Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reiterated his commitment to “stopping sexual assaults in the military,” during a recent visit to the Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network. During the visit, Hagel praised RAINN workers for raising awareness of sexual assaults and for providing victims a strong support network, states an April 21 release. “You are changing the world for the better,” he told RAINN employees. More than 300,000 people have used the “military-centric” Safe Helpline for information regarding sexual assaults, since it was launched three years ago. More than 22,000 people have sought anonymous one-on-one assistance and crisis support during the same time period through online chat, telephone, and texting helplines, states the release. “The connections we’ve seen on [Safe Helpline] are pretty powerful,” said Jennifer Marsh, the network’s vice president for victim services. “People leave feeling like they’re not alone and like they’ve helped somebody else, which we know is a big part of the military.”
Earlier this week, the People’s Republic of China confirmed it is halting its nuclear arms control talks with the U.S., in retaliation for the U.S. continuing to sell arms to Taiwan. The move reinforces a “pattern of behavior” from Beijing, experts say.