Islamic State

Part of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is seaborne. The Navy's USS Truman has been in the Persian Gulf but now is in the Mediterranean, on its way home to Virginia.

The gunman in Sunday's attack at a gay nightclub used Facebook to search for and post terrorism-related content before and even during the assault, according to Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson.

In an update to Congress, CIA chief John Brennan said the U.S. and its partners have put ISIS on the defensive. But that doesn't mean its global reach has been degraded.

Some see the shooters as seeking maximum publicity. Others say the Islamic State is inspiring terrorist attacks in the U.S. and in Europe, and needs to be routed as quickly as possible.

The drive to enter Fallujah began at dawn, with air support from the U.S.-led coalition. Aid groups report that thousands of civilians are trapped in the Iraqi city.

The central issue: the Kurdish YPG militia, which the U.S. views as a key ally against the Islamic State in Syria, has been branded a terrorist organization by Turkey's government.

ISIS reportedly has seized villages near Syria's border with Turkey, trapping tens of thousands of civilians. The evacuated hospital outside Azaz is the aid group's largest medical facility in Syria.

The coalition has attacked IS positions in two areas of strategic importance: Fallujah, Iraq, and an area north of Raqqa, the group's de facto capital in Syria.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for bombings in Tartus and Jableh, strongholds of Bashar Assad's regime.

Outdoor markets in two Shiite neighborhoods were struck by blasts on Tuesday. A suicide bomber hit a third neighborhood. Then an SUV exploded in Sadr City, another Shiite region of the capital.