November 20291: the U.S. Embassy’s weekly newsletter, the Eagle Express, has now been discontinued.
September 20, 2019
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the attack on Saudi oil facilities “an act of war” Wednesday, as President Donald Trump announced that he’s ordered new sanctions on Tehran, the latest escalation in tensions between the two countries as US officials work to pin the blame on Iran..
Meanwhile, a South Korean newspaper reported that North Korea’s Kim Jong-un invited Donald Trump to Pyongyang as a way to restart failing nuclear talks. A reporter asked Trump yesterday whether the report was accurate. “I don’t want to comment on that,” the American president replied. “The relationship is very good, but I don’t want to comment on it.”
Finally, the Trump administration said Iran was most likely behind the attacks on Saudi Arabian oil facilities on Saturday, citing intelligence assessments and satellite photographs showing what officials said was evidence of Iranian involvement. Trump administration officials said that the attacks might have involved a combination of drones and cruise missiles and that they did not originate from Yemen, where the Iranian-backed Houthi militia claimed responsibility. Iran has denied any involvement.
September 13, 2019
The U.S. and China have appeared to dial down their trade fight by announcing some concessions on tariffs — but experts warned that it’s not yet time to pop the champagne. Markets in Asia rose on U.S. President Donald Trump’s tweet that he will delay increasing tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods from Oct. 1 to Oct. 15 as “a gesture of good will.” His announcement followed an earlier move by Beijing on Wednesday to exempt 16 types of American products from additional tariffs.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is pushing to get Congress to pass the new North American trade deal within the next two months, a top White House trade adviser said today.”We’re hoping to get this thing done within the next 30 to 60 days,” Peter Navarro said on CNBC, referring to the USMCA as “the big deal.”
Finally, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNN’s Jake Tapper Sunday on “State of the Union” that the Trump administration is still interested in a peace deal with the Taliban, but the President will not let up pressure unless the US sees proof that the Taliban can “behave.”
September 06, 2019
U.S. ramps up sanctions on Iran’s shipping network – US Gov’t funds diverted for wall – Trump administration targets Iran’s space agency
The Trump administration is awarding nearly $2 billion in grants to states and local governments to help fight the opioid crisis.Health and Human Services Secretary Alexander Azar says the grants come from money that President Donald Trump secured from Congress last year. Trump says “nothing is more important than defeating the opioid and addiction crisis.”
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Mark Esper approved the use of $3.6 billion in funding from military construction projects to build 175 miles (282 kilometers) of President Donald Trump’s wall along the Mexican border.Pentagon officials would not say which 127 projects will be affected but said details will be available Wednesday after members of Congress are notified. They said half the money will come from military projects in the U.S. and the rest will come from projects in other countries.
Finally, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran’s space agency Tuesday for its involvement in the regime’s ballistic missile development, the State Department announced Tuesday. In a statement, the department sanctioned the Iran Space Agency and two affiliates for “engaging in proliferation-sensitive activities.”
August 30, 2019
Nicolas Maduro has been offered amnesty if he decides to step down from power. Elliott Abrams, the State Department’s envoy for the South American nation, added that he had not seen any signs that Mr. Maduro was willing to step away from power. The amnesty offer comes just days after reports mentioned that a top PSUV official had met with US officials. Shortly after the report, Mr. Maduro revealed that there had been talks with the US.
Previously, all children born to U.S. citizen parents were considered to be “residing in the United States,” and therefore would be automatically granted citizenship under Immigration and Nationality Act 320. Now, children born to U.S. service members and government employees who are not yet themselves U.S. citizens, while abroad, will not be considered as residing in the U.S., changing the way that they potentially receive citizenship
Finally, the rapid coalescence of a new consensus has left these essential questions about U.S.-Chinese competition unanswered. What, exactly, is the United States competing for? And what might a plausible desired outcome of this competition look like? A failure to connect competitive means to clear ends will allow U.S. policy to drift toward competition for competition’s sake and then fall into a dangerous cycle of confrontation.
August 23, 2019
Australia has joined the United Kingdom and Bahrain in signing onto a US-led maritime security mission that the United States said is aimed at protecting international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday that Australia will contribute troops, a surveillance plane and a frigate to protect shipping lanes off the coast of Iran.
Meanwhile, President Trump signed a measure on Wednesday that seeks to remove the bureaucratic barriers for permanently disabled veterans to qualify for student loan forgiveness, which he said would save 25,000 wounded warriors an average of $30,000.The rollout of the executive action came during the American Veterans national convention in Louisville, Ky., where Mr. Trump was joined onstage by Betsy DeVos, the education secretary, and the deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, James Byrne.
Finally, a US military MQ-9 drone has been shot down in Yemen’s Dhamar governate, south-east of the Houthi-controlled capital Sana’a, two US officials have said.A Houthi military spokesman had earlier said that air defences had brought down a US drone.The officials, speaking on Wednesday on condition of anonymity, said the drone was shot down late on Tuesday..
August 16, 2019
In a press briefing, the Ministry of Commerce refrained from repeating earlier warnings that China would ditch its agreement to buy more American goods if the US went through with plans to slap tariffs on Chinese imports.Gao Feng, the ministry’s spokesman said details on the agreements reached in the latest round of trade talks were pending final confirmation by both sides.“China is willing to increase its imports from the US on the presumption that both countries meet halfway” said Gao.
Meanwhile, seveloping hypersonic weapons, capable of flying five times the speed of sound, is a part of the Army’s top modernization priority — Long-Range Precision Fires —because of the added capability it would bring in eliminating enemy systems in contested battlespace. There is also a need in the U.S> to develop an offensive hypersonic capability to stay ahead of similar weapon development underway by Russia and China.
Finally, Mr Bolton said “doing it in pieces” (trade) was not unprecedented and the US understood the importance of doing as much as possible as rapidly as possible before the 31 October exit date.He said there would be enthusiastic bipartisan support in Congress for speedy ratification at each stage.Mr Johnson said there “all sorts” of opportunities for UK business in the US, particularly service companies, but the negotiations will be a “tough old haggle”.
August 02, 2019
The United States will be on Britain’s “doorstep, pen in hand” to sign a trade deal as soon as possible after the U.K. leaves the European Union, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday.The chief U.S. diplomat made the comment alongside Britain’s new foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, who was in Washington as part of a North American trip aimed at strengthening ties with non-European countries ahead of Brexit.
Meanwhile, Britain said Monday that it would join a U.S.-led naval security mission in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran’s seizure of merchant vessels has raised tensions with the West. Earlier, Iran’s foreign minister lambasted recent U.S. financial sanctions against him, calling the move a “failure” for diplomacy.
Finally, within days of multiple North Korean missile tests, U.S. President Donald Trump has said “talks have begun” for South Korea to pay the U.S. more for its defense.In a pair of posts to Twitter Wednesday morning, Trump argued the U.S. pays too much to cover the Pacific ally’s defense costs. He said Seoul pays the U.S. $990 million and it should pay “substantially more money to the United States.”
August 02, 2019
The UK could have a trade deal with the US “overnight” if the UK agrees to a “free, open border” between the two countries, according to Donald Trump’s former chief economic adviser. Gary Cohn, who was adviser to the US President from 2017 to 2018, also said a no-deal Brexit would be better than “the state we’re in right now”, and urged the UK to make progress in “solving” Brexit.
Meanwhile, military experts suggest that American nuclear sharing with Japan and South Korea could be based on the NATO model with a few differences. Currently, the U.S. shares nuclear weapons with Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey. The NATO alliance now has a total of 29 member-states. A possible nuclear weapons agreement in Japan and South Korea could be based on the agreement with NATO. Both the U.S. and the host country would need to agree to any possible use of the weapons.
Finally, After an internal policy battle, the Trump administration is set to announce later this week that it will once again waive five different nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, preserving a key part of the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal. The decision will upset Iran hawks in Washington and be welcomed by Russia, China, European allies and the Iranian leadership.
July 26, 2019
President Donald Trump chose the pragmatist over the rabble-rousers.In deciding who would lead the White House in budget and debt-ceiling negotiations with Capitol Hill, the president learned a lesson from his embarrassing government shutdown earlier this year: Brush aside the budget hawks in his own party.
Meanwhile, In line with the U.S. National Security Strategy, the Administration has called for more targeted efforts to strengthen fragile states so they can become more robust economic and security partners for the United States. Preventing violent conflict is critical in this regard. Violent conflict undermines U.S. alliances and partnerships, creates dependency on external assistance, and creates space for our competitors and adversaries to increase their malign influence and subvert institutions
Finally, during Pompeo’s visit, Bukele’s government signed a five-year extension of a long-standing agreement for U.S. drug interdiction flights to operate from the international airport in San Salvador. But it was unclear whether Bukele’s eagerness to cooperate on counternarcotics as well as migration, crime and other issues. would temper
July 19, 2019
This week, the Argentine government plans to designate the militant group Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, giving the Trump administration another ally in its push to build an international coalition to confront Iran. Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon, is supported by Iran..
Meanwhile, five years after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot out of the sky, killing all 298 aboard, a State Department official tells Military Times that the ongoing battle between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists serves as a potential harbinger for the U.S. military in any conflict with Moscow..
Finally, President Donald Trump met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last month. During the meeting, Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to cross into North Korea and the pair agreed to restart talks.
July 12, 2019
President Donald Trump shook hands with Kim Jong Un, then became the first sitting American president to step onto North Korean territory Sunday in an extraordinary impromptu summit aimed at boosting stalled nuclear talks.Donald Trump called it a “very legendary, very historic day” and said the two sides agreed to have designated teams resume negotiations in two to three weeks.
Meanwhile, Britain and France, the only other U.S. partners that still have ground forces in Syria, will commit to a marginal 10 to 15 percent troop increase, a U.S. administration official confirmed. Other countries may send small numbers of troops as well, but in exchange the United States would have to pay, the official said.
Finally, Trump, regularly derided as the most irresponsible of presidents, is actually taking ownership of the most terrifying problems the country faces and trying to solve them in a direct way that his recent predecessors avoided.
July 05, 2019
President Donald Trump shook hands with Kim Jong Un, then became the first sitting American president to step onto North Korean territory Sunday in an extraordinary impromptu summit aimed at boosting stalled nuclear talks.Donald Trump called it a “very legendary, very historic day” and said the two sides agreed to have designated teams resume negotiations in two to three weeks.
Meanwhile, the U.S. economy continues to grow at a steady clip despite stock market volatility, and it has just reached a major milestone.The ongoing economic expansion Monday reached its 121st month, becoming the longest in U.S. history. The prior record-long expansion lasted 120 months between 1991 and 2001.
Finally, the stock market reached a record for a while on Monday. The reason: China and the US are in trade talks again. And because the Federal Reserve has caved into market pressure to keep interest rates steady or, maybe, even bring them down.
June 28, 2019
The US and China have tentatively agreed to another truce in their trade war in order to resume talks aimed at resolving the dispute, sources familiar with the situation said. Details of the agreement are being laid out in press releases in advance of the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, this weekend.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is keeping a signature campaign promise to boost the coal industry, but environmentalists say the energy plan his administration rolled out Wednesday would lead to premature deaths,increase the risk of lung disease and hasten climate change.
Finally, as part of that figh against terrorism, the U.S. works with countries in sub-Saharan Africa to safely store, remove and destroy potentially dangerous materials that otherwise might be weaponized by nonstate actors.In fact, the United States invests in preparedness measures against biological threats around the world as part of its National Biodefense Strategy.
June 21, 2019
On Thursday Iran shot down a U.S. military drone it said was on a spy mission over its territory but Washington said the aircraft was targeted in international air space in “an unprovoked attack”.The incident fanned fears of wider military conflict in the Middle East as U.S. President Donald Trump pursues a campaign of to isolate Iran over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and role in regional wars.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is keeping a signature campaign promise to boost the coal industry, but environmentalists say the energy plan his administration rolled out Wednesday would lead to premature deaths,increase the risk of lung disease and hasten climate change.
Finally, drug trafficking is one of the biggest and deadliest threats facing the United States. The federal government has a responsibility to help states combat this epidemic — and that means stopping the spread of this drug at the source, something states alone cannot easily do because the source is often not in America but rather in countries like China.
June 21, 2019
After months of focusing on the trade war and military competition with Beijing, Trump this week moved to step up the U.S. military presence in Eastern Europe to deter Russian aggression. Trump announced plans to send an additional 1,000 troops to Poland during a joint press conference in Washington on Wednesday with Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Meanwhile, White House national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday downplayed disagreements between President Trump and his top aides and suggested Russia, China, Iran and others are attempting to spread disinformation about the administration’s inner workings.
Finally, President Donald Trump, energized by the new border deal with Mexico, made it clear Monday that tariffs are a key weapon in his arsenal as he moves forward with trade talks with China and other countries..
June 07, 2019
The Trump administration has announced new steps to further restrict Americans’ travel to Cuba, including banning group tours and cruise ship stops to the island nation.The changes are meant to tighten the economic pressure on the Cuban government, which Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross called “one of our historically most aggressive adversaries.
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump declared Wednesday evening on Twitter that “not nearly enough” progress had been made and warned that “if no agreement is reached, Tariffs at the 5% level will begin on Monday, with monthly increases as per schedule.” New figures released Wednesday showed that illegal border crossings have risen to a seven-year high, underscoring the roots of the president’s rage.
Finally, at a press conference following private talks at Downing Street, both Trump and May underscored their commitment to a bilateral trade deal after the UK leaves the European Union, which is now slated to happen in October.”There is tremendous potential in that trade deal, I say probably two and even three times what we’re doing right now,” Trump said.
May 31, 2019
The importance of China’s rare earths to U.S. industries is one of many examples of how the two countries’ tech industries have grown intertwined over the years — and why the escalating tension has experts concerned about the long-term impact of an economic decoupling.
Meanwhile, Senior White House advisor Jared Kushner is leading a U.S. delegation to the Middle East in an attempt to build support for the Trump administration’s long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan—at least the economic part of it
Finally, the U.S. had a “large trade deficit” of $67.6 billion in goods with Japan in 2018, according to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and Trump has indicated he wants a a substantial reduction in the trade imbalance between the countries.Washington and Tokyo, led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, have been wrangling over tariffs on automobiles and agricultural products for months.
Read on!
May 24, 2019
Acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan Tuesday credited the deployment of US military weaponry with preventing potential attacks by Iran or its proxies in the Middle East. “We have put on hold the potential for attacks on Americans” by Iran or its allies, he told reporters at the Pentagon.”I just hope Iran is listening,” Shanahan added. “We’re in the region to address many things but it is not to go to a war with Iran.”
Meanwhile, tension between the U.S. and Russia remains high, and such aerial encounters have not been uncommon in recent years. NORAD said it has “intercepted an average of approximately six to seven Russian sorties entering its ADIZ since Russia resumed long range aviation patrols in 2007.”
Finally, at the invitation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to Tokyo on Saturday as the first foreign leader to meet newly enthroned Emperor Naruhito. This unique honor caps off Abe’s campaign to develop a close personal rapport with President Trump thus deepening ties with the United States.
May 17, 2019
President Trump lays out new immigration plan – U.S. bolsters partnership with France to counter terrorist radicalization and recruitment – Ken Langone on U.S. and China trade
President Trump’s new immigration plan will shift to a more merit-based system prioritizing high-skilled workers would mark a dramatic departure from the nation’s largely family-based approach, which officials said gives roughly 66% of green cards to those with family ties and only 12% based on skills.
Meanwhile, the attacks in Marseille, New York, Nice, Orlando, Paris, San Bernardino, and Strasbourg over the past four years are examples of how lethal even one or a few determined individuals can be. Exchanges between France and the United States on countering radicalization and terrorist recruitment remain timely and important – for all of our national security.”
Finally, the Trump administration is attempting to strike a trade deal with China to end the escalating conflict. The world’s two largest economies increased tariffs on one another in recent days, with the U.S. making the first move by increasing duties on $200 billion worth of Chinese products from 10% to 25%. The tactic amplified a fight that has rattled financial markets and threatened to drag on the global economy.
May 10, 2019
President Trump has raised the already high stakes of this week’s talks between U.S. and Chinese negotiators as he seeks to seal an agreement he can brandish on the campaign trail. The push to bring the talks with China to a conclusion comes as his administration gears up for a difficult fight in Congress over its new North American trade deal.
Meanwhile, speaking in London, Secretary of State Pompeo argued that China posed such a range of economic and security threats that the world now faced “a new kind of challenge, an authoritarian regime that’s integrated economically into the West.”
Finally, Pompeo had been scheduled to promote the Trump administration’s Arctic policies in Greenland on Thursday, following a tour of Europe.The Greenland stop was Pompeo’s second cancellation of the trip, following his earlier pullout of a stop in Germany to attend a meeting in Baghdad with Iraqi leaders on Tuesday.
May 3rd, 2019
U.S. Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, along with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, held a day of discussions with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, aimed at ending a trade war. The talks are to resume next week in Washington, where some observers say a deal announcement is possible.
Meanwhile, President Trump threatened tuesday to impose a “full and complete embargo” and more economic sanctions on Cuba if that government does not end what Trump called deadly intervention in Venezuela, where soldiers and opposition forces clashed in the streets.
Finally, after a 90-minute Oval Office meeting to discuss a potential infrastructure bill, both President Trump and Democrats gushed about what may have been their first point of agreement this year, on a plan to spend $2 trillion to repair crumbling roads and bridges.
April 26, 2019
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the United States will end all exceptions for countries currently purchasing oil from Iran. The secretary also stated ” Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and other oil-producing countries are committed to ensuring that global oil markets remain adequately supplied,”
Meanwhile, the White House confirmed President Trump offical state visit to the U.K. which will reaffirm the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. The President will also attend a ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
Finally, FBI agents and U.S. military personnel have arrived in Sri Lanka to assist the investigation into a series of bombings at churches and luxury hotels on Easter Sunday that killed more than 350 and injured 500, the U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka said.
April 19, 2019
Ivanka Trump spoke on the last day of her four-day trip to Ethiopia and Ivory Coast, which has featured a mix of carefully choreographed diplomacy and visits to local business ventures as she advances a White House program to give an economic boost to women in the developing world
Meanwhile, at a recent meeting of ministers and disaster management officials from the United States and 18 Caribbean countries a new ‘US-Caribbean Resilience Partnership’ was officially launched. The US-Caribbean Resilience Partnership is not limited to improving resilience to natural disasters but also involves civil-military training and more.
Finally, earlier this year Carter sent Trump a letter with some advice about managing the U.S.-China relationship. Carter oversaw the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries 40 years ago.On Saturday evening, Trump called Carter to talk about it.
April 12, 2019
The Trump administration is designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, taking an unprecedented step as it seems to increase pressure on Iran’s regime.
Meanwhile, the US economy is actually recording the lowest rate of layoffs and firings since the federal government began tracking job turnover two decades ago. Just look at how much has changed since the 2007 recession.
Finally, The U.S. and China have agreed to open “enforcement offices” as a way to make sure each side lives up to the terms of a trade deal still under negotiation, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Wednesday.
April 05, 2019
In the past year, U.S. pressure has countered Iran’s grand strategy to spread its outlaw, expansionist regime. By reducing the threats posed by Iran in the region, there’s hope to resolve many conflicts.
After two years of playing coy, the Trump administration is reportedly finally ready to unveil its plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The plan’s details remain confidential, but if it is anything like President Trump’s moves so far on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, it will be bold.
Finally, Americans are the world’s most generous contributors to humanitarian assistance — not just with dollars, but with human capital. Thousands of Americans work across the globe in international humanitarian organizations, responding to crises, ensuring access to life-saving necessities, and protecting the most vulnerable populations.
March 29, 2019
This week, both the Obama and Trump administrations can take credit. President Barack Obama, whose withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq created a vacuum for the Islamic State to fill, launched the multinational anti-ISIS campaign, and President Donald Trump continued and accelerated it.
Meanwhile, the U.S. and its allies in Europe could agree at an upcoming NATO meeting to provide more support to Ukraine in its efforts to resist Russian aggression in the region, America’s top diplomat said Wednesday.
Finally, Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services Brandon Lipps speaks on the importance of the WIC program as a gateway to good health and self-sufficiency for many Americans.
March 22, 2019
This week, President Trump visited the tank factory in in Lima Ohio expressing his admiration and appreciation for its workers while also announcing an additional 400 new jobs at the manufacturing facility.
High-ranking U.S. delegation will travel to Beijing next week to resume negotiations aimed at resolving the ongoing trade war between the world’s two leading economies.
U.S. prosecutors are looking into the development of Boeing’s 737 Max jets, a person briefed on the matter revealed Monday, the same day French aviation investigators concluded there were “clear similarities” in the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max 8 last week and a Lion Air jet in October.
March 15, 2019
This week, the Department of State released the 2018 Human Rights Report. The Human Rights Reports are essential to the advancement of universal human dignity around the world.
The United States will use its “influence and power to move every nation towards better, more consistent human rights practices,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.
Pompeo said he hoped this year’s report would “cause oppressive regimes to honor human rights in places where voices are often silenced, and where deep yearnings for tolerance and respect have for too long gone unfulfilled.”
The United States remains steadfastly committed to promoting and protecting human rights as integral elements of our foreign policy.
March 08, 2019
American farmers are selling more of their high-quality products to the rest of the world than ever before in the history of U.S. agriculture.
For the first time in 13 years, the U.S. economy reached 3 percent growth in 2018 thanks to President Trump’s policies. With a booming economy, the United States is the perfect place for any UK business looking to invest and grow internationally.
March 01, 2019
Vice President Mike Pence, in his remarks to the Lima Group in Colombia, told all Venezuelan citizens that the United States is with them “100 percent.” The Vice President strongly criticized former President Nicolas Maduro for turning away humanitarian aid at the border and announced nearly $56 million in additional humanitarian assistance to countries supporting the regional response to the ongoing crisis in Venezuela.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick M. Shanahan said “secure and resilient 5G telecommunications is vital to the security and prosperity of the United States” and called on allies to rely on “robust, trusted, and secure next-generation communications systems.”
Figures from the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) show growing numbers of foreign visitors in the United States. In 2017, the most recent year reported, approximately 76.9 million visitors arrived in the U.S., 4.5 million of which from the United Kingdom.
February 22, 2019
Vice President Mike Pence delivered a speech on U.S. foreign policy, the American commitment to Europe, Russia, and ongoing threats from Iran at the annual Munich Security Conference in Germany. The Vice President reminded European leaders that “America first” does not mean “America alone.”
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative C.J. Mahoney and UK Ambassador to the United States Kim Darroch signed two mutual recognition agreements, covering U.S. exports to the UK of more than $5 billion in 2018, on February 14, 2019. These agreements will ensure that trade in certain products will not be disrupted when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.
Secretary of State Mike R. Pompeo met with the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in Brussels, as part of a five-day trip to Europe including visits to Budapest, Bratislava, Warsaw, and Reykjavik. Secretary Pompeo and Mogherini discussed U.S.-EU cooperation on a range of key issues.
February 15, 2019
President Donald J. Trump launched the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP), which seeks to reach 50 million women in the developing world by 2025. The initiative seeks to enable women to prosper in the workforce, jumpstart women’s successes as entrepreneurs, and create an enabling environment for women to fully participate in the economy.
The Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East, co-hosted by the United States and Poland, was an opportunity for countries to share their perspective on the wide-ranging issues affecting the region and how to effectively cooperate to address them.
The Department of Defense published its Artificial Intelligence Strategy in concert with President Trump’s Executive Order on Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence. The strategy directs the United States to adopt AI to maintain its strategic position to prevail on future battlefields and safeguard a free and open international order.
February 08, 2019
On February 5, President Donald J. Trump delivered his second State of the Union Address to Congress. In his speech, the President rejected the “politics of revenge, resistance, and retribution” and instead called for “cooperation, compromise, and the common good.”
At the University of Illinois, researchers developed a method to produce crops in greater abundance. Making photosynthesis more efficient, the researchers managed to grow tobacco plants 40 percent larger in a field test. Eventually, they hope to extend their method to soybeans, rice, potato, and other crops.
Ahead of the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union, the Office of the United States Trade Representative signed two continuity agreements, covering wine and spirits, with the UK to guarantee no disruption in trade of those products.
February 01, 2019
The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed two indictments against Chinese telecommunications company Huawei with “theft of trade secrets conspiracy, attempted theft of trade secrets, seven counts of wire fraud, and one count of obstruction of justice,” as well as financial fraud. Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker promised that the Department of Justice will protect the integrity of the American economy from “criminals, no matter how powerful or influential they are.”
On January 23, President Donald J. Trump recognized Juan Guaido as the Interim President of Venezuela, following the Venezuelan National Assembly constitutional declaration of Nicolas Maduro as illegitimate. In his Executive Order, President Trump cited human rights violations and other abuses of power and curtailments of political freedom.
In Washington, Director of National Intelligence Daniel R. Coats presented the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Director Coats warned that “China and Russia seek to expand their global influence, they are eroding once well established security norms and increasing the risk of regional conflicts, particularly in the Middle East and East Asia.” The United States will continue to face a diverse set of threats, ranging from Iran’s adversarial behavior, to cyberthreats, and terrorism.
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