Today’s Top Stories 

“The [Appropriations] Committee is concerned by recent reports of medical experimentation on dogs at VA research facilities, which are being reviewed by the VA inspector general,” the language states. “While the Committee values the innovative and groundbreaking medical research occurring at VA medical facilities, it believes that all animal experimentation should be conducted with strict adherence to animal welfare laws and regulations.” | The Washington Free Beacon >>

This bill expands eligibility for and extends indefinitely the benefits of the 2008 Post-9/11 GI Bill authored by Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.). Over 1.5 million veterans have been supported by this program. Unusual in Washington today, the current legislation enjoys bipartisan support. The House vote was 405-0 and Senate passage seems certain. | The Hill >>

A bill passed Friday by the U.S. House of Representatives includes the authorization of $18.6 million for a Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Jacksonville meant to eventually replace two existing facilities. The unanimous vote extended funding for the Veterans Choice Program and authorized leases for 28 VA medical facilities in the country, according to the bill. | First Coast News >>

Iraq and Afghanistan

Thousands of children have been separated from their parents in the nine-month battle for Mosul and the preceding years of Islamic State rule in northern Iraq – some found wandering alone and afraid among the rubble, others joining the refugee exodus from the pulverized city. In some cases their parents have been killed. | Reuters >>

President Donald Trump’s reservations about sending more troops to Afghanistan have triggered a new exploration of an option long considered unlikely: withdrawal. Unable to agree on a plan to send up to 3,900 more American forces to help turn back Taliban advances in Afghanistan, the White House is taking a new look at what would happen if the U.S. decided to scale back its military presence instead. | The Wall Street Journal >>

This little Christian town in northern Iraq remains a sad, abandoned place more than nine months after the Islamic State was kicked out. Row upon row of houses stand burned and destroyed. The churches are vandalized and blackened with soot. Only a fraction of the population has returned. | The Washington Post >>

Military Affairs

In a packed room at one of the largest hacking conferences in the world, kids are learning how to hack everything from door locks to computer games to hardware. They’re participating in the r00tz Asylum hacking event, which is designed exclusively for youngsters. | MyFox8 >>

“Our allies will see the name of this ship in ports around the world,” said Gen. Robert Neller, the 37th Commandant of the Marine Corps. “And our adversaries, if they so wish to test it, may learn the power of this ship and the spirit and confidence of its crew.” | The San Diego Union-Tribune >>

“It would be a very positive development,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, acknowledging the technology could be years away. The Democrat’s district includes many of the 36 Connecticut communities identified as potentially having the crumbling basement problem. | Navy Times >>

#VetsRising

Mendoza, the Iraq veteran, said he was amazed when his jetliner landed in Dallas on his return from his deployment. Fire trucks shooting geysers welcomed them. Throngs of people lined the corridors of the terminal to thank them for their service. This, he said, was not what greeted those who had served in Vietnam. | Corpus Cristi Caller Times >>

With help from his family, friends and volunteers, some 200 signs and 3,000 flyers have been distributed from Foley to Fairhope in hopes of finding Tito, the service dog who has been with Simon for 10 years. Drones and bloodhounds have assisted in the search, but without any luck. It’s as if Tito has just disappeared. | AL.com >>

What may seem like an ordinary lake to some, Little Beaver Lake has served as a healing place for many West Virginians who fought for our country, and those still suffering from issues regarding their involvement in the military. Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF) began in 2005 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., specifically tending to those returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. | The Register-Herald >>