Russian Strikes on Ukraine Kill Six, Wound Dozens in Balakliia and Sumy 
US Continues Ukraine Patriot Missile Production Talks Despite Trump Doubts 
Bezalel Smotrich Faces Election Battle as Israel’s Far-Right Vote Fractures 
Trump Administration Weighs Executive Order on Vaccines and Autism Research 
US Expands Social Media Vetting to Foreign Journalists Seeking Visas 
Trump Unveils $3 Billion U.S. Critical Minerals Push 
US Expects Iran-Oman Hormuz Shipping Deal Soon 
Mark Carney Jokes About Teleprompter, Takes Swipe at Trump 
Zelensky Urges Faster NATO Action on Air Defense Missiles 
Rubio, UK’s Miliband Stress Stronger European Security Role in Washington Talks 
Taiwan President Lai Oversees Coastal Strike Drills in Han Kuang War Games 
Joe Biden’s Prostate Cancer Has Spread Further, Hunter Biden Says 
Trump Faces Tough Choices as Iran War Drags On 
US-Backed Venezuela Government, Opposition Talks Begin 
U.S. Unseals Charges Against Five Alleged CJNG Leaders, Raises Reward for New Cartel Chief 
Previously, the Trump administration issued an executive order against the video-sharing platform TikTok and its parent company ByteDance which is scheduled to take effect by mid-September. However, TikTok is planning to challenge the ban imposed by Donald Trump.
Washington has raised concerns about TikTok and how it handles its users’ information. They cite that because ByteDance is based in China, the people behind the app may be passing on information to the Beijing government, a claim that the company has denied.
TikTok has over 80 million American users on its platform, and the company has been trying to engage and speak with the administration but have been unsuccessful. Thus, the company is now forced to challenge the executive order against them through a lawsuit.
“To ensure the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the executive order through the judicial system,” said a spokesperson for ByteDance. TikTok is expected to take legal action this week.
Last week, a group of Chinese-Americans also challenged a similar ban placed on social media app WeChat, which is owned by Chinese company Tencent. These are the latest moves Trump has made against his trade war with China prior to the November elections. Tensions between the two countries have soured since the beginning of the year due to COVID-19. However, the US is not the only country that has placed a ban on TikTok. India has also banned its use, and Australia is considering taking the same action.
This week is also the Republican Convention, and as Trump has accepted the party’s nomination, public endorsements by prominent Republicans towards Trump’s Democratic opponent Joe Biden were being made. Along with these endorsements come ads featuring Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen. In the ads that are running this week, Cohen recounts his own firsthand experience while at the same time blasting Trump.
Cohen warns Republicans and those who will be tuning into the convention, that Trump will lie. “He can’t be trusted and you shouldn’t believe a word he utters. So when you watch the President, this week, remember this: If he says something huge, it’s probably small. If he says something will work, it probably won’t. And if he says he cares about your and your family, he certainly does not.”
