- House Freedom Caucus threatens to withhold support on the House tax bill. [Link]
- Trump is considering a plan of Erik Prince to create a new intelligence agency. [Link]
- The CBO reports Trump’s military buildup will cost taxpayers an extra $683 billion. [Link]
- IOC bans Russia from 2018 Winter Olympics. [Link]
- The US plans to spend $14.4 million to reopen a Cold War Era base in Iceland. The base is used to help track Russian submarines. [Link]
- Trump is expected to announce the US embassy in Israel will move from Tel Aviv to Jerulesum and recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. [Link] A large donor to the Trump campaign, Sheldon Adelson, has pushed Trump to make the move. [Link] Daniel Larison on Trump’s decision. [Link]
- Saudi Arabia and the UAE announce new partnership separate from the GCC. [Link]
- Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced he will no longer be resigning. A month ago, Hariri announced his resignation in Saudi Arabia. Hariri said he changed his mind after Lebanon reaffirmed its policy to stay neutral in Arab affairs. [Link]
- Fighting between ISIS-K and the Taliban breaks out in Afghanistan. [Link]
- The US has increased the number of airstrikes in Afghanistan and killing more Afghani civilians. [Link]
- The Pentagon says the US will remain in Syria “as long as we need to.” [Link]
- Iona Craig details the horrors Yemeni children live under. [Link]
- US bombs being used on civilian targets in Yemen. [Link]