The 2024 Florida Python Challenge is officially in the books. The annual 10-day event looks to cut down the population of invasive Burmese pythons in Florida’s Everglades. This year, more than 600 people registered for the challenge – including 108 people from other states and two from Canada – all hoping to win a share…

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Sunday, Aug. 18, to meet with top officials as negotiations continue for a Gaza cease-fire and the release of hostages held by Hamas. This marks his ninth visit to the region since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. “This is a decisive moment, probably the best,…

A new Biden administration policy will allow some spouses of U.S. citizens without legal permission to remain in the U.S. to legalize their status without having to leave the country. The initiative, which starts Monday, Aug. 19, is modeled after the existing “Parole in Place” program, previously available to family members of U.S. military personnel…

Things are heating up in one of the coldest places on the planet. For the better part of July and into early August, some of the most elite special operations forces in the U.S. military participated in Operation Polar Dagger.  The exercises test the most highly trained U.S. personnel in one of the planet’s most…

Americans view Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, D, more favorably than they do Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, according to a new poll from ABC News, the Washington Post and Ipsos. The Democratic and Republican vice presidential nominees have a 39% and 32% favorability rating, respectively.  There is a key difference between the two. Walz has more…

A Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber erupted into flames midair during a routine flight over Siberia, crashing and killing one crew member. The crash occurred far from any battlefield, and videos shared on social media showed the bomber catching fire before plummeting into an uninhabited area. Russia’s Defense Ministry attributed the crash to a technical malfunction,…

Ukraine declared full control over parts of Russia’s Kursk region on Thursday, Aug. 15, just 10 days into its surprise offensive. The incursion is the deepest breach into Russian territory since the war began in February 2022. Ukrainian forces announced on Thursday that they have setup a military administrative office to “maintain law and order”…

Prosecutors in San Francisco charged 26 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who blocked the Golden Gate Bridge during a protest on April 15. They each face 40 charges, including felony conspiracy and false imprisonment for their roles. The Golden Gate Bridge protest was part of coordinated protests across the country to demand an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and…

German authorities are investigating possible sabotage at a military base after an apparent attempt was made to contaminate drinking water at the Bundeswehr base in Cologne-Wahn. On Wednesday, Aug. 14, a guard at the base discovered a hole in the fence near the water processing plant, prompting a search of the premises. No trespassers were…

A Russian court has sentenced a Russian-American ballerina to 12 years in prison for treason. Ksenia Karelina was arrested in February 2024 while visiting family in Russia. Russian authorities took her into custody because she donated about $50 to a New York-based nonprofit organization that provides humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in its war with Russia.…