Senate Majority Leader John Thune Moves to Advance Crypto Clarity Act 
SEC Moves to Dismiss Insider Trading Case Against Trump-Pardoned Terren Peizer 
Trump Faces Tough Choices as Iran War Drags On 
Bezalel Smotrich Faces Election Battle as Israel’s Far-Right Vote Fractures 
Rubio, UK’s Miliband Stress Stronger European Security Role in Washington Talks 
Russian Strikes on Ukraine Kill Six, Wound Dozens in Balakliia and Sumy 
Germany Warns of Daily Hybrid Warfare Threats 
Colombia President Abelardo De La Espriella Pledges Drug Crackdown, Economic Reforms 
North Korea May Deploy 120 Missiles to Russia 
Trump Administration Weighs Executive Order on Vaccines and Autism Research 
ICE to Complete Nationwide Body Camera Rollout by End of August 
Zelensky Urges Faster NATO Action on Air Defense Missiles 
US Continues Ukraine Patriot Missile Production Talks Despite Trump Doubts 
US-Backed Venezuela Government, Opposition Talks Begin 
New Zealand MMP Electoral System Faces Fresh Referendum Debate 
Iran-Oman Near Strait of Hormuz Deal as Shipping Tensions Persist 
Trump Orders Probe Into Pentagon Munitions Stockpile Leaks After Iran Conflict 
As the respective campaigns of President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden double down on their efforts in the second half of the campaign period, this also means the upcoming presidential debates between the two candidates. The Biden campaign recently said yes to the three upcoming presidential debates.
Axios reports that the Biden campaign sent a letter to the Commission of Presidential Debates on Monday, agreeing to the organization’s proposal of three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate. All of these debates will be independently moderated. The campaign added that Trump and vice president Mike Pence should comply with the same proposal.
The former vice president will take part in the debates on September 29th, October 15th, and October 22nd. Biden’s running mate will debate on October 7th.
The campaign has also asked the Commission to confirm its plans on coronavirus measures, asking about debate arrangements so as not to give Trump and Pence reasons not to participate in the debate. The campaign also pushed for a town hall format with the necessary coronavirus safety measures in place, for the candidates to take questions from citizens who have yet to decide who to vote on.
Trump has pushed for four presidential debates and that the debates should be done sooner due to early voting. However, the Biden campaign saw this as another tactic done by the president. “The Trump position seems to be saying that he will debate if he can pick the moderators: clearly the president, who largely conducts interviews only with favorable news outlets, is afraid of facing questions from a neutral moderator. The Trump campaign proposal for elaborate negotiations is merely an effort to dodge fair, even-handed debates,” said campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon in the letter.
In other related news, the New York Post reports that Biden has already begun assembling his presidential transition team. The presumptive Democratic nominee has appointed former senator Ted Kaufman to lead the team, who will oversee Biden’s previous efforts in putting together a transition team should he win the election in November.
According to people knowledgeable in the matter, the full lineup of people involved in Biden’s transition team is expected to be revealed by the fall.
