US adds only 20,000 workers in February; jobless rate at 3.8 percent
U.S. payrolls added just 20,000 workers in February, slowing sharply after outsize gains in January despite a government shutdown.
PLO
Impeachment drumbeat builds on left, as House shifts probes into high gear
House Democrats’ rapidly expanding probes of President Trump and his associates have coincided with renewed calls on the left for an impeachment fight, with high-profile testimony against the president and plans for more explosive hearings only fueling a frenzy sure to reverberate into 2020.
Russian FM: Once INF Treaty Is Gone, We Can Deploy Missiles Wherever the US Does
Russia reserves the right to deploy missiles in any part of the world in response to new U.S. missile deployments once the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty is terminated, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.
Brexit in 23 days: EU says still ‘no solution’ in negotiations
The European Union said Wednesday there has been no progress in the latest talks with Britain, just days before the UK lawmakers are set for a second vote to avoid a hard Brexit.
Dems won’t let Fox News host primary debate
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) said Wednesday it would not permit Fox News to host a presidential primary debate, citing an explosive story this week alleging deep ties between the conservative network and President Trump’s inner circle.
Israeli planes strike Gaza targets after balloon bombs hit Israeli towns
The Israel Air Force carried out airstrikes on several targets in the Gaza Strip Tuesday night, after balloons with explosives were flown into Israel earlier in the day.
Netanyahu: Russia shares goal of removing all foreign troops from Syria
Russia and Israel share the goal of removing all foreign troops from Syria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday at the weekly cabinet meeting.
US deploys advanced anti-missile system in Israel
The U.S. has deployed a highly advanced missile defense system in Israel for the first time, the American and Israeli militaries announced Monday, reflecting their shared concerns about Iran’s development of powerful missiles.
US closes Jerusalem consulate, demoting Palestinian mission
The United States officially shuttered its consulate in Jerusalem on Monday, downgrading the status of its main diplomatic mission to the Palestinians by folding it into the US Embassy to Israel.
Haiti: Aid groups implore Christians to pray, take action in time of crisis
Christian aid groups serving in Haiti have witnessed firsthand the devastation wrought by ongoing demonstrations spurred by allegations of government corruption and the country’s inflation crisis.
Facing bribery charges, Netanyahu decries ‘political plot’ to topple him from power
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out Thursday after Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit called for him to be indicted on multiple corruption charges, accusing the country’s most senior judicial and law enforcement officials of being part of a witch hunt designed to bring him down.
Israel strikes Hamas posts in Gaza after explosive balloon attack
Israeli jets struck multiple targets in the southern Gaza Strip linked to Hamas late Wednesday, a few hours after an incendiary device from Gaza damaged a home in the Eshkol region.
Federal judge sides with Trump administration on ‘bump stocks’ ban
A federal judge gave the Trump administration the green light to ban so-called ‘bump stocks,’ devices which modify semi-automatic guns to fire bullets more rapidly.
Putin warns U.S. of renewed Cuban Missile crisis, says Russia has edge
President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is militarily ready for a Cuban Missile-style crisis if the United States wanted one, and that his country currently has the edge when it comes to a first nuclear strike.
Palestinians, Jordanians expand alliance to torpedo Trump’s peace plan
The Palestinians and the Jordanians have set up a joint council for the administration of the Temple Mount and other Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem in an effort to preemptively torpedo the advancement of US President Donald Trump’s regional peace plan.
US Palestinian mission to merge with Israeli embassy next month
The United States Consulate General in Jerusalem, which serves Palestinians, will be absorbed into the new US Embassy to Israel in March, a US official said on Tuesday, giving a date for a merger that has been condemned by Palestinians.
Democratic Party passes resolution calling for US to re-enter Iran nuke deal
The Democratic National Committee passed a resolution last week calling on the US to re-enter the Iran nuclear deal, a sign that the party’s 2020 presidential candidates will run on returning America to the landmark pact from which US President Donald Trump withdrew.
U.S. agency to cancel $929 million in California high-speed rail funds
The U.S. Transportation Department said on Tuesday it will cancel $929 million in federal funds awarded by the Obama administration for a California high-speed rail project and is ‘actively exploring every legal option’ to seek the return of $2.5 billion the state has already received.
‘Rebels without a clause’: 10 times Dem. senators questioned Trump nominees’ religious beliefs
One of the nation’s leading Christian conservative advocacy organizations has called out 12 senators who have employed ‘unconstitutional religious tests’ on Trump nominees in the past two years.
Rod Rosenstein to leave DOJ in mid-March
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is expected to leave the Justice Department in mid-March.