Vietnam War Veteran Jim McCloughan was awarded the Medal of Honor on Monday for his heroic actions during battle of Nui ((NEW-ey)) Yon Hill in 1969. McCloughan is the first to be awarded the Medal of Honor by President Donald Trump. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb reports, the war hero is credited with saving 10 soldiers during the three-day battle. …

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says diplomatic actions taken by Russian in response to fresh sanctions will not deter U.S. commitment to its security and that of its allies. Speaking Tuesday during a visit to Georgia, Pence said the sanctions bill President Donald Trump will soon sign sends a “very clear message” that with Russia’s activities in Ukraine and its support for Iran and Syria, its “posture has to change.” Congress overwhelmingly passed the sanctions bill punishing Russia for interference in the 2016 U.S. election, while also imposing new measures on Iran and North Korea. Russia responded by ordering the U.S. to cut its overall staff of more than 1,200 in Russia by 755 people. “The president and our Congress are unified in our message to Russia: a better relationship, the lifting of sanctions, will require Russia to reverse the actions that required sanctions to be imposed in the first …

Old inns along the Revolutionary War trails boast of George Washington sleeping there. But coin experts say they have found the first silver piece minted by the United States — one likely held by the most en vogue of Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton. David McCarthy figured the silver coin had to be one-of-a-kind after spotting it in the auction catalog.   Its front features the all-seeing eye of God, surrounded by rays of light. The rays shoot out toward 13 stars — one for each of the colonies that had rebelled against Great Britain. A similar coin bore two words in Latin above the starburst: “Nova Constellatio,” or “new constellation” to describe the infant United States. But this silver piece bore no inscription at all. It was the first clue that the coin was something singular, said McCarthy, a senior researcher for the coin and collectibles firm Kagin’s.   He …

U.S. immigration authorities signed deals on Monday with 18 of Texas’ 254 counties to expand a program that allows jailers at local sheriffs’ offices to cooperate with federal authorities in immigration enforcement. The deal signed at a sheriffs’ meeting in suburban Dallas comes as both the administration of U.S. Republican President Donald Trump, and Texas, the most populous Republican-controlled state, seek to crack down on “sanctuary cities,” places that shield immigrants who are in the country illegally. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reached what is known as a 287(g) agreement with the counties. The deal trains local agents in the sheriff’s offices to check if the people they have in custody may be in violation of U.S. immigration law. Program helps control crime The program has been on the books since 1996 and allows the Department of Homeland Security to enter into formal written agreements with state and local police …

Russian authorities are now barring American diplomats and their families from a U.S. recreational residence on the outskirts of Moscow, part of sweeping retaliatory measures announced by Kremlin leader Vladmir Putin. The Russian president ordered the U.S. on Sunday to cut its overall staff of more than 1,200 in Russia by 755 people, in response to new U.S. sanctions imposed against Moscow for its interference in the 2016 presidential election. It is believed to be the single largest cut ever imposed on the U.S. embassy in Moscow and consulates elsewhere in Russia, although many of those to be dismissed are likely Russians working in support positions. Putin said the cuts would leave both Russia and the U.S. with the same number of staff and diplomats in Washington and Moscow, respectively — 455. President Donald Trump has been silent on the issue since Putin announced his retaliatory action. Asked about this Monday, …