All articles tagged with #optional
A federal grand jury in Washington, D.C. unanimously rejected Jeanine Pirro's bid to indict six Democratic lawmakers over a social-video urging service members to disobey unlawful orders, effectively halting the case in that district; the development fuels debate over DOJ independence and political interference, with the possibility of pursuing charges in another district still open.
Britain evacuated its ambassador and all embassy personnel from Iran, temporarily closing the Tehran mission and moving operations online due to security concerns as tensions with Iran rise and the U.S. weighs possible strikes; the move followed the U.S. evacuation from its Al Udeid base, the UK updated travel guidance, and ministers signaled continued sanctions pressure while keeping allied options open.
The Trump administration proposed a new Social Security phone service policy requiring a one-time security PIN, which was initially presented as mandatory but is now clarified to be optional after advocacy from groups like AARP. The change aimed to improve security but faced criticism for potentially forcing vulnerable populations to visit field offices, and the agency has now stated the PIN use is not compulsory.