Stars and Stripes Daily Headlines

	House vote clears way for Mattis confirmation The House voted Friday to give Gen. James Mattis a legal waiver for his recent military service, all but clearing the way for the retired Marine to be confirmed as defense secretary.   House combat veteran scolds Democrats over ‘warrior class’ bias Rep. Steve Russell, an Army Ranger graduate who commanded infantry troops in Iraq, charged Democrats with a bias against the “warrior class” in their efforts to reject a special legal exemption for retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis to be defense secretary.   Air Force recommends 12 airmen receive upgraded medals The upgrade of medals is part of a review by all of the services to determine whether airmen, sailors, Marines and soldiers who have fought in the war on terror were properly recognized for the efforts. The review was sparked by concerns that few Medals of Honor were awarded for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in which millions of Americans have served.   Navy upgrades 17 SEAL medals Eight upgraded Navy Crosses and eight upgraded Silver Stars were presented Friday to Navy SEALs at a ceremony held in Virginia Beach, Va., the Navy announced. The awards are part of the Pentagon’s review of all Silver Stars and service crosses awarded for actions in Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001.   Watchdog probe to bring new scrutiny for FBI's Comey  FBI Director James Comey, already under fierce public scrutiny for his handling of the election-year probe of Hillary Clinton, faces a new internal investigation into whether he and the Justice Department followed established protocol in the email server case.   Lockheed tells Trump it will lower F-35's costs, create new jobs Lockheed Martin Corp.'s chief told President-elect Donald Trump it's close to a deal with the Pentagon to lower costs "significantly'' for the next production lot of its F-35 fighter jet and will boost hiring at the Texas factory where the advanced aircraft is made.   VA to pay billions to veterans affected by toxic water at Camp Lejeune The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to give out an estimated $2.2 billion during the next five years to thousands of veterans suffering from serious illnesses caused by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.   Probe launched into death of Fort Hood soldier, one of nearly a dozen stateside since November A soldier at Fort Hood was found Wednesday unresponsive at his place of duty, becoming one of nearly a dozen soldiers assigned to the Texas base to die stateside in recent months, the Army said.   Commanding general of DC National Guard to be removed from post on inauguration day The head of the D.C. National Guard, Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz, said Friday that he has been ordered removed from his command effective Jan. 20, 12:01 p.m., just as Donald Trump is sworn in as president.   First came love, then came marriage — then, after a head-on wreck, a beautiful baby It had taken 10 years for the couple to have a pregnancy that took. Along the way: three miscarriages, hormone shots, disappointment, a thousand tears. Then, on Oct. 7 while driving to a local Wendy's, Staff Sgt. Jevon BcBride and his wife, Julie, who was six months pregnant, were hit by an oncoming vehicle.   In early GOP win on health care repeal, Congress OKs budget  Ascendant Republicans drove a budget through Congress on Friday that gives them an early but critical victory in their crusade to scrap President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.