solution
to the Israel-Palestine conflict in a phone call with Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas.
Blinken Òunderscored his deep concern over the
situation in the West Bank, including heightened tensions, violence, and
loss of both Palestinian and Israeli lives, and emphasized the need for
all parties to de-escalate the situation urgently,Ó per a State Department
statement.
Sunday, Nov.
6