Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is visiting Beijing for a three-day state visit to upgrade their countries' ties to an "all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership". This visit has raised concerns from US officials that Beijing may be considering aiding Moscow in its ongoing assault on Ukraine. During the visit, the two leaders will exchange views on bilateral ties and international and regional issues of common concern, and sign a number of cooperation documents. The visit is expected to further strengthen the two countries' ties and could lead to increased economic cooperation.
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China has accused the United States of "disinformation" and a "double standard" for considering sending Russia artillery and ammunition for its war in Ukraine. The US 7th Fleet has flown a P-8A Poseidon over the waterway that separates China and Taiwan, which Beijing has seen as "deliberately disrupting the regional situation" and jeopardizing peace and stability. China has released a peace plan Friday on the war's first anniversary and is actively promoting peace talks on the Ukraine issue.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made a surprise visit to Ukraine to emphasize the US commitment to supporting Kyiv in the midst of its ongoing war with Russia. During her visit, Yellen discussed the US's efforts to hold Russia accountable, as well as the Federal Reserve's efforts to bring down inflation while maintaining a strong labor market. She also discussed the US's economic assistance to Ukraine, which has totaled $14 billion since the war began.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal agency that protects consumers from unlawful financial services practices. The Biden administration had argued that a lower court decision invalidating the way the CFPB is funded threatens its entire mission. The outcome of the case could have far-reaching implications for the CFPB and the regulation of financial services in the US, with the court's ruling expected to be issued in June 2024.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a source of confusion and debate since it began in late 2019, with the US Department of Energy recently adding to the confusion with its assessment that the most likely cause was a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China. Rep. Seth Moulton and the FBI have sided with the lab hypothesis, but divisions remain in the US intelligence community. President Joe Biden has called for a full report from the intelligence community, and has said he will accept its conclusions.
Over 231,000 US homes and businesses were without power as of Monday morning due to severe weather, with tornadoes reported in Oklahoma and storm warnings issued for parts of the central US. Flash flood warnings have been issued for Oklahoma and Kansas, and residents are advised to stay alert and monitor local weather reports.
NASA, SpaceX, and the United Arab Emirates are working together to launch a historic mission to the International Space Station on Monday. The four-man crew consists of two NASA astronauts, one Russian cosmonaut, and the first-ever UAE astronaut. This mission marks the first time that astronauts from all three countries will be working together in space, and is part of a public-private partnership between NASA and SpaceX to keep the ISS fully staffed and to return astronaut launches to US soil. It is also part of the UAE’s ambitious space program, and is expected to be a success.
The US Department of Energy has concluded with "low confidence" that the Covid-19 pandemic "likely" originated from a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China, according to a classified report delivered to key lawmakers on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. Intelligence agencies can make assessments with either low, medium or high confidence, but one source cautioned that the DOE's conclusion was not being viewed as hugely significant due to interagency disagreements. The US Department of Energy's assessment is the latest in a series of reports from the US government and other countries that have sought to determine the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic.