US national intel director says it’s ‘decision time’ on North Korea
The U.S. director of national intelligence warned on Tuesday that time was running out for the United States to act on the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
United States
Russia planning a replay for 2018 vote, intel chiefs warn
Top U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday that Russia is laying the online groundwork to meddle in this year’s midterm elections, and they warned that both Russia and China are barreling toward weapons designed to take out American satellites in space.
Abbas to Putin: We refuse to cooperate with U.S. mediation
Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday he could no longer accept the role of the United States as a mediator in talks with Israel because of Washington’s behavior, Reuters reported.
U.S. unemployment claims plummet to 45-year low
Unemployment numbers in the United States continue to drop, with new figures Thursday showing the lowest number of claims filed in 45 years.
Abbas, Putin to discuss new peace talks mechanism sidelining US
When they meet on February 12, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss a new proposed peace negotiations mechanism meant to sideline the United States, a Palestinian diplomat in Russia told the Russian Interfax news agency on Wednesday.
U.S. says Syria may be developing new types of chemical weapons
The Trump administration is prepared to again take military action against Syrian government forces if necessary to deter the use of chemical weapons and is concerned they may be developing new methods to deliver such weapons, senior US officials said on Thursday.
24-Week Premature Baby Video Goes Viral as Modern Science Sides with Pro-Life Message
Pro-Life Groups are not giving up in their fight for unborn babies in the United States – despite the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” failing in the Senate.
US classifies Hamas chief Haniyeh as specially designated global terrorist
The United States government has become the first country outside of Israel to categorize Hamas Politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Ambassador Nathan A. Sales, the State Department coordinator for counterterrorism, told The Jerusalem Post.
Kurds in Syria call on US support to rein in Turkish operations
Syria’s Kurdish militias have grown frustrated with the United States and its stance over the assault by Turkish forces in Afrin, on mainly-Kurdish areas of northwestern Syria near the Turkish border.
Pro-life Advocates Win Court Victory in Free Speech Case
On January 29, 2018, a federal judge told participants in a lawsuit forcing pro-life sidewalk counselors to defend themselves against harassment charges, that leafletting is a “form of really protected speech,” and that sidewalks are recognized as the “quintessential public forum.” The words from the bench underscored the arguments of Thomas More Society Special Counsel Martin Cannon. Cannon is defending a group of pro-life advocates who are being charged by New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman in a federal lawsuit that accuses them of threats and violence against abortion clinic patients.
Russian jet flies within 5 feet of U.S. Navy plane, State Department says
The United States is accusing Moscow of unsafe military practices after it says a Russian jet flew within five feet of a U.S. Navy plane over the Black Sea.
Senate to Vote on ‘Pain Capable’ Act Banning Abortion at 20 Weeks
The Senate will vote Monday on legislation banning abortion at the 20-week mark, the point at which unborn children can feel pain.
President Trump Opens Door for US to Re-Enter TPP
President Donald Trump told CNBC on Thursday that he would reconsider the massive Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal if the United States could strike a ‘substantially better’ agreement. But it’s almost certainly too late for the U.S. to negotiate a new deal.
Council of Europe to denounce Trump’s Jerusalem recognition Thursday
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is set on Thursday to denounce US President Donald Trump’s declaration that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital.
ACLU Using Undocumented Minors as ‘Political Pawns’ in Abortion Debate, Pro-Lifers Warn
The American Civil Liberties Union is being accused by pro-life groups of using undocumented immigrant minors as ‘political pawns’ to force the Trump administration to fund abortions.
Iran Threatens U.S. Navy Ships Amid Massive War Drills
Iranian military leaders claimed Monday that they threatened two American-led vessels in international waters amid a series of new war drills being carried out by the Islamic Republic, according to regional reports and U.S. military officials who confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon contact with the Iranian vessels.
U.S. withholds $65 million in Palestinian aid after Trump threat
The United States on Tuesday said it would withhold about half the initial aid it planned to give a U.N. agency that serves the Palestinians, two weeks after President Donald Trump questioned the value of such funding.
Trump Designates $55 Million to Help Christians, Religious Minorities Rebuild in Iraq
In the wake of Vice President Mike Pence’s announcement last October that the United States government would provide direct aid to persecuted Iraqi Christians struggling to rebuild following the liberation of the Nineveh Plains, the Trump administration has taken concrete steps to follow through on its promises.
US hits record for costly weather disasters: $306 billion
With three strong hurricanes, wildfires, hail, flooding, tornadoes and drought, the United States tallied a record high bill last year for weather disasters: $306 billion.
U.S. to endure another day below freezing before relief comes
The bitter cold that has gripped much of the United States since the new year will last another day, forecasters said on Sunday, predicting an end to a frigid spell that featured a ‘bomb cyclone’ snowstorm and frozen iguanas falling from trees in Florida.