Bestselling author Tom Clancy died on Wednesday at the age of 66. Publishers Weekly sent out a Tweet with the news on Wednesday morning and other media sources have confirmed it.

While best known for his suspenseful espionage novels and the movies and video games based on them, Clancy was also a conservative activist and a supporter of the Republican Party. He had been a member of the National Rifle Association for three and a half decades.

A Florida congresswoman waded in this week over a battle in Ireland over a mural of Cuban Communist Che Guevara.

As the federal government shutdown continues, the nations eyes are increasingly turned to veterans issues. In Washington, D.C., veterans from across the country have occupied national monuments on the Mall which have been closed due to the federal shutdown.

With veterans issues in the spotlight, Republicans in control of the U.S. House have turned to U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee to push back against President Barack Obama on the matter.