Monday, Nov. 1
á White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement saying she contracted COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms.
á Countries including Germany, Canada, Japan, Mexico, France, South Korea, Italy and members of the European Union wrote a joint letter to United States lawmakers criticizing a proposed electric vehicle tax credit that they say violates international trade rules. Only U.S.-built vehicles would be considered under the $12,500 tax credit after 2027. They argue that limiting eligibility to domestically assembled and produced vehicles Òis inconsistent with U.S. commitments made under [World Trade Organization] multilateral agreements.Ó
á Seven United States military officers on an eight-member military jury wrote a letter urging clemency for Guantanamo Bay detainee Majid Khan after he testified about his experiences of torture at a CIA Òblack site,Ó saying that what he described is a Òstain on the moral fiber of AmericaÓ and Òof no practical value in terms of intelligence, or any other tangible benefit to U.S. interests.Ó
á Federal judge Robert Scola dismissed most money laundering charges against Alex Saab, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but kept in place one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The charges were dropped to comply with the laws of Cape Verde, where Saab could be extradited, regarding the maximum term of imprisonment there.
á
NASA postponed a SpaceX
rocket launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station due to an
unspecified medical issue with one of the crew. NASA said the issue was Ònot a
medical emergency and not related to COVID-19.Ó
Tuesday, Nov. 2
á On the second day of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland, President Joe Biden revealed a plan to reduce methane emissions in the U.S., including the implementation of a Environmental Protection Agency rule tightening methane regulations for the oil and gas sector, which would be the first time the EPA targeted reductions from existing oil and gas wells nationwide rather than just new wells.
á
Biden accused China and Russia of failing to
show leadership in addressing climate change, criticizing Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin for not
attending the summit.
á
The Senate, on a 69 to 30 vote, passed President
Joe BidenÕs $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which includes highway, broadband
and other infrastructure improvements. Biden hailed CongressÕ passage of the
package as a Òmonumental step forward for the nation.Ó The House would go on to
pass the measure on Friday, Nov.
5.
Wednesday, Nov. 3
á The Environmental Working Group released a report analyzing over 50,000 water systems in the U.S. revealing that 56 new contaminants, including pesticides and radioactive materials, have been discovered in U.S. tap water over the past two years.
á The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unanimously backed administering Pfizer coronavirus vaccines to children aged five to 11.
á The Commerce Department blacklisted the Israeli technology company NSO Group, which it accuses of developing and supplying spyware to foreign governments that used these tools ÒmaliciouslyÓ by targeting journalists and activists among others.
á The Biden administration announced that the first group of primary school-aged children were vaccinated against COVID-19. ÒTogether, with science leading the charge, we have taken another important step forward in our nationÕs fight against the virus that causes COVID-19,Ó CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said.
á An internal Pentagon review concluded that a U.S. drone attack that killed 10 civilians, including seven children, in Afghanistan in August did not violate the laws of war and did not result from negligence, rather that Òexecution errorsÓ including Òconfirmation biasÓ and Òcommunication breakdownsÓ contributed to the attack.
á The Pentagon published a report saying that China is expanding its nuclear arsenal quicker than anticipated and could have 700 nuclear warheads by 2027 and 1,000 by 2030. For comparison, the U.S. has about 3,750 nuclear weapons.
á
The U.S. embassy in Ethiopia authorized the
voluntary departure of non-emergency government staff and family members due to
rising risk of armed conflict as rebel forces from the countryÕs north gain
territory.
Thursday, Nov. 4
á With a House vote following an earlier Senate approval, both chambers of Congress approved legislation called the RENACER Act — Reinforcing NicaraguaÕs Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform — to intensify diplomatic pressure on the Nicaraguan government ahead of its election. The act sets up initiatives Òto monitor, report on, and address corruptionÓ by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his administration.
á The State Department approved a $650 million sale of air-to-air missiles to Saudi Arabia, making it the Biden administrationÕs first major weapons deal with the kingdom. The Pentagon said the sale was intended Òto improve the security of a friendly country that continues to be an important force for political and economic progress in the Middle East.Ó
á
The Justice Department searched the homes of
current and former employees of conservative group Project Veritas
as part of an investigation into how the contents of the diary of BidenÕs
daughter Ashley were publicly disclosed a week and a half before the 2020
presidential election. Although Project Veritas did
not publish the diary, it was involved in discussions with ÒtipstersÓ who
sought to alert the group about the diary.
Friday, Nov. 5
á Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on the phone with SudanÕs military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, prompting an agreement between the U.S. and al-Burhan on the need to speed up the formation of a new government after last month's military coup.
á The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Texas over its recently passed law known as SB-1 that the federal government says will unfairly restrict voting in the state.
á Jeffrey Clark, a former top Justice Department official who aligned himself with former President Donald Trump after the 2020 presidential election, told the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol via a letter from his lawyers that he will decline to testify before the panel because he is Òsubject to a sacred trust.Ó
á Xu Yanjun, a Chinese intelligence officer, was convicted in federal court on two counts of economic espionage in an alleged state-backed effort to steal technology from U.S. and French aerospace firms and three counts related to trade secret theft, according to the Justice Department.
á The State Department released a report finding that tens of thousands of dollars in gifts purchased for foreign leaders and senior officials using government funds during the Trump administration are unaccounted for. The report includes numerous examples of sloppy record keeping and poor oversight during the Trump administration for gifts both given to and received by foreign leaders.
á
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform sent
a letter to the global consulting giant McKinsey & Company, demanding
records related to its Òbusiness practices, conflicts of interest and
management standardsÓ as part of a new investigation into the firmÕs role in
the opioid crisis.
Saturday, Nov. 6
á The State Department announced rewards of up to $5 million each for information leading to the capture and conviction of four Mexican drug cartel leaders: Aureliano Guzman-Loera, Ruperto Salgueiro-Nevarez, Jose Salgueiro-Nevarez and Heriberto Salgueiro-Nevarez.
á
A federal appeals court froze a Biden
administration vaccine mandate requiring workers in businesses with more than
100 staff to get COVID-19 shots or be subject to weekly testing after it ruled
that Òthere are grave statutory and constitutional issuesÓ with the mandate.
Sunday, Nov. 7