16 January 2025

Newsweek | Netanyahu Postpones Gaza Ceasefire Deal Over Hamas 'Last Minute Crisis'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced Thursday that his Cabinet will not convene to approve the Gaza ceasefire agreement due to what it described as a "last-minute crisis" caused by Hamas.

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Military Times | New Senate Vet Affairs chair plans focus on care access, mental health
The new chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee believes lawmakers can find solutions to expand care options for veterans outside the department’s health care system without the debate devolving into political sparring.

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BBC | UK will 'never let up' on Ukraine support, says Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to put Ukraine in the "strongest possible position" this year as he made his first trip to Kyiv as prime minister.

The Hill | Cotton knocks Gaza ceasefire-hostages agreement, offers alternate ‘deal’
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) criticized the ceasefire and hostage-release deal on Wednesday that mediators struck between Israel and Hamas, saying the only agreement should be Hamas’s “unconditional surrender” and return of all hostages.

NPR | Trump wants a quick end to the Ukraine war. That's a tall order
One of the most pressing foreign policy challenges for the incoming U.S. administration is whether to continue supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion or, as President-elect Donald Trump has suggested, pressure both sides to come to the negotiating table.

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Stars & Stripes | US military presence in Somalia likely to be scrutinized by incoming Trump administration
One of President-elect Donald Trump’s last actions during his first term was pulling all U.S. forces out of Somalia, a move that could be back on the table in a second term that carries the potential for a broader scaling-back of military activities on the continent.

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Government Exec | Outgoing VA chief meets with Trump's 'very serious' transition team to discuss budget shortfall, other issues
The Veterans Affairs Department is responding to more than 150 requests for information from President-elect Trump’s team and is cautioning his representatives deployed to the agency about an ongoing budget and staffing shortfall.

The Hill | My health care is under attack — but not from who you think | Chris Enget
I recently read an op-ed by Rep. Chris Deluzio warning fellow veterans “our health care is under attack.” My initial thought was that finally, more members of Congress are seeing the same problems at the VA that I am.”

You can imagine my surprise when I read on to learn Rep. Deluzio believes the attacks are coming from his Republican colleagues and even my own organization, Concerned Veterans for America.

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Responsible Statecraft | Biden & Trump take credit for Gaza ceasefire | Annelle Sheline
At its inception, the Biden administration proudly declared that “America is back.” The 2022 National Security Strategy announced that by “leveraging our national strengths and rallying a broad coalition of allies and partners, we will advance our vision of a free, open, prosperous, and secure world, outmaneuvering our competitors, and making meaningful progress on issues like climate change, global health, and food security to improve the lives not just of Americans but of people around the world.”

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Military Times | Chairman Bost: America’s veterans have earned Doug Collins | Rep. Mike Bost
My friend, fellow veteran, and former House colleague Doug Collins from the great state of Georgia could not be a better choice by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs during the incoming Trump administration.

The American Conservative | Will Trump’s Foreign Policy Mirror Biden’s Blunders? | Doug Bandow

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The Biden era is ending. The Trump era is arriving. The shift will not be from intervention to isolation, but from one form of intervention to another. The results are unlikely to be much better.