WASHINGTON – Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, said Wednesday that the fight to bring home Americans imprisoned in Iran, including Washington Post Tehran Bureau Chief Jason Rezaian, has not stopped just because of the nuclear deal between Iran and the United States.

“I want to be sensitive to those conversations and … not overstep my own boundaries, but I know that these talks are not – because this deal is done and agreed to by the P5+1 – the pressure has not let up on making sure that we do everything that we can as the United States to bring them home,” Gabbard told a standing-room-only audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Gabbard made the remarks during a talk entitled “Opportunities and Challenges: Emerging Threats and U.S. Foreign Policy” hosted by the Washington defense and foreign-policy think tank.

Gabbard hesitated to go into specifics so as not to jeopardize negotiations.

“It’s unimaginable to think about what they continue to go through,” she said. “I don’t know how much I can say other than I think every, every day there continues to be pressure and talks with Iran to bring them home.”

At a Tuesday House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the Iran deal, Secretary of State John Kerry’s prepared testimony said that the State Department “will continue to press Iran for information about the missing and for the immediate release of Americans who have been unjustly detained” due to its deep concern about those nonnuclear issues.

A week earlier, on July 21 — the one-year anniversary of Rezaian’s imprisonment — State Department spokesman John Kirby defended Kerry’s dedication to the imprisoned Americans’ welfare, saying that he “never missed a chance on the sidelines of the nuclear talks to raise Jason’s detention with Iranian officials as well as the detention of Amir Hekmati and Saeed Abedini and of course, never missed a chance to continue to ask for Iran’s help in locating Robert Levinson.”

“We’ve been very clear that until they’re home, we’re not going to stop in our efforts and pursuit to see that outcome,” Kirby said.

WASHINGTON — Lt. Gen. Robert B. Neller, commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command and President Barack Obama’s nominee for the post of Marine Corps commandant, met with harsh criticism on Thursday for his perceived lack of an action plan when it came to U.S. force protection in the wake of the Chattanooga shooting.

Neller testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee at a hearing to consider his potential confirmation as commandant. His reinforcement of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff nominee (and current USMC commandant) Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr.’s view of Russia as a preeminent threat to U.S. national security also came under fire during the committee’s deliberations.

Here is a collection of downloadable and embeddable video clips of Neller’s testimony for use in your coverage of the pre-confirmation proceedings from outside of the Beltway:

Highlights from U.S. Marine Corps commandant nominee Lt. Gen. Robert B. Neller’s Senate Armed Services Committee appearance

U.S. Marine Corps commandant nominee Lt. Gen. Robert B. Neller on force protection in the wake of the Chattanooga shooting

U.S. Marine Corps commandant nominee Lt. Gen. Robert B. Neller on the question of MOS availability for female Marines

(Note: All videos may be reposted or republished with credit to “Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory/Medill National Security Journalism Initiative.”)

WASHINGTON — Gen. Mark A. Milley, nominated to be the next Army Chief of Staff, told a Senate committee Tuesday that the Army’s top priorities need to be modernization, manpower and readiness.

The Senate Armed Services Committee is deliberating his nomination to succeed Gen. Raymond T. Odierno.

Here are video clips from the hearing, all of which are freely downloadable and embeddable, to help you to cover this installment of DoD-related Senate confirmation proceedings from outside the Beltway:

GEN. MILLEY ON MILITARY-RECRUITER PROTECTION IN THE WAKE OF THE CHATTANOOGA SHOOTING:

HEARING HIGHLIGHT REEL:

MORE CLIPS TO COME

WASHINGTON — On Monday, the Cuban Embassy reopened at 2603 16th Street NW in Washington’s Columbia Heights neighborhood after closing in January 1961. Here are some sights and sounds from the scene, where reporters waited for sources at the front gate, broadcasters camped out on the risers across the street and people paid witness to a historic moment in American diplomatic history.

VOICES FROM THE SCENE

Nalda Vigezzi

Nalda Vigezzi stands outside of the Cuban Embassy in Washington on July 20, 2015. (Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory/MEDILL NSJI)

Nalda Vigezzi was invited to the embassy’s opening because of her decades-long experience working as part of the Cuban solidarity movement.

Oswald Cameron

Oswald Cameron holds up a Puerto Rican flag outside of the Cuban Embassy in Washington on July 20, 2015. (Jennifer-Leigh Oprihory/MEDILL NSJI)

Oswald Cameron came out to the embassy in support of its reopening.

WASHINGTON — USTRANSCOM Commander Gen. Paul J. Selva of the U.S. Air Force appeared Tuesday at a Senate Armed Services Committee called to consider his nomination to the position of vice chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff.

Selva was the second Joint Chiefs nominee to testify before the committee in less than a week, as Marine Corps. Commandant Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr. on Thursday fielded questions about everything from the ISIL threat to the national security risk posed by Russia in a hearing called to consider his nomination to succeed Gen. Martin Dempsey as the next CJCS.

The Medill National Security Journalism Initiative was on hand to capture video highlights of Selva’s testimony. Check out footage and documents from the hearing, all of which are freely downloadable and embeddable for use in your own reporting (so long as you credit us), below:

Gen. Selva Testimony Highlight Reel

Audio Highlights from Gen. McDew’s Testimony:

ADDITIONAL CLIPS TO COME