US military flies American released from Syrian prison to Jordan, officials say

The U.S. military has transported out of Syria an American who had disappeared seven months ago into former President Bashar Assad’s notorious prison system and was among the thousands released this week by rebels, U.S. officials said Friday.

Jill Biden tells military children at Marine Corps Reserve toy drive to remember that they are loved

Less than 10 minutes was all it took for a large pile of toys donated by the White House staff to disappear as Jill Biden and children from military families sorted them into boxes as part of the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign for less fortunate children.

Lawsuit to reinstate Confederate to Ranger memorial hangs on inconsistency in government report

An Army Ranger foundation’s lawsuit seeking to reinstate a Confederate officer to a Fort Moore memorial hinges on an inconsistency in a congressional panel’s report that identified military items that must be stripped of ties to the Confederacy, the group’s attorney argued in federal court.

Veteran Daniel Penny, acquitted in NYC subway chokehold, will join Trump’s suite at football game

Daniel Penny has been invited by Vice President-elect JD Vance to join Donald Trump’s suite at the Army-Navy football game on Saturday.

Pentagon ups housing allowance for troops by about 5%

Housing allowance changes occur almost annually. But a watchdog report in October found allowance boosts in recent years have been insufficient.

US and allies mark the 80th anniversary of World War II Battle of the Bulge

Eighty years later, World War II veteran David Marshall, has a picture in his wallet of him fighting in the snow and bitter cold in one of the defining moments of the four-year conflict — the Battle of the Bulge.

US updates science and technology pact with China to reflect growing rivalry and security threats

The U.S. has updated a decades-old science and technology agreement with China to reflect their growing rivalry for technological dominance. The new agreement, signed Friday in Beijing after many months of negotiations, has a narrower scope and additional safeguards to minimize the risk to national security.

Nancy Pelosi hospitalized after she ‘sustained an injury’ from fall on official trip to Luxembourg

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman.

Reasons to block US steel deal are buried in Treasury letter

A secretive U.S. Treasury panel relies heavily on a novel argument: that Nippon Steel represents a threat to an industry critical not just for production of military equipment, but also for infrastructure, potentially expanding the government’s definition of national security.

Second defendant pleads guilty in 2020 abduction of 2 US soldiers at Bogota bar

A Colombian man who helped kidnap two U.S. Army soldiers in Bogota four years ago became the second person to plead guilty in the case, according to the Justice Department.

US says $365 million is available to install solar and battery storage systems in Puerto Rico

The U.S. Department of Energy says $365 million is available to install solar and battery storage systems in homes and healthcare centers across Puerto Rico. 

Companies tighten security after a health care CEO’s killing leads to a surge of threats

The killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in New York has prompted health care companies to rethink and increase security for executives. 

White House releases national strategy to combat Islamophobia

The White House on Thursday announced what it called the first-ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia, following a similar national plan to battle antisemitism that President Joe Biden unveiled in May 2023.

Police say suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing wasn’t a client of the insurer

Police say the man charged with killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was never a client of the medical insurer and may have targeted it because of its size and influence.

Lawmakers urge VA to halt ‘mega’ tech projects and focus on small updates that work

While the electronic health records system and several other major projects sound good in theory, they have been over budget by billions of dollars and fail to function properly, Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., said during a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee subpanel hearing.

Army veteran found fatally shot near her car, Pennsylvania police say. Arrest comes 6 months later

A 21-year-old man has been charged with murder in the June shooting death of a 47-year-old mother and military veteran, Pennsylvania police said.

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley’s home targeted by bomb threat last week

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s home was targeted by a bomb threat last week, the latest in a string that have been leveled against members of Congress from New England in the past month.

Lawmakers want to allow troops to fix their own equipment

Service members could gain the ability to repair and maintain their own equipment under a new bill that seeks to cut Pentagon spending on defense contractors.

15 military veterans convicted of nonviolent crimes receive pardons

The veterans served in the Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard and will see their convictions wiped out alongside 24 others who were pardoned by President Joe Biden. “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said.