A bipartisan push in Congress that aims to provide junior enlisted troops with a 19.5% pay raise is facing a significant obstacle: the White House. The proposal, which supplements the 4.5% raise requested by President Joe Biden in his budget, would grant junior enlisted troops an additional 15% pay increase. The estimated cost of this…

U.S. soldiers are overwhelmingly more likely to die by suicide than in combat, according to data from the Pentagon. A five-year study from the Defense Health Agency, from 2014 to 2019, found suicide as the leading cause of death among active-duty soldiers. There were 96 combat deaths over the period and 883 soldiers died by…

The battle of the balloons continues. Under the cover of darkness, North Korean defectors sent more balloons from South to North during the morning of Thursday, June 6. The balloons included packages containing USB drives with K-Pop music, 200,000 leaflets critical of Kim Jong Un’s regime and American $1 bills, which are worth 900 North…

A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel of experts said on Tuesday, June 4, it won’t recommend the use of MDMA — more commonly known as ecstasy or molly — to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. The panel said available evidence fails to show that the drug is effective or that its benefits outweigh its risks. …

Deliveries of much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza via a U.S.-built temporary pier have been suspended after the pier was damaged by rough seas. On Tuesday, May 28, a Pentagon spokesperson announced this latest setback to the $320 million pier, which has only been fully operational for less than two weeks, on Tuesday, May 28.  “Unfortunately, we had a…

With closing arguments coming to a close, the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump is headed to the jury. And actor Robert De Niro speaks out against the former president at a campaign event for President Joe Biden. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, May 29, 2024. Trump criminal trial…

The U.S. military said it has anchored a temporary floating pier to a beach in Gaza on Thursday, May 16, which will allow more humanitarian aid to enter the war-torn region. The Pentagon reported that as part of this initiative, a ship has been anchored in the Mediterranean Sea to start offloading supplies, noting that…

Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to China as he looks to strengthen ties between the two countries, and Slovakia’s prime minister is seriously wounded during an assassination attempt. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, May 16, 2024. Putin meets with Xi in China as two countries look to strengthen ties Russian…

The first aid ship is on its way to an American-built floating pier in Gaza as the humanitarian crisis worsens in the region. The boat left from Cyprus on Thursday, May 9. As it the ship sails toward Gaza, questions remain about the logistics of aid distribution and whether the pier is finished. President Joe…

Fifty governors have signed letters in opposition to a Biden administration proposal that would change who has control over a state’s national guard. A new Pentagon proposal, supported by the White House, would partially change that. It’s a governor’s job to handle the state’s National Guard, deploying members within their own state or to others…