US News

• Overdose deaths in Washington State were up 30% in 2020. [Link]
• The FDA gives Pfizer emergency approval to give its vaccine to patients as young as 12. [Link]
• Susan Hennessey was named to the National Security Division of the Justice Department. Hennessey was a promoter of the Russiagate conspiracy theory. [Link]

NATO

• Romania’s President asked for more NATO troops near Russia’s border. [Link]

Afghanistan

• The Afghan government and the US urged the Taliban to make a three-day ceasefire in observation of the Eid holiday into a permanent ceasefire. [Link]
• The US is destroying thousands of pieces of equipment it does not plan on removing from Afghanistan or transferring to the Afghan government. [Link]

Israel

• Over three days, 43 Palestinian children were injured because Israeli forces blocked Palestinians from going to cultural and religious sites. [Link]
• In response to Israeli injuring Palestinians in Jerusalem, Hamas fired rockets into Israel. Israel responded with airstrikes on Gaza. Twenty people, including nine children, were killed by the Israeli strikes. [Link]
• Two Israelis were reported killed by Hamas rockets. [Link]
• Ilhan Omar called the Israeli strikes in Gaza an act of terrorism. [Link]
• Israeli officials reportedly told the US to stay out of the situation in Jerusalem. Israel plans to evict several Palestinians from their homes to give to Israeli settlers. [Link]
• The US blocked a UN Security Council resolution that condemned the violence in Jerusalem and called on Israel to stop the planned evictions. [Link]
• Israeli helicopters attacked a Syrian border town during the daytime. [Link]

Iran

• A US Coast Guard ship fired warning shots at Iranian ships near the coast of Iran. [Link]
• Iran says it is open to extending an agreement with the IAEA that allows access to Iranian nuclear data past May if talks with the US are on the right track. [Link]

Libya

• Twenty-four migrants drowned attempted to cross from Libya to Europe. [Link]