By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/58550/jim-garamone/">Jim Garamone</a>&nbsp; Department of Defense&nbsp;

U.S. Department of Defense assets in the Red Sea, Iraq and Syria responded to missile and drone attacks over the past two days, as U.S. service members look to deter groups from using the Israel-Hamas war as an opportunity to launch conflict that could engulf the region, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday.

Ryder also spelled out the steps Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has taken to strengthen DOD posture in the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts.

Ryder said the crew of the guided missile destroyer USS Carney operating in the northern Red Sea earlier today shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones launched by Houthi forces in Yemen. "This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests," he said.&nbsp;

"We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched heading north along the Red Sea potentially towards targets in Israel," the general said. &nbsp;

Ryder also detailed drone attacks on U.S. facilities in Syria and Iraq. The al-Tanf garrison in Syria was targeted by two drones on Oct. 18. "U.S. and coalition forces engaged one drone destroying it while the other drone impacted the base resulting in minor injuries to coalition forces," Ryder said. All of the injured returned to duty.&nbsp;

At the same time, early warning systems indicated a possible threat approaching the airbase at al-Assad. Base personnel sheltered in place as a protective measure. "Though no attack occurred, sadly, a U.S. civilian contractor suffered a cardiac episode while sheltering and passed away shortly thereafter," Ryder said.

Separately in northern Iraq, U.S. forces engaged and destroyed a drone resulting in no injuries or damage.&nbsp;

Ryder said he will not detail what the American response to these provocations will be. "I will say that we will take all necessary actions to defend U.S. and coalition forces against any threat," he said. "Any response, should one occur, will come at a time in a manner of our choosing."&nbsp;

Ryder said U.S. forces deployed to the region are meant to deter any government or group from launching attacks under cover of the Israeli-Hamas war. The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is crossing the Atlantic to join the Ford. The Air Force has also bumped up fighter presence to the region.&nbsp;

"By posturing these U.S. naval assets and advanced fighter aircraft in the region, we aim to send a strong message intended to deter a wider conflict, to bolster regional stability, and, of course, to make it clear that we will protect and defend our national security interests," Ryder said.

Secretary Austin is continuing engagements with counterparts in the region and beyond. Just today, the secretary spoke with officials in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel. "During these calls, he reiterated U.S. support for Israel's right to defend itself from terrorist attacks, and also underscored the importance of safeguarding innocent civilians —&nbsp;both Palestinian and Israeli," Ryder said. &nbsp;

Finally, Ryder said that systems the Israelis requested continue to flow into the country. These include precision-guided munitions, such as joint direct attack munitions, small-diameter bombs, 155-millimeter artillery ammunition and other categories of critical equipment. In addition, the United States is providing Iron Dome interceptors from stocks the United States has in Israel. In the days ahead, "we'll be flying additional Iron Dome interceptors so that Israel has the capabilities they need to sustain their defense systems and protect their citizens and from rocket attacks," Ryder said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697765223664.png" alt="U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrive in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Oct. 13, 2023. The Strike Eagles forward deployed from U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa's 48th Fighter Wing to enhance air operations and integrate with coalition allies and regional partners throughout the Middle East.&nbsp;Photo By:Air Force Airman 1st Class Josephine Pepin" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles assigned to the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrive in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Oct. 13, 2023. The Strike Eagles forward deployed from U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa's 48th Fighter Wing to enhance air operations and integrate with coalition allies and regional partners throughout the Middle East.&nbsp;Photo By:Air Force Airman 1st Class Josephine Pepin</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="http://www.defense.gov/News/Author/58550/jim-garamone/">Jim Garamone</a>&nbsp; Department of Defense&nbsp;U.S. Department of Defense assets in the Red Sea, Iraq and Syria responded to missile and drone attacks over the past two days, as U.S. service members look to deter groups from using the Israel-Hamas war as an opportunity to launch conflict that could engulf the region, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday.Ryder also spelled out the steps Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has taken to strengthen DOD posture in the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts.Ryder said the crew of the guided missile destroyer USS Carney operating in the northern Red Sea earlier today shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones launched by Houthi forces in Yemen. "This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests," he said.&nbsp;There were no casualties. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697765298614.png" alt="The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney transits the Suez Canal, Oct. 18. Carney is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region.&nbsp;hoto By:Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Lau" />
 <figcaption>The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney transits the Suez Canal, Oct. 18. Carney is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region.&nbsp;hoto By:Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Lau</figcaption>
 </figure>"We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched heading north along the Red Sea potentially towards targets in Israel," the general said. &nbsp;Ryder also detailed drone attacks on U.S. facilities in Syria and Iraq. The al-Tanf garrison in Syria was targeted by two drones on Oct. 18. "U.S. and coalition forces engaged one drone destroying it while the other drone impacted the base resulting in minor injuries to coalition forces," Ryder said. All of the injured returned to duty.&nbsp;At the same time, early warning systems indicated a possible threat approaching the airbase at al-Assad. Base personnel sheltered in place as a protective measure. "Though no attack occurred, sadly, a U.S. civilian contractor suffered a cardiac episode while sheltering and passed away shortly thereafter," Ryder said.Separately in northern Iraq, U.S. forces engaged and destroyed a drone resulting in no injuries or damage.&nbsp;Ryder said he will not detail what the American response to these provocations will be. "I will say that we will take all necessary actions to defend U.S. and coalition forces against any threat," he said. "Any response, should one occur, will come at a time in a manner of our choosing."&nbsp;Ryder said U.S. forces deployed to the region are meant to deter any government or group from launching attacks under cover of the Israeli-Hamas war. The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group is crossing the Atlantic to join the Ford. The Air Force has also bumped up fighter presence to the region.&nbsp;"By posturing these U.S. naval assets and advanced fighter aircraft in the region, we aim to send a strong message intended to deter a wider conflict, to bolster regional stability, and, of course, to make it clear that we will protect and defend our national security interests," Ryder said.Secretary Austin is continuing engagements with counterparts in the region and beyond. Just today, the secretary spoke with officials in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel. "During these calls, he reiterated U.S. support for Israel's right to defend itself from terrorist attacks, and also underscored the importance of safeguarding innocent civilians —&nbsp;both Palestinian and Israeli," Ryder said. &nbsp;Finally, Ryder said that systems the Israelis requested continue to flow into the country. These include precision-guided munitions, such as joint direct attack munitions, small-diameter bombs, 155-millimeter artillery ammunition and other categories of critical equipment. In addition, the United States is providing Iron Dome interceptors from stocks the United States has in Israel. In the days ahead, "we'll be flying additional Iron Dome interceptors so that Israel has the capabilities they need to sustain their defense systems and protect their citizens and from rocket attacks," Ryder said.

U.S. responds to attacks, works to deter spread of Israel-Hamas war

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of deadly shootings over the past week in Topeka and have another suspect in custody.

At 10:30 p.m. Oct. 10, police responded to a shooting in the 2000 block of SE Pennsylvania Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.

First responders located 17-year-old Victor Carlton suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.&nbsp; Early Tuesday police reported the arrest of a 17-year-old suspect on requested charges of murder and aggravated robbery.

On Thursday, police reported two additonal 17-year-old boys from Topeka, were transported to the Shawnee County Juvenile Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st, degree, in the commission of a felony and Aggravated Robbery.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of deadly shootings over the past week in Topeka and have another suspect in custody.At 10:30 p.m. Oct. 10, police responded to a shooting in the 2000 block of SE Pennsylvania Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.First responders located 17-year-old Victor Carlton suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.&nbsp; Early Tuesday police reported the arrest of a 17-year-old suspect on requested charges of murder and aggravated robbery.On Thursday, police reported two additonal 17-year-old boys from Topeka, were transported to the Shawnee County Juvenile Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st, degree, in the commission of a felony and Aggravated Robbery.

3 Kan. teens now accused in murder, robbery of 17-year-old

New proposal would raise legislators’ annual base salary to $45,000, add more compensation for out-of-session meetings

By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — After years of stagnant pay, Kansas lawmakers could see their salaries almost double in 2025, including hefty additional compensation for the Legislature’s highest-ranking members.

“What we’re trying to do here is develop a compensation package that would not incentivize but support people from our citizenry that want to serve in the Legislature and not punish them financially for doing it,” said former Rep. Mark Hutton, a Wichita Republican and chairman of the Legislative Compensation Committee.&nbsp;

The nine-person independent commission, predominantly composed of former lawmakers, is tasked with setting legislative compensation rates and salary. To avoid&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/07/republican-leaders-warn-against-substantial-pay-increases-for-kansas-lawmakers/">conflicts of interest</a>, lawmakers are left out of the salary-setting process.&nbsp;Once the commission submits a report to the Legislature, the House and Senate have the option of rejecting the plan by introducing and approving a resolution to reject the raises. If rejected, the commission could try again. Without objections, the rates will be automatically implemented.

The&nbsp;draft report,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Publications/Resources/Documents/Legislative-Compensation-Commission/Draft-Legislative_Compensation_Commission_Report.pdf">released Monday</a>&nbsp;and approved by the committee Thursday, outlines the proposed new pay package for lawmakers.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Starting in 2025, most legislators would receive a salary of $43,000 per year, marking an approximately $21,000 increase from current compensation. This increased salary is slightly above the estimated Midwest individual yearly income of $41,000.&nbsp;

Leadership in the House and Senate would be set at $70,520, up from the current $36,000. In both chambers, majority and minority party leaders would make $67,940. Other higher-ranking positions, such as speaker pro tem and assistant party leaders would have salaries of $57,190 under the proposal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Other benefits include added compensation for interim committee meetings and other meetings held outside the regular 90-day session.&nbsp;

While the change marks significant salary increases, retirement compensation won’t increase too much for lawmakers enrolled in the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.&nbsp;

In the outlined system, lawmakers would receive lower pay during the first 30 days of the legislative session, and then receive pay increases during the rest of the session.&nbsp; Under state law, the first 30 days of session determines KPERS amount per year, so this setup would minimize annual salary pension benefits.

After implementation in the 2025 legislative session, rates will be readjusted every four years. Due to this time frame, the next election cycle in which voters decide who fills all 40 Senate seats and all 125 House seats will end before pay is increased.&nbsp;

The re-evaluation of legislative pay comes from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzA0MjEuNzU1NjMzNDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIzXzI0L21lYXN1cmVzL3NiMjI5LyJ9.xuWFkl3Y9o9So9Dm4_7fcrA6t1Cc-muDt4iKxWjBt4o/s/2897855304/br/161153741090-l">Senate Bill 229</a>,&nbsp;introduced by a former legislator and passed in the 2023 legislative session.&nbsp;

The subject of legislative pay has long been a tricky one. The state’s 165 legislators average a base salary of $88.66 for every day during the session, which hasn’t changed since 2008. In an average 90-day session, this pay works out to about $23,429 per year —&nbsp; placing the state in the bottom third ranking for legislative compensation, according to a 2019 legislative study of 14 other states.&nbsp;

Adding pay for interim meeting days and additional compensation for committee chair positions only boosts that number to an estimated average legislator salary of $29,000.&nbsp;

Due to a provision implemented this month, lawmakers are set to receive a per diem allowance of $166 per day to offset food and lodging costs during the session, with additional compensation for leadership positions, still lagging far behind many other states.&nbsp;

The 2019 study found neighboring states such as Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado paid their lawmakers about $48,000 per year.

The low pay and long hours have created a financial barrier blocking many Kansans from the field,&nbsp; leaving state politics predominantly controlled by those who can afford the pay cut or are retired.

Critics of the pay system say affluent Kansans consequently have a much louder voice in state policy than those from other economic backgrounds.&nbsp;

“How do you get citizens to serve?” asked former Sen. Clark Schultz, a McPherson Republican. “It’s a sacrifice. You could say we’re not going to pay anything and then you’ll get all retirees or wealthy people. We don’t want that, but we also don’t want a $100,000 salary that becomes their job.”

While several lawmakers have acknowledged the problem in recent years, most have been reluctant to self-advocate for pay raises.&nbsp;

The new package is meant to compensate lawmakers fairly without going into excess.&nbsp;

“I believe we’ve done a great job here,” Hutton said, closing out the meeting.

<h2>New proposal would raise legislators’ annual base salary to $45,000, add more compensation for out-of-session meetings</h2>By&nbsp;RACHEL MIPRO&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — After years of stagnant pay, Kansas lawmakers could see their salaries almost double in 2025, including hefty additional compensation for the Legislature’s highest-ranking members.“What we’re trying to do here is develop a compensation package that would not incentivize but support people from our citizenry that want to serve in the Legislature and not punish them financially for doing it,” said former Rep. Mark Hutton, a Wichita Republican and chairman of the Legislative Compensation Committee.&nbsp;The nine-person independent commission, predominantly composed of former lawmakers, is tasked with setting legislative compensation rates and salary. To avoid&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/09/07/republican-leaders-warn-against-substantial-pay-increases-for-kansas-lawmakers/">conflicts of interest</a>, lawmakers are left out of the salary-setting process.&nbsp;Once the commission submits a report to the Legislature, the House and Senate have the option of rejecting the plan by introducing and approving a resolution to reject the raises. If rejected, the commission could try again. Without objections, the rates will be automatically implemented.The&nbsp;draft report,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslegresearch.org/KLRD-web/Publications/Resources/Documents/Legislative-Compensation-Commission/Draft-Legislative_Compensation_Commission_Report.pdf">released Monday</a>&nbsp;and approved by the committee Thursday, outlines the proposed new pay package for lawmakers.&nbsp;&nbsp;Starting in 2025, most legislators would receive a salary of $43,000 per year, marking an approximately $21,000 increase from current compensation. This increased salary is slightly above the estimated Midwest individual yearly income of $41,000.&nbsp;Leadership in the House and Senate would be set at $70,520, up from the current $36,000. In both chambers, majority and minority party leaders would make $67,940. Other higher-ranking positions, such as speaker pro tem and assistant party leaders would have salaries of $57,190 under the proposal.&nbsp;&nbsp;Other benefits include added compensation for interim committee meetings and other meetings held outside the regular 90-day session.&nbsp;While the change marks significant salary increases, retirement compensation won’t increase too much for lawmakers enrolled in the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.&nbsp;In the outlined system, lawmakers would receive lower pay during the first 30 days of the legislative session, and then receive pay increases during the rest of the session.&nbsp; Under state law, the first 30 days of session determines KPERS amount per year, so this setup would minimize annual salary pension benefits.After implementation in the 2025 legislative session, rates will be readjusted every four years. Due to this time frame, the next election cycle in which voters decide who fills all 40 Senate seats and all 125 House seats will end before pay is increased.&nbsp;<h2>Current legislator pay&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>The re-evaluation of legislative pay comes from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzA0MjEuNzU1NjMzNDEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIzXzI0L21lYXN1cmVzL3NiMjI5LyJ9.xuWFkl3Y9o9So9Dm4_7fcrA6t1Cc-muDt4iKxWjBt4o/s/2897855304/br/161153741090-l">Senate Bill 229</a>,&nbsp;introduced by a former legislator and passed in the 2023 legislative session.&nbsp;The subject of legislative pay has long been a tricky one. The state’s 165 legislators average a base salary of $88.66 for every day during the session, which hasn’t changed since 2008. In an average 90-day session, this pay works out to about $23,429 per year —&nbsp; placing the state in the bottom third ranking for legislative compensation, according to a 2019 legislative study of 14 other states.&nbsp;Adding pay for interim meeting days and additional compensation for committee chair positions only boosts that number to an estimated average legislator salary of $29,000.&nbsp;Due to a provision implemented this month, lawmakers are set to receive a per diem allowance of $166 per day to offset food and lodging costs during the session, with additional compensation for leadership positions, still lagging far behind many other states.&nbsp;The 2019 study found neighboring states such as Oklahoma, Missouri and Colorado paid their lawmakers about $48,000 per year.The low pay and long hours have created a financial barrier blocking many Kansans from the field,&nbsp; leaving state politics predominantly controlled by those who can afford the pay cut or are retired.Critics of the pay system say affluent Kansans consequently have a much louder voice in state policy than those from other economic backgrounds.&nbsp;“How do you get citizens to serve?” asked former Sen. Clark Schultz, a McPherson Republican. “It’s a sacrifice. You could say we’re not going to pay anything and then you’ll get all retirees or wealthy people. We don’t want that, but we also don’t want a $100,000 salary that becomes their job.”While several lawmakers have acknowledged the problem in recent years, most have been reluctant to self-advocate for pay raises.&nbsp;The new package is meant to compensate lawmakers fairly without going into excess.&nbsp;“I believe we’ve done a great job here,” Hutton said, closing out the meeting.

Kansas lawmakers on track for hefty salary increases in 2025

BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas couple on drug allegations.

Just before 8p.m. Oct. 16, a sheriff's deputies with assistance from Iowa Tribal Police Department, initiated a search warrant at 2155 Iowa Drive on the Iowa Reservation in Brown County Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.

Deputies arrested 47-year-old Christy Butrick and 59-year-old Larry Butrick both of White Cloud on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana,Possession of Opiates and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, according to Merchant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697750621497.png" alt=" Butrick-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption> Butrick-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>BROWN COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas couple on drug allegations.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697750580543.png" alt=" Butrick-photo Brown Co." />
 <figcaption> Butrick-photo Brown Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 8p.m. Oct. 16, a sheriff's deputies with assistance from Iowa Tribal Police Department, initiated a search warrant at 2155 Iowa Drive on the Iowa Reservation in Brown County Kansas, according to Sheriff John Merchant.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697750769633.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies arrested 47-year-old Christy Butrick and 59-year-old Larry Butrick both of White Cloud on requested charges of Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana,Possession of Opiates and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, according to Merchant.

Deputies, Tribal Police found drugs at Kansas home

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden declared it is “vital for America's national security” for Israel and Ukraine to succeed in their wars, making the case Thursday night for deepening U.S. involvement in a rare Oval Office address as he preparedto ask for billions of dollars in military assistance for both countries.

(Click below to watch a replay of the address)

If international aggression is allowed to continue, Biden said, “conflict and chaos could spread in other parts of the world.”

“Hamas and Putin represent different threats," Biden said. "But they share this in common. They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy.”

He said he would send an urgent funding request to Congress, which is expected to be roughly $100 billion over the next year. The proposal, which will be unveiled on Friday, includes money for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, humanitarian aid and border management.

“It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations," Biden said.

Biden hopes that combining all of these issues into one piece of legislation will create the necessary political coalition for congressional approval. His speech comes the day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-a85cb682fdc61b80285cf4ab354354ce">his high-stakes trip to Israel</a>, where he showed solidarity with the country in its battle against Hamas and pushed for more humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Ahead of his address, Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stress that the U.S. remained committed to backing Kyiv, the White House said. And a senior White House official said Biden continued to develop his remarks on Thursday after working with close aides throughout the week, including on his flight home from Israel. The official declined to be identified ahead of the president's speech.

Biden faces an array of steep challenges as he tries to secure the money. The House remains in chaos because the Republican majority has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jim-jordan-house-speaker-mccarthy-trump-abdef873a8d14979848b658e4ef46fd2">unable to select a speaker</a>&nbsp;to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted more than two weeks ago.

In addition, conservative Republicans oppose sending more weapons to Ukraine as its battle against the Russian invasion approaches the two-year mark. Biden's previous request for funding, which included $24 billion to help with the next few months of fighting, was stripped out of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">budget legislation last month</a>&nbsp;despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3">a personal plea</a>&nbsp;from Zelenskyy.

The White House has warned that time is running out to prevent Ukraine, which recently struggled to make progress in a grueling counteroffensive, from losing ground to Russia because of dwindling supplies of weapons.

There will be resistance on the other side of the political spectrum when it comes to military assistance for Israel, which has been bombarding the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.

Critics have accused Israel of indiscriminately killing civilians and committing war crimes by cutting off essential supplies like food, water and fuel.

Bipartisan support for Israel has already eroded in recent years as progressive Democrats have become more outspoken in their opposition to the country's decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory, which is widely viewed as illegal by the international community.

There are rumbles of disagreement within Biden's administration as well. Josh Paul, a State Department official who oversaw the congressional liaison office dealing with foreign arms sales, resigned over U.S. policy on weapons transfers to Israel.

“I cannot work in support of a set of major policy decisions, including rushing more arms to one side of the conflict, that I believe to be short-sighted, destructive, unjust and contradictory to the very values that we publicly espouse,” he wrote in a statement posted to his LinkedIn account.

Paul is believed to be the first official to have resigned in opposition to the administration’s decision to step up military assistance to Israel after the Oct. 7 attack.

While visiting Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Biden told Israel that “we will not let you ever be alone.” However, he cautioned Israelis against being “consumed” by rage as he said the United States was after the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001.

Wartime decision-making, Biden said, “requires asking very hard questions” and "clarity about the objectives and an honest assessment about whether the path you are on will achieve those objectives."

A speech from the Oval Office is one of the most prestigious platforms that a president can command, an opportunity to try to seize the country’s attention at a moment of crisis. ABC, NBC and CBS all said they would break into regular programming to carry the address live.

Biden has delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-limit-budget-36bd8dbb08192ba7f7507cab16184d93">only one other such speech</a>&nbsp;during his presidency, after Congress passed bipartisan budget legislation to avert a default on the country’s debt.

The White House and other senior administration officials, including Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, have quietly briefed key lawmakers in recent days about the contours of the planned supplemental funding request.

The Senate plans to move quickly on Biden’s proposal, hoping that it creates pressure on the Republican-controlled House to resolve its leadership drama and return to legislating.

However, there are disagreements within the Senate on how to move forward. Eight Republicans, led by Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, said they did not want to combine assistance for Ukraine and Israel in the same legislation.

“These are two separate and unrelated conflicts and it would be wrong to leverage support of aid to Israel in an attempt to get additional aid for Ukraine across the finish line,” they wrote in a letter.

North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said he was fine with the proposal as long as there is also a fresh effort to address border issues. But he said "it’s got to be designed to secure the border, not to facilitate travel through the border.”

Although there was a lull in migrant arrivals to the U.S. after the start of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d">new asylum restrictions in May</a>, illegal crossings topped a daily average of more than 8,000 last month.

“There’s a huge need to reimburse for the costs of processing,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who leads a Senate panel that oversees funding for the Department of Homeland Security. “So it’s personnel costs, it’s soft-sided facilities, it’s transportation costs.”

He was wary, however, of any effort to overhaul border policy — a historically intractable issue — during a debate over spending.

"How are we going to settle our differences over immigration in the next two weeks?” Murphy said. “This is a supplemental funding bill. The minute you start loading it up with policies, that sounds like a plan to fail.”

Biden's decision to include funding for Taiwan in his proposal is a nod toward the potential for another international conflict. China wants to reunify the self-governing island with the mainland, a goal that could be carried out through force.

Although wars in Europe and the Middle East have been the most immediate concerns for U.S. foreign policy, Biden views Asia as the key arena in the struggle for global influence.

The administration's national security strategy, released last year, describes China as “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will deliver a rare Oval Office address Thursday night as he prepares to ask for additional billions of dollars in military assistance for Israel and Ukraine, deepening American involvement in two very different, unpredictable and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-b084e9c453cc99f7bec6f66d7b5913d9" target="_blank">bloody foreign conflicts</a>.

The speech will be an opportunity for Biden to argue that the United States has an obligation — and a national security interest — in both places. And it’s a chance for him to publicly lobby lawmakers for the money.

The funding request, expected to be formally unveiled on Friday, is likely to be around $100 billion over the next year, according to people directly familiar with the proposal who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The total figure includes some money for Taiwan’s defense and for managing the flow of migrants at the southern border with Mexico.

Biden hopes that combining all of these issues into one piece of legislation will create the necessary political coalition for congressional approval. His speech comes the day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-a85cb682fdc61b80285cf4ab354354ce" target="_blank">his high-stakes trip to Israel</a>, where he showed solidarity with the country in its battle against Hamas and pushed for more humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Ahead of his address, Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stress that the U.S. remained committed to backing Kyiv, the White House said. And a senior White House official said Biden continued to develop his remarks on Thursday after working with close aides throughout the week, including on his flight home from Israel. The official declined to be identified ahead of the president’s speech.

Biden faces an array of steep challenges as he tries to secure the money. The House remains in chaos because the Republican majority has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jim-jordan-house-speaker-mccarthy-trump-abdef873a8d14979848b658e4ef46fd2" target="_blank">unable to select a speaker</a>&nbsp;to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted more than two weeks ago.

In addition, conservative Republicans oppose sending more weapons to Ukraine as its battle against the Russian invasion approaches the two-year mark. Biden’s previous request for funding, which included $24 billion to help with the next few months of fighting, was stripped out of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8" target="_blank">budget legislation last month</a>&nbsp;despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3" target="_blank">a personal plea</a>&nbsp;from Zelenskyy.

Bipartisan support for Israel has already eroded in recent years as progressive Democrats have become more outspoken in their opposition to the country’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory, which is widely viewed as illegal by the international community.

There are rumbles of disagreement within Biden’s administration as well. Josh Paul, a State Department official who oversaw the congressional liaison office dealing with foreign arms sales, resigned over U.S. policy on weapons transfers to Israel.

Wartime decision-making, Biden said, “requires asking very hard questions” and “clarity about the objectives and an honest assessment about whether the path you are on will achieve those objectives.”

Biden has delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-limit-budget-36bd8dbb08192ba7f7507cab16184d93" target="_blank">only one other such speech</a>&nbsp;during his presidency, after Congress passed bipartisan budget legislation to avert a default on the country’s debt.

The White House plans to formally unveil Biden’s supplemental request on Friday, according to two officials familiar with the plans, although the timing could change.

North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said he was fine with the proposal as long as there is also a fresh effort to address border issues. But he said “it’s got to be designed to secure the border, not to facilitate travel through the border.”

Although there was a lull in migrant arrivals to the U.S. after the start of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d" target="_blank">new asylum restrictions in May</a>, illegal crossings topped a daily average of more than 8,000 last month.

“How are we going to settle our differences over immigration in the next two weeks?” Murphy said. “This is a supplemental funding bill. The minute you start loading it up with policies, that sounds like a plan to fail.”

Biden’s decision to include funding for Taiwan in his proposal is a nod toward the potential for another international conflict. China wants to reunify the self-governing island with the mainland, a goal that could be carried out through force.

The administration’s national security strategy, released last year, describes China as “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden declared it is “vital for America's national security” for Israel and Ukraine to succeed in their wars, making the case Thursday night for deepening U.S. involvement in a rare Oval Office address as he preparedto ask for billions of dollars in military assistance for both countries.(Click below to watch a replay of the address)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F611557420957457%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=48" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>If international aggression is allowed to continue, Biden said, “conflict and chaos could spread in other parts of the world.”“Hamas and Putin represent different threats," Biden said. "But they share this in common. They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy.”He said he would send an urgent funding request to Congress, which is expected to be roughly $100 billion over the next year. The proposal, which will be unveiled on Friday, includes money for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, humanitarian aid and border management.“It’s a smart investment that’s going to pay dividends for American security for generations," Biden said.Biden hopes that combining all of these issues into one piece of legislation will create the necessary political coalition for congressional approval. His speech comes the day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-a85cb682fdc61b80285cf4ab354354ce">his high-stakes trip to Israel</a>, where he showed solidarity with the country in its battle against Hamas and pushed for more humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.Ahead of his address, Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stress that the U.S. remained committed to backing Kyiv, the White House said. And a senior White House official said Biden continued to develop his remarks on Thursday after working with close aides throughout the week, including on his flight home from Israel. The official declined to be identified ahead of the president's speech.Biden faces an array of steep challenges as he tries to secure the money. The House remains in chaos because the Republican majority has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jim-jordan-house-speaker-mccarthy-trump-abdef873a8d14979848b658e4ef46fd2">unable to select a speaker</a>&nbsp;to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted more than two weeks ago.In addition, conservative Republicans oppose sending more weapons to Ukraine as its battle against the Russian invasion approaches the two-year mark. Biden's previous request for funding, which included $24 billion to help with the next few months of fighting, was stripped out of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8">budget legislation last month</a>&nbsp;despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3">a personal plea</a>&nbsp;from Zelenskyy.The White House has warned that time is running out to prevent Ukraine, which recently struggled to make progress in a grueling counteroffensive, from losing ground to Russia because of dwindling supplies of weapons.There will be resistance on the other side of the political spectrum when it comes to military assistance for Israel, which has been bombarding the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.Critics have accused Israel of indiscriminately killing civilians and committing war crimes by cutting off essential supplies like food, water and fuel.Bipartisan support for Israel has already eroded in recent years as progressive Democrats have become more outspoken in their opposition to the country's decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory, which is widely viewed as illegal by the international community.There are rumbles of disagreement within Biden's administration as well. Josh Paul, a State Department official who oversaw the congressional liaison office dealing with foreign arms sales, resigned over U.S. policy on weapons transfers to Israel.“I cannot work in support of a set of major policy decisions, including rushing more arms to one side of the conflict, that I believe to be short-sighted, destructive, unjust and contradictory to the very values that we publicly espouse,” he wrote in a statement posted to his LinkedIn account.Paul is believed to be the first official to have resigned in opposition to the administration’s decision to step up military assistance to Israel after the Oct. 7 attack.While visiting Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Biden told Israel that “we will not let you ever be alone.” However, he cautioned Israelis against being “consumed” by rage as he said the United States was after the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001.Wartime decision-making, Biden said, “requires asking very hard questions” and "clarity about the objectives and an honest assessment about whether the path you are on will achieve those objectives."A speech from the Oval Office is one of the most prestigious platforms that a president can command, an opportunity to try to seize the country’s attention at a moment of crisis. ABC, NBC and CBS all said they would break into regular programming to carry the address live.Biden has delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-limit-budget-36bd8dbb08192ba7f7507cab16184d93">only one other such speech</a>&nbsp;during his presidency, after Congress passed bipartisan budget legislation to avert a default on the country’s debt.The White House and other senior administration officials, including Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, have quietly briefed key lawmakers in recent days about the contours of the planned supplemental funding request.The Senate plans to move quickly on Biden’s proposal, hoping that it creates pressure on the Republican-controlled House to resolve its leadership drama and return to legislating.However, there are disagreements within the Senate on how to move forward. Eight Republicans, led by Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, said they did not want to combine assistance for Ukraine and Israel in the same legislation.“These are two separate and unrelated conflicts and it would be wrong to leverage support of aid to Israel in an attempt to get additional aid for Ukraine across the finish line,” they wrote in a letter.North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said he was fine with the proposal as long as there is also a fresh effort to address border issues. But he said "it’s got to be designed to secure the border, not to facilitate travel through the border.”Although there was a lull in migrant arrivals to the U.S. after the start of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d">new asylum restrictions in May</a>, illegal crossings topped a daily average of more than 8,000 last month.“There’s a huge need to reimburse for the costs of processing,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who leads a Senate panel that oversees funding for the Department of Homeland Security. “So it’s personnel costs, it’s soft-sided facilities, it’s transportation costs.”He was wary, however, of any effort to overhaul border policy — a historically intractable issue — during a debate over spending."How are we going to settle our differences over immigration in the next two weeks?” Murphy said. “This is a supplemental funding bill. The minute you start loading it up with policies, that sounds like a plan to fail.”Biden's decision to include funding for Taiwan in his proposal is a nod toward the potential for another international conflict. China wants to reunify the self-governing island with the mainland, a goal that could be carried out through force.Although wars in Europe and the Middle East have been the most immediate concerns for U.S. foreign policy, Biden views Asia as the key arena in the struggle for global influence.The administration's national security strategy, released last year, describes China as “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge.”---------WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will deliver a rare Oval Office address Thursday night as he prepares to ask for additional billions of dollars in military assistance for Israel and Ukraine, deepening American involvement in two very different, unpredictable and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-b084e9c453cc99f7bec6f66d7b5913d9" target="_blank">bloody foreign conflicts</a>.The speech will be an opportunity for Biden to argue that the United States has an obligation — and a national security interest — in both places. And it’s a chance for him to publicly lobby lawmakers for the money.The funding request, expected to be formally unveiled on Friday, is likely to be around $100 billion over the next year, according to people directly familiar with the proposal who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The total figure includes some money for Taiwan’s defense and for managing the flow of migrants at the southern border with Mexico.Biden hopes that combining all of these issues into one piece of legislation will create the necessary political coalition for congressional approval. His speech comes the day after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-a85cb682fdc61b80285cf4ab354354ce" target="_blank">his high-stakes trip to Israel</a>, where he showed solidarity with the country in its battle against Hamas and pushed for more humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.Ahead of his address, Biden spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stress that the U.S. remained committed to backing Kyiv, the White House said. And a senior White House official said Biden continued to develop his remarks on Thursday after working with close aides throughout the week, including on his flight home from Israel. The official declined to be identified ahead of the president’s speech.Biden faces an array of steep challenges as he tries to secure the money. The House remains in chaos because the Republican majority has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jim-jordan-house-speaker-mccarthy-trump-abdef873a8d14979848b658e4ef46fd2" target="_blank">unable to select a speaker</a>&nbsp;to replace Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted more than two weeks ago.In addition, conservative Republicans oppose sending more weapons to Ukraine as its battle against the Russian invasion approaches the two-year mark. Biden’s previous request for funding, which included $24 billion to help with the next few months of fighting, was stripped out of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-mccarthy-congress-republicans-732baaa19c91f981e492fd0e6a76aba8" target="_blank">budget legislation last month</a>&nbsp;despite&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/zelenskyy-biden-washington-visit-congress-ukraine-war-1d20574fb3ea4fb5efcc7db5458a33a3" target="_blank">a personal plea</a>&nbsp;from Zelenskyy.The White House has warned that time is running out to prevent Ukraine, which recently struggled to make progress in a grueling counteroffensive, from losing ground to Russia because of dwindling supplies of weapons.There will be resistance on the other side of the political spectrum when it comes to military assistance for Israel, which has been bombarding the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attack on Oct. 7.Critics have accused Israel of indiscriminately killing civilians and committing war crimes by cutting off essential supplies like food, water and fuel.Bipartisan support for Israel has already eroded in recent years as progressive Democrats have become more outspoken in their opposition to the country’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territory, which is widely viewed as illegal by the international community.There are rumbles of disagreement within Biden’s administration as well. Josh Paul, a State Department official who oversaw the congressional liaison office dealing with foreign arms sales, resigned over U.S. policy on weapons transfers to Israel.“I cannot work in support of a set of major policy decisions, including rushing more arms to one side of the conflict, that I believe to be short-sighted, destructive, unjust and contradictory to the very values that we publicly espouse,” he wrote in a statement posted to his LinkedIn account.Paul is believed to be the first official to have resigned in opposition to the administration’s decision to step up military assistance to Israel after the Oct. 7 attack.While visiting Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Biden told Israel that “we will not let you ever be alone.” However, he cautioned Israelis against being “consumed” by rage as he said the United States was after the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001.Wartime decision-making, Biden said, “requires asking very hard questions” and “clarity about the objectives and an honest assessment about whether the path you are on will achieve those objectives.”A speech from the Oval Office is one of the most prestigious platforms that a president can command, an opportunity to try to seize the country’s attention at a moment of crisis. ABC, NBC and CBS all said they would break into regular programming to carry the address live.Biden has delivered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-debt-limit-budget-36bd8dbb08192ba7f7507cab16184d93" target="_blank">only one other such speech</a>&nbsp;during his presidency, after Congress passed bipartisan budget legislation to avert a default on the country’s debt.The White House and other senior administration officials, including Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, have quietly briefed key lawmakers in recent days about the contours of the planned supplemental funding request.The White House plans to formally unveil Biden’s supplemental request on Friday, according to two officials familiar with the plans, although the timing could change.The Senate plans to move quickly on Biden’s proposal, hoping that it creates pressure on the Republican-controlled House to resolve its leadership drama and return to legislating.However, there are disagreements within the Senate on how to move forward. Eight Republicans, led by Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, said they did not want to combine assistance for Ukraine and Israel in the same legislation.“These are two separate and unrelated conflicts and it would be wrong to leverage support of aid to Israel in an attempt to get additional aid for Ukraine across the finish line,” they wrote in a letter.North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said he was fine with the proposal as long as there is also a fresh effort to address border issues. But he said “it’s got to be designed to secure the border, not to facilitate travel through the border.”Although there was a lull in migrant arrivals to the U.S. after the start of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-border-title-42-mexico-asylum-be4e0b15b27adb9bede87b9bbefb798d" target="_blank">new asylum restrictions in May</a>, illegal crossings topped a daily average of more than 8,000 last month.“There’s a huge need to reimburse for the costs of processing,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat who leads a Senate panel that oversees funding for the Department of Homeland Security. “So it’s personnel costs, it’s soft-sided facilities, it’s transportation costs.”He was wary, however, of any effort to overhaul border policy — a historically intractable issue — during a debate over spending.“How are we going to settle our differences over immigration in the next two weeks?” Murphy said. “This is a supplemental funding bill. The minute you start loading it up with policies, that sounds like a plan to fail.”Biden’s decision to include funding for Taiwan in his proposal is a nod toward the potential for another international conflict. China wants to reunify the self-governing island with the mainland, a goal that could be carried out through force.Although wars in Europe and the Middle East have been the most immediate concerns for U.S. foreign policy, Biden views Asia as the key arena in the struggle for global influence.The administration’s national security strategy, released last year, describes China as “America’s most consequential geopolitical challenge.”

🎥  Biden makes case for aid to Israel, Ukraine in primetime address

CAIRO&nbsp; (AP)— A U.S. Navy warship took out three missiles that had been fired from Yemen and were heading north, U.S. officials said Thursday.

The officials said the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, was in the Red Sea and intercepted the three missiles. It wasn’t immediately certain if they were aimed at Israel. One of the officials said the U.S. does not believe the missiles were aimed at the ship.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations not yet announced.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have expressed support for the Palestinians and threatened Israel. Last week, in Yemen’s Sanaa, which is held by the Houthi rebels still at war with a Saudi-led coalition, demonstrators crowded the streets waving Yemeni and Palestinian flags. The rebels’ slogan long has been, “God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse of the Jews; victory to Islam.”

Last week, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, the rebel group’s leader, warned the United States against intervening in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, threatening that his forces would retaliate by firing drones and missiles.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1696803172229.png" alt="The USS Gerald R. Ford and its approximately 5,000 sailors and deck of warplanes are in the Eastern Mediterranean-photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>The USS Gerald R. Ford and its approximately 5,000 sailors and deck of warplanes are in the Eastern Mediterranean-photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>CAIRO&nbsp; (AP)— A U.S. Navy warship took out three missiles that had been fired from Yemen and were heading north, U.S. officials said Thursday.The officials said the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, was in the Red Sea and intercepted the three missiles. It wasn’t immediately certain if they were aimed at Israel. One of the officials said the U.S. does not believe the missiles were aimed at the ship.The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations not yet announced.Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have expressed support for the Palestinians and threatened Israel. Last week, in Yemen’s Sanaa, which is held by the Houthi rebels still at war with a Saudi-led coalition, demonstrators crowded the streets waving Yemeni and Palestinian flags. The rebels’ slogan long has been, “God is the greatest; death to America; death to Israel; curse of the Jews; victory to Islam.”Last week, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, the rebel group’s leader, warned the United States against intervening in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, threatening that his forces would retaliate by firing drones and missiles.

US Navy warship near Yemen intercepts multiple missiles

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

WABAUNSEE CO. - According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigations(KBI), Communications Director, Melissa Underwood, an investigation is underway following allegations against an employee of the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office.

Underwood says on October 12th, the KBI initiated an investigation into an allegation made against an employee of the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office, following the request of the Wabaunsee County Undersheriff.

Underwood says the investigation is ongoing. No additional details are being released at this time.

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple PostWABAUNSEE CO. - According to the Kansas Bureau of Investigations(KBI), Communications Director, Melissa Underwood, an investigation is underway following allegations against an employee of the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office.Underwood says on October 12th, the KBI initiated an investigation into an allegation made against an employee of the Wabaunsee County Sheriff's Office, following the request of the Wabaunsee County Undersheriff.Underwood says the investigation is ongoing. No additional details are being released at this time.

KBI: Kansas sheriff's office employee under investigation

WASHINGTON —The U.S. State Department released a rare  “Worldwide Travel Alert” Thursday morning stating that American citizens should exercise increased caution around the world due to increasing tensions in various locations and the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.&nbsp;

<a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/worldwide-caution.html">Click here</a> for additional details from the U.S. State Department

In addition, the FBI is continuing to monitor threats both in the United States and overseas.&nbsp;As the conflict continues, the FBI has seen an increase in reports of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions, according to a statement from the agency.

"We take all potential threats seriously and are working closely with our law enforcement partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate&nbsp;investigative&nbsp;action.&nbsp;As always, we encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement. "

"FBI field offices across the country are communicating not just with our law enforcement partners but also with faith-based organizations and the private sector, among others. To help keep our communities safe, we are talking with leaders of all faiths, including Jewish and Muslim leaders, sharing information, and asking them to let us know if they see anything concerning."

"Through our Legal Attaché office in Tel Aviv, we are working with our Israeli and U.S. Embassy partners to identify all Americans who have been impacted in the region, including those who remain unaccounted for, and our victim services specialists are working closely with victims and their families here and abroad."

"Countering terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority, and we will not tolerate violence motivated by hate and extremism.&nbsp;We&nbsp;will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and pursue justice for the victims and their families."

WASHINGTON —The U.S. State Department released a rare “Worldwide Travel Alert” Thursday morning stating that American citizens should exercise increased caution around the world due to increasing tensions in various locations and the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697731837363.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/worldwide-caution.html">Click here</a> for additional details from the U.S. State DepartmentIn addition, the FBI is continuing to monitor threats both in the United States and overseas.&nbsp;As the conflict continues, the FBI has seen an increase in reports of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities and institutions, according to a statement from the agency."We take all potential threats seriously and are working closely with our law enforcement partners to determine their credibility, share information, and take appropriate&nbsp;investigative&nbsp;action.&nbsp;As always, we encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement. ""FBI field offices across the country are communicating not just with our law enforcement partners but also with faith-based organizations and the private sector, among others. To help keep our communities safe, we are talking with leaders of all faiths, including Jewish and Muslim leaders, sharing information, and asking them to let us know if they see anything concerning.""Through our Legal Attaché office in Tel Aviv, we are working with our Israeli and U.S. Embassy partners to identify all Americans who have been impacted in the region, including those who remain unaccounted for, and our victim services specialists are working closely with victims and their families here and abroad.""Countering terrorism remains the FBI’s number one priority, and we will not tolerate violence motivated by hate and extremism.&nbsp;We&nbsp;will continue to do everything in our power to protect the American people and pursue justice for the victims and their families."

U.S. State Department issues worldwide travel alert

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a threat on the campus at Garden City Community College have a suspect in custody.

At 8a.m. Thursday, the Garden City Community College Police Department was alerted to a possible armed intruder in the Saffell Library,&nbsp;801 North Campus Drive in Garden City, according to a media release from police.

Following the college’s established active intruder procedures, the campus was placed on lockdown. USD 457 also placed all of their schools into a lockout status. No one allowed in or out of the buildings, but classes continued as normal inside.

Community College employees and students followed procedures to shelter in place andor evacuate campus to off-site emergency reunification points.

Police officers and sheriff's deputies cleared the campus to ensure the safety of students and employees. No threats to the students, staff, or campus were discovered. However,&nbsp; officers did arrest a suspect on requested charges of aggravated criminal threat. There were no injuries during the event. 

After a thorough investigation by law enforcement, the college was released from its lockdown and the college subsequently dismissed for the day. USD 457 also lifted its lockdown.&nbsp;

Counseling services are available for those in need inside the Spruce Street Technical Center on north end of the Welding facility on campus.These services will be available through 5 pm today and made available in subsequent days, according to the college.

Normal business operations will resume on campus at 8a.m. Friday.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697745780022.png" alt="Garden City Community College-courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Garden City Community College-courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a threat on the campus at Garden City Community College have a suspect in custody.At 8a.m. Thursday, the Garden City Community College Police Department was alerted to a possible armed intruder in the Saffell Library,&nbsp;801 North Campus Drive in Garden City, according to a media release from police.Following the college’s established active intruder procedures, the campus was placed on lockdown. USD 457 also placed all of their schools into a lockout status. No one allowed in or out of the buildings, but classes continued as normal inside.Community College employees and students followed procedures to shelter in place andor evacuate campus to off-site emergency reunification points.Police officers and sheriff's deputies cleared the campus to ensure the safety of students and employees. No threats to the students, staff, or campus were discovered. However,&nbsp; officers did arrest a suspect on requested charges of aggravated criminal threat. There were no injuries during the event. After a thorough investigation by law enforcement, the college was released from its lockdown and the college subsequently dismissed for the day. USD 457 also lifted its lockdown.&nbsp;Counseling services are available for those in need inside the Spruce Street Technical Center on north end of the Welding facility on campus.These services will be available through 5 pm today and made available in subsequent days, according to the college.Normal business operations will resume on campus at 8a.m. Friday.&nbsp;

Suspect arrested for alleged threat at Garden City Community College

On Thursday, police reported an additional arrest has been made in this investigation. A 17-year-old boy from Topeka, was transported to the Shawnee County Juvenile Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st, degree, in the commission of a felony and Aggravated Robbery.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a series of deadly shootings over the past week in Topeka and have another suspect in custody.At 10:30 p.m. Oct. 10, police responded to a shooting in the 2000 block of SE Pennsylvania Street in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Donna Eubanks.First responders located 17-year-old Victor Carlton suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.&nbsp; Early Tuesday police reported the arrest of a 17-year-old suspect on requested charges of murder and aggravated robbery.On Thursday, police reported an additional arrest has been made in this investigation. A 17-year-old boy from Topeka, was transported to the Shawnee County Juvenile Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st, degree, in the commission of a felony and Aggravated Robbery.

Second Kan. teen accused in murder, robbery of 17-year-old

WASHINGTON (AP) — A military base in southern Syria where U.S. troops have maintained a presence to train forces as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-troops-drone-attack-6194dca97f594e3609914637463c4ce3" target="_blank">broad campaign</a>&nbsp;against the Islamic State group was attacked by drones on Thursday, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press.

One drone was shot down, but another caused in minor injuries, said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before an official announcement about the incident.

The attacks follow similar drone strikes over the past few days against U.S. and coalition bases in Iraq amid simmering anger in the region after an explosion at a Gaza hospital killed hundreds of people.

The al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria is located at a sensitive juncture often used by Iranian-backed militants to ferry weapons to Hezbollah.

Syrian opposition activists also said Thursday a drone attack was conducted on an oil facility in eastern Syria that houses American troops.

Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, said three drones with explosives struck the Conoco gas field in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq.

Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that five explosions were heard at the Conoco gas field.

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition activists say a drone attack has been conducted on an oil facility in eastern Syria housing American troops and a U.S. base in a nearby area.

There was no immediate word on casualties and the U.S. military didn't immediately respond to requests for confirmation.

Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, said that three drones with explosives struck the Conoco gas field in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq on Thursday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/6/1561036312700.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A military base in southern Syria where U.S. troops have maintained a presence to train forces as part of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-us-troops-drone-attack-6194dca97f594e3609914637463c4ce3" target="_blank">broad campaign</a>&nbsp;against the Islamic State group was attacked by drones on Thursday, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press.One drone was shot down, but another caused in minor injuries, said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter before an official announcement about the incident.The attacks follow similar drone strikes over the past few days against U.S. and coalition bases in Iraq amid simmering anger in the region after an explosion at a Gaza hospital killed hundreds of people.The al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria is located at a sensitive juncture often used by Iranian-backed militants to ferry weapons to Hezbollah.Syrian opposition activists also said Thursday a drone attack was conducted on an oil facility in eastern Syria that houses American troops.Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, said three drones with explosives struck the Conoco gas field in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq.Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that five explosions were heard at the Conoco gas field.------------BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition activists say a drone attack has been conducted on an oil facility in eastern Syria housing American troops and a U.S. base in a nearby area.There was no immediate word on casualties and the U.S. military didn't immediately respond to requests for confirmation.Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, said that three drones with explosives struck the Conoco gas field in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq on Thursday.Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that five explosions were heard at the Conoco gas field.

Drone attack hits oil facility housing U.S. troops in Syria 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-police-shooting-974b3aa6e4736005b553672489bb46ea">former Missouri detective</a>&nbsp;convicted in the 2019 death of a Black man plans another appeal and asked for bond Wednesday, a day after he was jailed.

Eric J. DeValkenaere's lawyer asked appeals court judges to reinstate his bond so he can remain free pending requests for a rehearing or an appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court.

The former officer had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">free on bond</a>&nbsp;during his initial appeal, but judges revoked bond Tuesday after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-police-shooting-974b3aa6e4736005b553672489bb46ea">upholding his conviction</a>&nbsp;of second-degree manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb.

DeValkenaere surrendered himself Tuesday but has not yet been transferred from a Platte County jail to state prison.

His lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment from The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office supports DeValkenaere's bond request. Bailey has played&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/detective-fatal-shooting-attorney-general-appeal-16957c1b9f09d91e17e3a3cfb75c1a07">an unusual role</a>&nbsp;in the former detective's case, in June asking the appeals court to reverse DeValkenaere’s conviction or order a new trial. In Missouri, the attorney general’s office handles criminal appeals and typically defends convictions, rather than appealing them.

Rumors have swirled that Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson was considering pardoning or granting clemency to DeValkenaere, although on Tuesday spokesperson Johnathan Shiflett said in an email that the governor is “assessing the situation” and no decision has been reached on whether to grant a pardon.

Lamb’s stepfather, Aqil Bey, during a Wednesday press conference asked Parson to think about Lamb when deciding whether to pardon DeValkenaere.

“We pray that he take into consideration who Cameron Lamb was, what he would offer this city and could offer this city as an upstanding citizen (and) as a father to his children,” Bey said.

Kansas City Law Enforcement Accountability Project founder Steve Young asked supporters to call Parson and request that he not pardon DeValkenaere.

“He has one foot in and one foot out (of jail),” Young said. “Who gets that kind of privilege?”

DeValkenaere, who is white, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-933d3aba9b37c83145fba5818d557c02">found guilty</a>&nbsp;in 2021 in the death of Lamb, who was parking a pickup truck in his backyard in Kansas City when the officer shot him.

The judge who found DeValkenaere guilty in a bench trial said police were the initial aggressors and had a duty to retreat, but DeValkenaere illegally used deadly force instead.

Prosecutors and Lamb’s family have alleged a handgun was planted after the shooting, but that issue was not addressed by Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs when he convicted the detective.

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel ruled unanimously there had been enough evidence to convict DeValkenaere. He had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">sentenced to three years</a>&nbsp;in prison for involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run consecutively.

Police said DeValkenaere and his partner, Troy Schwalm, went to Lamb’s home after reports he'd been chasing his girlfriend’s convertible in a stolen pickup truck. DeValkenaere said he fired after Lamb pointed a gun at another detective. The judge said the officers had no probable cause to believe any crime had been committed, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest, and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697577882618.png" alt="DeValkenaere is being held in Platte County and has not been transferred to a state prison" />
 <figcaption>DeValkenaere is being held in Platte County and has not been transferred to a state prison</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-police-shooting-974b3aa6e4736005b553672489bb46ea">former Missouri detective</a>&nbsp;convicted in the 2019 death of a Black man plans another appeal and asked for bond Wednesday, a day after he was jailed.Eric J. DeValkenaere's lawyer asked appeals court judges to reinstate his bond so he can remain free pending requests for a rehearing or an appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court.The former officer had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">free on bond</a>&nbsp;during his initial appeal, but judges revoked bond Tuesday after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-police-shooting-974b3aa6e4736005b553672489bb46ea">upholding his conviction</a>&nbsp;of second-degree manslaughter and armed criminal action in the death of 26-year-old Cameron Lamb.DeValkenaere surrendered himself Tuesday but has not yet been transferred from a Platte County jail to state prison.His lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment from The Associated Press on Wednesday.Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office supports DeValkenaere's bond request. Bailey has played&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/detective-fatal-shooting-attorney-general-appeal-16957c1b9f09d91e17e3a3cfb75c1a07">an unusual role</a>&nbsp;in the former detective's case, in June asking the appeals court to reverse DeValkenaere’s conviction or order a new trial. In Missouri, the attorney general’s office handles criminal appeals and typically defends convictions, rather than appealing them.Rumors have swirled that Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson was considering pardoning or granting clemency to DeValkenaere, although on Tuesday spokesperson Johnathan Shiflett said in an email that the governor is “assessing the situation” and no decision has been reached on whether to grant a pardon.Lamb’s stepfather, Aqil Bey, during a Wednesday press conference asked Parson to think about Lamb when deciding whether to pardon DeValkenaere.“We pray that he take into consideration who Cameron Lamb was, what he would offer this city and could offer this city as an upstanding citizen (and) as a father to his children,” Bey said.Kansas City Law Enforcement Accountability Project founder Steve Young asked supporters to call Parson and request that he not pardon DeValkenaere.“He has one foot in and one foot out (of jail),” Young said. “Who gets that kind of privilege?”DeValkenaere, who is white, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-race-and-ethnicity-kansas-city-933d3aba9b37c83145fba5818d557c02">found guilty</a>&nbsp;in 2021 in the death of Lamb, who was parking a pickup truck in his backyard in Kansas City when the officer shot him.The judge who found DeValkenaere guilty in a bench trial said police were the initial aggressors and had a duty to retreat, but DeValkenaere illegally used deadly force instead.Prosecutors and Lamb’s family have alleged a handgun was planted after the shooting, but that issue was not addressed by Jackson County Circuit Court Presiding Judge J. Dale Youngs when he convicted the detective.On Tuesday, a three-judge panel ruled unanimously there had been enough evidence to convict DeValkenaere. He had been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/crime-police-shootings-kansas-city-kansas-cdc43324871862f01222a6ca29ef317f">sentenced to three years</a>&nbsp;in prison for involuntary manslaughter and six years for armed criminal action, with the sentences to run consecutively.Police said DeValkenaere and his partner, Troy Schwalm, went to Lamb’s home after reports he'd been chasing his girlfriend’s convertible in a stolen pickup truck. DeValkenaere said he fired after Lamb pointed a gun at another detective. The judge said the officers had no probable cause to believe any crime had been committed, had no warrant for Lamb’s arrest, and had no search warrant or consent to be on the property.

Ex-KC officer who fatally shot a Black man files for appeal bond

SUMNER COUNTY –Law enforcement and fire crews are investigating the cause of an anhydrous ammonia leak that shut down portions of rural Sumner County late Wednesday.

The Sumner County Sheriff's office asked the public to avoid the area between Morris and Milan road from U.S. 160 highway north to 40th Avenue.&nbsp;U.S. 160 highway was closed from Ryan Road to Morris Road.

Crews responded to the&nbsp; scene and worked as quickly as possible to get the area evacuated and under control.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Just after 11p.m. Wednesday, the sheriff's office reported the leak had dissipated. All roads in the area are open. There were no injuries reported.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617617964728.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY –Law enforcement and fire crews are investigating the cause of an anhydrous ammonia leak that shut down portions of rural Sumner County late Wednesday.The Sumner County Sheriff's office asked the public to avoid the area between Morris and Milan road from U.S. 160 highway north to 40th Avenue.&nbsp;U.S. 160 highway was closed from Ryan Road to Morris Road.Crews responded to the&nbsp; scene and worked as quickly as possible to get the area evacuated and under control.&nbsp;&nbsp;Just after 11p.m. Wednesday, the sheriff's office reported the leak had dissipated. All roads in the area are open. There were no injuries reported.

Temporary evacuations after rural Kan. anhydrous ammonia leak

EL AVIV, Israel (AP) —On Thursday, President Biden will address the nation to discuss his administration's response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine.This speech will be delivered from the Oval Office at 7:00pm CDT. 

The President swept into wartime Israel for a 7 1/2-hour visit Wednesday that produced a heaping dose of support for the Israeli people, a deal to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-hospital-d9606e0ead1f8c4e9fd00b602ed14a38">limited humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt</a>&nbsp;and a warning not to allow rage over the deadly Hamas attack to consume them.

(click below to watch the President's statement from Israel)

“I understand. Many Americans understand,” Biden said as he wrapped up his stay in Tel Aviv, likening the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Oct. 7 Hamas attack</a>&nbsp;to the attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, that killed nearly 3,000 people. “You can’t look at what has happened here ... and not scream out for justice," he said.

“But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it,” he said. “After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. And while we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes."

Biden urged Israel to step back from the brink, not just to ease growing tensions in the Mideast that threaten to spiral into a broader regional conflict, but also to reassure a world rattled by images of carnage and suffering, in Israel and Gaza alike.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-egypt-sinai-war-894d45535fed1049a0076453ca99c555">One million people have been</a>&nbsp;displaced in roughly 10 days, according to the United Nations.

Biden's mission to Israel was to display resolve and to diminish the likelihood of a wider war, while providing assurances that he was not overlooking the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.

The president spoke to reporters briefly aboard Air Force One as it stopped in Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany on the way back to Washington.

He said he had spoken to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, who had agreed to reopen the country's border crossing with Gaza and allow 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid supplies to cross. He said timing would depend on patching roads damaged in the fighting.

Less clear is how far the trip would take Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gaza-palestinians-war-crisis-mideast-7688f27195afe94f89c22c66cf7b5b72">in trying to tamp down volatile Mideast divisions</a>, particularly after his plan collapsed to follow the Israel stop with an Arab leaders summit in Jordan.

The day was full of signature Biden moments as he walked a careful diplomatic line. He doled out embraces to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to first responders, doctors and victims who witnessed nightmare moments. He spoke quietly of his own history with grief. He told the familiar anecdote about meeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-gaza-dachau-holocaust-hamas-919058eec36dca4c06cf9fc4355fe302#tbl-em-lnw35klcqmtvftg1omd">every Israeli prime minister</a>&nbsp;over more than five decades in elected office, starting with Golda Meir in 1973.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ireland-seamus-heaney-poetry-yeats-d87aa6c0b3e9a53464faaf8d5fda1c7b">He quoted an Irish poet.</a>

“I come to Israel with a single message: You're not alone," Biden said. “As long as the United States stands — and we will stand forever — we will not let you ever be alone.”

His presence and comments to Israeli leaders held weight. Netanyahu said the president's visit was “deeply, deeply moving” and said Biden had rightly drawn a clear line between the “forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism.”

“The civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas,” the Israeli leader said.

Biden arrived in Israel as the nations across the Mideast shook with protests triggered by an explosion Monday at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">Gaza hospital that killed hundreds.</a>

The blast undid plans for Jordan’s King Abdullah II to host Biden along with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and el-Sissi. Abbas withdrew in protest of the hospital attack; the summit was subsequently canceled outright. Biden was expected to speak to Abbas by telephone Wednesday as he returned to Washington, but his presence in Israel prompted fresh outrage.

In Amman, a sign hoisted by one protester labeled Biden and Netanyahu war criminals and called them “Partner in Crime.” At the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh in south Lebanon, protesters set fire to a cardboard cutout of Biden’s head with a rope around his neck and blood painted over his mouth.

Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, told a state-run television network that the war is “pushing the region to the brink.”

But Biden emerged from the day with at least an agreement by Israel to allow food, water and medicine into Gaza following days of deadlock. Israel cut off the flow of aid and fuel to the Gaza Strip after the attack that killed 1,400 civilians by Hamas, which controls the region.

The U.S. has already provided aid and military support to Israel and officials plan to ask Congress for more than $2 billion in combined additional aid for Israel and Ukraine. Biden on Wednesday also announced $100 million in aid to Gaza and the West Bank.

“The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas,” Biden stressed. "Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.”

The grim tone of the discussions between Biden and Netanyahu stood in stark contrast to their optimistic meeting just a month ago on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;in New York, where Netanyahu marveled that a “historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia” seemed within reach.

The possibility of improved relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors has dimmed considerably with the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hamas war. Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza. There are also fears that a new front could erupt along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates. The Iran-backed organization has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-clashes-cadccde8c6ce5400ee36fd12d3bfea52">skirmishing with Israeli forces.</a>

It was not clear yet when the humanitarian aid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-jordan-egypt-israel-refugee-502c06d004767d4b64848d878b66bd3d">would begin to flow into Gaza</a>, and whether it would include fuel that could power the generators keeping open the hospitals that are flooded with injured.

Allowing aid into the region had been seen by U.S. officials as a critical step toward the cooling of tensions in Arab nations after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking a refuge from the fighting.

There were conflicting claims of who was responsible.

Officials in Gaza quickly blamed an Israeli airstrike. Israel denied it was involved and released a flurry of video, audio and other information that it said showed the blast was instead due to a missile misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza. The Islamic Jihad dismissed that claim. The Associated Press has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697676315956.png" alt="White House photo" />
 <figcaption>White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>EL AVIV, Israel (AP) —On Thursday, President Biden will address the nation to discuss his administration's response to Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel and Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine.This speech will be delivered from the Oval Office at 7:00pm CDT. The President swept into wartime Israel for a 7 1/2-hour visit Wednesday that produced a heaping dose of support for the Israeli people, a deal to get&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-hospital-d9606e0ead1f8c4e9fd00b602ed14a38">limited humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt</a>&nbsp;and a warning not to allow rage over the deadly Hamas attack to consume them.(click below to watch the President's statement from Israel)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F850374373214118%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=1" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>“I understand. Many Americans understand,” Biden said as he wrapped up his stay in Tel Aviv, likening the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2">Oct. 7 Hamas attack</a>&nbsp;to the attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, that killed nearly 3,000 people. “You can’t look at what has happened here ... and not scream out for justice," he said.“But I caution this: While you feel that rage, don’t be consumed by it,” he said. “After 9/11, we were enraged in the United States. And while we sought justice and got justice, we also made mistakes."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding the situation on the ground, security assistance and humanitarian needs, and information on unaccounted Americans. I asked tough questions as a friend of Israel. We will continue to deter any actor wanting to widen this conflict. <a href="https://t.co/KJpX4eHD4A">pic.twitter.com/KJpX4eHD4A</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1714637524704940220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Biden urged Israel to step back from the brink, not just to ease growing tensions in the Mideast that threaten to spiral into a broader regional conflict, but also to reassure a world rattled by images of carnage and suffering, in Israel and Gaza alike.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-palestinians-egypt-sinai-war-894d45535fed1049a0076453ca99c555">One million people have been</a>&nbsp;displaced in roughly 10 days, according to the United Nations.Biden's mission to Israel was to display resolve and to diminish the likelihood of a wider war, while providing assurances that he was not overlooking the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.The president spoke to reporters briefly aboard Air Force One as it stopped in Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany on the way back to Washington.He said he had spoken to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, who had agreed to reopen the country's border crossing with Gaza and allow 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid supplies to cross. He said timing would depend on patching roads damaged in the fighting.Less clear is how far the trip would take Biden&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gaza-palestinians-war-crisis-mideast-7688f27195afe94f89c22c66cf7b5b72">in trying to tamp down volatile Mideast divisions</a>, particularly after his plan collapsed to follow the Israel stop with an Arab leaders summit in Jordan.The day was full of signature Biden moments as he walked a careful diplomatic line. He doled out embraces to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to first responders, doctors and victims who witnessed nightmare moments. He spoke quietly of his own history with grief. He told the familiar anecdote about meeting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-israel-gaza-dachau-holocaust-hamas-919058eec36dca4c06cf9fc4355fe302#tbl-em-lnw35klcqmtvftg1omd">every Israeli prime minister</a>&nbsp;over more than five decades in elected office, starting with Golda Meir in 1973.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-ireland-seamus-heaney-poetry-yeats-d87aa6c0b3e9a53464faaf8d5fda1c7b">He quoted an Irish poet.</a>“I come to Israel with a single message: You're not alone," Biden said. “As long as the United States stands — and we will stand forever — we will not let you ever be alone.”His presence and comments to Israeli leaders held weight. Netanyahu said the president's visit was “deeply, deeply moving” and said Biden had rightly drawn a clear line between the “forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism.”“The civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas,” the Israeli leader said.Biden arrived in Israel as the nations across the Mideast shook with protests triggered by an explosion Monday at a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">Gaza hospital that killed hundreds.</a>The blast undid plans for Jordan’s King Abdullah II to host Biden along with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and el-Sissi. Abbas withdrew in protest of the hospital attack; the summit was subsequently canceled outright. Biden was expected to speak to Abbas by telephone Wednesday as he returned to Washington, but his presence in Israel prompted fresh outrage.In Amman, a sign hoisted by one protester labeled Biden and Netanyahu war criminals and called them “Partner in Crime.” At the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein el-Hilweh in south Lebanon, protesters set fire to a cardboard cutout of Biden’s head with a rope around his neck and blood painted over his mouth.Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, told a state-run television network that the war is “pushing the region to the brink.”But Biden emerged from the day with at least an agreement by Israel to allow food, water and medicine into Gaza following days of deadlock. Israel cut off the flow of aid and fuel to the Gaza Strip after the attack that killed 1,400 civilians by Hamas, which controls the region.The U.S. has already provided aid and military support to Israel and officials plan to ask Congress for more than $2 billion in combined additional aid for Israel and Ukraine. Biden on Wednesday also announced $100 million in aid to Gaza and the West Bank.“The vast majority of Palestinians are not Hamas,” Biden stressed. "Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people.”The grim tone of the discussions between Biden and Netanyahu stood in stark contrast to their optimistic meeting just a month ago on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;in New York, where Netanyahu marveled that a “historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia” seemed within reach.The possibility of improved relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors has dimmed considerably with the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hamas war. Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza. There are also fears that a new front could erupt along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates. The Iran-backed organization has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-clashes-cadccde8c6ce5400ee36fd12d3bfea52">skirmishing with Israeli forces.</a>It was not clear yet when the humanitarian aid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-jordan-egypt-israel-refugee-502c06d004767d4b64848d878b66bd3d">would begin to flow into Gaza</a>, and whether it would include fuel that could power the generators keeping open the hospitals that are flooded with injured.Allowing aid into the region had been seen by U.S. officials as a critical step toward the cooling of tensions in Arab nations after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking a refuge from the fighting.There were conflicting claims of who was responsible.Officials in Gaza quickly blamed an Israeli airstrike. Israel denied it was involved and released a flurry of video, audio and other information that it said showed the blast was instead due to a missile misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza. The Islamic Jihad dismissed that claim. The Associated Press has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties.Biden said data from his Defense Department showed that the explosion was not likely caused by an airstrike by the Israeli military. A White House National Security Council spokesperson followed up later with a post on social media that an analysis of “overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information” showed Israel was not behind the attack. But the U.S. continues to collect evidence.“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden told Netanyahu.The leaders of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee in a joint statement said they felt confident the explosion was “the result of a failed rocket launch” by militants and not an Israeli airstrike.Roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been reported killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. An additional 1,200 people are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-siege-airstrikes-rescue-war-b4147d61a1fd1628e1029349224ab708">believed to be buried under the rubble</a>, alive or dead, health authorities said. Those numbers predate the explosion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">the Al-Ahli hospital</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.Jordan declared three days of mourning and Jordanian officials said the summit was canceled after speaking with all leaders. Safadi said they had wanted the meeting to produce an end to the war, which seems unlikely now, and to give Palestinians the respect they deserve.-----------TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that Israel had agreed to allow humanitarian assistance to begin flowing into Gaza from Egypt, with the understanding that shipments would be subject to inspections and that aid should go to civilians and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-781b3c63af4ae6e51c313a68f314e66d">not Hamas militants</a>.“I understand. Many Americans understand," Biden said, likening the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S. that killed nearly 3,000 people. “You can't look at what has happened here ... and not scream out for justice. While you feel that rage, don't be consumed by it.”Israel had cut off the flow of food, fuel and water to the Gaza Strip after the attack by Hamas, in which nearly 1,400 people in Israel were killed. Mediators have been struggling to break a deadlock over providing supplies to desperate civilians, aid groups and hospitals.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-hospital-d9606e0ead1f8c4e9fd00b602ed14a38">An explosion</a>&nbsp;at a Gaza Strip hospital compounded the suffering.Israel confirmed that food, water and medicine would begin to flow to Gaza through Egypt, though exactly when that would begin wasn't immediately clear.There were conflicting claims of who was responsible for the hospital blast. Officials in Gaza quickly blamed an Israeli airstrike. Israel denied it was involved and released a flurry of video, audio and other information that it said showed the blast was instead due to a missile misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza. The Islamic Jihad dismissed that claim. The Associated Press has not independently verified any of the claims or evidence released by the parties.Biden on Wednesday said data from his Defense Department showed it was not likely a strike by the Israeli military. And a National Security Council spokesperson later posted on social media that an analysis of "overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information" showed that Israel was not behind the attack. But the U.S. continued to collect evidence.“Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting. But he said there were “a lot of people out there” who weren’t sure what caused the blast, which sparked protests throughout the Middle East.Biden said he had spoken with the Israeli cabinet “to agree to the delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance of civilians in Gaza, based on the understanding that there will be inspections and the aid will go to civilians and not to Hamas.”“Let me be clear,” Biden said. If Hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once again that they have no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people."Biden also announced an additional $100 million in humanitarian aid for Gaza and the West Bank.Biden had&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-gaza-palestinians-war-crisis-mideast-7688f27195afe94f89c22c66cf7b5b72">also been scheduled to visit Jordan</a>&nbsp;to meet with Arab leaders Wednesday, but the summit was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hospital-jordan-egypt-protests-590f24d154fb3cb256ec1707ec78b816">called off after the hospital explosion.</a>&nbsp;His remarks in Tel Aviv spoke both to the horrors that the Israelis had endured, but also the growing humanitarian crisis for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.He told Netanyahu he was “deeply saddened and outraged” by the hospital explosion. But he also stressed that “Hamas does not represent all the Palestinian people, and it has brought them only suffering.” And he spoke of the need to find ways of “encouraging life-saving capacity to help the Palestinians who are innocent, caught in the middle of this.”Biden reiterated the U.S. was firmly behind Israel.“I want you to know you're not alone. We will continue to have Israel's back as you work to defend your people," Biden said. "We'll continue to work with you and partners across the region to prevent more tragedy to innocent civilians."Netanyahu said the president's visit was “deeply, deeply moving," adding, "I know I speak for all the people of Israel when I say thank you Mr. President, thank you for standing with Israel today, tomorrow and always.”Netanyahu said Biden had rightly drawn a clear line between the “forces of civilization and the forces of barbarism,” saying Israel was united in its resolve to defeat Hamas.“The civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas," he said. U.S. officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-palestine-war-hamas-a98846471f1e3c239cfd4e3414d5dba7">on Wednesday also announced</a>&nbsp;sanctions against a group of 10 Hamas members and the Palestinian militant organization’s financial network across Gaza, Sudan, Turkey, Algeria and Qatar.Biden met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog as well as with Israeli first responders and the families of victims and those being held hostage by Hamas. He held their hands, embraced them and listened quietly as their voices cracked as they spoke of the horrors they'd seen.Eli Beer, the founder of a volunteer emergency medical service, told Biden that through his visit "you uplifted the whole spirit in this country, and all the Jewish people in the world.”The grim tone of Wednesday's meetings between Biden and Netanyahu stood in stark contrast to their optimistic meeting just a month ago on the sidelines of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-saudi-arabia-normalization-hamas-246213034afa75e4dff27e71362a1979">U.N. General Assembly</a>&nbsp;in New York, where Netanyahu marveled that a “historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia” seemed within reach.The possibility of improved relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors has dimmed considerably with the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Israel has been preparing for a potential ground invasion of Gaza in response to Hamas' attacks.Roughly 2,800 Palestinians have been reported killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza. Another 1,200 people are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-siege-airstrikes-rescue-war-b4147d61a1fd1628e1029349224ab708">believed to be buried under the rubble</a>, alive or dead, health authorities said. Those numbers predate the explosion at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-war-biden-rafah-e062825a375d9eb62e95509cab95b80c">the Al-Ahli hospital</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-hospital-jordan-egypt-protests-590f24d154fb3cb256ec1707ec78b816">Protests swept through the region</a>&nbsp;after the blast at the hospital, which had been treating wounded Palestinians and sheltering many more who were seeking a refuge from the fighting.Hundreds of Palestinians flooded the streets of major West Bank cities including Ramallah. More people joined protests that erupted in Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan, where an angry crowd gathered outside the Israeli Embassy.Outrage scuttled Biden's plans to visit Jordan, where King Abdullah II was to host meetings with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi. But Abbas withdrew in protest, and the summit was subsequently canceled outright.Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, told a state-run television network that the war is “pushing the region to the brink.”Jordan declared three days of mourning after the hospital explosion and Safadi said the summit was canceled after speaking with all leaders. He said they had wanted the meeting to produce an end to the war, which seems unlikely now, and to give Palestinians the respect they deserve.Kirby said Biden understood the move was part of a “mutual” decision to call off the Jordan portion of his trip. He said Biden would speak to Abbas and el-Sissi by phone Wednesday as he returned to Washington.There are also fears that a new front could erupt along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates. The Iran-backed organization has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-clashes-cadccde8c6ce5400ee36fd12d3bfea52">skirmishing with Israeli forces.</a>Always a believer in the power of personal diplomacy, Biden's trip is testing the limits of U.S. influence in the Middle East at a volatile time. It's his second trip to a conflict zone this year, after visiting Ukraine in February to show solidarity with the country as it battles a Russian invasion.