BREAKING NEWS
How the military is responding to DOD report that suicides among service members continue to increase
Read full article: How the military is responding to DOD report that suicides among service members continue to increaseAccording to a Defense Department report released on Thursday, there were 523 reported U.S. military suicides in 2023 with 363 of those being active-duty troops.
Army looking into shoving allegations involving the general who heads US Central Command
Read full article: Army looking into shoving allegations involving the general who heads US Central CommandU.S. officials say the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division is looking into allegations that the four-star general who heads U.S. Central Command shoved a member of his air crew during a trip overseas.
In rare move, Pentagon denies falsehood about troops allowed to use force during election
Read full article: In rare move, Pentagon denies falsehood about troops allowed to use force during electionIn a rare move, the Pentagon is strongly pushing back against misinformation spread on social media that falsely suggests U.S. troops have been authorized to use force against American citizens during the election.
Iranian brothers charged in alleged smuggling operation that led to deaths of 2 Navy SEALs
Read full article: Iranian brothers charged in alleged smuggling operation that led to deaths of 2 Navy SEALsAuthorities say two men linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard are facing terrorism charges in the U.S. in connection with the interception of a vessel in the Arabian Sea that resulted in the deaths of two Navy SEALs.
Iraqi court sentences wife of slain Islamic State leader to death for crimes against Yazidi women
Read full article: Iraqi court sentences wife of slain Islamic State leader to death for crimes against Yazidi womenAn Iraqi court has issued a death sentence against one of the wives of the late brutal Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, alleging that she was complicit in crimes committed against Yazidi women captured by the militant group.
White House sets new guidelines for Cabinet notifications after Austin's secret hospitalization
Read full article: White House sets new guidelines for Cabinet notifications after Austin's secret hospitalizationThe White House is laying out a new set of guidelines to ensure it will be informed any time a Cabinet head can’t carry out their job.
Death on the Arabian Sea: How a Navy SEAL fell into rough waters and another died trying to save him
Read full article: Death on the Arabian Sea: How a Navy SEAL fell into rough waters and another died trying to save himThe U.S. Navy has released the names of the two SEALs who were lost at sea during a raid on a boat carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen.
Pentagon releases footage of hundreds of 'highly concerning' aircraft intercepts by Chinese planes
Read full article: Pentagon releases footage of hundreds of 'highly concerning' aircraft intercepts by Chinese planesThe Pentagon has released footage of some of the more than 180 intercepts of U.S. warplanes by Chinese aircraft that have occurred in the last two years — more than the total amount over the previous decade and part of a trend U.S. military officials called concerning.
House committee chairman says Sen. Tuberville is 'paralyzing' the Pentagon by blocking promotions
Read full article: House committee chairman says Sen. Tuberville is 'paralyzing' the Pentagon by blocking promotionsThe chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is slamming a fellow Republican in the Senate for waging an unprecedented attempt to change Pentagon abortion policy by holding up hundreds of military nominations and promotions.
Biden signs an order designed to strengthen protections for sexual assault victims in the military
Read full article: Biden signs an order designed to strengthen protections for sexual assault victims in the militaryPresident Joe Biden has signed an executive order giving decisions on the prosecution of serious military crimes including sexual assault to independent military attorneys.
U.S. destroys last of its declared chemical weapons, closing a deadly chapter dating to World War I
Read full article: U.S. destroys last of its declared chemical weapons, closing a deadly chapter dating to World War IThe United States has destroyed the last of its declared chemical weapons stockpile, a milestone in the history of warfare dating back to World War I.
Air Force picks Colorado for more Space Force missions as politics loom over headquarters decision
Read full article: Air Force picks Colorado for more Space Force missions as politics loom over headquarters decisionThe Air Force has announced the permanent location for many more U.S. Space Force units — and none of them are in Huntsville, Alabama.
Pentagon releases pilot's close-up photo of Chinese balloon
Read full article: Pentagon releases pilot's close-up photo of Chinese balloonA U-2 pilot flying high above the Chinese spy balloon took a close-up photo of the large white orb just a day before the Air Force shot the balloon down off the coast of South Carolina.
US defense chief in Hawaii amid distrust after fuel spill
Read full article: US defense chief in Hawaii amid distrust after fuel spillU.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is visiting Hawaii this week amid lingering community frustration and distrust after jet fuel from a military storage facility last year spilled into Pearl Harbor’s drinking water.
Pentagon: Deadly Afghan airport attack was not preventable
Read full article: Pentagon: Deadly Afghan airport attack was not preventableThe military investigation into the deadly attack during the Afghanistan evacuation has concluded that a suicide bomber, carrying 20 pounds of explosives packed with ball bearings, acted alone, and that the deaths of more than 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. service members were not preventable.
Pentagon releases first video of botched Kabul airstrike
Read full article: Pentagon releases first video of botched Kabul airstrikeThe Pentagon has declassified and publicly released video footage of a U.S. drone strike in Kabul that killed 10 civilians in the final hours of a chaotic American withdrawal that ended a 20-year war in Afghanistan.
US airstrike targets Islamic State member in Afghanistan
Read full article: US airstrike targets Islamic State member in AfghanistanThe United States military struck back at the Islamic State in Afghanistan on Saturday, acting on President Joe Biden's vow to hit the extremists in retaliation for a suicide bombing claimed by IS that killed as many as 169 Afghans and 13 American service members at Kabul airport Thursday.
Pentagon: US troops must get their COVID-19 vaccines ASAP
Read full article: Pentagon: US troops must get their COVID-19 vaccines ASAPMilitary service members must immediately begin to get the COVID-19 vaccine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says in a memo Wednesday, ordering service leaders to “impose ambitious timelines for implementation.”.
US blacklists Xiaomi, CNOOC, Skyrizon, raising heat on China
Read full article: US blacklists Xiaomi, CNOOC, Skyrizon, raising heat on ChinaThe Department of Defense added nine companies to its list of Chinese companies with military links, including Xiaomi and state-owned plane manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (Comac). U.S. investors will have to divest their stakes in Chinese companies on the military list by November this year, according to an executive order signed by Trump last November. Xiaomi said in a statement that its products are for “civilian and commercial use" and said it is not owned, controlled or affiliated with the Chinese military. Xiaomi Corp. overtook Apple Inc. as the world’s No. “CNOOC acts as a bully for the People’s Liberation Army to intimidate China’s neighbors, and the Chinese military continues to benefit from government civil-military fusion policies for malign purposes,” Ross said.
Nearly 163K DoD members test positive for COVID-19 in 2020
Read full article: Nearly 163K DoD members test positive for COVID-19 in 2020U.S. Army service members from the 531st field hospital, deployed from Fort Campbell, Kentucky examine a patient x-ray results at the Javits New York Medical Station in support of the Department of Defense COVID-19 response, April 18, 2020. As 2020 comes to an end, the Pentagon is reporting nearly 163,000 positive COVID-19 cases within the Department of Defense since the pandemic began -- with most of those cases involving members of the military. The DOD is the largest agency in the federal government and is the nation’s largest employer with more than 1.3 million active-duty service members, 750,000 civilian personnel, and more than 811,000 National Guard and Reserve service members. As of Dec. 30, 2020, there were 162,764 cumulative cases of COVID-19 within DoD. Here is the breakdown:Military: 105,871 positive casesCivilian: 29,582 positive casesDependent: 16,984 positive casesContractor: 10,327 positive casesHere is the breakdown of COVID-19 cases by branch:Army: 37,736 positive casesMarine Corps: 12,763 positive casesNavy: 22,225 positive casesAir Force: 19,520 positive casesNational Guard: 12,897 positive casesDoD Agencies: 730 positive casesThe Pentagon reports a total of 2,318 hospitalizations due to COVID and most involve military members and civilians.
Biden transition team criticizes cooperation from Pentagon
Read full article: Biden transition team criticizes cooperation from PentagonFILE - This March 27, 2008 file photo shows the Pentagon in Washington. – President-elect Joe Biden's transition team expressed frustration Friday with the level of cooperation they're getting from political appointees at the Department of Defense, saying there has been “an abrupt halt in the already limited cooperation there." Yohannes Abraham, executive director of the transition, told reporters that Biden agency review teams at DOD learned Thursday of meetings “being pulled down" and immediately reported it. Abraham made it clear that Biden's transition team was not satisfied with that decision. “There have been many agencies and departments that have facilitated the exchange of info and meetings over the past few weeks,” Abraham said.
Biden transition team criticizes cooperation from Pentagon
Read full article: Biden transition team criticizes cooperation from PentagonFILE - This March 27, 2008 file photo shows the Pentagon in Washington. – President-elect Joe Biden's transition team expressed frustration Friday with the level of cooperation they're getting from political appointees at the Department of Defense, saying there has been “an abrupt halt in the already limited cooperation there." Yohannes Abraham, executive director of the transition, told reporters that Biden agency review teams at DOD learned Thursday of meetings “being pulled down" and immediately reported it. Abraham made it clear that Biden's transition team was not satisfied with that decision. “There have been many agencies and departments that have facilitated the exchange of info and meetings over the past few weeks,” Abraham said.
Movement for Black Lives seeks sweeping legislative changes
Read full article: Movement for Black Lives seeks sweeping legislative changes(AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)DETROIT – Proposed federal legislation that would radically transform the nation's criminal justice system through such changes as eliminating agencies like the Drug Enforcement Administration and the use of surveillance technology was unveiled Tuesday by the Movement for Black Lives. Dubbed the BREATHE Act, the legislation is the culmination of a project led by the policy table of the Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of more than 150 organizations. University of Michigan professor and criminal justice expert Heather Ann Thompson acknowledged the uphill battle, but noted that the legislation is being introduced at a highly opportune time. The polling found that the majority of Americans say the criminal justice system needs major changes, including many saying it needs a complete overhaul. “We are a generation that wants to make sure that the needs of all Black people are met,” Cullors said.
Watchdogs: Trump's Independence Day gala in 2019 cost $13M
Read full article: Watchdogs: Trump's Independence Day gala in 2019 cost $13MAll rights reserved)Government watchdogs say President Trumps Fourth of July gala in the nations capital last year cost taxpayers more than $13 million, twice as much as previous celebrations. Trumps desire to have Department of Defense military vehicles participate helped drive up the cost, according to the Government Accountability Office. Some other costs, such as for military flyovers of the National Mall, were not included in the estimate, the report said. Trumps military-focused Independence Day event went beyond the traditional concert and fireworks of years past. The GAO estimated that holiday celebrations from 2016 to 2018 cost from $6 million to $7 million annually.
Amazon may fight government cloud decision in court
Read full article: Amazon may fight government cloud decision in courtOne analyst said he "fully expects" Amazon to try to fight the decision in court. The contentious decision represents a major loss for Amazon and a boon to Microsoft, especially as both companies have seen the growth of their cloud businesses slow in recent months. The timing is especially painful for Amazon, which said it was surprised by the decision, calling itself the "clear leader in cloud computing." At the same time Amazon is funneling money into speeding up its shipping capabilities, growth at its cloud services division, Amazon Web Services, is slowing. In 2013, it received a breakthrough $600 million contract to provide cloud services to the CIA.
Supreme Court allows use of Pentagon money for border wall
Read full article: Supreme Court allows use of Pentagon money for border wallCopyright 2019 CNNThe Supreme Court cleared the way for the Trump administration to use $2.5 billion from the Department of Defense to construct parts of a wall along the southwestern border that the government argues is necessary to protect national security. The Supreme Court's order is a significant win for President Donald Trump, who is likely to use the construction of a wall as a major talking point on the campaign trail. This is a breaking story and will be updated. Distributed by LAKANA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Pentagon to look into past tick research
Read full article: Pentagon to look into past tick researchThe most common disease spread by ticks is Lyme disease, which can cause multiple symptoms including fever, muscle aches, joint pain, rash and facial paralysis. Each year, nearly 30,000 cases of Lyme Disease are reported to the CDC, which also says that more than 300,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year. In 2017, a total of 42,743 confirmed and probable cases of Lyme Disease were reported to the CDC, 17% more than in 2016, according to the agency. During the amendment's debate, Smith said Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases were "exploding" in the US and that "Americans have a right to know whether any of this is true." According to his website, Smith has also authored the TICK Act, which would create a holistic government strategy to fight Lyme disease and authorize $180 million to boost funding for research, prevention and treatment of the disease.
Bipartisan bill aims to stop child porn trafficking on DOD network
Read full article: Bipartisan bill aims to stop child porn trafficking on DOD networkAaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images(CNN) - A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a bill that would crack down on the use of the Department of Defense internet network for trafficking child pornography. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement identified over 5,000 individuals, several of whom are affiliated with the Defense Department, who subscribe to child pornography websites in an investigation called "Project Flicker." A subsequent inquiry by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service tagged hundreds of Defense Department affiliates as suspects in child pornography cases, according to a news release. Spanberger, a former federal agent who worked on child exploitation and child pornography cases, called the abuse and exploitation of children through pornography "horrific crimes." According to child pornography watchdog Internet Crimes Against Children Child Online Protective Services, the Defense Department network consistently ranks in the top tier of internet service providers for trafficking child pornography.