Latest News Headlines for Tuesday December 19, 2023: A group of House Democrats, including members with national security backgrounds, wrote to President Biden, expressing their strong opposition to the current military strategy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Gaza.
The letter emphasizes deep concerns about the mounting civilian death toll, the humanitarian crisis, and the strategy’s divergence from American interests and the security of Israel. The lawmakers believe the current approach jeopardizes efforts to dismantle the terrorist organization Hamas and secure the release of hostages. The letter is signed by six lawmakers.
As the war in Ukraine nears its two-year mark, U.S. officials and NATO allies are increasingly focused on Russia’s military buildup in the Arctic Circle.
This expansion includes the recent unveiling of two nuclear submarines by Russian President Vladimir Putin, signaling a significant strategic shift in the region. Norway’s Svalbard Archipelago, deep inside the Arctic Circle, holds the distinction of being the world’s northernmost permanent human settlement.
Hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian aid and supplies for desperate Palestinian civilians have entered the Gaza Strip since Sunday.
Israeli authorities reopened the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings, facilitating the flow of almost 200 truckloads of aid. An additional 191 trucks passed into Gaza on Monday, according to the Israeli civilian authority overseeing the occupied Palestinian territories.
In 2024, millions of workers across the U.S. could see a pay hike as half of the states plan to increase their minimum wages.
The baseline pay will rise to at least $16 an hour in three states: California, New York, and Washington. In 22 states, the new minimum wages will take effect on January 1, while Nevada and Oregon’s rates will increase on July 1, and Florida’s will rise on September 30.
Hunter Biden is scheduled to appear in a California courtroom next month on nine tax counts, stemming from a special counsel investigation into his business affairs.
The charges include three felony and six misdemeanor counts, such as filing a false return, tax evasion, failure to file, and failure to pay. Prosecutors allege that he spent millions on an extravagant lifestyle rather than fulfilling his tax obligations.
Police have positively identified the body of Roger Dale Parham, a fugitive from the FBI, more than two decades after it was found in a Kentucky lake.
Despite the identification, authorities are still searching for clues about Parham’s murder and how his body ended up at Lake Barkley. Advanced genealogy DNA testing was employed to identify Parham after previous attempts were unsuccessful.
Pope Francis has formally approved allowing Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, marking a radical change in Vatican policy.
A declaration from the Vatican’s doctrine office emphasizes that an exhaustive moral analysis should not be a precondition for conferring a blessing, and those seeking a blessing should not be required to have prior moral perfection.
A Confederate memorial is set to be removed from Arlington National Cemetery in northern Virginia in the coming days.
This decision follows a push to eliminate symbols commemorating the Confederacy from military-related facilities. Despite a demand from over 40 Republican congressmen to suspend removal efforts, safety fencing has been installed around the memorial, with officials anticipating completion by Dec. 22, according to Arlington National Cemetery.
