Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announces the military is bringing back 8,700+ troops fired over the COVID vaccine: “Over 8,700 service members were separated for not taking an experimental vaccine… we’re welcoming them back. We’ve sent letters out.”

In a summary of activities in Lebanon over the past week, the IDF says it killed nine Hezbollah operatives and struck over 40 sites belonging to the terror group.

Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from Miami: “As long as there are hostages who are not receiving food, no humanitarian aid will be brought into Gaza”

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Senate Democrat and his party’s top leader on the Judiciary Committee, announced Wednesday that he won’t seek a sixth term in 2026. “I know in my heart it’s time to pass the torch,” the veteran senator said in a social media post Wednesday.

Apple and Meta were both hit with massive fines on Wednesday, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, for breaching the European Union’s newly established competition regulations aimed at limiting the dominance of Big Tech.
Apple was penalized $570 million by EU antitrust authorities for preventing developers from directing users to less expensive alternatives outside its App Store.
Meanwhile, Meta faced a $230 million fine for coercing users of Facebook and Instagram into choosing between viewing ads or paying to avoid them, according to the European Commission.
These fines are the first to be issued to Big Tech giants under the EU’s Digital Markets Act, a landmark law introduced in 2022.

Adelynn Campbell’s last plane trip ended with a panic attack that she got through largely with the help of a kind flight attendant. That was last year — before 67 people died in January when an American Airlines jet collided with a helicopter over Washington, D.C., in the deadliest U.S. air disaster in almost a quarter century. Now, Campbell is even more hesitant to book a flight. “It’s definitely spiked my concern about getting on a plane and it’s making the whole situation a little more stressful than it used to be,” said Campbell, 30, who manages a coffee shop in San Diego. Being at least a little nervous about flying is understandable.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.

The White House confirmed that discussions toward a trade pact with China are moving forward, and noted a surge of interest globally, with 18 official trade offers submitted by foreign governments and over 100 countries expressing interest in forming economic partnerships with the United States.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump temporarily suspended retaliatory tariffs on goods from most foreign countries for 90 days — with China notably excluded from this moratorium. This pause is intended to provide a window for international partners to engage in talks and potentially finalize trade deals. Vice President JD Vance revealed Monday that the U.S. has outlined a trade strategy with India and is nearing an agreement with Japan as well.

JERUSALEM – Intense heat and high winds fueled devastating brush fires in central Israel on Wednesday, prompting police to evacuate r