The U.S. military has strived over recent decades to present itself as religiously diverse, welcoming personnel of all faiths – or no faith – as it seeks cohesion and mutual respect in the ranks.

Jeffrey Wright has played Jean-Michel Basquiat, Martin Luther King Jr. and Muddy Waters.

An Associated Press reporter whose coverage of the State Department and international relations spanned more than four decades has died.

A trial underway in federal court will decide whether the U.S. government must pay up to $21 million to compensate a Virginia county for land taken to expand Arlington National Cemetery.

Two decades ago, U.S. spy agencies wrongly believed Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

A collection from the estate of General Colin Powell of nearly 400 items stretching from the momentous to the mundane is currently up for auction.

This week’s new entertainment releases include albums from Post Malone and Drive-By Truckers, “Fast & Furious” alum Elsa Pataky leading her own action picture with “Interceptor,” and the modern romantic comedy “Fire Island,” set in the iconic LGBTQ vacation spot.

Madeleine Albright fled the Nazis as a child and climbed to the summit of diplomacy and foreign policy in the United States.

One by one, U.N. Security Council members called Thursday for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine.

While the U.S. warns that Russia could invade Ukraine any day, the drumbeat of war is all but unheard in Moscow, where pundits and ordinary people alike don’t expect President Vladimir Putin to launch an attack on the ex-Soviet neighbor.

Bob Dole’s frequent scowl concealed a dry, often caustic wit.

They both carved out sterling reputations as military and political leaders over years of public service.

Watch live coverage as former Secretary of State Colin Powell is remembered in a funeral service at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Colin L.

A memorial service for Colin L.

CNN's John King revealed that he has multiple sclerosis on Tuesday, during a discussion of vaccine mandates on his “Inside Politics” show.

Colin Powell was the first Black person to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs and secretary of state.

A child of working-class Jamaican immigrants in the Bronx, Colin Powell rose from neighborhood store clerk to warehouse floor-mopper to the highest echelons of the U.S. government.

Despite getting vaccinated against COVID-19, Colin Powell remained vulnerable to the virus because of his advanced age and history of cancer.

For many Iraqis, the name Colin Powell conjures up one image: the man who as U.S. secretary of State went before the U.N. Security Council in 2003 to make the case for war against their country.

Here are this morning's top stories.

Colin Powell, former Joint Chiefs chairman and secretary of state, has died from COVID-19 complications.

Apple+ and the BBC are collaborating on a new documentary that tells the story of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks through the eyes of then-President George W.

Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, left, gives flowers to Susan Pompeo as she and her husband, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, arrive at Tbilisi International Airport in Tbilisi, Georgia, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool)WASHINGTON – The State Department said Thursday that a report by its independent watchdog has concluded that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s wife did not violate federal regulations or ethics rules by traveling abroad with her husband while he was on official business. Susan Pompeo had attracted criticism for accompanying her husband on diplomatic trips abroad, beginning with a Middle East tour in 2018 that took place during the federal government shutdown. Secretary Pompeo has previously defended his wife's presence on his international trips by noting that she does work with diplomats’ families and is a “force multiplier” in boosting morale at overseas posts. The State Department said the inspector general had cleared her of any impropriety or misuse of taxpayer money on that Mideast trip and seven others she made with her husband.

(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):2:15 p.m.Lloyd Austin, the retired Army general whom President-elect Joe Biden picked to be secretary of defense, says he reveres the principle of civilian control of the military. Austin retired four years ago after 41 years in the Army. Austin says he understands the need for civilian control of the military and sees himself as a civilian, not as a general. Congress intended civilian control of the military when it created the position of secretary of defense in 1947 and prohibited a recently retired military officer from holding the position. Austin retired in 2016.

Julia Reed, who wrote about food and culture in the South and promoted her native Mississippi Delta, has died. Reed died Friday of cancer, the editors of Garden & Gun magazine said in a post on the magazine's website. She attended parties with the likes of former Secretary of State and Army Gen. Colin Powell and former Vice President Al Gore, but was a champion of her native Mississippi, according to Meacham. A chapter in her book, Julia Reeds South, eventually led her to dedicate an entire book on how to party and dine in New Orleans, The Times Picayune/New Orleans Advocate reported. She called it Julia Reeds New Orleans: Food, Fun and Field Trips for Letting the Good Times Roll.In addition, Reed served on the board of the Ogden Museum of Art in New Orleans, the newspaper said.

Donald Trump Jr., speaks as he tapes his speech for the first day of the Republican National Convention from the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON If speaking time at the Republican convention is a measure of President Donald Trumps favor, his family wins by a mile. Instead, the 2020 Republican convention is an exhibit of a party Trump has remade as a largely family-led enterprise. First lady Melania Trump spoke for 16 minutes. The speech solidified his standing as the leading Republican presidential hopeful in 2024.

Stephen Colbert mimicked poking his head out from under a table after playing a clip of Guilfoyle on CBS' Late Show." I'm glad we already have kids, because I think I was sterilized by that.He called Guilfoyle a vengeful banshee who will haunt your dreams.On The Daily Show, Trevor Noah said Guilfoyle's speech was so loud that Canada called the cops. I want to wish a speedy recovery for anyone who watched the convention on headphones, he said. MSNBC's Morning Joe ran portions of her speech side-by-side with Dwight Schrute's classic award acceptance speech in The Office.Somewhere, Kimmel was taking notes. That stands in contrast to Colbert, who is doing the Late Show live for the two weeks of the convention.

Biden celebrated his new status as the Democratic nominee alongside his wife and grandchildren in a Delaware school library. For his part, Trump spent Tuesday courting battleground voters in an effort to distract from Bidens convention. And Bidens supporters consistently report that theyre motivated more by opposition to Trump than excitement about Biden. The Democrats party elders played a prominent role throughout the night. Kerry, 76, was the Democratic presidential nominee back in 2004 when the youngest voters this fall were still in diapers.

In this image from video, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., delivers a nominating speech during the second night of the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Democratic National Convention via AP)WASHINGTON For nearly three minutes at this week's Democratic National Convention, Cindy McCain recounted Joe Biden's friendship with her late husband, John McCain, the Arizona senator and former Republican presidential candidate. Meanwhile, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most dynamic young stars of the Democratic Party, spoke for just 60 seconds. California Rep. Ro Khanna, head of the California delegation to the convention, said people need to be inspired to vote. Among those who have addressed the convention is Ady Barkin, a progressive activist who after being diagnosed with A.L.S.

Not long after, with many of its best players gradually following Robinsons path, the Negro Leagues ceased operations. President Clinton said he chose a Chicago Cubs cap in honor of Ernie Banks, the late Hall of Famer who got his start in the Negro Leagues. Long before that, the Negro Leagues made baseball better and America better.The celebration was moved online after a major league-wide tribute to baseballs Black pioneers scheduled for June 27 was shelved along with the games because of the coronavirus pandemic. So then I thought, How about a virtual tip of the cap?''' I always felt if there was going to be conversations about race in sports, the Negro Leagues should be at the center, because thats the story: They triumphed over adversity.

(Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle via AP, FIle)WASHINGTON The first openly gay Army secretary says hes supporting Joe Biden for president, the latest endorsement from a former military leader who had criticized President Donald Trump over his handling of anti-racism demonstrations. Eric Fanning, who held a variety of Navy and Air Force civilian positions and was Army secretary from 2016 to 2017, on Wednesday cited Bidens empathy and integrity in engaging with members of the military. The next president faces a monumental task: repairing our damaged democracy and our eroded moral leadership around the world, Fanning said in his announcement. Joe Bidens leadership in steering repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell ensured that E.J. Others, including former defense secretary Jim Mattis, have criticized Trumps leadership.

WASHINGTON Utah Sen. Mitt Romney on Monday became the latest prominent Republican to cast doubt on his support for President Donald Trump's reelection, saying he would stay quiet about whom he'll be supporting in November. Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, told reporters on Capitol Hill that I'm not going to be describing who I'll be voting for." In 2016, Romney said publicly that he would support neither Trump nor Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. The relationship between Trump and Romney is acrimonious. Romney was the only GOP senator to support removing Trump from office after the president's impeachment trial earlier this year.

A military Humvee blocks an intersection along K Street in downtown Washington as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Although the military historically has prided itself on diversity, leaders acknowledge that black troops often are disproportionately subject to military legal punishment and are impeded in promotions. Blacks make up about 17 percent of the Navy and less than 15 percent of the Air Force. But there is a much greater racial divide within the active duty military based on rank. Brown Jr., has been nominated to lead the Air Force, succeeding Gen. David Goldfein.

A military Humvee blocks an intersection along K Street in downtown Washington as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Although the military historically has prided itself on diversity, leaders acknowledge that black troops often are disproportionately subject to military legal punishment and are impeded in promotions. Blacks make up about 17 percent of the Navy and less than 15 percent of the Air Force. But there is a much greater racial divide within the active duty military based on rank. Brown Jr., has been nominated to lead the Air Force, succeeding Gen. David Goldfein.