A Senate NDAA Veto Override Would See New Sanctions Target Russia Pipeline Project Prized by Germany

If the U.S. Senate votes to override President Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday, new U.S. sanctions targeting a controversial gas pipeline from Russia to western Europe could take effect soon. That would set the scene for potential tensions between the incoming administration and Germany, whose government prizes the project. Read

Uyghurs Alarmed as China Ratifies Extradition Treaty With Turkey, Long a Haven For Exiles

Uyghur activists expressed concern on Tuesday that Beijing’s ratification of an extradition treaty with Turkey could put in jeopardy those who have sought a safe haven there after fleeing repressive Chinese Communist Party policies in Xinjiang province.  Read

US: Chinese Woman Jailed For ‘Challenging CCP Propaganda’ Over Virus Outbreak

Days before a team of international experts is expected to visit Wuhan to investigate the origins of the coronavirus outbreak, China’s jailing of a citizen journalist for her critical coverage of the outbreak is drawing strong condemnation, including from the U.S. government and the United Nations.  Read

'Throat Baby' Becomes 'Vote Baby:' Rapper Adapts Explicit Lyrics Campaigning For Democrats Ossoff and Warnock

An Atlanta rapper whose sexually-explicit lyrics leave nothing to the imagination campaigned on behalf of Georgia Democratic Senate hopefuls Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock on Monday, urging voters to “paint Georgia blue” and “get both of those Senate seats.”  Read

FBI Identifies Suspect Killed in Nashville Christmas Day Blast; Motive Unclear

The FBI on Sunday named the suspect behind the Christmas Day blast in downtown Nashville, saying the dead man evidently acted alone, with a motive yet to be determined.  Read

COVID-19 Vaccinations Begin in Europe, Amid High Levels of Skepticism in France

 With coronavirus vaccination programs rolling out across Europe at the weekend, authorities in France took a low-key approach in a country that has recorded both a high COVID-19 death toll and high levels of skepticism about a vaccine that has been developed in record time.  Read

As Soleimani Killing Anniversary Nears, Threats Escalate, Veneration Level Rises

With the approaching anniversary of the death of Qassem Soleimani, Iranian regime representatives are escalating talk of revenge, and the Qods Force commander is being lionized as a larger-than-life Islamic champion.  Read

In Bid to Block Biden’s Goal to Rejoin, Cruz Urges Trump to Submit Iran, Paris ‘Treaties’ to Senate

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is urging President Trump to submit for Senate consideration two signature Obama-Biden foreign policy initiatives, which Trump has repudiated. That would make it harder for the incoming administration to reverse course as it has pledged to do. Read

‘Disgraceful Slur’: Democrat Activist Slammed for Attacking Trump Holocaust Memorial Council Appointee

The head of a Jewish Democratic organization sparked a firestorm on Twitter on Monday after she accused a prominent Republican appointed by President Trump to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council of having “emboldened actual neo-Nazis.” Read

Fauci: ‘Not Inappropriate’ That Trump Is Still Unvaccinated

President Trump not having a coronavirus vaccination now is in line with medical advice relating to his earlier treatment for COVID-19, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Monday. Read

Cuomo: Feds Should ‘Act Intelligently’ and Halt Flights from UK; Fauci Calls Proposal ‘Draconian’

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday criticized the federal government for not restricting flights from Britain, amid concerns about a new variant of the coronavirus that appears to be more contagious – although not necessarily more dangerous -- than the previously known form.  Read

China Still Insinuating Virus Originated Elsewhere, As WHO Team Prepares to Visit Wuhan

A year after early cases of a virus “of unknown etiology” were emerging in Wuhan, China’s foreign ministry continues to push the line that the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 may have originated elsewhere. Read

Ga. Democrat Warnock: ‘We’re Fighting 2 Viruses’--COVID-19 and ‘What I Call COVID-1619’

Raphael Warnock, one of the two Democrats competing in Georgia’s crucial Senate runoff next month, told a panel of rappers on Sunday that America was “fighting two viruses,” COVID-19 and systemic racism – “what I call COVID-1619.”  Read

Sens. Graham, Cotton Step Up Call For Special Counsel: ‘We’re Not Going to Sweep This Under the Rug’

Republican Senators Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Tom Cotton (Ariz.) reiterated calls Thursday for a special counsel to be appointed to look into Hunter Biden’s business dealings and whether they create a conflict of interest for an incoming Biden administration.  Read

Muslims Lash Out at Islamic Bloc Over Uyghur Silence, ‘Complicity’

Muslim activists in the U.S. and elsewhere on Thursday accused the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) of complicity in China’s oppression of minority Uyghur Muslims, noting that OIC member-states have gone so far as to commend the Chinese Communist Party’s policies in Xinjiang province.  Read

Rights Abusers at UN Oppose ‘Country-Specific’ Resolutions – Unless They Target Israel

 Having supported more than a dozen U.N. General Assembly resolutions condemning Israel in the past two weeks, the representatives of some of the world’s most egregious rights-abusing regimes complained on Wednesday about “country-specific” resolutions targeting some among their own ranks – Iran, Russia, North Korea, and the Assad regime – saying they violate the cherished U.N. principles of “objectivity, non-selectivity, and impartiality.” Read

Ayatollah on Looming Soleimani Death Anniversary: ‘Revenge Will Certainly Be Taken At The Right Time’

Preparing to mark the first anniversary in 18 days’ time of the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani, Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated on Wednesday that his blood will be avenged, “at the right time.”  Read

As Parties Meet on Preserving the Nuclear Deal, Iran Dismisses Biden’s Stated Hope to Include Missiles

The European Union was hosting a meeting of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) parties on Wednesday to discuss ways to “preserve” the Iran nuclear deal, after regime leaders said that President-elect Joe Biden is mistaken if he thinks the United States can reopen the Obama-era agreement and broaden it to cover Iran’s ballistic missile program. Read

Socialism, Green New Deal, Expanded Court: Christian Conservatives Mull Stakes in Georgia Runoff

Christian conservative leaders rallied in Georgia on Tuesday night, to emphasize the stakes in next month’s crucial runoff election. They warned that ceding Republican control of the Senate would pave the way for an agenda of creeping socialism, Supreme Court packing, and attacks on religious freedom.  Read

Turkey, a NATO Ally, Vows to Retaliate for US Sanctions Over Air Defense Deal with Russia

The Turkish government reacted defiantly Monday to the Trump administration’s imposition of sanctions against its defense industry, vowing to retaliate and giving no indication it would back down over the decision that prompted the measure – its purchase of the Russian-made S-400 missile defense system. Read

Asian Americans Want One or More Unfilled Biden Cabinet Posts

On the day the Electoral College formally elected Joe Biden as the next president of the United States, Asian American activists reiterated their concern that he has not yet nominated a member of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community for a secretary-level post in his cabinet.  Read

Tlaib: 'I Hope You Realize Just the Opportunity Here That Allah Has Given Us to Show the Power of Muslims in Georgia’

Muslim leaders, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), expressed the hope and expectation on Sunday that Muslim voters would be a deciding factor in the pivotal Senate runoff election in the state of Georgia early next month. The early voting period begins on Monday. Read

Iran Hits Back at Rare European Criticism Over Journalist’s Execution

Piqued by rare European criticism, Iran’s foreign ministry on Sunday summoned the German and French ambassadors to complain about their protests over the execution of a Paris-based dissident journalist, accusing their governments of siding with terrorists.  Read

As U.S. Deploys B-52s in Region, Iran Warns of ‘Fiery Response' to ‘The Smallest Violation’ of Its Airspace

A senior Iranian air force commander said at the weekend that the regime was closely monitoring U.S. Air Force movements, including the arrival in the region last week of two B-52 strategic bombers, warning that any violation of Iran’s airspace was “among our red lines.”  Read

Morocco, Israel Normalize Ties in Another Norm-Breaking Trump Administration Mideast Deal

President Trump on Thursday announced a fourth Arab-Israeli normalization agreement in as many months, as Morocco agreed to recognize the Jewish state. In return he issued a proclamation recognizing Morocco’s longstanding claim to sovereignty over a sparsely-populated disputed territory in north-western Africa – an attempt to break a decades-long stalemate.  Read

Shadow of Benghazi Hangs Over the Obama Loyalist Picked to Be Biden’s Domestic Policy Adviser

As Joe Biden rolls out nominees and appointees for his administration, the naming of Susan Rice to head his White House Domestic Policy Council is drawing mixed reactions, given the former ambassador to the U.N.’s deeply controversial role in the September 2012 Benghazi affair.  Read

After Trump Signs Executive Order, U.N. Leaders Caution Against ‘Vaccine Nationalism’

A day after President Trump signed an executive order prioritizing Americans in the distribution of U.S.-developed or funded coronavirus vaccines, senior U.N. leaders cautioned against “vaccine nationalism,” arguing that in a pandemic, “no-one is safe until everyone is safe.”  Read

Incoming Climate Czar John Kerry: Voters Rejected ‘the Orange Menace’

Former Secretary of State John Kerry, tapped as climate change czar in a Biden administration, said on Tuesday that the nation has taken “a great step forward” in fighting for democracy “by rejecting the Orange Menace, and moving forward with a new presidency.”  Read

Beijing Slams US Sanctions on Top Lawmakers: ‘Outrageous, Unscrupulous, Crazy and Vile’

China reacted with fury on Tuesday after the Trump administration targeted for sanctions 14 senior lawmakers in the country’s top legislative body, including one of the 25 members of the Chinese Communist Party’s Politiburo, in a further U.S. response to Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong’s long-cherished democracy.  Read

Pompeo Adds Nigeria to Blacklist of Worst Religious Freedom Violators

Rolling out the Trump administration’s final annual list of particularly egregious religious freedom violators, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday designated Nigeria for the first time as a “country of particular concern” (CPC), while announcing that two other previously-designated countries – Sudan and Uzbekistan – have now been removed from a second-tier “special watchlist.”  Read

Criticized For Georgia Speech, Pompeo Recalls Kerry and Clinton’s Travel to ‘Coastal Elite States’

 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo swatted away criticism Monday over his plans to deliver a speech this week in Georgia – where crucial Senate runoff elections are looming – suggesting that no-one had raised flags when his predecessors had domestic engagements during their tenures at the State Department.  Read

Georgia’s Rev. Warnock: ‘I Have a Profound Reverence for Life, and an Abiding Respect for Choice’

As Sen. Kelly Loeffler and her Democratic challenger in one of two pivotal Georgia Senate runoffs faced each other across a debate stage in Atlanta on Sunday, the contrast in their views on abortion was on full display.  Read

‘He’s the President-Elect, Sir’: Chris Wallace Scolds Azar, Then Attacks Trump on Mask Wearing

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace took issue with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar during an interview Sunday for referring to “Vice President Joe Biden,” making the point three times that he should use the term “president-elect.”  Read

At UN, Pakistan Leads New Effort Against ‘Islamophobia’ But This Time 52 Countries Abstain

At a time when cartoons lampooning Mohammed have revived tensions between offended Muslims and free speech advocates, an annual U.N. resolution on the “promotion of interreligious and intercultural dialogue” was passed this week by a recorded vote, in contrast to the standard adoption by consensus of previous years.  Read

Meeks Becomes First Black Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, Beating Progressive-Backed Castro

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-.N.Y.) was elected Thursday to chair the House Foreign Affairs Committee – the first African American to hold the post – in a disappointment for progressive activists pushing for a rival candidate viewed, among other things, as being more sympathetic towards the Palestinian cause.  Read

EU to Impose Sanctions on Rights Abusers, As U.S. Does by Law

The European Union has agreed to establish a sanctions regime to target human rights violators, the latest move in an expanding campaign by Western democracies to impose a financial cost on abusers worldwide.  Read

European Union to Joe Biden: ‘Make Multilateralism Great Again’

European Union leaders have a wish list and a message to pass along to Joe Biden – and in an apparent dig at President Trump, hijacked his best-known slogan in doing so: “We want to Make Multilateralism Great Again.”  Read

U.S. Lawmakers Among Those Supporting Australia Amid ‘Xi Jinping’s Authoritarian Bullying’

Will Beijing’s blatant attempts to pressure Australia into backing away from criticism of Chinese Communist Party abuses backfire? An alliance of cross-party lawmakers from a range of democratic nations, including the United States, is hoping so.  Read

Terror Trial of Iranian ‘Diplomat’ Underway in Europe As Iran Threatens to Execute Swedish-Iranian Physician

The Iranian regime, which has a long history of hostage-taking, may be using the threat of execution against an imprisoned Iranian-Swedish physician as leverage in an attempt to secure the release of an Iranian diplomat on trial in Belgium for alleged terrorism on European soil.  Read

Trump Critics Wade Into Jared Kushner: ‘Nothing He Does Ever Succeeds’

As President Trump’s administration winds towards a close, critics took to MSNBC airwaves on Monday to tear into White House senior advisor Jared Kushner for traveling to the Middle East, characterizing the president’s 39-year-old son-in-law as an abject failure and a “ridiculous” figure, and expressing relief that “serious, competent, intelligent people” will be returning to the executive branch soon.  Read

Frigid Australia-China Relationship Hits a New Low Over Aggressive Twitter ‘Diplomacy’

Relations between Australia and China have been on a downward spiral since Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government led calls for a probe into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, but they lurched to a new low this week over a provocative – and faked -- social media posting by a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman which has Morrison fuming.  Read