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Midday rundown: Schiff seeks Senate seat, DOJ cracks down on cybercrime

January 26, 2023

The Justice Department has cracked down on one of the world’s largest cyber criminal groups; and Southwest’s holiday debacle has cost the company hundreds of millions in losses. These stories and more highlight your daily rundown for the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.

Rep. Adam Schiff announces bid for Senate

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff announced Thursday he will seek the Senate seat long held by Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein filed reelection paperwork for 2024, but hasn’t yet commented on whether she will seek a sixth term.

Schiff has become a popular name in the Democratic Party, and more and more politicians across the country are announcing their plans for 2024.

Justice Department disrupts major ransomware group

The Justice Department announced Thursday a major cyber crackdown against one of the world’s most prolific ransomware gangs. The Hive gang is known to hack companies’ systems then threaten to leak sensitive information on the internet unless they pay up.

The gang reportedly swindled schools, hospitals and businesses out of more than $100 million in extortion payments. The department was able to seize its website and dismantle its digital infrastructure.

Boeing in court over 737 Max crashes

The families who lost loved ones in the Boeing 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 are finally getting their day in court.

Boeing is being arraigned Thursday in federal court on criminal charges of conspiracy to commit fraud. The charges are related to two crashes that killed 346 people. The judge is allowing family members of those killed to be heard during the proceeding.

Investigators blame both crashes on a flawed automated flight control system that forced the planes into uncontrollable nosedives. Federal prosecutors accuse Boeing of deceiving the FAA about the system.

Two years ago, Boeing avoided criminal prosecution by entering into an agreement with the DOJ. Under the terms of the deal, Boeing admitted to defrauding the FAA by concealing safety problems and agreed to pay $2.5 billion in fines.

Man arrested for Planned Parenthood fire

Wednesday, two people charged for vandalizing pro-life clinics in Florida. Now a man in Illinois has been arrested for setting a Planned Parenthood clinic on fire.

The state of Illinois passed legislation this month protecting rights to an abortion. Two days after the new laws were passed, the Planned Parenthood clinic went up in flames, causing $150,000 worth of damage.

It’s sadly a trend with dozens of clinics, both abortion clinics and pro-life centers, are being attacked.

Southwest posts $220 million loss

Southwest’s holiday meltdown came at a cost for the company. It’s reporting a $220 million loss for the fourth quarter.

More than 16,000 flight delays in the last couple of weeks of December drove up the company’s expenses. That was expected to linger into the first quarter of this year as the company compensates travelers affected by its holiday cancellations.

Louisiana inmates held past release dates

The Justice Department has found the state of Louisiana is holding more than a quarter of inmates beyond their release dates. The department is now investigating the state’s detention issues over the course of several years. The department said it has found what it calls “systemic violations.”

Between January and April of last year, nearly 27% of inmates released from custody were held past their release dates. That’s more than 4,000 inmates. Nearly a thousand were kept behind bars an extra 90 days or longer.

The department largely blames the state’s documentation procedures and says if it’s not corrected in the matter of weeks, it will sue the state of Louisiana.

Shapeshifting robots are among us

Shapeshifting, electrifying robots are walking among us – or at least they could be soon. Scientists have created a liquid metal “droid” in the shape of a man. It can flow through the bars of a cage before rebuilding itself.

It may remind you of the Terminator movies, but engineers say their inspiration actually came from squishy sea cucumbers.

The silver bot was made by embedding magnetic particles in gallium, a metal with a very low melting point.
Midday rundown: University TikTok ban, Microsoft layoffs, ND book ban

January 18, 2023

Just days after two planes almost collide, two planes make contact at the JFK airport; the latest set of layoffs in big tech is announced; and security concerns over TikTok are affecting universities. These stories and more highlight the daily afternoon rundown for Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023.

Universities ban TikTok from networks

Security concerns over TikTok aren’t going away. Twenty states have banned the app on all government-issued devices. Now universities are taking similar precautions.

Several universities in Texas, including top-tier University of Texas and Texas A&M are restricting access to TikTok across all of its networks. Meaning, if you’re connected to their Wi-Fi, the TikTok app won’t work on your device.

UT, A&M and University of North Texas are a few schools joining the list of colleges banning the app out of security concerns. The University of Oklahoma, Auburn and the University of Georgia are among others who have disabled TikTok from its devices and network.

Planes bump on runway at JFK airport

Just days after two planes almost collided at the JFK airport in New York, Wednesday morning two planes did make contact. While it was a less serious situation, it’s still another safety concern the FAA is having to answer for.

According to the FAA, two JetBlue airplanes bumped into one another when a plane was pushing back from the gate and struck the tail of another parked plane. There were no injuries reported, and both planes were evacuated and are being inspected for damage.

JetBlue said safety is its first priority and will investigate the incident.

DOJ declined oversight of document search

Special counsel Robert Hur is handling all things related to classified documents in President Biden’s possession. But before an outside prosecutor was named to the case, the Department of Justice considered overseeing the search for classified materials and ultimately decided against it.

After the initial discovery of documents found at an office used by Biden in Washington D.C. The DOJ had an opportunity to assign FBI agents in the search for further classified material.

The Justice Department declined further involvement at the time, leaving it to Biden’s attorneys to search the president’s private residence where more documents would be discovered in his garage and personal library.

According to the report, the DOJ said since Biden and his attorneys were fully cooperating, the department left it alone until intervention of a special counsel was warranted.

Capitol Police report

Threats against U.S. lawmakers decreased in 2022 compared to the year prior. But political tensions that turn into these threats have remained high since 2020.

Breaking down the numbers, in 2022 there were 7,500 threats made against congressional members. In 2021 there were 9,600. And in 2020, 8,600.

So, while 2022 saw an improvement by the thousands, it’s still relatively high compared to years past such as 2017, when there were 3,900 threats made against congress members.

The rise is largely attributed to people on social media with a false sense of protection behind a screen.

Last year’s threats include two high-profile attacks: one on Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin of New York, and the other was the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband.

A media miss by the right

Straight Arrow News aims down the middle when other outlets miss the target.

The previous story has only been covered by the left, and was completely under-reported by the right. If you’d like to learn about other stories that are being under-reported by one side or the other, check out the “Media Miss” tool on our website.

Microsoft announces 10,000 layoffs

The trend of tech giants laying off employees continues with Microsoft workers. Microsoft employees are the latest to get cut from the job. The company estimates 10,000 jobs will get nixed by the end of the third quarter of this year.

It’s the largest layoff Microsoft has had in nearly eight years, and just the latest sign of companies bracing for an economic downturn.

Facebook’s parent company Meta also recently announced 11,000 job cuts. Amazon announced plans to lay off 18,000 of its employees.

Proposed ban of sexually explicit books

Books that contain “sexually explicit” content could soon be banned in North Dakota public libraries. Books that include depictions of sexual or gender identity would be included in the ban.

Proponents say it’s protecting children from exposure to pornography. Critics say it’s discriminatory against books that feature LGBTQ material. The proposal also includes up to 30 days of jail time for librarians who refuse to remove any banned titles.

State lawmakers began debating the bill this week.
Who is Robert Hur, appointed special counsel to Biden’s documents case?

January 13, 2023

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Robert Hur as special counsel to investigate whether any laws were broken in the handling of classified information at President Biden’s home and personal office.

“As I’ve said before, I strongly believe that the normal processes of this department can handle all investigations with integrity. But under the regulations, the extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel for this matter,” Garland said.

Who is Robert Hur?

He is a prosecutor who joined the Justice Department’s Criminal Division in 2003. He worked on cases involving counterterrorism, corporate fraud and appellate matters. From 2007 to 2014 he served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Maryland where he prosecuted cases involving violent crime and financial fraud.

After that job, Hur left for the private sector. He returned to public service in 2017 and was appointed by former President Donald Trump to serve as the U.S. attorney for Maryland in 2018. While performing that job, he supervised cases regarding national security and public corruption.

The Stanford educated attorney most recently worked in the private sector as a partner for Gibson and Dunn in Washington D.C. He is a member of the Board of Regents for the University System of Maryland.

“I will conduct the assigned investigation with fair, impartial, and dispassionate judgment. I intend to follow the facts swiftly and thoroughly, without fear or favor, and will honor the trust placed in me to perform this service,” Hur said in a statement.

Attorney General Garland said Hur is authorized to investigate whether any person or entity violated the law in connection with the documents.

“Mr. Hur has a long and distinguished career as a prosecutor,” Garland said. “I will ensure that Mr. Hur receives all the resources he needs to conduct his work.”

President Biden admitted Thursday that more documents were found inside his Wilmington home, including those found locked in his garage next to his Corvette.

“People know I take classified documents and classified material seriously. I also said we’re cooperating fully and completely with the Justice Department’s review,” Biden said.

In November, Garland appointed career prosecutor Jack Smith to investigate former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents that were found at his Mar-a-Lago home. Smith is also reviewing whether anyone unlawfully interfered in the peaceful transfer of power from the Trump to Biden administration.
Times Square attacker waged jihad, charged with attempting to kill officers

January 11, 2023

The 19-year-old who carried out a knife attack in Times Square on New Year’s Eve has been charged with attempting to kill police officers and employees of the U.S. government and now faces a possible 80 years in prison. Prosecutors say he did it in effort to wage jihad against the government.

“As we allege today, Bickford deliberately planned and executed his violent attack against New York City Police Officers who were simply doing their job protecting the public,” Assistant Director of the FBI New York Field Office Michael J. Driscoll said in a statement. “Only the quick action of these brave officers prevented further harm.”

According to the Justice Department, Trevor Bickford admitted that he traveled to New York and walked around “trying to figure out the right time to kill.” He then spotted an officer who was standing by himself and attacked. Bickford injured three officers using a long knife similar to a machete called a kukri. He was ultimately shot in the shoulder.

“An attack against New York City police officers is an attack against all of us – and today’s charges make it clear that such violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said in a statement. “Our NYPD family is thankful our heroic officers survived this premeditated ambush, and the entire city commends them for preventing further bloodshed during one of our nation’s largest public events.”

The Justice Department said Bickford became self-radicalized online. They add that in November he took steps towards traveling to Afghanistan to support the Taliban. The Justice Department also alleges Bickford told a family member that he had aspirations to become a suicide bomber for his religion. In the end, he decided to carry out this attack in the United States. According to the department, Bickford intended to die in the attack as a martyr, and now considers this a failed attack because neither he nor the officers died.

“We allege that the defendant plotted a jihad-inspired attack targeting U.S. government officials, and on December 31st, 2022, attacked three NYPD officers who were part of the joint federal-state law enforcement operation protecting the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said.

According to a description of a mirandized interview, Bickford told authorities he was targeting all men of military age. He also said that no one can work for the U.S. government and be a true Muslim because the U.S. supports Israel.
PM rundown: COVID emergency extended, abortion pill prosecution

January 11, 2023

An outage at the FAA disrupts thousands of flights; assault rifles banned in Illinois and the COVID-19 public health emergency extended. These stories and more highlight the midday rundown for Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023.

COVID-19 public health emergency extended

The Department of Health and Human Services has extended the COVID-19 public health emergency today. It’s something that was expected happen this week. This means COVID-19 tests and vaccines will continue to be paid for by the government.

Once the public health emergency ends, insurance companies will largely be responsible for the costs of COVID-19 treatments.

The administration is reportedly looking to end the public health emergency this spring.

7,700 flights canceled or delayed

There’s been nearly 7,000 flights delayed today and more than 1,000 canceled. The FAA experienced an outage this morning. It affected part of its system that relays important safety alerts to pilots on airborne issues and ground traffic at airports.

All airplanes were grounded until the system was fixed. Now, it’s causing a ripple effect, as travelers at airports are caught in an entanglement of cancellations.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, criticized the FAA today, calling the error “unacceptable.”

“The flying public deserves safety in the sky. The FAA’s inability to keep an important safety system up and running is completely unacceptable and just the latest example of dysfunction within the Department of Transportation. The administration needs to explain to Congress what happened,” said Cruz.

Illinois assault rifle ban in effect

The Illinois governor signed sweeping gun control legislation into law this week. Effective immediately, the sale and distribution of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines is banned in Illinois. The new law also bans switches used to convert handguns into assault weapons.

Illinois courts also have new powers to prevent dangerous individuals from possessing a gun, through firearm restraining orders.

The governor says the new measures are in response to the Highland Park shooting that happened in Illinois last July.

Possible prosecution over abortion pill

If a woman takes an abortion pill to terminate her pregnancy, she could be prosecuted for it in the state of Alabama. The news came straight from Alabama’s attorney general.

The state is one that already has an abortion ban. But just last week, the FDA approved two abortion pills that can be sent through the mail with a prescription.

The Department of Justice issued an opinion that the postal service could deliver pills in states that ban abortion. But Alabama is warning women that if they take the pill, they could face prosecution.

The state would use an existing law that makes it illegal for women to take drugs while pregnant.

More than half of all abortions in the U.S. are carried out through a pill.

More animal species found to have had COVID-19

It’s been known that animals could get COVID-19. But a new report says the problem is more widespread than previously known. Infection is occurring in both domesticated and wild animals.

Throughout the pandemic, hundreds of dogs and cats contracted the virus, as well as zoo animals like tigers, lions, gorillas, leopards and otters.

Only three wild species have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S. Those include mink, mule deer, and white-tailed deer. Experts say since testing wild animals is so infrequent, there’s a good chance that more species have been affected. How they’re getting COVID-19 remains a mystery.

New Girl Scouts cookie unveiled

If you’re in the winter blues, how about a Girl Scouts cookie to cheer you up? Girl Scouts cookies will soon be outside of a grocery store near you.

This is the first look at the newest addition to the batch. Introducing the highly-anticipated “Raspberry Rally” cookie. The “sister cookie” to the beloved Thin Mint.

It’s dipped in the same chocolate as a Thin Mint and it is the same texture on the inside. The difference is on the inside, it has a raspberry flavor.

If this cookie sounds good to you, it will have to be purchases online. It is the first ever online exclusive cookie that the Girl Scouts have ever sold.
AM rundown: Flights grounded, Biden investigation underway

January 11, 2023

The House launches new investigations; California braces for more rain and flooding; and all flights have been grounded by order of the FAA. These stories and more highlight the morning rundown for Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023.

Flights grounded following FAA outage

The FAA is fixing a nationwide technical outage and grounded all domestic flights in the U.S.

The failure reportedly affects an alert system for pilots to inform them of airborne issues.

If you’re traveling today, double check your flight status. There are more than 1,000 flights delayed and hundreds already canceled.

Bipartisan support for China committee

In a 365-65 vote, House lawmakers have launched their first committee, focused on all-things China.

Strategic competition between the U.S. and China will be looked at, like how to bring hundreds of thousands of jobs back, and bring large supply chains back. The committee will also look into what threat China poses to the U.S. security. And how to protect intellectual property.

This committee has one year to investigate.

House GOP begins Biden investigation

After a bipartisan vote for the committee on China, Republicans used the power of majority to launch an investigation into what they call the “weaponization of the federal government.”

It’s a broad investigation across many departments, including the White House, the Department of Justice, and the FBI.

Calls for an investigation ignited after the raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property.

Cardinal George Pell dies

Cardinal George Pell has died at the age of 81.

He was the most senior Catholic official to be convicted of child-sex-abuse. He served 13 months in prison before the ruling was overturned two years ago. Pell always denied the charges.

Because of the allegations against him, he was a controversial figure in the Catholic church.

But at one time, he held the third most senior position within the church as the Vatican Treasurer for Pope Francis.

Pell died from cardiac arrest.

California saturated, more rain in forecast

Californians have a brief break this morning, after storms and flooding caused wide-spread damage.

More rain in the north is expected later today before another powerful weather system hits the state on Friday.

Already more than half of the counties in California have declared disasters; 17 people have died in the storms. Gov. Gavin Newsom said that figure is likely to rise.

“We expect these storms to continue at least through the 18th of this month. We expect a minimum of three more of these atmospheric rivers and different shapes and forms depending on different parts of the state. The magnitude of this is not isolated to smaller communities. it is scaled across the largest state in our union,” Newsom said.

Some parts of California have received rainfall totals 600% above average. And rain is still in the forecast over the next 10 days.

Golden Globe standouts

The Golden Globes returned to TV last night with some big time standouts.

“Abbott Elementary” and “The White Lotus” were some of TV’s biggest winners.

While in the film category, “The Banshees if Inisherin” and “The Fablemans” won the most awards in their categories.

“So, just shout out to our crew and our production and the kids. And we were at work today and we’re going to be at work tomorrow,” said “Abbott Elementary actor Quinta Brunson.

“I think in a way, I needed to find forgiveness. I needed to find, I think ‘The Fabelmans’ is an act of forgiveness. It is how I was able to forgive and I think how my parents were able to forgive each other,” said Steven Spielberg, director of “The Fabelmans:

“Elvis” actor Austin Butler won Best Actor in a Drama. Yellowstone’s Kevin Costner won Best Actor in a TV series. But Costner couldn’t make it to the ceremony because of the flooding in Southern California.

Hollywood’s 80th golden globes didn’t miss a beat after taking a hiatus last year.
House Republicans to investigate how FBI collects data on Americans

January 10, 2023

House Republicans are forming two committees to investigate two of their big priorities: government overreach and China. The select committees were approved Tuesday afternoon.

The Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government

This panel will investigate how executive branch agencies, like the FBI, collect information on American citizens and how they take action against them. The committee is charged with determining whether anything the agencies do is illegal, unconstitutional or unethical.

Part of the investigation will focus on how the federal government works with private sector companies like Twitter. The “Twitter Files” revealed the company censored information at the behest of the FBI and other federal agencies.

The committee will also have the power to look into ongoing criminal investigations, which could lead to an impasse with the Justice Department that ultimately ends up in court. The Justice Department does not discuss, nor share information about ongoing matters.

The panel will be able to issue subpoenas through the House Judiciary Committee.

The Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party

This group will work to submit policy recommendations and investigate China’s economic, technological and security advancements. The committee also seeks to understand how that will impact competition with the United States.

“It would look at all aspects, from economics to COVID, and when we fell into COVID, not knowing whether we could have medical supplies because China controlled so much. We’ve since learned how they’re buying farmland and stealing our intellectual property,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, said during a speech before the vote.

McCarthy publicly pleaded for Democrats to join the effort and make the committee as bipartisan as possible. If the 365-65 vote to approve it is any indication, the committee will be strongly bipartisan.

“I’ve heard my colleagues on both sides say that the threat posed by Communist China is serious. I fully agree. This is an issue that transcends political parties. And creating the Select Committee on China is our best avenue for addressing it,” McCarthy said.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., hopes the committee will help hold China accountable for its human rights abuses. He said China has gotten away with wrongdoing for years while simultaneously becoming more powerful through its trade agreements with the United States.

“We have stood by as the Chinese embassy and the Ministry of State Security officials have harassed people of Chinese heritage and nationality living lawfully in the United States. We have not done all we can do for the people of Hong Kong, Tibet and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,” Smith said during a speech on the House floor.

The group has to submit policy proposals by the end of the year.

Neither of these committees will last forever, they will automatically shut down with the end of this Congress in two years.
US will be able to sell seized Russian yachts, give money to Ukraine

December 23, 2022

In the early months of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the United States and other countries seized yachts, mansions, private jets and other valuable assets belonging to Russian oligarchs. But many wondered, including D.C. lawmakers, what can be done with all those billionaire toys? Well, included in Congress’s $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package is an amendment to allow for those assets to be sold and for the proceeds to be given to Ukraine.

“It will be a godsend to the long suffering people of the Ukraine. It will be a relief to the American taxpayer, because billions of dollars are subject to being seized and transferred. It will be a bad day for oligarchs,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said just before the amendment was passed unanimously.

Yachts seized at the request of the United States include the $90 million, 255-foot Tango, which could be a tender next to the $300 million, 348 foot vessel Amadea. French Authorities seized Roman Abramovich’s $120 million dollar Riviera mansion. The Treasury Department has blocked or frozen more than $30 billion in sanctioned Russian assets.

A September report from the World Bank and Ukrainian government found that Russia’s invasion caused more than $97 billion dollars in direct damages to Ukraine through June 1, and it could cost $350 billion to rebuild the country. But the cost has certainly increased since the latest reports.

“Therefore, the reconstruction of Ukraine is not a local project, not a project of one nation, but a joint task of the entire democratic world,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a speech before the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Switzerland this July.

Congress also passed the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act Thursday, which will allow the Justice Department to prosecute war criminals found in the United States, even if their crime wasn’t committed in America.

“We know from our experience with Nazi war criminals that some offenders will escape immediate prosecution. They may assume false names, they may flee to other countries. Some may even make it to our country,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said during a September hearing on war crimes.

Before the Justice for Victims Act was passed, members of Congress said war criminals could have found safe haven in the United States because there was no U.S. statute for crimes against humanity.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Jan. 6 reports from GOP, investigative committee draw different conclusions

December 22, 2022

Two reports on the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol have two very different focuses. The official Jan. 6 investigative committee compiled a report that stated the attack on the Capitol could not have happened without Donald Trump. A separate investigation from a group of five House Republicans found that intelligence failures, internal politics and unnecessary bureaucracy left the Capitol unprepared.

“Unlike the sham Jan 6 report that focused on partisan politics and political payback, House Republicans released a report today that details how we can ensure another Jan 6 never happens again,” Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., tweeted about the GOP version.

The GOP report stated the U.S. Capitol Police had sufficient information prior to the Jan. 6 to anticipate and prepare for violence. The report concluded police officers were short staffed, under trained and ill-equipped.

“The USCP was set up to fail, and there have been scant signs of progress toward addressing these weaknesses,” investigators wrote in the executive summary.

To fix the problem Republicans suggest making changes to the Capitol Police board, which they accused of resisting long-standing calls for reform and operating in the dark. They want to make the board more accountable to oversight, and add two new members who will be in charge of long-term strategic planning and identifying industry best practices.

The Republicans also said there was concern from Democrats over optics in the wake of 2020 Black Lives Matter protests that prevented the early deployment of the National Guard.

To conduct their investigation, the representatives obtained documents, communications and interviewed witnesses including U.S. Capitol police officers, the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, the House sergeant at arms, and others.

As for the committee report, much of the information had already been made public in previous committee hearings. Although the report offers more detail from depositions and testimony.

It stated Donald Trump pressured state officials to change election results and pressured Vice President Mike Pence to reject electors or send them back to state legislatures during the electoral certification. They said that was all part of a multi-faceted conspiracy to overturn the lawful election results.

The Jan. 6 select committee voted to send criminal referrals against Trump to the Justice Department. They believe he should be charged with crimes including conspiracy to defraud the United States. If Trump were charged and convicted of everything the committee suggested, the former president could face up to 25 years in prison.

This is the final action of the committee. It will now be disbanded with the end of the 117th Congress.
Russian drones, made in Iran, contain US-made parts

December 21, 2022

Most of the drones Russia is using in its war against Ukraine are made in Iran. Most of the components inside those drones, however, are made in America.

In November, the UK-based group Conflict Armament Research examined several drones downed by the Ukrainian military. They found more than 80% of the drone parts were manufactured by companies based in the U.S.

CNN reported the majority of parts Iran is using to make drones are widely available on the civilian market, making it easy for Iran to side-step sanctions.

The latest data indicates Iran is using parts from more than 70 manufacturers based in 13 different countries or territories to make its drones. One drone shot down in the Black Sea and captured by Ukraine had Japanese batteries, an Austrian engine, and American processors.

President Biden recently formed an expansive task force to find out how U.S. made components are winding up in weapons used by our enemies. The task force includes representatives from the Departments of Defense, State, Justice, Commerce and Treasury.

The White House National Security Council is overseeing the task force as part of what’s being labeled a holistic approach to dealing with Iran. With the war on terror over, the Pentagon is preparing for a potential war with the countries that make up the Big Four: Iran, Russia, China and North Korea.

The U.S. has NATO and Pacific Rim allies to deal with Russia, China, and North Korea. Now, there are plans in the works to create a regional alliance in the Middle East, with Israel as a major partner.

Thanks to the Abraham Accords negotiated under President Trump, relations between Israel and several neighboring Arab countries were normalized. The normalization is paving the way for potential military alliances between Israel and countries like Bahrain.

Israel is a partner worth having in terms of regional alliances. The Israel Defense Force has a vast amount of combat experience, and Israeli defense manufacturers are known for making some of the best weapons in the world.

The Pentagon said in a statement, “The easing of tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbors after the Abraham Accords has provided a strategic opportunity for the United States to align key partners against shared threats in the Middle East.”