- Obama designates 1.5 million acres of land in Utah and Nevada as National Monuments. This move takes the land from state control to federal control. Obama has put over 550 million acres of land under federal control during his time in office. This is the most of any president. [Link]
- The Oregon Court of Appeals overturns a DUII conviction of a man who was operating a motorized wheelchair. The state argued that a motorized wheelchair counted as a vehicle. [Link]
- Obama has unilaterally put new sanctions on Russia for “hacking” the US election. Obama ejected 35 Russian diplomats who have been labeled as spies for Russia. Obama put sanctions on four top members of the Russian G.R.U. Obama also put sanctions on three Russian companies. [Link]
- Egypt moves forward with giving two Red Sea Islands to Saudi Arabia. The deal to give Saudi the islands was announced in April, but legal disputes and public protests have slowed the transfer. [Link]
- A ceasefire went into effect in Syria last night. Some fighting was reported in the area around Damascus, but the ceasefire was holding overall. [Link] Questions remain if the al-Qaeda affiliate groups are a part of the ceasefire or not. [Link]
- The UN reports that 4 million Syrians living in and around Damascus have lost access to water. [Link]
- Heavy fighting starts again in Mosul as Iraqi forces end their two-week pause. Iraqi special forces report making progress on two fronts. [Link]
- The Pentagon admits they may have killed civilians when they bombed a hospital parking lot in Iraq. The Pentagon reports they were targeting a van with ISIS fighters. [Link]
- The war in Yemen has destroyed most of the countries healthcare system. Childbirth has become very dangerous for the babies and mothers. Many women are miscarrying or giving birth to premature babies due to the airstrikes. The Saudi blockade is preventing medications, medical equipment, and vaccines from entering the country. Many people die of treatable diseases. Some patients are unable to reach the hospital for treatment because airstrikes destroy the road between their home and the hospital. [Link]
