Egypt: In a tactical escalation of violence, Islamist militants in the Sinai Peninsula used a surface to air missile to shoot down an Egyptian military helicopter, killing five people on board. The militants released a video showing a man firing …

At The Br$nk: Day 16. Senate leaders are expected at mid-day to announce a deal to re-open the government and raise the debt ceiling, but they will have to put the bill on a fast track to avoid debt default …