Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has responded to the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday morning calling the events, "horrendous anti-Semitic brutality."
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis said on Saturday that journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death has undermined stability in the Middle East, and Washington D.C. is up to take any additional measures against those responsible, per Reuters.
Why it matters: Saudi Arabia’s allies have been outraged with the country that is entangled in a U.S.-backed regional bloc against growing Iranian influence in the Middle East.
The border zone between North and South Korea, where the joint summit between the Koreas took place in April, has been disarmed so that civilians are allowed to walk across, reports Yonhap News.
Why it matters: The area has long symbolized the military tensions between the two countries. Firearms, ammunition, guard posts, and armed personnel have been withdrawn from the zone, although some unarmed guards will remain.
The Trump administration has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Washington D.C. in early 2019 for "a full day of consultations," U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Friday. It's still unclear whether Putin has accepted the invitation and the exact date and scheduling is still to be determined.
Why it matters: If Putin comes to Washington, it'll mark his first visit to the White House since the George W. Bush administration.
The White House is creeping toward President Trump’s self-imposed deadline (next few months) to release a Middle East peace plan. But the Khashoggi killing has thrown a wrench into what was already a tumultuous situation.
The Palestinian leadership won’t deal with the White House after the Jerusalem embassy decision, and there’s no obvious avenue to engage them before the plan’s release. But the one thing Kushner’s team has going for it: Expectations of success couldn’t be lower.
The Trump administration has started to limit the number of congressional members it gives direct access to intelligence about North Korea’s nuclear program, prompting frustrations among Republicans and Democrats alike, CBS News reports.
The details: Congressional sources told CBS News that the new policy limits access to only leaders of each party in the House and Senate, as well as the chairs and ranking members of foreign relations and intelligence committees. Previous intelligence reports were available to the entire committees and their staffers. Sources in Congress are reportedly worried that the drastic cut in access may leave many in the dark about Pyongyang 's nuclear developments, and that it might indicate North Korea is accelerating the program.
