VA cutting hurdles to vets' claims over toxic burn pit exposure in Iraq, Afghanistan
Fox News
Veterans who claim they were made sick from the toxic smoke emanating from burn pits on their military bases during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan won a small victory after the Department of Veterans Affairs announced it they will begin taking claims on presumptive conditions due to their service.
"Through this process, I determined that the evidence provided was sufficient to establish presumptions of service connection for these three respiratory conditions," Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said in a released statement. "This is the right decision, and VA will continue to use a holistic approach in determining toxic exposure presumptives moving forward." "Any help is welcome, overdue and not sufficient." It was also announced by the department that will be conducting an outreach initiative to inform impacted veterans of their eligibility. The Investigative Unit at Fox News has reported extensively on the fears that veterans have been made sick by exposure to fumes from burn pits. Many soldiers said the pits were a crude method of incineration in which every piece of waste was burned, including plastics, batteries, appliances, medicine, dead animals and even human waste.
Ukrainian forces say Russia launched over 200 drones and missiles against the nation's power and energy infrastructure this weekend.
Republicans in a majority-Latino district in California that includes Indio and Coachella are on course to flip a Democrat state Assembly seat red.
A fire that broke out in a retirement home in the Spanish town of Villafranca de Ebro has left 10 people dead; all of the victims were reportedly elderly people.
A priest stabbed in the face during Mass is one of the most recent cases of a religion-based hate crime, which is one the rise around the globe, though Jews are most often victims of the attacks.
Charles Manson, the man behind several gruesome murders in Hollywood, confessed to additional murders during a phone call from prison being aired by Peacock for the first time.
The FBI field office in Houston arrested a man charged with providing material support to ISIS and planning a terrorist attack on American soil.
While Israel seeks to root out Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip and free 101 hostages, members of the United Nations Security Council seeks to impose a new draft resolution against Israel.
The U.N. atomic watchdog has urged Israel not to target Iran's nuclear facilities as it continues to carry out strikes in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria, as Iran vows a "crushing" response to Jerusalem's attacks.
New storms triggered school closures and transit disruptions in Spain on Wednesday, just two weeks after flash floods left over 220 people dead.
Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, says the window of opportunity to diplomatically engage with Iran is beginning to "shrink."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken warns that North Korea is benefiting from aiding Russia in its war against Ukraine by potentially aiding Pyongyang's nuclear development, posing a threat for Europe and Asia.