Monday, July 18

• A group of 21 Democratic congressional representatives sent a letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, urging them to publicly reject Israel’s labeling of six Palestinian human rights organizations as “terrorist” groups. “The U.S. must condemn any effort, anywhere to undermine life-saving humanitarian work,” said Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.).
• The United States military announced that it had killed two fighters from the al-Shabab, a Somalia-based Islamic armed militant group active in East Africa, during an air raid in a remote part of southern Somalia over the weekend.

Tuesday, July 19

• President Joe Biden signed an executive order “to deter and disrupt hostage-taking and wrongful detentions” of American citizens abroad. The order will allow U.S. government agencies to impose financial sanctions on those directly or indirectly involved in hostage-taking or wrongful detentions.
• The State Department released its annual human trafficking report. The 634-page document lists Russia and China as two of the worst offenders. Russia is listed as one of 11 countries with a “‘policy or pattern’ of human trafficking, trafficking in government-funded programs, forced labor in government-affiliated medical services or other sectors, sexual slavery in government camps, or the employment or recruitment of child soldiers.” Meanwhile China is accused of patterns of “widespread forced labor, including through the continued mass arbitrary detention of Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, ethnic Kyrgyz, and members of other Turkic and/or Muslim minority groups in the Xinjiang.”
• The contempt of Congress trial against Donald Trump’s former advisor Steve Bannon began. The charges against Bannon stem from when he refused to hand over information subpoenaed by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. “It wasn’t optional. It wasn’t a request, and it wasn’t an invitation. It was mandatory,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Vaughn.

Wednesday, July 20

• Biden unveiled his administration’s latest efforts to address climate change, which he called a “clear and present danger,” with a new executive action that includes initiatives to bolster the domestic offshore wind industry and to help communities cope with extreme heat through programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services. He fell short of declaring a federal climate emergency, however, as many advocates have encouraged.
• Trade Representative Katherine Tai put pressure on Mexico over its energy policies that she said unfairly favor Mexico’s state-owned electricity and oil companies over American competitors and clean-energy suppliers, and called for negotiations. “We have repeatedly expressed serious concerns about a series of changes in Mexico’s energy policies and their consistency with Mexico’s commitments,” Tai said.
• A bipartisan group of senators introduced two bills to reform election laws seeking to prevent a repeat of Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, as well as address threats against election workers, mail-in ballots, election record security, and the presidential transition of power. The legislation does not have the votes needed to overcome the filibuster.
• At least 17 Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, were arrested at an abortion rights protest outside the Supreme Court.

· Biden announced a new summit in December that will bring together African leaders to Washington, DC, to discuss challenges like food security and climate change. “The summit will demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to Africa, and will underscore the importance of U.S.-Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities,” Biden said.

· CIA Director William Burns warned that China appears to be set on using force in Taiwan, which China claims as its own. “Our sense is that it probably affects less the question of whether the Chinese leadership might choose some years down the road to use force to control Taiwan, but how and when they would do it,” Burns said.

Thursday, July 21

• Biden tested positive for COVID-19. The White House said he was experiencing “very mild symptoms” and continued to carry out his duties.
• The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol held its eighth hearing. The main takeaway was that Trump refused to rein in the mob of his supporters as they stormed the Capitol despite pleas to intervene. “Trump sat in his dining room and watched the attack on television while his senior-most staff, closest advisors and family members begged him to do what is expected of any American president,” Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Virginia) said. A White House security official also testified that members of former Vice President Mike Pence’s security team feared for their lives.
• The House passed a bill guaranteeing the right to contraception with eight Republicans joining 220 Democrats to vote yes. It is unlikely to pass in the evenly divided Senate.

Friday, July 22

• The State Department blacklisted former Paraguay President Horacio Cartes for alleged involvement in “significant” corruption that hindered an international criminal investigation. He is also accused of having links to terrorist groups. The designation triggers a visa ban against him.
• Steve Bannon was found guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress after a four-day trial for defying requests for information from the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.
• The White House announced that the U.S. will send an additional $270 million in security assistance to Ukraine within a package including more medium-range rocket systems and tactical drones, bringing total U.S. security assistance to Ukraine up to $8.2 billion.
• The Forest Service announced it would take emergency action to protect giant sequoia groves in California that are threatened by wildfires. “Without urgent action, wildfires could eliminate countless more iconic giant sequoias,” said Randy Moore, the chief of the Forest Service. “We can and must do more to protect giant sequoias using all the tools and flexibilities available to us. This emergency action to reduce fuels before a wildfire occurs will protect unburned giant sequoia groves from the risks of high-severity wildfires.”

Saturday, July 23

• No news to report.

Sunday, July 24

• Biden’s physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor said the president’s condition continues to “improve significantly” after testing positive for the coronavirus on Thursday.