All 100 Senators to Attend Briefing at White House

In what Reuters and Fox News call a "rare" move, four top officials in President Trump's administration will brief the entire US Senate on Wednesday. The topic? North Korea. It's not unusual for top administration officials to address members of Congress on Capitol Hill, but in this case all 100 senators have been asked to go to the White House for the 3pm briefing, which was convened by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, and General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will address the senators—an "unusual" configuration of officials, per Reuters. A similar briefing for the House of Representatives is reportedly in the works.

The news comes as US officials are increasingly concerned about North Korea's nuclear and missile tests and its threats against the US and other countries. President Trump recently spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe by phone, Fox notes. Xi reportedly told Trump during the call that China opposes North Korea's nuclear weapons program and wants "all parties" to "exercise restraint and avoid aggravating the situation," while Abe agreed Japan would work to urge Pyongyang not to take any provocative actions. (More North Korea stories.)