Al-Qaeda Leader Killed by US Drone Strike, and Nancy Pelosi's Controversial Visit to Taiwan

It’s Wednesday, August 3. Welcome to the News Diet. Today I’m gonna talk about death of al Qaeda’s leader, Nancy Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan, the Department of Justice’s first challenge to a state abortion law, and also a new study showing the benefits of music therapy on the elderly. Let’s be informed so we can get on with our day.

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Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed by a drone strike over the weekend which was ordered by President Biden. Zawahiri was in Kabul, Afghanistan which is not a great look for the Taliban who claimed that no members of al Qaeda were in the country. 

Zawahiri succeeded predecessor Osama bin Laden who was killed 11 years ago, also by the US. Both figures had vital roles in the 9/11 attacks. So now the question is who’s going to fill the role of the new leader? Al Qaeda’s second in command is thought to have been in Iran, which now puts that country in an interesting position - do they want to harbor the new head of al Qaeda? Or put themselves in the position to make him leave?

This strike comes a year after the chaotic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan that immediately saw the Taliban take control of the country again. After taking over, the Taliban pledged to not provide safe spaces for terrorist organizations like in the past. So the fact that the leader of one of the most prominent terrorist groups in the middle east was found and killed here, likely casts doubt on that pledge.

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After much speculation, Speaker of the house, Nancy Pelosi, arrived in Taiwan as part of her Asian tour. This stop was not made public officially before her arrival, but governments and diplomats around the world suspected the visit would occur anyway. I’ve talked before about how all relations with Taiwan are a sensitive topic right now considering the rising tensions with China. Taiwan considers itself an independent, democratic country, but China still considers the island as a part its mainland and under its communist regime. China obviously disapproves of any international players that may affirm Taiwan’s independence. So, this trip by Pelosi was essentially seen as a political stance. The Speaker is the highest ranking American official to visit the region since 1997. And the trip comes at a time when tensions between the two sides have been increasing. On top of that, the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war has only put more eyes on China and Taiwan, considering their geopolitical similarities. 

In response to her visit, China showed their disapproval by reportedly sending 18 fighter jets and 3 other planes towards the area, and announced plans to carry out long range missile drills. 

The US claims to abide by the one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing, but does allow for relations and some defense support for Taiwan. In fact, right now senators are discussing legislation called The Taiwan Policy Act which would send $4.5 billion to help bolster defense systems, as well as declare Taiwan as a “major non-NATO ally” which means the US could provide more security and trade even though they aren’t a part of the defense alliance. Russia and China have maintained relations throughout the Ukraine assault, so it’s not surprising that Putin came out in support of China here.

Speaker Pelosi has plans to also visit Japan and South Korea as a part of this trip.

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The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit that aims to block Idaho’s new abortion law, that would make it illegal to perform an abortion except in the cases of rape, incest, or in cases where the mother’s life is in danger. This is the first challenge to an abortion restriction law since the federal right to the procedure was overturned by the Supreme Court in June.

The DOJ says that the law would be violating what’s called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, which requires hospitals that accept Medicare to provide medical treatment needed to stabilize an emergency condition, which they are arguing could include an abortion. Even though Idaho’s law does allow the procedure where the mother’s life is in danger, Attorney General Merrick Garland says that this is still too restrictive. So they’re asking a judge to rule this law in violation and to bar Idaho authorities from enforcing it.

Idaho Governor Brad Little claims that the DOJ and President Biden are overreaching federal authority, saying that states now have the right to determine their own abortion laws for themselves. With this being the first challenge against restrictions, the outcome is expected to set precedents for other states looking to implement similar laws.

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A new study is showing that listening to music could help the elderly reconnect with their memories. A neuroscience researcher and associate professor at Northeastern University found that older adults who listened to both their favorite music, but also other kinds of music, may have the bridge between the auditory system of the brain and the reward system of the brain strengthened, which is giving researchers hope that maybe there could be a correlation between music and cognition. 

The main researcher, Psyche Loui, was inspired by her time working in nursing homes, and observing that patients who couldn’t even finish sentences suddenly could sing along to music. She worked with a team of music therapists, neurologists, and geriatric psychiatrists in this study which worked with adults aged 54-89, where they had patients listen to music every day for an hour for eight weeks and then journal their response afterwards. This study adds to the growing discipline of music therapy, which is the study of music as a means to accomplished individualized goals such as anxiety or depression, or maybe in this case memory loss.

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It’s Wednesday, August 3. And you’ve just been informed. Now it’s time to get on with your day. I’m Michele Carroll. Thanks so much for listening.

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https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/01/politics/joe-biden-counter-terrorism/index.html

https://www.foxnews.com/us/al-qaeda-leader-ayman-al-zawahiri-killed-drone-strike-9-11-families-react 

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https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/02/watch-live-us-attorney-general-merrick-garland-briefs-press-on-doj-lawsuit-challenging-idaho-abortion-law.html

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/idaho-abortion-ban-challenged-justice-department

https://www.dailywire.com/news/justice-department-sues-to-block-idaho-pro-life-law-in-first-suit-since-dobbs-ruling 

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https://apnews.com/article/china-asia-beijing-malaysia-a5a6acc391511c99b1b4c2d69e67b133

https://www.foxbusiness.com/retail/china-halts-taiwanese-snack-imports-pelosi-arrival 

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https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/music-helps-reconnect-elderly-patients-with-their-memories-in-new-study/ 

https://www.psycheloui.com/ 

https://www.musictherapy.org/