Some of President Biden’s strongest Senate allies are calling on Israelis to end months of fierce fighting and criticizing the administration’s actions toward Israel, including the most recent approval of arms sales to the military that avoided Congress. For the second time in less than a month, the Biden administration authorized a clause just before the new year that would allow the transfer of weapons to Israel without the consent of Congress. However, as the death toll in Gaza approaches the tens of thousands, senior U.S. officials have been publicly pleading with Israel for weeks to guar ..read more

Ukraine’s KYIV — At least four people were killed and nearly 100 injured when Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles attacked Ukraine’s two largest cities early on Tuesday morning, according to officials. This occurred as the war neared its two-year mark and the forces of the Kremlin increased their winter bombardment of urban areas. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel that four civilians were killed and 92 injured in the capital, Kyiv, and in northeastern Kharkiv as hypersonic Kinzhal missiles that can fly at 10 times the speed of sound slammed into city blocks ..read more

The discovery of a decaying body inside a college ventilation system marked the tragic and unexplained end to a missing person case. Jason Anthony Thompson, who was 36, was discovered inside a vent at Macomb Community College by authorities who were searching for the source of a foul odor at the school in Macomb County, Michigan, on Sunday night. It is unclear how Thompson—who was not affiliated with the college according to the Mirror U.S.—ended up inside the air vent, but Macomb College Police Chief William Leavens told local news channel Fox 2 that there was “no reason to suspect ..read more

Following the shooting deaths of three 20-year-old Palestinian-American students in Vermont, authorities have detained a man. According to a news release from the Burlington Police Department, Jason J. Eaton, 48, was recognized by authorities as a suspect in the attack that occurred close to the University of Vermont on Saturday night. He was detained at around midday on Sunday near where the shooting occurred. Police searched his home in the apartment building in front of where the shooting took place and arrested him on Sunday evening. Eaton faces three counts of aggravated assault, police ..read more

The United States ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, urged Chinese authorities “to abandon COVID deception” and demanded that China be open about the pneumonia outbreak that is sweeping the nation. Children in China have been particularly affected by the outbreak, which has put a heavy burden on hospitals and medical staff—particularly in the northern cities. The high number of infections has prompted comparisons with the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, despite the fact that there hasn’t been any reported spike in critical cases or deaths. These concerns have been echoed by net ..read more

The city of Milwaukee is looking for insurance policies that would cover even the most catastrophic events, like a nuclear attack, as it gets ready for the Republican National Convention in 2024. According to a proposal made public by the city, Milwaukee authorities intend to buy insurance coverage for a number of contingencies prior to the July 2024 event. These contingencies include policies that cover terrorism, special event law enforcement liability, and attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons. Seeking coverage for such worst-case scenarios may seem frig ..read more

Over the past 18 months, Chicago has welcomed over 30,000 Ukrainian refugees without much controversy; however, the arrival of 19,000 Latino migrants during roughly the same period has caused a crisis in the city. Why it matters: According to experts, examining the conditions that led to each group’s arrival may provide insights into how to make things better. Axios questioned aid organizations and immigration specialists about what was unique about these new arrivals: 1. Resettlement in the United States is simpler for refugees from Ukraine. The majority of Ukrainian immigrants arrived afte ..read more

Moscow’s artillery losses in the war-torn nation have mounted, and on Wednesday Kyiv announced that within the previous week, Ukraine has destroyed $25 million worth of Russian equipment across the southern front lines. In the last week, Ukrainian special operations forces destroyed a BM-21 Grad, a BM-27 Uragan, a TOS multiple rocket launcher, and one of Russia’s highly valued Zoopark counterbattery radar systems in the southern Zaporizhzhia area, according to a statement. The 20-month conflict in Ukraine has been primarily fought with artillery. According to Frederik Mertens, a strategic ana ..read more

On the third day of their tour, a group of city officials is visiting Texas cities that have sent the greatest number of migrants to Chicago. Why it’s important With thousands of new immigrants straining the city’s resources, the group is looking for answers as they warn that Chicago is running out of capacity. What they’re saying: “We’re in distress,” Ald. William Hall (6th), a delegation member, tells Axios. “It’s like we’re being left on our own at the deep end of the pool with no life vests.” Hall is calling on President Biden to free up federal funds for Chicago’s migrant crisis, s ..read more

Over the past ten years, the average Illinoisan has increased in income and improved in education, according to a recent federal data analysis. Why it matters: The results refute popular theories that the state is losing money, people, and intelligence as a result of outmigration. Context: The report is based on 2010 to 2022 U.S. Census and IRS data analyzed by researchers at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The big picture: Over that period, Illinois’ population has remained fairly stable w ..read more