The Pentagon on Wednesday said that a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad killed a commander of the Iran-backed militia group responsible for attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East.
The big picture: The strike, which U.S. Central Command said killed a commander of the Kata'ib Hezbollah group, came just days after President Biden warned that the U.S. would continue to retaliate for the deadly attack on U.S. forces in Jordan late last month.
Senior White House officials are expected to meet with Arab American leaders in Metro Detroit Thursday.
The big picture: The meeting comes as many Muslim and Arab voters have expressed betrayal over President Biden's support for Israel during the war in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he told Secretary of State Tony Blinken that President Biden's executive order targeting Israeli settlers involved in violent attacks against Palestinians was "inappropriate" and "highly problematic."
Why it matters: Biden's order, which was issued last week, is the most significant move by any U.S. administration against settler violence in the occupied West Bank and signaled the White House's determination that Netanyahu and his government aren't seriously tackling the issue.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that caving to Hamas' "delusional" ceasefire demands won't lead to the release of the hostages still being held in Gaza, but instead to another attack like the one the militant group committed on Oct. 7.
Why it matters: It was the first time Netanyahu commented on Hamas' response to a recent hostage deal proposal since it was given to Israel on Tuesday. While dismissing Hamas' demands, Netanyahu didn't close the door to negotiations, however.
A search and rescue operation for five marines was underway Wednesday after an overdue Marine Corps helicopter flying from Nevada to California was located.
State of play: The Marines were flying a CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter during a routine training flight from Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego on Tuesday when the aircraft was reported overdue, authorities said.
China-backed hackers have had access to some major U.S. critical infrastructure for "at least five years," according to an intelligence advisory released Wednesday.
Why it matters: The hacking campaign laid out in the report marks a sharp escalation in China's willingness to seize U.S. infrastructure — going beyond the typical effort to steal state secrets.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken told Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Jerusalem on Wednesday that the Biden administration is very concerned about a possible expansion of Israel's military operation into the southern Gazan city of Rafah, an Israeli official and a source briefed on the issue said.
Why it matters: More than 1 million Palestinians — many displaced from elsewhere in Gaza — are concentrated in Rafah and the surrounding areas along the border between Gaza and Egypt.
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson said in a video posted to X on Tuesday that he is in Moscow to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Why it matters: Putin rarely gives interviews, particularly to Western journalists. Carlson, however, is cited frequently on Russian state TV because of his opposition to U.S. support for Ukraine's war effort, embrace of other Russian-friendly narratives and criticism of President Biden.
President Biden on Tuesday said that Hamas' response to the most recent hostage deal proposal seemed a "little over the top," after Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani expressed optimism over what he said was the militant group's generally positive answer.
Why it matters: The Biden administration is pushing for a hostage deal with a prolonged pause in the fighting in Gaza that could allow aid groups to address the dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave and buy time for a regional diplomatic initiative that ends the war.
Abortion advocates say Latinas and other women of color are disproportionately affected by bans and restrictions, but when it comes to lawsuits and news coverage, their stories are less likely to get attention.
Why it matters: The reality underscores the limited resources that Hispanic women have in accessing abortion care, especially since the fall of Roe v. Wade, which has prompted nearly half of all U.S. states to enact more restrictions or bans.
The U.S. and four of its European allies hope to announce in the next few weeks a series of commitments made by Israel and Hezbollah to diffuse tensions and restore calm to the Israel-Lebanon border, according to two Israeli officials and a source briefed on the issue.
Why it matters: Preventing a war between Israel and Hezbollah has been a key objective for the Biden administration in its efforts to prevent the fighting in Gaza from expanding into a much wider regional conflict.
