Risk strategies

WASHINGTON - The plan to pull troops from Afghanistan could give terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State a chance to regenerate the capabilities they would need to carry out an attack against the United States, according to top U.S. intelligence officials. Their warning, coming the same day U.S. President Joe Biden formally announced his decision to end America’s longest-running war, touches on the deep-rooted concerns many current and former U.S. officials have voiced about pulling 2,500 to 3,500 troops from Afghanistan, along with thousands of trainers and contractors. It also may serve to fuel further criticism of the withdrawal, with critics seizing on fears that the conditions that allowed Afghanistan to become a haven for terrorists could soon return, despite nearly two decades of fighting. "There is a significant risk once the U.S. military and the coalition militaries withdraw," Bill Burns, recently confirmed director of the CIA, told lawmakers Wednesday. “The … [Read more...] about Afghanistan Withdrawal Could Pose ‘Significant Risk’ to US, Intelligence Officials Say

close Video CDC: Fully vaccinated people can travel in US John Hopkins University professor of health policy Dr. Marty Makary weighs in on CDC's new air travel guidance on 'FOX News Live' Blocking middle seats on planes reduces the risk of exposure to COVID-19, a new study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests. As airlines continue to allow passengers to book middle seats on planes, new research says that leaving the middle seat empty could reduce the spread of the virus by between 23% to 57%, according to the CDC’s report released Wednesday. Blocking middle seats on planes reduces the risk of exposure to COVID-19, a new CDC report suggests. (iStock) "Research suggests that seating proximity on aircraft is associated with increased risk for infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19," the CDC said in the report. In the study, conducted with Kansas State University, … [Read more...] about Blocking middle seats on planes reduces risk of COVID-19 spread: CDC

All eyes are on Michigan as the state endures a surge of COVID-19 cases, underscoring how fatigue with coronavirus restrictions, and political divisions, have disrupted the response to the pandemic across the country. More than a year after the start of the pandemic, Michigan has evolved into a hot spot for COVID-19, recording a seven-day average of 7,377 new cases and 3,570 hospitalizations in the past week, according to The New York Times. The state is also home to nine of the top 10 cities with the highest rate of cases per 100,000 people over the last two weeks. ADVERTISEMENT Amid the new surge, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Gretchen Whitmer Watch live: Whitmer provides update on COVID-19 in Michigan Multiple GOP Michiganders test positive for COVID-19 after district meeting White House on Whitmer's handling of pandemic: She's shown 'serious' grit MORE (D) has avoided instituting new lockdowns after receiving backlash from Republicans and … [Read more...] about Michigan’s spike highlights fatigue over restrictions

ROME — Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin underscored the importance of “multilateral action” Thursday, asserting that it translates brotherhood “into courage and generosity.” A multilateral commitment “is a privileged way to promote the common good of the human family and to develop original ideas and innovative strategies,” Cardinal Parolin declared in an address to a virtual event on Fraternity, Multilateralism, and Peace in Geneva. Multilateral action through diplomacy, negotiation, and multilateral institutions helps achieve “a truly universal common good and the protection of the weakest states,” he said. One place this multilateralism is especially important, the cardinal asserted, is the area of immigration. “Attention to the most needy and those who find themselves in situations of vulnerability, in particular for refugees, migrants and internally displaced persons, is not only a testimony of brotherhood, but an observation of attention to the real … [Read more...] about Vatican Chief: Multilateralism Is ‘Privileged Way to Promote the Common Good’

Unions and labor advocates with high hopes that President Biden Joe Biden House panel approves bill to set up commission on reparations Democrats to offer bill to expand Supreme Court Former Israeli prime minister advises Iran to 'cool down' amid nuclear threats MORE would help deliver on major priorities like raising wages and increasing worker power have few if any concrete victories to point to as Biden approaches 100 days in office. A $15 minimum wage provision was jettisoned from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan; labor’s top legislative priority, the PRO Act, is once again stalled in the Senate; and a union organizing effort at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama was soundly defeated. Union leaders argue that Biden is still delivering on his campaign promise to be a pro-union president and that progress has been slow going because of razor-thin Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. But many progressive groups say Biden needs to be fighting … [Read more...] about Unions struggle to secure wins under Biden