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Good afternoon. Here’s what you should know today, Aug. 2: |
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President Biden named a monkeypox czar The first referendum on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade is before Kansas voters Grab a hot pretzel—shopping malls are coming back |
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| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan late Tuesday, amid warnings from China not to do so. Beijing claims the self-ruling island as part of its territory, and Pelosi’s visit marks the highest-level trip there by a U.S. government official in 25 years. PHOTO: TAIWAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS VIA AP |
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1. Nancy Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, defying China’s warnings of “disastrous consequences.” |
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The House speaker is the highest-ranking U.S. official in a quarter-century to visit the island—a move that China’s Communist Party regards as a challenge to its sovereignty. She took a roundabout route from Kuala Lumpur that appeared designed to avoid transiting the South China Sea, where Beijing has an established military presence. Pelosi is set to meet tomorrow with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and legislators in the self-ruled democracy. |
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Afghanistan Strike and Pelosi Visit to Taiwan Put Foreign Policy Back on Center Stage for Biden (Read) |
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2. Voters in five states are going to the polls to settle intraparty battles in key races. |
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Republicans will settle fractious primary contests for governor in Michigan and Arizona and for the Senate in Arizona and Missouri, while Democrats will choose between two sitting House members in a competitive primary race outside Detroit. Here are the races to watch. In Kansas, a proposed state constitutional amendment that would end protections for abortion is the first referendum on the issue since the Supreme Court eliminated abortion rights at the federal level. |
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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Challenging Idaho Abortion Law (Read) |
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3. President Biden appointed a national monkeypox response coordinator amid criticism of the federal government’s response to the outbreak. |
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Robert Fenton, a FEMA regional administrator, will work to increase the availability of tests, drugs and vaccines. The U.S. now has more than 5,800 reported cases of monkeypox, most of them in men who have sex with men, according to the CDC. Some patients say they are navigating the illness without enough guidance from healthcare providers and public-health officials. |
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4. Banks are spending big to boost credit-card sign-ups, defying recession fears. |
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New account openings are surging and solicitations promoting zero-percent interest rates on purchases and balance transfers, which fell after the Fed began raising interest rates in March, are rising again. Meanwhile, consumer-goods companies are targeting cost-conscious shoppers with new brands and sizes. |
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Fed Official Says Economy Needs Rate Setting That Slows Economic Growth (Read) Demand for Workers Fell in June to Lowest Level in Nine Months (Read) Low-Income Nations Turn to Risky Bank Loans (Read) |
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5. Ukraine is scrambling to transport millions of metric tons of grain that had been trapped in the country by Russia’s invasion. |
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After the first shipment went out yesterday, officials warned that the task could take months. Convincing cargo companies to return to the country—and finding insurance for those willing to do so—could be tricky. Ukraine is one of the world’s biggest grain exporters. |
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🎥 Ukraine’s Food Inflation Is Bad, and Many Can’t Even Afford Salt (Watch) Russia Shells Apartment Buildings in Southern Ukraine (Read) Europe’s Coal-Buying Frenzy Means Windfall for Producers (Read) |
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