Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 House Passes Funding Bill To Reopen Federal Government, President Trump Signs It
House Republicans voted yesterday to pass legislation to provide funding for the federal government and end a partial government shutdown that began Saturday at midnight. The legislation provides full-year funding for the federal government through the end of September, with one major exception: the Department of Homeland Security will only receive funding for two more weeks. President Trump signed the bill into law after the House gave its approval, but the end to the partial shutdown may be short-lived. The new deadline for DHS funding is February 13th, giving Congress just 10 days to negotiate an agreement. Rep. Robert Aderholt, a senior Republican on the Appropriations Committee, said reaching a bipartisan deal by then will be "very difficult" and predicted the deadline may be extended again to at least March 1st.
2 US Fighter Jets Shoot Down Iranian Drone That Was Approaching US Carrier
A U.S. Navy F-35C fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone yesterday as it approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. U.S. Central Command said the Iranian Shahed-139 drone "aggressively approached" the carrier with "unclear intent" while the Lincoln was operating in international waters approximately 500 miles from Iran's southern coast. The fighter jet shot down the drone "in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board," Central Command said. In a separate incident later in the day, the destroyer USS McFaul responded after two Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats and a drone approached a U.S.-flagged tanker at high speed in the Strait of Hormuz. Central Command said the Iranian craft "threatened to board and seize" the vessel, but the McFaul escorted the tanker with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force, and the situation de-escalated. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said upcoming talks between the U.S. and Iran remain scheduled despite the incidents.
3 NASA Plans To Repair Artemis II Moon Rocket On The Pad, Try To Launch Again In March
NASA will attempt to repair a hydrogen fuel leak on the Artemis II moon rocket at the launch pad before trying again to send four astronauts around the moon in March. The leak derailed a dress rehearsal countdown on Monday when it spiked during final pressurization. Officials said the test gave the rocket "a chance to talk to us" and provided useful data. The four-person crew ended their pre-flight quarantine on Tuesday and will resume training for a March launch window between March 6 and 11.