Pelosi visit to Taiwan likely, Griner back in court, five more primaries on tap

Headlines for Aug. 2, 2022:

Nancy Pelosi likely to visit Taiwan – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi left Malaysia on Tuesday believed to be on her way to Taiwan. According to local media there, Pelosi is expected to arrive in the disputed nation tonight. Her visit would defy Chinese warnings. It would also make Pelosi the highest-ranking elected U.S. official to visit Taiwan in more than 25 years.

Blinken to make case for Griner – American basketball star Brittney Griner was back in Russian court Tuesday. Prosecutors called a state narcotics expert to analyze the cannabis found in Griner’s luggage. The defense challenged their analysis and called it flawed.

“We need the exact qualification for the adjudication of the case. The qualification depends on, in particular, whether the seized substance is prohibited and what is its amount,” Griner Lawyer Alexander Boykov said Tuesday. “Found forensic evidence tell us that it would be wrong to reliably establish the amount with the existing case materials.”

Tuesday’s court appearance comes just days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with his Russian counterpart in the highest-level known contact between the U.S. and Russia since the Ukraine invasion began. The U.S. has reportedly offered Russia a prisoner-swap deal that is still on the table.

Primary elections in five more states – Five more state primary elections are set for Tuesday, with several key races in Arizona. Former President Donald Trump has backed candidates for governor and secretary of state who have supported his false claims on election fraud.

“People of Arizona are going to fire the radical left Democrats. You are going to elect a truly great woman who I’ve gotten to know very well, Kari Lake, as your next governor,” Former President Trump said at a campaign rally last month. “You are going to send a brilliant guy who I have also gotten to know very well, Blake Masters, to the U.S. senate.”

Other notable races include GOP contests for Michigan governor and a Missouri senate seat. Voters in Kansas will be the first to weigh in on abortion rights since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Two Republican House members from Washington state who voted to impeach Trump are also facing primary challengers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.