Laura Loomer, a right-wing personality known for her incendiary social media presence, appeared to have President Donald Trump's ear again.

The revelation that President Donald Trump’s most senior national security officials posted the specifics of a military attack to a chat group that included a journalist hours before the attack took place has raised many questions.

As summer approaches, travel is on the brain of so many -- especially after the last year we’ve had, cooped up and fighting COVID-19.

CNN has sent guidance to staff about not repeating any reporting that alleges the name and identity of the whistleblower. Hosts like Sean Hannity have been told not to name the person they believe to be whistleblower on the air. "Justice" host Jeanine Pirro said last Friday that the network's hosts "apparently can't say" the person's name. And Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo said last week that they were "not naming" the person on Fox. As recently as Tuesday, Fox hosted a segment that featured debate on whether the news media should reveal the whistleblower.

Alex Wong/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON (CNN) - Energy Secretary Rick Perry will not participate in a closed-door deposition with impeachment investigators but would consider testifying in an open hearing, according to the Department of Energy. "The Secretary will not partake in a secret star chamber inquisition where agency counsel is forbidden to be present," department spokesperson Shaylyn Hynes said in a statement Friday. Perry had been asked to appear before the three committees conducting the impeachment inquiry on Wednesday. Perry, who plans to leave his post at year's end, had been under scrutiny over his role in the Trump administration's dealings with Ukraine. This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Alex Wong/Getty Images(CNN) - A top Pentagon career official overseeing Ukraine policy is due to testify before the House impeachment inquiry on Wednesday, an appearance that takes place amid intense scrutiny over whether the White House sought to freeze military aid to Ukraine as part of an effort to pressure Kiev to investigate President Donald Trump's political rivals. Cooper is currently believed to be voluntarily appearing before the three House committees leading the Democratic impeachment inquiry and the Pentagon has not yet sought to block her testimony. As a top official overseeing US policy towards Ukraine, Cooper would have been involved with overseeing US military assistance to Kiev, assistance such as the $250 million aid package that was frozen by the Trump Administration despite the Pentagon's recommendation that it go forward. What motivated the White House to order that freeze has formed a central part of the impeachment inquiry into Trump. Earlier this month, the Pentagon's chief legal officer requested that Defense Department agencies identify, preserve and collect any and all documents relating to the provision of security assistance to Kiev.

Alex Wong/Getty Images(CNN) - US Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Friday he "didn't see a problem" with being asked by President Donald Trump to speak with Rudy Giuliani about matters involving Ukraine. "As the Governor of Texas, I used people outside of government all the time to get me information," Perry said. In May, Perry led the US delegation to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky's inauguration, where his conversation with the new leader has raised the interest of House Democrats conducting the impeachment inquiry. "We heard corruption in almost every conversation that we had talking about Ukraine and whether or not President Zelensky was going to come over here," Perry said. "Because President Trump wasn't going to send American money to a country that had a history of being corrupt, and he was hammering that.

The Pentagon said Friday that the deployment to Saudi Arabia will include two fighter squadrons, one air expeditionary win, two Patriot batteries and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Enhancing defenses"Secretary Esper informed Saudi Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Muhammad bin Salman this morning of the additional troop deployment to assure and enhance the defense of Saudi Arabia," Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathon Hoffman said in a statement Friday. "Taken together with other deployments, this constitutes an additional 3,000 forces that have been extended or authorized within the last month." The US has increased the deployment of forces in the region by 14,000 since May. When the Pentagon announced additional deployments after the Saudi attack, Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters that the US troops would be "defensive in nature and primarily focused on air and missile defense."

Alex Wong/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON (CNN) - House Democrats on Thursday issued a subpoena to Energy Secretary Rick Perry for documents related to the Trump administration's contacts with Ukraine as part of the ongoing House impeachment inquiry. The subpoena was issued by the House Intelligence Committee in consultation with the House Foreign Affairs and Oversight committees. A letter sent to Perry by the House Democratic chairmen of those three committees states that "public reports have raised questions about any role you may have played in conveying or reinforcing the President's stark message to the Ukrainian President." Last week, Perry pledged to work with lawmakers looking into the whistleblower complaint. "I'll just briefly say we're going to work with Congress and answer all their questions," Perry said at a department event.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty ImagesWASHINGTON - A progressive senator from Wisconsin has called for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's salary to be withheld until EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland is allowed to testify in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, according to a report by The Hill. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) sent a letter to Pompeo on Tuesday saying the law allows Congress to withhold compensation if a federal official prevents another government employee from communicating with "any Member, committee, or subcommittee of the Congress." The State Department blocked Sondland from testifying in his scheduled House deposition on Tuesday. In his letter, Pocan referred to a piece of legislature signed by Trump himself earlier this year. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Alex Wong/Getty ImagesParents and kids will all feel like winners this Halloween, thanks to Target's Paw Patrol Trick-or-Treat event. Kids are welcome to come dressed in costumes to trick-or-treat through the store, plus watch an exclusive episode of Paw Patrol. The event is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 26. Participants can also expect special giveaways, as well. The Targets in Christiansburg, Roanoke, Lynchburg and Danville are participating, according to Target's website.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images(CNN) - There is a tentative agreement for the anonymous whistleblower who filed a complaint containing allegations about President Donald Trump's conduct to testify before the House Intelligence Committee, Chairman Adam Schiff said Sunday, confirming CNN's previous reporting. CNN reported on Wednesday that the potential testimony is dependent on the whistleblower's attorneys getting security clearance. Asked on ABC's "This Week" whether he had reached an agreement with the whistleblower and his attorneys to come before the committee, Schiff said: "Yes, we have." The whistleblower is at the center of a fast-moving scandal in Washington surrounding a complaint made about Trump's communications with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The source said attorneys for the whistleblower are still waiting for guidance regarding the security clearance for them.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images(CNN) - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democrats in a private meeting Wednesday that she wants to focus the impeachment inquiry on Ukraine -- as Democrats debate how broad to draft articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, according to several sources involved in the discussions. Despite months of focus on the Mueller findings and allegations of obstruction of justice, Pelosi and top Democrats believe their strongest case for impeachment to the American public is over the President's ask that the Ukrainians investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. But discussions about the scope of the articles of impeachment are continuing in the Democratic Caucus. Sources also told CNN that there is a growing push to keep the probe focused narrowly so the House could take up articles of impeachment as early as this fall. The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company.

Alex Wong/Getty Images(CNN) - No need to save seats for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner at Friday night's White House state dinner for Australia. The intersection of Trump and Markle at a social event could be an interesting and potentially awkward scenario. In a June interview, President Trump called Markle "nasty," a comment he later attempted to walk back. "I wasn't referring to her -- she's nasty,'' he told Piers Morgan in an interview. Trump and Kushner flew to Rome from Washington Thursday night on a commercial flight, according to Politico.

Alex Wong/Getty Images(CNN) - The cost of Sen. Bernie Sanders' "Medicare for All" national health insurance plan prompted a heated argument between the senator and former Vice President Joe Biden, who supports building on the Affordable Care Act, at Thursday's Democratic presidential debate. Biden hammered Sanders, saying America can't afford the roughly $30 trillion price tag for his plan. But overall spending on health care would be expected to go up under Medicare for All, since everyone would be covered. Currently, health insurance isn't cheap. The average family spent about $4,700 on premiums and $3,000 on cost-sharing in 2018, according to the Peterson-Kaiser Health System Tracker.

Harris decided not to run again in the special election. The special election in that Republican-leaning district was called after GOP Rep. Walter Jones, who had represented it since 1995, died in February. Trump cast the special election, and the 2020 presidential election, as a fight for the status quo, describing Democrats as the "America-hating left." The President held a now infamous rally earlier this summer in North Carolina, where the crowd in Greenville chanted, "Send her back!" State election officials have been working to ensure that voters can reach the polls.

Alex Wong/Getty ImagesTarget's revamped loyalty program is ready for its nationwide debut. Program perks include earning 1% on Target purchases, personalized deals and early access to its sales. The expansion of the loyalty program complements Target's branded credit card, Redcard, which only a quarter of its customers use. Target is the latest retailer to revamp its loyalty program because retailers are recognizing that they need new perks to encourage them to keep returning. Macy's, Starbucks, H&M, Kohl's, Lululemon and J Crew either have launched new loyalty programs or significantly changed their existing programs within the past year.

Alex Wong/Getty ImagesAmtrak has announced the launch of a new service that will provide riders a direct service between Washington D.C. and New York, according to WJLA. As of now, the schedule includes one southbound and one northbound train per day. The southbound train from New York will depart at 6:35 a.m. and is scheduled to arrive in D.C. around 9:10 a.m. The northbound train will depart D.C. at 4:30 p.m., and arrive in New York around 7:05 p.m. The Acela Nonstop service comes in advance of the 2021 launch of brand-new Acela trainsets.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images(CNN) - The US Department of Veteran Affairs said Tuesday it is investigating 11 suspicious deaths at a medical center in West Virginia, prompting Sen. Joe Manchin to label them potential crimes. The VA said it is looking into "potential wrongdoing" at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg. Wesley R. Walls, a spokesman for the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center, said "allegations of potential misconduct you may have heard about in media reports do not involve" any current employees. "Immediately upon discovering these serious allegations, Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center leadership brought them to the attention of the VA's inspector general while putting safeguards in place to ensure the safety of each and every one of our patients," Walls said. In his statement, Manchin said he met with VA and hospital leaders to ensure a thorough investigation.

Do you know Bei Bei? Getty Images Giant panda cub Bei Bei props himself up on logs at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park (Alex Wong/Getty Images). Bei Bei will soon move to China as was the plan all along, as part of a breeding agreement. Getty Images Bei Bei, at left, plays with his mother Mei Xiang in August 2016 (Alex Wong/Getty Images). Bei Bei, by the way, wont be the first giant panda to leave Washington for China.

Alex Wong/Getty Images(CNN) - America's favorite restaurant chain just added to its menu for the first time in three years. As of Monday, Chick-fil-A offers macaroni and cheese as a side option nationwide -- the only addition since 2016. "Mac & Cheese is the quintessential comfort food, and something we are so excited to offer our guests at Chick-fil-A," said Amanda Norris, executive director of menu and packaging in a statement. Chick-fil-A is one of the most profitable restaurant chains in the country, according to Nation's Restaurant News. The-CNN-Wire & 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company.

Fergus Linehan, director of the Edinburgh International Festival, told CNN Business that many artists think the UK currency could weaken further ahead of the October 31 deadline for Brexit, eating into their earnings. The Edinburgh festival decided last November to take out insurance against a weaker pound, buying euros and dollars when one pound purchased $1.30 instead of the current $1.22. The Los Angeles Philharmonic and Berlin's Komische Oper have asked to be paid in dollars and euros, respectively. "We are doing work with people from Lebanon to Shanghai and they are also asking for tour fees to be confirmed in dollars or euros," Linehan said. The festival exchanged 1 million for dollars and euros in November, and will likely do so again next year, despite the costs and hassle.

The Hang Seng Index closed nearly 2.9% lower, marking the biggest single-day percentage decline since the beginning of May. Tse Sui Luen Jewellery, a Hong Kong jewelry brand, plummeted 12.1%. Department store operator Lifestyle International, which owns stores in Hong Kong, tumbled 6.4%. Hong Kong authorities have warned that the city is beginning to seem insecure to foreign companies and tourists. Swiss watch makers Swatch and Richemont both recently said that sales in Hong Kong were suffering from the street protests.

Alex Wong/Getty ImagesStarting today, Target is offering teachers a 15% discount in-store and online on classroom materials. It also includes men and women's clothing and shoes. Teachers can sign up online on Target's website with their teacher ID to get the discount. The deal goes from July 13th to July 20th.

Alex Wong/Getty Images)(CNN) - Tuesday is Cow Appreciation Day, when Chick-fil-A fans across the country indulge in a little light bovine cosplay for free food. The chain is offering a free breakfast, lunch or dinner entree for its customers, but there is a catch: People have to dress up like a cow to get it. What does dressing up as a cow entail? Or does one need to stoop to silicone udders to secure that sweet, sweet free meat? And yes, your suspicions are correct: Cow Appreciation Day is, in fact, the invention of Chick-fil-A.

For the fourth year in a row, the Georgia-based chicken chain has been named America's favorite restaurant, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. The chain, whose customer service is perhaps just as well-known as its food, scored an 86 on the 100-point scale, down one point from last year. Four chains tied for fourth with a score of 80: Arby's, Chipotle, Papa John's and Pizza Hut. Other popular chains scored much lower. 3 in the industry behind McDonald's and Starbucks, according to Nation's Restaurant News.