Former FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department and the FBI for violating his First Amendment rights by firing him after discovering 2016 texts in which he "expressed his political opinions" about then-candidate Donald Trump.
Why it matters: Strzok led the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and later worked for special counsel Robert Mueller, before being transferred and later terminated after the discovery of thousands of personal text messages exchanged with FBI lawyer Lisa Page. Strzok has been the target of attacks from conservatives and Trump allies who believe the Russia probe was politically motivated and part of a conspiracy to undermine the Trump presidency.
White House national security adviser John Bolton declared in a speech Tuesday morning that the embargo on Venezuela announced Monday night will deny President Nicolás Maduro the funds he needs to sustain his regime.
Why it matters: It has been six months since the U.S. recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate president, and three months since a U.S.-supported coup attempt on Maduro failed. The drastic new steps are an attempt to regain momentum — but they will inflame tensions with Russia and China, allies of Maduro who receive shipments of Venezuelan oil as a form of debt repayment.
U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman is resigning from his post effective Oct. 3, according to a letter first reported by the Salt Lake Tribune.
Why it matters: Huntsman is a two-term governor of Utah and former ambassador to China under President Obama who was diagnosed with cancer last year. His resignation is fueling speculation that he may again run for governor of Utah, per the Tribune. Huntsman faced calls to resign after the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki last summer, but said he would stay on out of commitment to his colleagues and country in this "fragile" era of U.S.-Russia relations.
Vice President Mike Pence has signaled that the Trump administration is open to using the Global Magnitsky Act to sanction top officials in Xinjiang, China, where more than 1 million Uighur Muslims are being held in internment camps, according to a Chinese religious freedom advocate who met with Pence at the White House Monday.
Driving the news: Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, said that Pence also told him that he planned to give a second speech about China in the fall to address religious freedom issues. Beijing has been paying close attention to Pence's plans for a second speech, as the vice president has been at the forefront of the administration's confrontation with China. So hawkish was a speech Pence gave in October that the New York Times framed it as a portent of a "New Cold War."
China said Tuesday it "will not stand by idly" if the U.S. follows through with plans to deploy intermediate-range missiles in the coming months in the Asia-Pacific region, reports AP.
Why it matters: The warning comes after the U.S. formally withdrew last week from the Cold War-era Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) agreement with Russia — which the U.S. claimed was unfair because other geopolitical rivals, like China, weren't restricted by its limits. Chinese officials also said they have no plans of joining nuclear weapons talks with the U.S. and Russia due to China's smaller arsenal.
North Korea has fired 2 "unidentified projectiles" into the East Sea for the 4th time in less than 2 weeks, according to the South Korean military.
The big picture: President Trump said last week that the short-range missile tests North Korea has been conducting do not violate the terms of his agreement with Kim Jong-un in Singapore last year, but he nonetheless urged Kim to "do the right thing." A spokesperson for North Korea's foreign ministry on Monday protested joint military drills by the U.S. and South Korea, warning that the country is still committed to dialogue but could be forced to take a “new road,” per North Korean state media.
Officials from Israel's Foreign Ministry warned in a classified Cabinet meeting last month that if the Israeli government doesn’t create a strong monitoring mechanism on Chinese investments, it could lead to a harsh confrontation with the Trump administration, 2 ministers who attended the meeting tell me.
Why it matters: The Foreign Ministry warning, which came on July 24, led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to postpone a vote on forming such a mechanism that was apparently too weak. Chinese investments in Israel have become the main source of tension with the Trump administration over the last 2 years.
Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam said Monday massive demonstrations are challenging China’s sovereignty, as city-wide strikes caused transport chaos, leading to the cancellation of more than 200 flights, Reuters reports.
The big picture: Protesters attempting to interrupt Hong Kong's subway system kept train doors from closing during morning rush hour, according to the Wall Street Journal, which notes the train service’s website stated more than 6 lines were suspended. A third of air traffic controllers have joined the strike, according to RTHK.
