House passes bill expanding care for vets exposed to toxins
The House passed much-anticipated legislation Wednesday to expand benefits for veterans who suffer illnesses from toxic exposures during their military service. The Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our PACT Act largely aims to expand access to care from the Department of Veterans Affairs care to 3.5 million veterans who served after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack and were exposed to toxic burn pits. The measure passed by a bipartisan vote of 342-88, a much wider margin than when the lower chamber initially passed the
Read MoreBlinken calls on Russia to halt unlawful 'filtration' of Ukrainians into Russia
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on Russia Wednesday to cease its "filtration" system that has forcibly deported thousands of Ukrainians in Russian-occupied territory, which he called a war crime. "The unlawful transfer and deportation of protected persons is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians and is a war crime," Blinken wrote in a statement, citing as many as 1.6 million unlawful deportations, de
Read MoreHouse approves amendment to create system for reporting UFOs
The House approved an amendment to the annual defense spending bill on Wednesday that would establish a secure system for reporting unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), commonly known as UFOs. The system set up by the amendment would receive reports of “any event relating to unidentified aerial phenomena,” in addition to any related activity from the government, federal contractors or programs. The amendment, sponsored by Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Ruben Gal
Read MoreDefense & National Security — Biden faces limits at home as he starts foreign trip
As President Biden kicks off his trip to the Middle East, progressives are looking to constrain his administration’s ability to send weapons and enter security agreements with Saudi Arabia. We’ll detail what exactly they’re doing in the House and how this may impact the administration, plus the latest tit-for-tat between the United States and China in the South China Sea. This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, I’m
Read MoreUniversity of Michigan hires first Asian American president after surprise firing
The University of Michigan appointed Santa Ono as its new university president Wednesday, making him the first Asian American to hold the position. In a news release, the Ann Arbor, Mich-based school said its board of regents voted unanimously to approve Ono’s appointment in a special meeting held the same day. Ono, born to Japanese immigrants, previously served as president of the University of Cincinnati and currently serves as president and vice chance
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