
Joint chiefs chairman holds first call with Chinese counterpart in over a year
CBSN
The nation's top military officer held a call with his Chinese counterpart Thursday morning, marking the highest level of military communication since July 2022, prior to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan — and the Chinese spy balloon's drift across the U.S. before a fighter jet shot it down off the South Carolina coast, angering Beijing.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown held a video with his counterpart Gen. Liu Zhenli, according to a readout from the joint staff.
Senior U.S. officials who previewed the call for reporters said the call is a result of the commitment by President Biden and Chinese President Xi in November to resume this type of communication. The officials didn't have any more calls to preview but are working with Chinese counterparts to set up different calls at various levels.

After years of unsuccessful attempts to finance and build a public alarm network that would warn residents of Kerr County, Texas, about dangerous flooding, officials in the region, nicknamed "flash flood alley," were going to start developing a centralized flood monitoring system this summer to help leaders and emergency managers plan ahead.

Washington — The Senate is expected to vote next week on a request from the White House to claw back funding for international aid and public broadcasting. But the funding for rural radio and television stations — sometimes an area's sole source for emergency warnings and other news — has sparked concern among some Senate Republicans, especially after the recent devastating flash floods in Texas.