1 in 3 Americans with health insurance have medical debt, survey finds

September 17, 2026 11:27 AM EDT / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch

Even Americans with health insurance are piling up medical debt, according to a new analysis.

One in three Americans with health coverage through their employer, the Affordable Care Act marketplace or the private market say they have medical debt that they are paying off over time, the Commonwealth Fund, a nonpartisan health policy research group, said in a report on Thursday.

Hospital visits are the primary source of medical debt, with nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults reporting carrying debt related to such care. Patients also carry debt stemming from obtaining routine medical care, such as doctor’s office visits or getting lab or diagnostic tests, the study found.

“The primary reason why these people have debt is about the extent to which their insurance covers their out-of-pocket costs,” Sara Collins, the study’s lead author and a health economist at the Commonwealth Fund, told CBS News.

“Unable to pay”

Almost half of Americans with medical debt, which amounts to about 15% of all working-age, privately insured adults, owe at least $2,000, according to the survey. To pay those bills, 37% said they drained their savings, while 30% reported cutting back on essentials like food, heat or rent, according to the Commonwealth Fund. Thirty percent also reported delaying or forgoing medical care.

“Most Americans don’t have a lot of extra cash lying around, and when they are hit with an unexpected expense in a month when their income is allocated across all necessities of life, it can push people into medical debt they are unable to pay,” Collins said. “Especially among people who are low-income, they are on pretty regimented household budgets, and medical bills can really tip that budget over into the realm of not being able to pay for certain things and having to cut back.”

The findings were based on a telephone and online survey with a nationally representative sample of 6,353 adults.

There are some steps people with heavy medical debt can take to seek relief, Collins told CBS News. For example, healthcare providers may send a bill with erroneous charges, and the consumer should dispute them if they believe the charges were a mistake.

Some consumers are hesitant to challenge such charges for fear that failing to pay will hurt their credit scores, Collins noted. “It’s a tough situation to be in, but it’s important to make sure what you are being asked to pay is correct.”

When coverage for medical services is denied, people can also contact their insurers and healthcare providers to negotiate a payment plan that lowers their out-of-pocket expenses.

Edited by Alain Sherter

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/fighting-health-care-insurers/Fighting health care insurers (05:19)

南非发生连环谋杀案 两个月发现第九具女性尸体

2026年9月17日 22:50 / 联合早报

南非约翰内斯堡东部博克斯堡星期四（9月17日）发现一名女性遗体，南非警方和法证人员前往案发现场展开调查搜证。 （法新社）

南非约翰内斯堡东部星期四（9月17日）再次发现一具女性尸体，是当地两个月内发现的第九具女性尸体。

法新社报道，接连发生的命案引发公众不安，警方本周在埃库尔胡莱尼市都会市镇的肯普顿公园实施封锁，并设置路障。

警方副总长莫西基利说，最新尸体在一个公园（Dawn Park）路旁被发现，警方将调查是否与早前命案有关，或涉及模仿犯罪。警方悬赏40万兰特（约3万1400新元）征集可协助逮捕凶手的线索。

其中一名死者是38岁的莫塞拉科莫戈，她9月12日被发现死在一家酒店后方。她此前离家慢跑，把8岁女儿留在家中，却再也没有回家。

首名受害者是一名37岁女子，7月15日被发现赤裸并遭束线带捆绑。一名嫌疑人两天后落网，并于星期三（16日）出庭受审。警方说，嫌疑人为外国人，但未透露国籍。

南非长期面临严重的性别暴力问题。联合国数据显示，当地约有三分之一的女性在一生中曾遭受过身体暴力或性暴力。

意大利警破获跨国儿童色情网络 逮捕17人

2026年9月17日 23:29 / 联合早报

一名意大利警方卧底赢得了犯罪团伙管理层信任，使警方成功捣破一个通过网络传播儿童性虐待材料的跨国组织，逮捕17人。 （档案示意图）

一名意大利警方卧底赢得了犯罪团伙管理层信任，使警方成功捣破一个通过网络传播儿童性虐待材料的跨国组织，逮捕17人。 （档案示意图）

意大利警方破获一个以意大利为基地、通过网络传播儿童性虐待材料的跨国组织，逮捕17人。

法新社报道，罗马检察官星期四（9月17日）说，一名意大利警方卧底赢得了犯罪团伙管理层信任，成为共同管理员并进入有关私密频道。

检方说，该组织由四名意大利人和一名瑞士人运营，内部运作“如同跨国企业”，成员负责管理群组和服务器、审核内容及利用程序机器人维持社群运作。

警方迄今查获约283吉字节（GB）非法资料，包括超过2万2000段视频和3万4000张儿童照片，受害儿童最小仅4岁。

这项名为“捕蝇行动”（Fly Trap）的调查追踪到Telegram一个名为“New Saga”的社群，拥有超过1000名全球用户，并以加密货币收费。用户须支付3至9美元（约3.8至11.5新元）不等的“捐款”或提供新的非法材料才能加入。

意大利当局已查明996个相关账户，涉及98个国家和地区，并将资料交予外国执法机构，促成多起逮捕行动。

这些年龄在22至28岁之间的管理员，使用名为“La Sala dei Re”（意为王者大厅）的聊天群进行内部沟通。

这项调查2024年在美国国土安全调查局（HSI）提供线索后展开，目前仍在进行。

Federal judge ties ICE agents’ hands with ruling on warrantless Southern California arrests

2026-09-17T10:58:23-04:00 / Fox News

Biden-appointed judge blocks warrantless immigration arrests in Southern California

By Alex Nitzberg Fox News

Published September 17, 2026 10:58am EDT

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A federal judge with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California issued a preliminary injunction to block the U.S. government from conducting warrantless civil immigration arrests in the district unless the arrestee is deemed likely to escape before a warrant can be procured.

“Defendants are enjoined from enforcing their policy and practice of making warrantless civil immigration arrests in this District without a prearrest individualized determination by the arresting agent or officer of probable cause that the person being arrested is likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained, as required by 8 U.S.C. 1357(a)(2) and 8 C.F.R. § 287.8(c)(2),” the order signed by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong reads, in part.

Frimpong was nominated by former President Joe Biden during his White House tenure.

EXCLUSIVE: 25 YEARS AFTER 9/11, ICE SAYS MORE THAN 2K KNOWN OR SUSPECTED TERRORISTS HAVE BEEN DEPORTED

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents walk a detainee out of the Ventura County Government Center in Ventura, Calif., on July 27, 2026.(Blake Fagan / AFP via Getty Images)

“Mere presence within the United States in violation of United States immigration law is not, by itself, sufficient to conclude that a person is likely to escape before a warrant for arrest can be obtained,” the judge’s order notes.

The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California encompasses the following counties: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

ANGEL DAD REBUKES DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS OVER SANCTUARY POLICIES AFTER DAUGHTER KILLED BY TWICE-DEPORTED FELON

The badge of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent is seen as they patrol the halls of immigration court at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on June 9, 2025, in New York City.(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

“This ruling is one of the most important decisions to date in the community’s effort to end the federal government’s cruel and illegal practice of abducting people and separating them from their families,” ACLU Foundation of Southern California senior staff attorney Mayra Joachin declared in a statement.

“By requiring immigration agents to follow the law’s requirement to make escape risk determinations before they can arrest someone without a warrant, this court order should put an end to hundreds–if not more–of unlawful arrests that continue throughout Southern California. We will closely monitor compliance with this court order, and expect the federal government to abide by it,” Joachin added.

MAMDANI BLASTS FEDS FOR WAGING ‘CAMPAIGN OF VIOLENCE AND TERROR’ AGAINST NYC’S IMMIGRANTS

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The Department of Homeland Security provided Fox News Digital with the following statement on Thursday: “ICE has authority for lawful arrests where authorized under 8 USC 1357. Law enforcement officers use ‘reasonable suspicion’ to investigate immigration status and probable cause to make arrests consistent with the statute and the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court has already vindicated us on these practices.”

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

意大利警破获跨国儿童色情网络 逮捕17人

2026-09-17 23:29 / 联合早报

一名意大利警方卧底赢得了犯罪团伙管理层信任，使警方成功捣破一个通过网络传播儿童性虐待材料的跨国组织，逮捕17人。 （档案示意图）

意大利警方破获一个以意大利为基地、通过网络传播儿童性虐待材料的跨国组织，逮捕17人。

法新社报道，罗马检察官星期四（9月17日）说，一名意大利警方卧底赢得了犯罪团伙管理层信任，成为共同管理员并进入有关私密频道。

检方说，该组织由四名意大利人和一名瑞士人运营，内部运作“如同跨国企业”，成员负责管理群组和服务器、审核内容及利用程序机器人维持社群运作。

警方迄今查获约283吉字节（GB）非法资料，包括超过2万2000段视频和3万4000张儿童照片，受害儿童最小仅4岁。

这项名为“捕蝇行动”（Fly Trap）的调查追踪到Telegram一个名为“New Saga”的社群，拥有超过1000名全球用户，并以加密货币收费。用户须支付3至9美元（约3.8至11.5新元）不等的“捐款”或提供新的非法材料才能加入。

意大利当局已查明996个相关账户，涉及98个国家和地区，并将资料交予外国执法机构，促成多起逮捕行动。

这些年龄在22至28岁之间的管理员，使用名为“La Sala dei Re”（意为王者大厅）的聊天群进行内部沟通。

这项调查2024年在美国国土安全调查局（HSI）提供线索后展开，目前仍在进行。

莫奈两幅从未公开画作下月巴黎拍卖 最高估价3000万欧元

2026年9月17日 23:46 / 联合早报

巴黎苏富比拍卖行星期四（9月17日）在预展中，展示法国画家莫奈1924年至1925年创作的《鸢尾花》油画。 （路透社）

法国亿万富豪施伦贝谢家族收藏的两幅法国印象派大师莫奈的画作，从未公开展出，将于下月在巴黎拍卖。

法新社报道，苏富比星期四（9月17日）说，其中一幅《鸢尾花》（Iris）是莫奈晚年创作的大型画作，估价2200万至3000万欧元（约3221万至4393万新元），是法国拍卖史上估价最高的画作。

《鸢尾花》由收藏家珍妮·施伦贝谢购入后，一直收藏于家族巴黎住所，从未易手。拍卖会将于10月22日举行，届时还将拍卖另外三幅莫奈的作品，包括估价900万至1200万欧元的《垂柳》。

巴黎苏富比拍卖行星期四（9月17日）在预展中，展示法国画家莫奈1918年至1919年创作的《垂柳》油画，并将于10月22日拍卖。（法新社）

这批珍贵藏品将在巴黎拍卖前于香港和纽约展出。今年适逢莫奈逝世100周年。巴黎将于9月底举办两场纪念展览。

施伦贝谢藏品也包括三幅塞尚作品，其中《农场》估价60万至80万欧元，是塞尚作品中迄今在拍卖会上亮相的最大画作。

In campaign ad, GOP congresswoman says Trump’s immigration enforcement has “gone too far”

September 17, 2026 / 11:54 AM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar of Florida warned President Trump in a new campaign ad that some of his immigration enforcement campaigns have “gone too far” and said that Hispanic voters who propelled him to the White House in 2024 “feel betrayed.”

Salazar, who is Cuban-American, has been critical of the president’s deportation efforts before, but her message on immigration serves as a stark example of a GOP candidate distancing herself from the president just weeks before the midterm elections.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration enforcement efforts have gone too far,” Salazar said in her ad. “In July, 50% of the 50,000 people that were detained had no criminal record. Be careful what your advisers are telling you about immigration policy. The same Hispanics who helped you get to the White House in 2024 feel betrayed today. You can be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism. I’m not talking about giving them amnesty. I’m talking about giving them a dignified life in this promised land.”

Salazar’s Miami-area district is Republican-leaning, and nearly three-quarters of the population is Hispanic, according to Census Bureau data. A recent CBS News poll found that 55% of adults nationwide disapprove of the president’s handling of immigration, compared to 45% who said they approved. His overall approval stood at 39%.

Salazar, who has been in Congress since 2021, is running for reelection against Democratic candidate Eliott Rodriguez, a former news anchor for CBS News Miami who won his primary to challenge Salazar in August.

CBS News reported that July was the first month in Mr. Trump’s second term when people with only civil immigration violations — not pending criminal charges or convictions — made up more than half of those arrested. CBS News has reached out to the White House for comment on Salazar’s ad.

Born in Miami’s Little Havana, Salazar is the daughter of Cuban exiles. A former television journalist, Salazar has interviewed both Nicolás Maduro and Fidel Castro, according to her office.

In Congress, Salazar has advocated for immigration reform to bring undocumented workers “out of the shadows.” She has said that immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for years, lack a criminal record and pay taxes should be able to achieve a renewable legal work status.

Aaron Navarro contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/congress-midterm-elections-power/

Trump asked why adding his name to Kennedy Center is important

9:56 AM EDT, Thu September 17, 2026 / CNN Politics

Trump asked why adding his name to Kennedy Center is important

President Donald Trump defended his push for the Kennedy Center to have his name on it, arguing that his administration “should be recognized” for taking on the financial burden of fixing it

0:32 • Source: CNN

Kavanaugh throws Trump ‘a lifeline’ on mail ballot rules despite Supreme Court loss before midterms

September 17, 2026 5:00am EDT / Fox News

Separate opinions from Kavanaugh and Alito suggest the postal service policy could survive for the next presidential election

By Elaine Mallon, Fox News

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Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s “hero” Supreme Court justice, isn’t closing the door on the United States Postal Service (USPS) enacting Trump’s ballot-mail rules in the future, although he agreed with the majority that implementing them ahead of the 2026 midterm elections is too soon.

“In my view, based on the briefing the Court has received at this interim stage, there is at least a fair prospect that the final rule falls within the Postal Service’s statutory authority,” Kavanaugh wrote in his concurring opinion in United States Postal Service, et al. v. California, et al.

The concurrence comes roughly three months after Kavanaugh laid out a legal pathway for Trump to implement his executive order curtailing birthright citizenship in his concurrence in Trump v. Barbara. Kavanaugh also offered a blueprint for implementing Trump’s sweeping tariffs in his dissent in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump.

“I would note though that Justice Kavanaugh threw the government a lifeline by saying that he views it as likely that they do have the statutory authority. And I think if you read the dissent, you can see where Justices Thomas and Alito are on questions like that as well,” Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project, told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP BLASTS SUPREME COURT ‘DISASTER’ AFTER JUSTICES RULE AGAINST HIM ON MAIL-IN VOTING

President Donald Trump, left, and an absentee ballot for the 2020 U.S. election. A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing part of Trump’s executive order tightening mail-in voting rules ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.(Getty Images)

The Supreme Court on Monday denied the Trump administration’s emergency request to lift a lower court injunction blocking the U.S. Postal Service rule, ruling that the government was “unlikely to succeed on the merits” of its challenge.

The decision leaves the rule blocked for the 2026 midterms after ballots have already been sent. But as the litigation continues, the case could return to the Supreme Court.

“I think there’s a fair chance that it winds back up in front of the Supreme Court eventually,” Snead told Fox News Digital.

A dissent written by Justice Samuel Alito and joined by Justice Clarence Thomas also raised questions about whether the policy could ultimately survive the legal challenge and take effect before 2028.

“I do think that as a practical matter, the rule is not going to be implemented in time for the midterms. I think that’s a done deal at this point. But I do hold out hope that there will be some additional litigation over this that could allow this rule to be implementing ahead of the 2028 presidential election,” Snead said.

The Postal Service rule requires federal ballot-mail envelopes to include an election-mail logo, be scannable by high-speed processing equipment, and carry a specialized barcode unique to each voter. States would also have to upload certain voter information to a Postal Service portal.

A coalition of 24 Democratic state attorneys general sued the Trump administration, alleging the rule violates the Constitution’s Elections Clause, which grants Congress the power to regulate elections. The Trump administration argued the USPS is regulating the mail, not election procedures.

TRUMP SCORES SUPREME COURT WIN ON MAIL-IN VOTING RESTRICTIONS BEFORE MIDTERMS

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Associate Justice Mary Coney Barrett attend the State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“So this case is still alive and well, and I think that Kavanaugh has given us all some hope that as it progresses eventually, this rule might be allowed to go into effect hopefully in time for the 2028 election since the left has successfully killed it for 2026,” Snead continued.

Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan also pointed to timing as a major factor, noting that earlier litigation and an injunction in Massachusetts delayed the Postal Service’s ability to publish the final rule.

“So I’m not surprised now, close to the deadline when ballots have to go out to people that the Supreme Court took the approach of maintaining the status quo, although I think that Justice Alito’s dissent highlights a lot of issues with the approach taken by the majority, and I would not be sure that the same result would be what the Supreme Court reaches in advance of, for example, the 2028 election,” Wessan said.

Alito, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, dissented, arguing that the government had made the necessary showing for a stay. He also questioned whether some plaintiffs had standing and described that those plaintiffs relying on a “Hail Mary pass” the Supreme Court has previously said “rarely succeeds.”

FEDERAL JUDGE AGAIN BLOCKS TRUMP’S MAIL BALLOT ORDER JUST BEFORE MIDTERMS

“The hail mary passes seem to be succeeding to a certain extent,” Wessan said. “So the president’s executive order was issued five months ago, and the injunction followed pretty shortly after. And as the Supreme Court recognized in the litigation earlier, that injunction against the executive order was improper.”

“But the amount of time that it took to get that resolved by the Supreme Court put the Postal Service in a very tough spot timing-wise with rolling it out for the election coming up in November, especially because states are on the verge of having to send ballots out, whether to the armed services or otherwise,” Wessan continued.

Abhishek Kambil said the lack of a fuller explanation from the court’s majority stood out to him.

“I think the biggest surprise was the fact that it came with an unreasoned order, especially right after they granted a stay in Missouri, which was also on an unreasoned order. So, in cases like this, where there’s a lot at stake, you would hope that in a stay opinion that the Supreme Court would explain its reasoning,” Kambil said.

JACKSON RIPS INTO SUPREME COURT COLLEAGUES’ ‘SERIOUS LEGAL ERROR’ ON TRUMP MAIL-IN VOTING ORDER

US President Donald Trump displays a signed executive order in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Trump signed an executive order Tuesday intended to make it harder for voters to cast mail-in ballots, escalating his long-running campaign against a practice used by millions of Americans.(Aaron Schwartz/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“So, I think the biggest thing that surprised me was the lack of explanation, especially given Justice Alito had a pretty methodical dissent explaining all the ways the majority got wrong, and we don’t know exactly how the majority decided to deny the stay,” Kambil told Fox News Digital.

Wessan said that he expects the rule to remain sidelined this year while leaving open the possibility of a different outcome later.

“This rule won’t be in effect for the 2026 election, but it very well may end up in effect for the 2028 election, and this is just one of many actions the administration is taking to help with voter integrity,” Wessan said.

Snead argued that without a looming election, Democratic states may have a tougher time fighting against implementing the USPS rules.

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“So they’re going to have a difficult time and a steeper hill to climb if they’re trying to explain in 2027, for instance, why they can’t possibly comply with basic rules like this over a two-year time frame,” Snead told Fox News Digital. “And just so folks understand what we’re talking about. We’re talking about taking best practices about mail ballot envelope design that have been long-standing and making that mandatory guidance.”

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“And we’re also talking about getting lists of eligible mail voters that states already have so that the Postal Service can essentially create manifests and that will allow them to know who they’re sending ballots to, and it will allow those ballots to be tracked. So this is a very basic, very simple thing,” Snead continued.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen vow to fight the largest proposed transfer of heavy munitions to Israel in recent years

Morgan Phillips By Morgan Phillips Fox News

Published September 17, 2026 6:30am EDT

President Trump defends US munitions supply amid $21 billion restocking request

Responding to questions about a supplemental $21 billion request to restock the US military, President Donald Trump claims the nation has massive amounts of ammunition and a virtually unlimited supply of powerful weapons. He notes that while some elite munitions are tighter, defense companies are actively building more plants for Patriots and Tomahawks to meet ongoing demands.

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The Trump administration is preparing a $2.8 billion military aid package for Israel that would include 40,000 heavy bombs, according to multiple reports. It would be the largest proposed transfer of the powerful munitions to Israel in recent years, if it clears Congress.

The proposed package includes 20,000 unguided bombs designed to destroy buildings and bunkers, known as MK-84 bombs, and 20,000 BLU-117 bombs, which are warhead versions fitted with precision-guidance kits — both bombs are 2,000 pounds per unit. Additionally, according to Reuters and The Washington Post, the proposal includes 20,000 much-tougher I-2000 penetrator warheads, which are designed to penetrate concrete or underground facilities before exploding.

The package, which is not yet final, has been informally communicated to congressional committees that review major U.S. arms sales — and it’s already drawing opposition from Democratic lawmakers.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is calling on Congress to reject the White House’s proposal, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., vowed that lawmakers will “work to stop it.”

A Crane Army Ammunition Activity employee transports MK 84 2,000-pound bombs, the same kind included in the reported arms package for Israel.(U.S. Army photo by Hayley Smith, Crane Army Ammunition Activity)

HOUSE DEMOCRATS FRACTURE BADLY OVER MASSIE AMENDMENT TO CUT $3.3B IN U.S. AID TO ISRAEL

“The American people are sick and tired of funding Israel’s genocide in Gaza,” Sanders wrote on social media, accusing the Trump administration of “doubling down” by providing $2.8 billion in bombs to the Israeli government.

“Not acceptable. Congress must reject these agreements.”

Van Hollen similarly criticized the proposed package and its use of U.S. taxpayer funds, writing, “How is this America First? We will work to stop it.”

The State Department did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Israel’s Ministry of Defense declined to weigh in.

“All foreign arms sales are moving through the appropriate process. We do not comment on pending sales,” a senior administration official told Fox News Digital.

Most of the package would be financed through Foreign Military Financing, which uses congressionally appropriated U.S. funds for eligible allies to purchase American-made defense equipment.

If completed, the package would be the largest single sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in recent years. It would exceed a 2025 sale that included more than 35,500 of the bombs. The Trump administration approved that nearly $3 billion sale after bypassing the normal congressional review process.

It’s unclear whether that bypass could or will be used again this time around.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a news conference in Jerusalem on June 15, 2026.(RONEN ZVULUN / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

The weapons were at the center of a previous U.S. policy dispute, as well.

During President Joe Biden’s term, his administration paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in 2024 over concerns of the potential for mass casualties in densely populated Gaza. President Donald Trump lifted that hold after returning to office.

TRUMP CONFIRMS ‘CRAZY’ NETANYAHU CLASH AS QUESTIONS MOUNT OVER PUSH TO HOLD FIRE ON HEZBOLLAH TERRORISTS

The 2,000-pound bombs have multiple variants designed for different targets, including hardened and underground structures.

Israel has used U.S.-made heavy munitions during its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, while the United States has used similar weapons against hardened targets in previous conflicts.

The proposed transfer comes as Israel remains engaged on multiple fronts.

Israeli forces have continued strikes against Hamas in Gaza despite a fragile ceasefire, while tensions with Hezbollah persist following fighting in Lebanon.

The United States and Israel also conducted military operations against Iran earlier this year.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., speaks as he campaigns for Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, D-Mich., during a campaign rally in Ferndale, Michigan, U.S., July 25, 2026.(Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

The package remains at an early stage of the U.S. arms sales process.

Informal congressional notification allows relevant committees to review a proposed transfer before the administration proceeds to formal notification.

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If the administration formally notifies Congress, lawmakers would have an opportunity to review the proposal under the Arms Export Control Act and could pursue legislation seeking to block the sale.