Monday, Aug. 1

• President Joe Biden announced that the CIA killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan. “Justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,” Biden said in a televised address. The Taliban called the strike a “clear violation” of the Doha Agreement, the 2020 pact that facilitated the U.S. withdrawal of military forces from Afghanistan.
• A federal judge sentenced Guy Reffitt, an associate of the far-right Three Percenters militia, to over seven years in prison for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots, and for later threatening to harm his children if they reported him to the FBI. He was convicted on five felony charges including bringing a gun onto the Capitol grounds and obstructing an official proceeding.

Tuesday, Aug. 2

• The Navy deployed four warships, including an aircraft carrier, in waters east of Taiwan ahead of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to the island nation. “While they are able to respond to any eventuality, these are normal, routine deployments,” a Navy spokesperson said.
• Pelosi arrived in Taiwan as part of her tour of southeast Asia, becoming the highest ranking U.S. official to travel there in 25 years. The visit enraged Chinese leaders who claim the self-governing island as Chinese territory. Russia referred to the visit as “destabilization.”
• The Justice Department sued Idaho over the state’s near-total ban on abortion, arguing that the ban denies pregnant people potentially life-saving medical care, which “directly conflicts” with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The act requires hospitals that receive federal funds to provide people with “necessary stabilizing treatments” during a medical emergency — including abortions.

Wednesday, Aug. 3

• Biden signed an executive order laying the groundwork for abortion-seeking Medicaid patients who travel out-of-state to obtain access to the procedure without suffering legal repercussions from their home state.
• The U.S. joined with Indonesia, Australia, Japan and other countries for the largest-ever annual military training known as Garuda Shield: joint combat exercises that take place on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. “It’s a symbol of the U.S.-Indonesia bond and the growing relationship between land forces in this consequential region,” said Charles Flynn, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific.
• The Senate voted 95 to 1 to ratify Finland and Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the most significant expansion of the 30-member alliance since the 1990s. “This historic vote sends an important signal of the sustained, bipartisan U.S. commitment to NATO, and to ensuring our alliance is prepared to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” Biden said.

Thursday, Aug. 4

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the spread of the MPXV, or monkeypox, a public health emergency. The declaration frees up additional government resources to help contain the spread of the virus. Over 6,600 cases of the disease had been confirmed in the U.S.
• The Justice Department arrested former governor of Puerto Rico Wanda Vazquez and charged her with bribery related to the financing of her 2020 campaign. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison. “The alleged bribery scheme rose to the highest levels of the Puerto Rican government, threatening public trust in our electoral processes and institutions of governance,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr.
• Biden called “unacceptable” the Russian court ruling that found U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner guilty of drug smuggling, following her February arrest at a Russian airport for carrying vape canisters containing cannabis oil, and her sentence of nine years in prison. U.S. diplomats have urged Russia with a “serious proposal” for Griner’s release in exchange for Viktor Bout, an imprisoned Russian who was once an arms dealer.

Friday, Aug. 5

• China announced that it placed unspecified sanctions on Nancy Pelosi and her immediate family following her visit to Taiwan earlier in the week.

Saturday, Aug. 6

• Reuters reported that Congress was preparing a new $1 billion security assistance package for Ukraine, expected to include munitions for long-range weapons and armored medical transport vehicles.

Sunday, Aug. 7

• Senate Democrats passed a sweeping $430 billion bill intended to fight climate change, lower drug prices and raise some corporate taxes, in a package known as the Inflation Reduction Act. It was passed by a 51-50 party line vote with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the legislation contains “the boldest clean energy package in American history.” Senate Republicans forced the removal of a proposal in the bill to cap insulin prices at $35 for private insurers, though the bill still includes a cap for Medicare patients.
• Biden denounced the separate killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that police say may be linked and could be hate crimes. “While we await a full investigation, my prayers are with the victims’ families, and my administration stands strongly with the Muslim community. These hateful attacks have no place in America,” Biden said.
• The White House announced that Biden had tested negative for the coronavirus for a second consecutive day. “He will safely return to public engagement and presidential travel,” said White House physician Dr. Kevin C. O’Connor.