The Senate passes legislation to bestow a Congressional Gold Medal upon the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs), the group of women who served as instructor, transport, and ferrying pilots during World War II. The House would pass a companion bill on June 16, 2009. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) sponsored the respective Senate and House measures.
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.
