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☆ Lawmakers Spar Over Marijuana, Energy Permits in Defense-Bill Talks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Katy Stech Ferek | Lindsay Wise | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Congress has passed the huge defense-policy legislation more than 60 years in a row, and it is one of the few bipartisan bills likely to be approved before the end of the year. WASHINGTON—Negotiations over a defense-policy bill bogged down Tuesday as Congressional leaders wrangled over provisions unrelated to the military, including proposals to overhaul energy permitting and enable banks to do business with marijuana companies. The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, is an annual must-pass bill that approves pay raises to U.S. military service members and Defense Department workers, and budgets for the purchase of new aircraft, ships and vehicles for combat.

☆ U.S. lawmakers ease proposed curbs on Chinese chips amid corporate pushback
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Alexandra Alper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Chips made by SMIC are commissioned by companies all over the world and can be found in products as diverse as cell phones and cars. They are difficult to identify because chips are not typically labeled with the names of the companies that manufacture them. Lawmakers are expected to announce final language for the final package later this week, which may include the revised measure. SMIC, YMTC and CXMT, the Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Chamber of Commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment. SMIC was blacklisted by the Trump administration over concerns the company aids the Chinese military.

☆ Lawmakers Agree to Rescind Military’s Covid-19 Mandate in Defense Deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Katy Stech Ferek | Lindsay Wise | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The possibility that the Pentagon’s vaccine mandate could be repealed was acknowledged by Biden administration officials. WASHINGTON—House and Senate negotiators agreed to rescind the requirement that members of the military be vaccinated against Covid-19, a measure that was added to secure Republican support for the annual defense-policy bill that authorizes spending for new weapons and pay increases for troops. The compromise National Defense Authorization Act announced Tuesday would increase America’s total national security budget for fiscal year 2023 to $857.9 billion. That is $45 billion more in military spending than President Biden had requested, and a big increase from the $778 billion total national security budget passed by Congress last year.

☆ The effort to ban members of Congress from trading stocks is mostly dead — at least for now
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Time has largely run out in this Congress to ban lawmakers from trading stocks. On Monday, he told Insider in a statement that he would "keep pushing to get this debated on the floor and get it passed." Democratic senators formed a working group, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's blessing, to draft legislation to ban stock trading among lawmakers. In the Senate, Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told Insider that it was "not yet" time to declare the effort dead, pointing to ongoing discussions. "I support a stock ban for members of Congress," he told reporters in September.

☆ Watch CNBC's interview with Palantir CEO Alex Karp
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's interview with Palantir CEO Alex KarpCNBC's Morgan Brennan speaks exclusively with Palantir CEO Alex Karp from the 2022 Reagan National Defense Forum.

☆ Watch CNBC's interview with Gen. Paul Nakasone
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWatch CNBC's interview with Gen. Paul NakasoneCNBC's Morgan Brennan speaks exclusively with Gen. Paul Nakasone, NSA & U.S. Cyber Command Director, from the 2022 Reagan National Defense Forum.

☆ Congress could soon end the military's vaccine mandate under pressure from Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julie-Tsirkin-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julie Tsirkin | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — Congress could soon end the military's Covid-19 vaccine mandate. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday the administration is aware that Congress is considering repealing the mandate, noting that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin opposes such a move. Austin instituted the vaccine mandate, which applies to all service members on active duty or in the Ready Reserve, including the National Guard, in August 2021. Republicans have been highly critical of the mandate and the repeal legislation has long been in the works by Republicans on both the House and Senate Armed Services Committee. The bill is unrelated to a separate pressure campaign by some Republican senators, who last week said they would drag out passage of the NDAA unless the vaccine mandate was repealed.

☆ Meta threatens to remove news content over US journalism bargaining bill
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN Business —Facebook owner Meta threatened to remove news content from its platforms on Monday following reports that US lawmakers have added controversial legislation favoring news media to the annual defense authorization bill. The warning highlights the danger that Meta perceives to its business model in the face of the proposed bill, known as the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA). CNN has not independently confirmed the change to the defense bill. Among those that signed the letter were the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, The Wikimedia Foundation and Public Knowledge. Digital Content Next, a trade association representing digital media companies, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Russia is tearing through its munitions stockpiles faster than it can refill them, top US intel chief says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia is rapidly expending its stockpiles of munitions, the top US intelligence official said. In dealing with limited precision munitions, Russia has turned to Iran and North Korea for support. Avril Haines, the director of national intelligence, told the Reagan National Defense Forum on Saturday that Russia is burning through its munitions stockpiles "quite quickly," though she did not elaborate on any precise figures. "And of course, we've indicated that their precision munitions are running out much faster. These kamikaze drones, as they have been called, are cheaper than precision munitions, making them a suitable though less destructive supplement as Russia's stockpiles run low.

The White House said earlier in the week that China had not asked the United States for vaccines. One U.S. official told Reuters there was "no expectation at present" that China would approve western vaccines. "It seems fairly far-fetched that China would greenlight Western vaccines at this point. Amid a record year for missile tests, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last week his country intends to have the world's most powerful nuclear force. He said China had considerable leverage to press North Korea over its weapons tests, but that he was not optimistic about Beijing "doing anything helpful to stabilize the region."

☆ The death of an American soldier fighting in Ukraine exposes chaos and dysfunction in the foreign legion
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

The widow, alongside other soldiers, told Insider about mismanagement and dysfunction in the legion. A Foreign Legion fighter looks on at wreckage in Ukraine following a Russian attack. "When we were told to go out again, in my mind I knew someone was going to die," AJ told Insider. "How everything was handled, especially after his death, was scandalous," Lipka told Insider. Mavericks told Insider he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and still mourns the deaths of his comrades.

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration is mulling a proposal from Republican leader Kevin McCarthy to repeal the U.S. military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the White House said on Saturday. But the White House said Biden had agreed only to consider the idea. "Leader McCarthy raised this with the president and the president told him he would consider it," said White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton. McCarthy presented the vaccine mandate deal as a sign of how he would lead the House as speaker. He also rebutted conservative criticism over his attendance at a White House state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron.

☆ U.S. defense secretary accuses Russia of 'deliberate cruelty' in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday accused Russia of "deliberate cruelty" in its war in Ukraine, saying Moscow was intentionally targeting civilians. "With deliberate cruelty, Russia is putting civilians and civilian targets in its gunsights," Austin told the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. "Russian attacks have left children dead, schools shattered, and hospitals smashed," he said. Reporting by Phil Stewart and Eric BeechOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence expects the reduced tempo in fighting in Ukraine to continue in the next several months and sees no evidence of a reduced Ukrainian will to resist, despite attacks on its power grid and other critical winter infrastructure, the Director of National Intelligence said on Saturday. She said Russia was also looking to affect Ukraine's capacity to prosecute conflict and added that Kyiv's economy had been suffering very badly. Haines said she thought Russian President Vladimir Putin had been surprised that his military had not accomplished more. "I do think he is becoming more informed of the challenges that the military faces in Russia. Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Michael Martina and Eric Beech; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Americans Are Losing Trust in the Military
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The current era is marked by fading trust in U.S. institutions, but confidence in one pillar has held up: the military. But now even that is eroding, and the question is whether the brass will get the message. The Reagan Institute releases an annual survey of public attitudes on national defense, and this year only 48% reported having “a great deal of confidence” in the U.S. military in results first detailed here. That’s down from 70% in 2018, and within the margin error of last year’s 45%.

☆ Americans Support U.S. Backing Ukraine, Despite Risk of Wider War, Survey Finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Overall, 57% of survey respondents said the U.S. must continue supporting Ukraine with weapons and financial support. WASHINGTON—Americans fear Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could lead to instability in Europe and even spur China to make a similar assault on Taiwan, but they still support the U.S. providing Kyiv weapons and financial support, according to a national defense survey. In addition, the survey found that Americans have less trust in their military leadership, in part because they feel it is becoming too politicized.

☆ GOP senators threaten to delay major military bill over Covid vaccine mandate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julie-Tsirkin-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Julie Tsirkin | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON — Several Republicans are warning they will drag out Senate consideration of a massive military policy bill unless they get a vote on ending a Covid vaccination mandate for service members. The senators’ threat could delay final passage of the annual bill, which Congress has consistently passed, but it would not prevent the Senate from eventually voting on the legislation. It is insane.”The other GOP senators calling for a vaccination vote are Rick Scott of Florida, Mike Lee of Utah and Mike Braun of Indiana. The Biden administration has had a mixed record on Covid vaccination mandates in court. The proposal put forth by the seven GOP senators is unlikely to get a vote without the support of Senate Republican leaders.

A Texas woman who helped mutilate and conceal the body of Fort Hood soldier Vanessa Guillén pleaded guilty to federal charges Tuesday, prosecutors said. Cecily Aguilar, 24, helped the man who killed Guillén dispose of her body and lied to investigators, the U.S. attorney’s office for Western Texas said in a statement. Aguilar pleaded guilty Tuesday to a count of accessory to murder after the fact and three counts of false statement or representation, the U.S. attorney’s office said. If she is convicted, Aguilar faces up to 30 years in prison, but a judge will consider federal sentencing guidelines, the U.S. attorney's office said. Guillén's family said they were taken aback by Aguilar's decision to plead guilty.

☆ U.S. Senate eyes tightened restrictions on Chinese semiconductors
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Patricia Zengerle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The Democratic leader of the U.S. Senate urged lawmakers on Monday to back his proposal to bar the U.S. government from doing business with companies that use semiconductors made by producers the Pentagon considers Chinese military contractors. "We need our government and our economy to rely on chips made right here in America." The proposal from Schumer and Cornyn would broaden an existing ban on government use of Chinese chips. "We need to stay tough on the Chinese government and its actions," Schumer said. Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, additional reporting by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Bill BerkrotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Reuters is the first to report on the use of the deconfliction line, beyond regular testing. SEVERAL WAYS TO COMMUNICATEThe deconfliction line is just one of several ways the U.S. and Russia militaries still have to communicate. Other military channels include rare high-level talks between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union maintained such hot lines at different levels. Vershbow drew a comparison to the far more active deconfliction line for Syria, where U.S. and Russian military forces sometimes operate in the same airspace or terrain.

☆ Kim Jong Un's daughter makes her second public appearance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter made a public appearance again, this time with missile scientists and more honorific titles as her father’s “most beloved” or “precious” child. Others showed Kim’s daughter clapping her hands, exchanging handshakes with a soldier or talking to her father as people cheered in the background. “Kim Ju Ae is expected to appear occasionally at Kim Jong Un’s public events and take a succession training.”Revealing the young Ju Ae came as a huge surprise to foreign experts, as Kim Jong Un and his father Kim Jong Il were both first mentioned in state media dispatches after they became adults. Cheong, however, said Kim Jong Il had Kim Jong Un in mind as his heir when his son was 8 years old. Cheong cited his conversations with Kim Jong Un’s aunt and her husband, who defected to the United States.

☆ China and the TikTok threat: How the White House cybersecurity team is thinking about it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Ian Thomas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The Biden White House hasn't made any determination yet on a TikTok ban, Kemba Walden, Principal Deputy National Cyber Director, said at the CNBC Technology Executive Council Summit on Tuesday. With national defense the focus, she said the White House is looking at strategic investments to identify how to make domestic systems more resilient and counter information operations. Walden said she is concerned not only as a White House official but as a parent. The Office of the National Cyber Director was established by the Biden administration in 2021, with Chris Inglis being named the first National Cyber Director. Walden said increasing cybersecurity education is just one of the ways the White House is aiming to "get in front of the adversary."

☆ Five countries, other than China, most dependent on the South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Sean M. Holt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Territorially, there are seven claimants to the South China Sea: China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Analysts name the top five countries, other than China, that are most dependent on the South China Sea. Aerial view of fishing boats setting sail to South China Sea for fishing on August 16, 2022 in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province of China. "Although they claim more than half of the South China Sea, China has pushed claimant states such as Vietnam out of traditional fishing waters and more into the South China Sea, causing excessive overfishing." South KoreaSouth Korea is "intentionally quiet about the South China Sea" as it wants to "maintain favor with China," Graham said, citing Seoul's primary focus on the North Korean issue.

☆ The notable legal clouds that continue to hang over Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Dan Berman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

CNN —All eyes are on former President Donald Trump, whose third White House bid has already become mired in controversy. The Justice Department investigation continues into whether documents from the Trump White House were illegally mishandled when they were brought to Mar-a-Lago in Florida after he left office. Any unauthorized retention or destruction of White House documents could violate a criminal law that prohibits the removal or destruction of official government records, legal experts told CNN. During the panel’s hearings this summer, fingers were pointed at GOP lawmakers and Trump allies who tried to help overturn the election and Trump White House officials who failed to stop the former president’s actions. Recently, DOJ moved to compel additional testimony from former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin.

WASHINGTON — With the 2022 election over, Congress will return to work Monday with a packed to-do list for the final weeks of the year. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, is expected to get a vote in the lame duck session. A package of revisions to the bill easily cleared the Senate Rules and Administration Committee on a 14-1 vote in September. Same-sex marriage billThe House has passed a bipartisan bill to codify federal recognition of same-sex marriage. The Senate punted it to the lame duck session, with the leader of the effort, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., saying the chamber needed more time to secure 60 votes.

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