USA

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military academies must improve their leadership, stop toxic practices such as hazing and shift behavior training into the classrooms, according to a Pentagon study aimed at addressing an alarming spike in sexual assaults and misconduct.

17 August 2023; MEMO: The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, will visit Israel next week to assess the impact to the Israel Defence Forces combat readiness following the refusal of some reservists to report for voluntary duties in protest against the government’s judicial overhaul plan, Israeli media reported on Wednesday. Senior Israeli military leaders, including Air Force Commander Major General Tomer Bar, have warned of a gradual degradation in the IDF’s combat readiness amid the protests. 

Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. is pushing Iran to stop selling armed drones to Russia as part of discussions on a broader unwritten understanding between Washington and Tehran to de-escalate tensions, the Financial Times said on Wednesday, citing people briefed on the matter.

The U.S. is pressing Iran to stop selling armed drones to Russia, which Moscow is using in the war in Ukraine, as well as spare parts for the unmanned aircraft, the report said, citing an Iranian official and another person familiar with the talks.

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Hawaii on Monday to survey damage from the deadly wildfires that ravaged the resort town of Lahaina, the White House said.

Biden will meet with first responders and survivors, as well as federal, state and local officials, the White House said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Hawaii on Monday to survey damage from the deadly wildfires that ravaged the resort town of Lahaina, the White House said.

Biden will meet with first responders and survivors, as well as federal, state and local officials, the White House said in a statement.

DENVER, the United States, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. federal judge in the western state of Montana on Monday ruled in favor of a group of youths who argued the right to a safe environment had been constitutionally violated by legislators promoting fossil fuels.

"District Court Judge Kathy Seeley found the policy the state uses in evaluating requests for fossil fuel permits -- which does not allow agencies to evaluate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions -- is unconstitutional," reported the National Public Radio.

HONOLULU, the United States, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- As rescue workers continue looking for those missing in the deadly wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, real estate investors, mostly from the American mainland, have seen an opportunity to cash in on the disaster for land development, triggering anger among local Native Hawaiians.

The wildfires that broke out last Tuesday and razed Maui have left 106 people dead and more than 1,000 people missing as of Tuesday, becoming the deadliest in the United States in over a century.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is ramping up its efforts to illustrate the real-world impact of President Joe Biden’s signature climate, health care and tax law by showing how various Americans say they’ve benefited from his economic policies on the anniversary of the so-called Inflation Reduction Act.

Coinbase said it’s received regulatory approval to bring federally regulated crypto futures trading to eligible customers in the U.S., sending shares sharply higher before the opening bell Wednesday.

In June, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase, saying that the companies were in violation of the the law because they were operating as securities exchanges without registering with the agency.

Washington (AP) — Congressional leaders are pitching a stopgap government funding package to avoid a federal shutdown after next month, acknowledging the House and Senate are nowhere near agreement on spending levels to keep federal operations running.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy raised the idea of a months-long funding package, known as a continuing resolution, to House Republicans on a members-only call Monday evening, according to those familiar with the private session and granted anonymity to discuss it.