Supreme Court Orders Santa Clara County to Permit Indoor Church Services
California churches are celebrating after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Santa Clara County to allow indoor worship services amid a pending appeal over COVID restrictions.
Month: February 2021
John Durham steps down as U.S. attorney but will remain in charge of Russia probe
John Durham, a decorated career prosecutor, announced Friday he is stepping down at the end of the month as a U.S. attorney in Connecticut but will continue as special prosecutor investigating the origins of the Russia collusion probe that dogged the early Trump presidency.
Iran Dismisses Idea of Talks With EU and U.S. to Revive 2015 Nuclear Deal
Iran on Sunday ruled out holding an informal meeting with the United States and European powers to discuss ways to salvage the unraveling 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, insisting that Washington must first lift all its unilateral sanctions.
Satellite images of oil slicks off coast show recent spill far from a one-off
The environmental organization Greenpeace on Sunday published images from the European Sentinel satellite showing 12 apparent oil slicks at various distances from Israel’s shores in the days before a storm washed tons of tar onto 160 kilometers (99 miles) of Israel’s coastline.
Report: Israel ‘Very Pleased’ With US Strikes on Iranian Targets in Syria, Was Informed in Advance
Israeli officials were “very pleased” with US airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria Thursday, and were informed by the Biden Administration before the attack, Walla reported Friday.
‘I am working on options to keep nuclear weapons out of Iran’s hands’
“We’ll be done with the vaccinations in March, the beginning of April. That’s for the adult population. Then “Then, vaccines for children will start arriving,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells Israel Hayom’s political supplement in a special weekend interview.
Threat level raised for US troops in Iraq; American contractors put on high alert
The Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve has raised the threat level for US service members in Iraq, while US contractors at Balad Air Base were put on high alert fearing a response to US airstrikes in Syria, two sources familiar with the move tell Fox News.
Saudi Arabia Says It Thwarted Yemeni Rebel Missile Attack Over Capital
Multiple blasts shook Riyadh on Saturday as Saudi state television reported that a missile attack launched by Yemen’s Huthi rebels had been thwarted.
House Republicans Push Bill Aimed at Balancing LGBT Rights and Religious Freedom
House Republicans are rallying around a compromise bill that would add protections for religious organizations in addition to granting discrimination protections to LGBT citizens. The bill comes one day after House Democrats passed the Equality Act, which critics say infringes on religious liberty rights and is likely to fail in the Senate.
House passes $1.9T pandemic bill on near party-line vote
The House approved a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill early Saturday in a win for President Joe Biden, even as top Democrats tried assuring agitated progressives that they’d revive their derailed drive to boost the minimum wage.
Israel’s entry ban on citizens ‘unparalleled in democratic world,’ watchdog says
The Israel Democracy Institute on Sunday challenged Israel’s coronavirus restrictions on entry to the country that have left thousands of Israelis stranded abroad, saying they constitute an extreme erosion of rights that could infringe on citizens’ rights to vote in the March 23 elections.
Israel Says Iran Likely Behind Explosion On Israeli-Owned Cargo Ship
Top Israeli defense and political leaders are scheduled to meet on February 28 to discuss a response to what Israel’s defense minister says was likely an attack by Iran against an Israeli-owned cargo vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
Eighteen Killed In Myanmar’s Bloodiest Protests Since Coup
Security forced fired on anti-coup demonstrators in Myanmar, killing at least 18 people, the United Nations and other observers said Sunday.
’End Near’ For Frail Evangelist Luis Palau, Family Says
“The end seems near” for international evangelist Luis Palau after a decision to stop all treatment for his incurable lung cancer and start hospice care, his family said Friday.
Israel to use electronic tagging on travelers from next week
Israeli health officials on Thursday approved a measure to electronically tag arrivals from abroad, which will go in effect next week, in order to ensure coronavirus quarantine regulations are observed.
Israel’s red line: 1,000 precision missiles in Hezbollah’s hands
“If Hezbollah crosses a quantitative or qualitative threshold for precision weapons, we will have to act against it. This is a serious decision, but one from which we cannot run away,” said Lt. Col. Eran Niv, the head of the IDF’s Warfare Methods and Innovation Division.
Construction Seen at Secretive Israeli Nuclear Facility
A secretive Israeli nuclear facility at the center of the nation’s undeclared nuclear weapons program is undergoing what appears to be its biggest construction project in decades, satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show.
US strikes Iran-backed fighters in Syria, in 1st military action under Biden
The United States launched airstrikes in Syria on Thursday, targeting facilities near the Iraqi border used by Iranian-backed militia groups. The Pentagon said the strikes were retaliation for a rocket attack in Iraq earlier this month that killed one civilian contractor and wounded a US service member and other coalition troops.
The digital dollar is now high priority for the Fed
The U.S. is starting to get serious about a central-bank-backed digital currency, with recent comments from top officials laying out the strongest support yet.
Once-secret FBI informant reports reveal wider-ranging operation to spy on Trump campaign
Once-secret reports show the FBI effort to spy on the Trump campaign was far wider than previously disclosed, as agents directed an undercover informant to make secret recordings, pressed for intelligence on numerous GOP figures, and sought to find “anyone in the Trump campaign” with ties to Russia who could acquire dirt “damaging to Hillary Clinton.”