All of the US military vessels necessary to build a pier/causeway off the coast of Gaza are now in the eastern Mediterranean and on standby, but have not yet begun construction, Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder says. Checklist of items needs to be completed first he says. Background:

New: New aid package for Ukraine once Congress passes funding is expected to be worth around $1 billion and admin officials have indicated to lawmakers that it will likely include long-range ATACMS for the first time. with Alex Marquardt cnn.com/2024/04/23/pol…

BREAKING: UK is putting its defence industry on a 'war-footing' - investing £10 billion to ramp up production- as part of a plan to increase defence spending by 2.5% by 2030, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has declared.

This is a really big deal

The number was revised closer to 300 bodies. If Israel and Egypt let the int’l press in you’d have throngs of TV reporters tonight doing live shots on the edge of this mass grave. cnn.com/middleeast/liv…

.Matthew Miller: 'We find it especially troubling that this militia group chose to resume its attacks against US personnel just hours after Prime Minister Sudani of Iraq had completed a successful visit to Washington. So it seems clear that Iran has no respect for Iraqi

When I say I've got that dawg in me, this is what I mean.

This hasn't been announced yet but both Netanyahu and now his defense minister are coming out against expected sanctions against an IDF battalion.

⚡️🇺🇦 BREAKING: US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APPROVES $60 BILLION IN MILITARY AID FOR UKRAINE AFTER MONTHS OF DELAY BY FAR-RIGHT REPUBLICANS.

Representatives waved Ukrainian flags and chanted “U-KRAINE!”

We are aware of reports claiming that the United States conducted airstrikes in Iraq today. Those reports are not true. The United States has not conducted air strikes in Iraq today.

Italian FM Tajani tells reporters at the G7 in Capri that Israel informed the US before its overnight Iran attack:

'The United States were informed the last minute but there was no involvement on the part of the United States, it was simply information that was provided.'

Israel carries out a strike inside Iran, US official tells CNN, in a move that threatens to push the region deeper into conflict. cnn.com/2024/04/18/mid…

8 children killed in Israeli strike while playing foozeball, CNN reports, showing, w/permission, faces and bodies of the dead & the cries of grieving parents. Every 10 min a child is killed or injured in Gaza, per reporter Jeremy Diamond.

The United States will reimpose sanctions on Venezuela’s oil and gas sector in response to the Maduro government’s failure to allow “an inclusive and competitive election” to take place. cnn.com/2024/04/17/pol…

The news from the front is grim for Ukraine. Russian troops have reached the outskirts of Chasiv Yar, a high point in the area. Moscow's advance is slow and costly, but Putin's bet that he can outlast Ukr/the West looks durable. We spoke with front line Ukr troops for a report...