A wild story - an unnamed woman was denied a top-secret security clearance this year because she was a “close” relative of an authoritarian dictator of an unnamed country.

From Haley Britzky

cnn.com/2024/04/30/pol…

The pier now under construction in the eastern Mediterranean Sea will cost approximately $320 million to build.

What's interesting is that all of the human rights violations occurred in the occupied West Bank before Oct. 7th.

That means, at least in theory, this is unrelated to the Gaza war. But it's hard to see this happening without the impetus of the war.

cnn.com/2024/04/29/pol…

The construction of the floating pier being built by the US military off the coast of Gaza will cost the US approximately $320 million, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Monday. Background: cnn.com/2024/04/25/pol…

This is the single largest security package the US has ever announced for Ukraine, and it is designed to provide Kyiv with munitions for many months, if not more.

From Haley Britzky

cnn.com/2024/04/26/pol…

The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Gravely destroyer are getting a break in the eastern Med after 5 months of operations in the Middle East, in which they played a central role in strikes on Houthi targets and defense against Houthi attacks.

dvidshub.net/news/469593/ik…

The USS Dwight D Eisenhower is finally getting a break from the Red Sea after 5+ months and has now entered the eastern Med...dvidshub.net/news/469593/ik…

The US has begun construction at sea of the temporary pier intended to help deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, with the ultimate goal of delivering up to 150 trucks of aid per day to the starving population there.

With Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky

cnn.com/2024/04/25/pol…

Construction on the US military pier off the coast of Gaza has begun, Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder says just now.

The US secretly delivered long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine this month following a directive from Pres. Joe Biden. This comes after Russia began using N. Korean ballistic missiles and hitting infrastructure.

with Natasha Bertrand and Haley Britzky

cnn.com/2024/04/24/pol…

The aid package, passed by the Senate late Tuesday eveningand worth $95 billion in total, includes nearly $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, $26 billion for Israel and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific.

cnn.com/2024/04/24/pol…

And there it is — US announces a $1 billion aid package to Ukraine including air defense, anti-tank weapons, and artillery, just moments after Biden signs the legislation and after months of debate by Congress.

Biden said this morning the shipments will start 'right away.'

My first time flying since the B-52 flight with Air Force Global Strike Command - I can't carry 70K lbs. of bombs or fly halfway around the world, but I can pull 6 Gs.

So we'll call it a draw.

House Democrats join Republicans to pass bills sending foreign aid to Ukraine and Israel. The measures now go to the Senate. cnn.it/44aVl3O

The US says it did not carry out any strikes in Iraq amidst reports of large explosions at a military base near Baghdad.

In addition, an Israeli official tells CNN Israel had no involvement in the reports of explosions in Iraq.

After 'complex weeks of coordination,' Biden admin has secured an agreement with WFP to distribute aid from the pier the US military is constructing off the coast of Gaza, per senior US officials

Story with Natasha Bertrand, Kylie Atwood & Alex Marquardt
cnn.com/2024/04/19/pol…

Fears of an outright war between Israel and Iran seem to have largely subsided.

We're not in a 'new' Middle East. We may have added a few rungs to the escalation ladder, but no one is interested in all-out regional war.