10 things you need to know today: February 26, 2021

U.S. airstrikes hit Iranian-backed militia target in Syria, the House passes Equality Act LGBTQ protections, and more

A news conference ahead of Equality Act vote
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1. U.S. airstrikes target Iranian-backed militia in Syria

The U.S. military on Thursday conducted airstrikes on two Iranian-backed militia groups in Syria in the first known lethal operation under President Biden. The strikes killed "up to a handful" of militants, a U.S. official told CNN. The attack, which targeted a border-crossing station in eastern Syria, was "authorized in response to recent attacks against American and coalition personnel in Iraq, and to ongoing threats," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. The site was not directly tied to the rocket attacks but U.S. officials believed it was used by the Iranian-backed Shia militias that had fired the rockets at coalition forces. "The operation sends an unambiguous message," Kirby said. "President Biden will act to protect American coalition personnel."

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.