United States

DoD Ends Support For Congressional Travel To Israel

CBS News reports: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has issued a memo that pauses Defense Department support for congressional travel to Israel right now and restricts visits by defense and military leaders. The memo, dated October 31, is meant to discourage “combat tourism,” according to defense officials. The military is already doing so much in the area that there’s no reason …

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Hamas Releases Two American Hostages [VIDEO]

Reuters reports: Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam Brigades, has released two U.S. hostages from Gaza – a mother and her daughter – “for humanitarian reasons” in response to Qatari mediation efforts in the war with Israel, its spokesman Abu Ubaida said on Friday. Hamas says it took about 200 hostages during a deadly Oct. 7 rampage carried out …

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US Readies Troops For Possible Deployment To Israel

The New York Times reports: Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has ordered about 2,000 more U.S. troops to prepare to deploy to the Middle East in support of Israel, the Pentagon said on Tuesday, as Israeli forces prepare to launch a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. The troops are currently stationed in the United States and other locations, …

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Kirby: US May Use Troops To Rescue Hamas’s Hostages

The Daily Beast reports: National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that he won’t rule out the possibility that American troops could be deployed to help free hostages captured by the Hamas militant group, but noted there are no plans currently in place to do so. In an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Kirby was asked whether he would …

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US Intel Warned Israel Days Ahead Of Hamas Attack

CNN reports: The US intelligence community produced at least two assessments based in part on intelligence provided by Israel warning the Biden administration of an increased risk for Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the weeks ahead of Saturday’s seismic attack on southern Israel, according to sources familiar with the intelligence. One update from September 28 warned, based on multiple streams of intelligence, …

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State Department Warning: Reconsider Travel To Israel

CNN reports: The US State Department is warning Americans to reconsider travel to Israel in the wake of the weekend’s deadly Hamas attacks. The agency raised its travel advisory level on Wednesday to Level 3: Reconsider Travel because of civil unrest and terrorism, advising that “the situation in Israel remains dynamic; mortar and rocket fire may take place without warning.” …

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State Dept: Nine Americans Killed In Hamas Attacks

NBC News reports: Nine Americans have been killed in the violence in Israel and more may be missing after Hamas attacked from Gaza over the weekend, the State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on “Morning Joe” Monday morning. “There are reports of Americans who are unaccounted for,” he said. “We continue to work to confirm that number and try to …

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Pentagon To Move Carrier Strike Group Closer To Israel

Politico reports: The Pentagon will send ships and aircraft closer to Israel, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Sunday, demonstrating a major show of force a day after Hamas militants launched attacks across southern Israel. The closest U.S. Navy assets are the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford and its carrier strike group, which is currently deployed to the Mediterranean Sea. The …

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Pentagon Vows To Support Israel Against Hamas

The Hill reports: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. stands squarely by Israel and will ensure it “has what it needs to defend itself” after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war against Palestinian militants that launched a surprise attack on his country. Austin said in a statement he was “closely monitoring developments in Israel” and extended his condolences …

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AP Does Deep Dive Into Nonreligious Americans

The Associated Press reports: In U.S. religion today, “the most important story without a shadow of a doubt is the unbelievable rise in the share of Americans who are nonreligious,” said Ryan Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University and author of “The Nones,” a book on the phenomenon. The nones account for a large portion of Americans, …

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WH Display Celebrates Jimmy Carter’s 99th Birthday

The Associated Press reports: Jimmy Carter has always been a man of discipline and habit. But the former president will break routine Sunday, putting off his practice of quietly watching church services online to instead celebrate his 99th birthday with his wife, Rosalynn, and their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Plains. The gathering will take place in the same one-story …

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North Korea To “Expel” US Soldier Who Crossed DMZ

CNN reports: North Korea has decided “to expel” US Army Private Travis King, who had crossed into the North from South Korea during a tour of the joint security area in July, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday. “The relevant organ of the DPRK decided to expel Travis King, a soldier of the U.S. Army who illegally intruded into the …

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Five Americans Released In Prisoner Swap With Iran

CNN reports: Five Americans who had been imprisoned in Iran have been freed and have landed in Doha, Qatar, before flying to the United States later on Monday. The five, all of whom had been designated as wrongfully detained, were freed as part of a wider deal that includes the US unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian funds. They are being …

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Canada Issues Travel Advisory For LGBTQ Visitors To US

Global News reports: Amid a wave of legislation in some U.S. states targeting the LGBTQ2 community, Canada has updated its travel advisory for the country specifically advising people to check state and local laws before visiting. While overall travel advice around risk levels or health concerns has not changed for the U.S. by Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the department updated …

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USPS To Unveil Ruth Bader Ginsburg “Forever” Stamp

Via press release from the United States Postal Service: The United States Postal Service is proud to announce the dedication ceremony for a new Forever stamp honoring Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, celebrating her groundbreaking contributions to justice, gender equality and the rule of law. The Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamp features an oil painting of her in her black …

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Sweden Eliminates US Women In World Cup Match

CNN Sports reports: Heartbreak for the US and the three-peat dream has come to an end. After dominating most of the match, the US is beaten by Sweden in a penalty shootout. US forward Sophia Smith had the chance to win it for the two-time reigning champion, but was made to rue her missed spot-kick. To make the defeat more …

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US Restricts Hungary’s Access To Visa Waiver Program

Politico Europe reports: The United States on Tuesday sharply limited Hungary’s participation in its visa waiver program over security concerns regarding new passports issued between 2011 and 2020. After coming to power in 2010, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government implemented a major policy change that granted citizenship to ethnic Hungarians abroad — including in Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. Domestic …

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Americans Will Soon Need Visa To Visit European Union

Axios reports: U.S. passport holders used to embarking on European vacations without much additional paperwork will soon see that change. New travel rules announced by the EU dictate that travelers from 60 visa-free countries will need to get a new authorization via the European Travel Information and Authorization System starting in 2024. The new rules will apply to travelers from …

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Feds Hunt Chinese Malware In US Military Systems

The New York Times reports: The Biden administration is hunting for malicious computer code it believes China has hidden deep inside the networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases in the United States and around the world, according to American military, intelligence and national security officials. The discovery of the malware has raised fears …

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UN In Talks With North Korea About Fugitive US Soldier

The Associated Press reports: The American-led U.N. Command said Monday it has started a conversation with North Korea about a U.S. soldier who ran into the North last week across one of the world’s most heavily fortified borders. Andrew Harrison, a British lieutenant general who is the deputy commander at the U.N. Command, refused to say when the conversation started, …

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