John,

January has been a month of nonstop breaking news headlines out of Washington –– but today we’re looking beyond our own borders as we catch you up on all the can’t-miss stories from around the globe.

From the US cracking down on China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims to Russia cracking down on political opposition leaders, catch up on everything you might have missed and make sure to share your thoughts using our comment box below.

[READ] THE CHINA TASK FORCE REPORT

The bottom line: A policy group consisting of 15 Members of Congress, including Mike, released a report that outlines an action plan to combat the CCP’s global activity, which runs counter to the United States’ interests.

As a member of the Task Force, Mike was involved in conversations related to a host of policy issues from trade to national security.

The result? 62 of the legislative recommendations have been added to the U.S. Code and 48 recommendations have been implemented by the Executive Branch since the report was released.

[READ] US DECLARES HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN CHINA ARE “GENOCIDE”

The bottom line: “On Jan. 19, 2021, the outgoing Trump administration’s State Department said that China’s government was committing genocide and crimes against humanity in its treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement, “I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the Chinese party-state.”

Over the last three years, China’s mass incarceration of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the region of Xinjiang has gradually come into sharper relief — with mounting evidence of a vast network of detention camps, testimony from survivors, and allegations of forced labor.”

Do you believe the U.S. made the right move by labeling China’s actions as genocide?

Use the comment box below to share your thoughts.

Share your comments today

[READ] DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CHARGES ZOOM EXECUTIVE OVER TIES TO CHINA

The bottom line: “Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice charged a China-based Zoom executive with disrupting video meetings hosted by users outside China that commemorated the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. The complaint reveals the now-terminated employee was sending the private data of some U.S.-based users directly to the Ministry of State Security (MSS), China's main civilian spy agency.

Researchers and U.S. government officials have warned that the Chinese government might require China-based employees of U.S. companies to hand over private company data to Beijing. The DOJ's charges indicate those fears are valid.”

[READ] RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER NAVALNY DETAINED IN MOSCOW

The bottom line: “Navalny was detained on Sunday after flying home for the first time since being poisoned with what the West says was a military-grade nerve agent that Navalny says was applied to his underpants by state security agents.

The 44-year-old lawyer, in a Moscow prison pending the outcome of four legal matters he describes as trumped up, accuses President Vladimir Putin of ordering his attempted murder. Putin has dismissed that, alleging Navalny is part of a U.S.-backed dirty tricks campaign to discredit him.”

[READ] THOUSANDS ARRESTED AS PROTESTERS DEMAND RELEASE OF NAVALNY

The bottom line: “Russian police arrested more than 3,000 people Saturday in nationwide protests demanding the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin’s most prominent foe, according to a group that counts political detentions.

The protests in scores of cities in temperatures as low as minus-50 C (minus-58 F) highlighted how Navalny has built influence far beyond the political and cultural centers of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In Moscow, an estimated 15,000 demonstrators gathered in and around Pushkin Square in the city center, where clashes with police broke out and demonstrators were roughly dragged off by helmeted riot officers to police buses and detention trucks. Some were beaten with batons.

Navalny’s wife Yulia was among those arrested.”

[READ] YEARS OF IGNORED WARNINGS PAVED WAY FOR RUSSIAN CYBER ATTACK

The bottom line: “The massive cyber-attack by suspected Russian hackers, disclosed in December, came after years of warnings from a watchdog group and cybersecurity experts. For instance, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, which was created by Congress to come up with strategies to thwart sizable cyber-attacks, presented a set of recommendations to Congress in March that included additional safeguards to ensure more trusted supply chains.

By then, the alleged Russian hackers may have already breached the government’s software supply chain, in a brazen attack that targeted federal agencies, technology giants including Microsoft Corp., and cybersecurity companies. U.S. officials said the attack, which was disclosed in December 2020, is ongoing; investigators haven’t yet revealed the extent of the damage.”