Trump absent as Iowa 2024 GOP caucus train begins to roll
After a slow start, Republican presidential prospects are streaming into Iowa, the leadoff presidential caucus state. Notably absent from the lineup, at least for now, is former President Donald Trump. Few of the White House hopefuls face the lofty expectations in Iowa that Trump does. He finished a competitive second to devout social conservative Ted Cruz in 2016. Trump went on to carry the state twice, by healthy margins, as the Republican presidential nominee in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Though the caucuses are nearly a year off, they remain the first event on the nomination calendar, and some Iowa GOP activists have taken notice of Trump’s absence.
Congress delegation visits Taiwan in tense US-China moment
A delegation of U.S. lawmakers has met with the head of Taiwan’s legislature as part of a five-day visit to the self-ruled island that comes as U.S.-China relations remain tense after weeks of trading accusations over a spy balloon. The delegation includes Reps. Ro Khanna of California, Tony Gonzales of Texas, Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois. They are expected to meet President Tsai Ing-wen as well as business people. Khanna, a Democrat who represents Silicon Valley, said he was in Taiwan to learn about the island’s role in the semiconductor industry. He addressed the implicit threat facing their visit, as China opposes any form of exchange between Taiwan and foreign governments.
Government cracks down on crypto industry with flurry of actions
Cryptocurrency executives have found themselves on the receiving end of an aggressive government crackdown. Last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission levied penalties against crypto lending firms, and federal banking officials issued policy statements that appeared calculated to make it harder for crypto companies to participate in the mainstream finance system. The pace has accelerated. Two high-profile crypto firms came under pressure from state and federal regulators, and the SEC fined a crypto promoter and sued a startup that issued digital coins, for three enforcements in just over a week.
Students, faculty return to Michigan State after shooting
Michigan State University students and faculty have returned to the East Lansing campus, one week after a gunman killed three students and injured five others. With many professors allowing students to attend class virtually, the campus at the 50,000 student university remained relatively quiet Monday. The shootings happened last Monday during evening classes at Berkey Hall and nearby at the MSU Union, a student social hub. Students across the vast campus were ordered to shelter in place for several hours while police hunted for Anthony McRae. Authorities say McRae eventually killed himself when confronted by police not far from his home in Lansing.
China says US ‘not qualified’ to issue orders on arms
Bristling against U.S. claims that Beijing may be poised to send “lethal support” to help Russia’s war in Ukraine, China accused the Biden administration Monday of spreading lies and defended its close partnership with Russia. The remarks, by a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were part of a series of moves by China as the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, tries to keep Russia close — but also repair ties with Western powers. He has sought to preserve relations with President Vladimir Putin of Russia while casting Beijing as a blameless onlooker in his invasion of Ukraine, trying only to coax Russia and Ukraine into peace talks.
Turkey rejects links between NATO expansion, F-16 deal
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for Sweden and Finland to be accepted into NATO “as quickly as possible.” But Blinken’s Turkish counterpart dismissed the possibility of any link between their accession and Turkey’s request for F-16 fighter jets. Turkey has delayed the Nordic countries admission to the trans-Atlantic defense alliance, citing concerns over terrorism. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Monday repeated Turkey’s stance that it would be willing to approve Finland joining NATO before Sweden. Turkey has complained about what it sees as Stockholm’s tolerance of support for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party. The PKK has waged a four-decade insurgency against Ankara.
Brazil deluge kills 36; search continues for dozens missing
Hundreds of rescuers in Brazil are searching for survivors of landslides and flooding that killed at least 36 people along the coast of the country’s southern state of Sao Paulo following a huge weekend downpour. Worst hit was the city of Sao Sebastiao, where at least 35 were dead. In neighboring Ubatuba a 7-year-old girl was killed. The disaster, in an area famous for beaches flanked by mountains, prompted cancellations in many cities of Carnival festivities. Sao Paulo state Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas told television network Globo that another 40 people were missing. His state government said in a statement that nearly 800 people were homeless.
By wire sources