DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ U.S. and Britain Strike 18 Houthi Targets in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Helene Cooper | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Houthi militants have launched attack drones and cruise and ballistic missiles at vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The United States and Britain carried out another round of large-scale military strikes Saturday against multiple sites in Yemen controlled by Houthi militants, U.S. officials said. On Monday, Houthi militants fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a cargo ship, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The ship, called the Sea Champion, continued on to its destination at the port of Aden in Yemen, the statement added. The American-led retaliatory air and naval strikes against Houthi targets began last month.

Persons: ”, Houthi, Mason, Lloyd J, Austin III Organizations: Houthi, British, Defense Department, Associated Press, “, Yemeni Armed Forces, U.S ., U.S . Central Command, Central Command, Command, Iranian Locations: Aden, The United States, Britain, Yemen, Iran, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, “ U.S, U.S, Red Sea, Palau, Gaza, Israel, United States, Africa, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia

☆ Congressman presses Elon Musk to provide SpaceX satellite services for US defense forces in Taiwan, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( John L. Dorman | Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A Congressman is urging Elon Musk to give SpaceX Starshield access to US forces in Taiwan. AdvertisementElon Musk is facing pressure to provide SpaceX's Starshield satellite network to US defense personnel in Taiwan, according to Forbes. However, the outlet described a "group of US lawmakers" were involved in the calls for Musk to provide satellite access to US defense forces in Taiwan. The letter then called on Musk to brief the select panel regarding Starshield's capabilities in Taiwan by March 8, Forbes reported. The request could present challenges for Musk, who has considerable business ties in China, where Tesla has a significant manufacturing presence.

Persons: Elon Musk, Forbes, —, Elon, Mike Gallagher, Musk, Gallagher, Taiwan's, Lai Ching, Tesla, hasn't, Joseph Wu Organizations: SpaceX, Service, Forbes ., Forbes . Wisconsin GOP, US Defense Department, Forbes, Street, Chinese Communist Party, New York Times, United States Congress, Times, Business Locations: Taiwan, China, Forbes, Forbes . Wisconsin, Russian, Starshield, Hong Kong

☆ U.S. and British Warplanes Again Strike Houthi-Linked Targets in Yemen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Helene Cooper | Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States and Britain carried out another round of large-scale military strikes Saturday against multiple sites in Yemen controlled by Houthi militants, U.S. officials said. The strikes were intended to degrade the Iran-backed militants’ ability to attack ships in sea lanes that are critical for global trade, a campaign they have carried out for almost four months. American and British warplanes hit missile systems and launchers and other targets, the officials said. Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand provided support for the operation, according to a joint statement from the countries involved that was emailed to reporters by the Defense Department. The strikes, which the statement called “necessary and proportionate,” hit 18 targets across eight locations in Yemen associated with Houthi underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter.

Persons: ” Organizations: Houthi, British, Defense Department Locations: States, Britain, Yemen, Iran, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand

☆ Speaker Mike Johnson once again stuck in the middle as funding deadline looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Lauren Fox | Melanie Zanona | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“Now, we are in a fully Johnson-run House, and he’s got to own all the decision making in the 12 appropriations bills. Probably not best for public policy either,” Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said. Johnson is facing pressure from members of the House Freedom Caucus to include dozens of policy riders that would never pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Just a week later, funding for the rest of the government will also lapse. I think we will see another omnibus appropriation bill.”Asked if that causes a problem for Johnson, Bishop argued, “The speaker didn’t create those problems.”

Persons: Mike Johnson, Senate appropriators, Johnson, he’s, That’s, Patrick McHenry of, “, imploring, Alejandro Mayorkas’s, they’ll, can’t, Chuck Schumer, –, Kevin McCarthy, ” Rep, Don Bacon, “ It’s, Mayorkas, Warren Davidson, ’ ”, Davidson, Andy Biggs, “ We’ve, ” Biggs, Dan Bishop, ”, Bishop Organizations: Republicans, Senate, ” Republican, Financial Services, Caucus, Democratic, Homeland, FBI, HFC, Department of Agriculture, Veteran’s Affairs, Transportation, Housing, Energy, Water, CNN, Congress, ”, Republican, Defense Department, Foreign Intelligence, GOP, “ Locations: Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Florida, Nebraska, Ukraine, Ohio, North Carolina

☆ Turkey didn't get the F-35, but the new fifth-generation fighter jet it's been working on just made its first flight
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Turkey's first domestically made fighter jet successfully completed its maiden flight, and a new video captured the moment for the new fifth-generation aircraft. It's a major step forward for Turkey's efforts to acquire a fifth-generation fighter. The country was previously kicked out of the US-led F-35 program in 2019 as a consequence for purchasing S-400 air-defense systems from Russia. Turkey's aim is to field fifth-generation fighter jets that will eventually replace the country's F-16 fleet. Wednesday's flight heralds a promising step forward for Turkey, especially after it was expelled from the US-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

Persons: —, Turkey's, yerli, Temel Kotil, Recep Erdogan, Samuel King Jr, Fielding Organizations: Service, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Turkish Air Force, Eglin Air Force Base, US Air Force, senior Defense Department, Pentagon Locations: Russia, Turkey, Russian, NATO, Turkish

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. lawmakers are raising alarms about what they see as America’s failure to compete with China in biotechnology, warning of the risks to U.S. national security and commercial interests. Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate to bar “foreign adversary biotech companies of concern” from doing business with federally funded medical providers. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesCritics of the legislation warn that restrictions on Chinese companies would impede advances that could bring a greater good. “It’s not just a supply chain battle or a national security battle or an economic security battle; I would submit it’s a moral and ethical battle,” Gallagher said. He said any restrictive U.S. measures should be tailored to address military concerns and concerns about genomic data security.

Persons: walling, ”, Abigail Coplin, Rachel King, Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, “ It’s, ” Gallagher, “ we’re, Biden, Tom Bollyky, Bollyky, Ray Yip, Yip, “, Anna Puglisi, Puglisi, ” Puglisi, BGI, WuXi AppTec, Dake Kang Organizations: WASHINGTON, — U.S, Biotechnology, Bills, Embassy, Biden, Vassar College, Biotechnology Innovation Organization, National Security Commission, Emerging Biotechnology, U.S . Senate, Chinese Communist Party, Wisconsin Republican, “, Bloomberg, Council, Foreign Relations, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Georgetown University’s Center for Security, Emerging, The Defense Department, Commerce Department, Associated Press Locations: China, U.S, ”, South China, Wisconsin, Boston, United States, WuXi, Beijing

☆ Biden administration is leaning toward supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Courtney Kube | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

MUNICH — After months of requests from Ukrainian officials, the Biden administration is working toward providing Ukraine with powerful new long-range ballistic missiles, according to two U.S. officials. It's to hit deep into the occupied territories, bypassing Russian radio electronic warfare and interceptors," he said, referring to long-range ATACMS. "If you want to hit behind the lines, disrupt their logistics and supplies, destroy their depots of ammunition, you can do it only with long-range missiles," he said. The Biden administration has resisted sending the long-range missiles over the past two years because officials worried Ukraine would use them to strike inside Crimea or Russia and cause Russian President Vladimir Putin to escalate the conflict. "Every advance Russia makes in Ukraine brings Russian weapons closer to the home of a middle-class European."

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Dmytro Kuleba, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Kuleba, It's, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Army Tactical Missile Systems, Republican, GOP, Trump Republicans, Senate, Republicans, Democrats, Senate . Defense, NBC News, Defense Department, U.S, Pentagon Locations: Ukrainian, Kreminna, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, MUNICH, U.S, Russian, Crimean, Israel, Taiwan, Munich, Crimea, Russia, White, Europe, Avdiivka

☆ The Houthis have deployed underwater drones in the Red Sea, Defense Department says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Kenneth Niemeyer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Houthi fighters have deployed underwater drones in the Red Sea, the Defense Department said. Underwater drones are an "extremely lethal" threat to the US Navy, an admiral told the AP. The US launched five "self-defense" strikes on Houthi positions on Saturday, the DoD said. AdvertisementThe US Defense Department said American forces in the Red Sea for the first time spotted and struck an underwater drone deployed by Houthi fighters on Saturday. CENTCOM, the central command for the US Department of Defense, said the United States launched "self-defense" strikes on Saturday against "three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV), and one unmanned surface vessel (USV)" in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and the Red Sea.

Persons: — Organizations: Defense Department, US Navy, AP, US, DoD, Service, US Defense Department, Houthi, US Department of Defense, Business Locations: Red, United States, Houthi, Yemen

☆ US Plans to Send Weapons to Israel Even as Biden Pushes for Ceasefire, WSJ Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - The Biden administration is preparing to send bombs and other weapons to Israel that would add to its military arsenal even as the U.S. pushes for a ceasefire in Gaza, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing current and former U.S. officials. War in Israel and Gaza View All 209 ImagesThe U.S. State Department and Defense Department, Israel Defense Forces and Israel Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the report. As of December 2023, the Biden administration had skipped congressional review of weapons sale to Israel twice. The Biden administration has faced criticism for continuing to supply arms to Israel as allegations pile up that American-made weapons have been used in strikes that have killed or injured civilians. Israel's air and ground offensive has since devastated much of Gaza, killing 28,775 people, also mostly civilians according to Palestinian health authorities, and forcing nearly all of its more than 2 million inhabitants from their homes.

Persons: Biden, Gursimran Kaur, Kanjyik Ghosh, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Reuters, Wall Street, Attack Munitions, U.S, . State Department and Defense Department, Israel Defense Forces, Israel Defense Ministry Locations: Israel, U.S, Gaza, Iran, Bengaluru

☆ Exclusive: Russia attempting to develop nuclear space weapon to destroy satellites with massive energy wave, sources familiar with intel say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Jim Sciutto | Kristin Fisher | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The weapon is still under development and is not yet in orbit, Biden administration officials have emphasized publicly. But Russia has recently made progress in its efforts to develop a nuclear EMP — a related but far more alarming technology. This would almost certainly be “a last-ditch weapon” for Russia, the US official and other sources said — because it would do the same damage to whatever Russian satellites were also in the area. According to those sources, the intelligence community is now scrambling to figure out how to preserve its access. Russia has withdrawn from several arms control treaties in recent years, leaving the post-Cold War arms control architecture all but gutted.

Persons: Mike Turner of, Joe Biden, Turner, Biden, ”, John Kirby, “, ” Kirby Organizations: CNN, Republican, House Intelligence, The Defense Department, National Security, National Intelligence, Defense Department, National Security Council, Pentagon, Capitol, Biden Locations: Russia, –, Mike Turner of Ohio, Washington, Russian, Earth, America, Ukraine, Moscow

These are among the reasons why there was alarm this week over reports that Russia may be pursuing nuclear weapons in space. So much of the country's infrastructure is now dependent on U.S. satellite communications — and those satellites have become increasingly vulnerable. Photos You Should See View All 33 ImagesTHE PAST: STARFISH PRIME AND PROJECT KBoth Russia and the U.S. have detonated nuclear warheads in space. The U.S. and the Soviet Union signed a nuclear test ban treaty a year later, in 1963, which prohibited further testing of nuclear weapons in space. The creation of the Space Force elevated spending on satellite systems and defenses.

Persons: Stephen Schwartz, Ariel, Hans Kristensen, ” Kristensen, John Kirby, John Ferrari, DeAnna Burt, Pat Ryder, Ferrari, ” Ferrari Organizations: WASHINGTON, Aviation, Russia, U.S, of Atomic Scientists, Starfish Prime, of Defense, Radio, Federation of American Scientists, Soviet Union, House, American Enterprise Institute, U.S . Space Force, NRO, National Reconnaissance Office, Pentagon, Space Force, Defense Department Locations: Russia, China, U.S, Hawaii, British, Ukraine

☆ Xi Jinping's high-rank purges show a 'systemic rot' in China's military that could threaten its readiness for war: senior US official
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

China's latest military purge shows that it's suffering from more than just graft, a senior US official said. It's likely the PLA's corruption had a material effect on its war capabilities, said Ely Ratner. But, according to Ratner, Xi's latest military purge indicated a more serious problem. Xi's anti-corruption sweep last year extended as high as China's defense minister, Li Shangfu, who was replaced in October. Several top commanders were also fired from China's Rocket Force, a branch that Xi has emphasized as key to Beijing's strength.

Persons: It's, Ely Ratner, Ratner, —, Ryan Evans, Xi Jinping, ", Xi's, Li Shangfu, Xi, hotpot Organizations: Service, Pacific Security Affairs, People's Liberation Army, Communist Party, China's, Force, Bloomberg, PLA, Radio Free, Defense, China Task Force, International Institute for Strategic Studies Locations: Beijing, China, Switzerland

☆ More than 400 personnel take part in Ukraine aid oversight, US watchdog says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —More than 400 personnel take part in the oversight of Ukraine aid, according to a new report from a US government watchdog, underscoring the massive effort to manage billions of dollars in US assistance. In total, the report said there are more than 400 personnel working across the US, Germany, Ukraine and Europe to audit and evaluate US assistance to Ukraine. The report comes as some Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, have demanded more oversight over Ukraine aid before they agree to any additional funding. The State Department watchdog has more than 100 staff members working on Ukraine oversight, three of whom are in Kyiv. The USAID watchdog has another 80 personnel working on Ukraine.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, Volodymyr Zelensky, Biden, – Organizations: CNN, Defense Department, State Department, United States Agency for International, Representatives, Ukrainian, Operation Atlantic, NATO, The Defense Department Office, The State Department, USAID, Ukraine – Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Ukrainian, Germany, Russia, Crimea, Kyiv, Romania, North Korea, Iran

☆ Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is released from hospital and resumes duties
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Zoë Richards | Mosheh Gains | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin takes questions during a press conference at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 1, 2024. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from the hospital Tuesday after he was admitted to a critical care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center this week following hospitalization for a bladder issue. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from the hospital Tuesday after he was admitted to a critical care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center this week following hospitalization for a bladder issue. The Defense Department said in a news release that Austin was released from the hospital in Washington in consultation with medical staff members at about 3:30 p.m. Austin had transferred his duties to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Sunday, the day he was hospitalized.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Austin, Sabrina Singh, John Maddox, Walter Reed's, Gregory Chesnut, Kathleen Hicks, Hicks Organizations: US, Pentagon, Washington , D.C, Walter Reed National Military Medical, The Defense Department, NATO, Ukraine Defense Contact, Joint Chiefs, Staff, White, American, Armed Locations: Washington ,, Washington, Brussels, Ukraine

BANGKOK (AP) — A Nasdaq-listed Chinese technology company that makes parts for self-driving vehicles is threatening to sue the U.S. government after it was included in a list of companies the Pentagon says have links to the Chinese military. It was among 17 companies the U.S. Department of Defense recently added to its list of companies it considers “Chinese military companies.”The revised list also includes Megvii, a Beijing-based artificial intelligence company and IDG Capital, a major private equity investment company with holdings in many Chinese technology companies, and major Chinese energy, telecoms and aviation companies. In a statement issued last week, the company said its LiDARs were not designed to conform to military specifications. Under Biden, the U.S. has further limited China’s access to advanced U.S. technology, limited U.S. investments in strategically sensitive Chinese industries and expanded sanctions on leading Chinese companies like Huawei Technologies. The Defense Department periodically updates its list of now nearly four dozen Chinese military companies to counter links between Chinese military and companies and other entities that it says appear to be civilian.

Persons: Yifan “ David ” Li, Li, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, Biden, China’s Organizations: Pentagon, U.S . Department of Defense, IDG Capital, U.S . Department of Commerce, Beijing, Huawei Technologies, The Defense Department, Xiaomi Corp, Apple Inc, U.S ., China’s People’s Liberation Army Locations: BANGKOK, Beijing, U.S

The palace's disclosure that King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer shattered that longstanding tradition. “The King has cancer,” the Times of London declared in a terse banner headline Tuesday. But in beaming a sliver of light from inside the palace walls and his own life, Charles has broken with his mother and royal tradition. HOW MUCH DOES THE BRITISH PUBLIC HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW? Charles' news was received with great sympathy in a country in which 3 million people live with cancer, according to Macmillan Cancer Support, a London-based charity.

Persons: King Charles III, Charles, “, Queen Elizabeth II, ”, wasn’t, Charles ’, King George VI, he's, Sally Bedell Smith, “ Charles, Simon Lewis, King, Julie Sharp, Charles “, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, Konstantin Chernenko, It’s, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, they’re, Defense Lloyd Austin —, —, William, Kate, Wales, Danica Kirka, Laurie Kellman Organizations: —, BBC Radio, Cancer Research, Soviet, Defense, Defense Department, Black, Royals, Republican, National Center for Social Research, Macmillan Cancer, National Health Service, Associated Locations: London, Soviet Union, United States, Wales, British

☆ Opinion | This Immigration Bill Was Never Going to Fix the Border
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Sunday, lawmakers in Washington released the first major bipartisan bill to reform immigration policy in a decade. The nation already spends more money on border policing than at any other point in its history. In the last two decades, Customs and Border Protection’s budget has almost tripled and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s budget has doubled. Today, the Department of Homeland Security pays for over 19,000 Border Patrol agents, a similar number of ICE officers and expensive contracts with private companies that quickly sift through enormous amounts of data. The bill, which President Biden supports, would set aside nearly $4 billion for Customs and Border Protection, the Homeland Security division that includes Border Patrol, to prepare for a “migration surge” by hiring new staff members, reimbursing the Defense Department for its help and paying for Border Patrol agents’ overtime.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Biden Organizations: Border, Customs, Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol, Homeland Security, Defense Department Locations: Washington, United States

☆ Bankrupt trucker Yellow repays $700 million Covid loan, as unsecured creditors press for billions more
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Trucks and trailers sit in a Yellow Corp. facility lot, closed after the freight trucking company ceased all operations, in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 31, 2023. The bankrupt trucking company Yellow has fully repaid a controversial $700 million Covid loan to the U.S. Treasury Department, plus more than $151 million in interest, the company said Monday. Meanwhile, unsecured creditors in the bankruptcy case, including employee pension funds, are seeking billions of dollars in payouts from what remains of the company. By mid-2023, as it headed toward bankruptcy, Yellow had made only one payment on the loan: $230, in July 2021. In a statement Monday announcing the loan repayment, Yellow's chief restructuring officer Matthew Doheny said, "repayment demonstrates Yellow's absolute commitment to fulfilling its promise to the American taxpayers that its CARES Act loan would be repaid in full with interest."

Persons: Matthew Doheny, Doheny, Yellow's, Donald, Trump, Steven, Mnuchin Organizations: Corp, U.S . Treasury Department, Treasury Department, Trump, Defense Department, Treasury Locations: Las Vegas , Nevada, Delaware

☆ Fox News Suddenly Wants Celebrities Out of Politics. Well, One Celebrity.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( James Poniewozik | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And now she’s living rent-free in Fox News hosts’ heads. was rigging the Super Bowl for the Chiefs; and that it was all an unholy plot to supercharge an eventual Biden endorsement. The Fox host Jesse Watters even flirted with the speculation, floating the idea that Swift’s success was a psyop masterminded by the Defense Department. Of course, people are entitled to their opinions on celebrity political speech or the possible existence of a secret Pentagon diva lab. But if Fox News’s hosts truly believe that it’s irresponsible and dangerous to invite celebrities to weigh in on politics, they might want to turn their attention to … Fox News.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, Biden, Don’t, ” Jeanine Pirro, Charly Arnolt, “, ” Sean Hannity, ”, MAGA, Swift, Jesse Watters, “ Paul, Fox, … Organizations: Kansas City Chiefs, Fox News, Biden, Bowl, Chiefs, Fox, Defense Department, … Fox News

☆ U.S. and Britain strike Yemen's Houthis in a new wave, retaliating for attacks by Iran-backed militants
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Yemen's Houthi followers take part in a tribal parade held against the United States-led aerial attacks launched on sites in Yemen, and solidarity with Palestinians, on January 22, 2024, near Sana'a, Yemen. The Defense Department said the strikes targeted sites associated with the Houthis' deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defense systems and radars. Saturday's strikes marked the third time the U.S. and Britain had conducted a large joint operation to strike Houthi weapon launchers, radar sites and drones. Iran has tried to distance itself from the drone strike, saying the militias act independently of its direction. Mosawi said the targeted sites in Iraq were mainly "devoid of fighters and military personnel at the time of the attack."

Persons: Yemen's, Dwight D, Lloyd Austin, Eisenhower, Carney, Hope, Bab, Jordan, Hussein, Mosawi, Rami Abdurrahman, Bassim, Awadi Organizations: Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Eisenhower, USS Carney, Associated Press, Defense Department, U.S, Human Rights, Islamic, Iraq, Israel Locations: United States, Yemen, Sana'a, Britain, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, U.S, Gulf of Aden, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand, Washington, Tehran, Sanaa, SABA, al, Gulf, Aden, Africa, Suez, Mandeb, Iranian, Baghdad, Gaza, Iraqi

The Bidens will attend a “dignified transfer” as the remains of the troops killed in the overnight assault Sunday return to U.S. soil. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join the Bidens for the transfer in Dover, where such events take place when U.S. servicemembers are killed in action. Friday will be the second dignified transfer Biden attends as president. In August 2021, he took part in the ritual for the 13 servicemembers killed during the suicide bombing in Kabul. As vice president, Biden in 2016 attended a dignified transfer for two U.S. soldiers killed in a suicide blast at Bagram Airfield.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, servicemembers, Lloyd Austin, William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Waycross, Breonna Moffett, Moffett, ” Biden, Biden, Rivers, Sanders, Jerome, Tara Copp Organizations: Dover Air Force Base, U.S, Defense, Sunday, Navy, Capitol, Army, Army Reserves, Army Reserve, Defense Department, Pentagon, Hezbollah, White, Press Locations: WILMINGTON, Del, Jordan, U.S, Dover, Georgia, William Jerome Rivers of Carrollton, Sgt, Savannah, Sanders, Iran, Israel, Yemen, Moffett, Rivers, Fort Moore, New Jersey, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kabul, airport’s, Syria

☆ China's defense budget was reported as 3 times smaller than America's, but 2 analysts say the Pentagon is underselling Beijing's true military strength
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewBeijing's military spending and threat are likely far higher than portrayed by the Pentagon, which recently reported figures that indicate China's defense budget was nearly four times smaller than America's, two US analysts said on Monday. Peters and Beaver wrote that the Pentagon's assessment failed to account for China's military research spending. "Confusingly, the report does not attempt to account for either of these significant considerations in its treatment of China's defense budget topline," Peters and Beaver wrote. China's reported GDP for 2023 was around $17.8 trillion. "We should avoid overreacting to what seems to be this more accurate data of China's military push," Stavridis wrote.

Persons: —, Robert Peters, Wilson Beaver, Peters, Beaver, Sen, Dan Sullivan, James Stavridis, Stavridis Organizations: Service, Pentagon, Business, Allison Center for National Security, Heritage Foundation, The Defense Department, Beaver, Beijing's, National Atlantic Treaty Organization, Bloomberg, China's Locations: China, Beijing, Taiwan, United States, Alaska

☆ Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin apologizes for his handling of cancer diagnosis and hospitalization
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Ryan Anastasio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a press conference at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on February 1, 2024. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin publicly apologized Thursday for not telling President Joe Biden and the public about his prostate cancer diagnosis and his subsequent hospitalization. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. The Pentagon took three days to inform the White House that Austin had been hospitalized after complications arose from surgery to treat his prostate cancer. Austin said Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks assumed his duties on Jan. 2, after he was transferred to the critical care unit for several days.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Defense Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Austin, I've, Biden, Kathleen H, Hicks Organizations: US, Pentagon, Defense, American, Walter Reed Military Medical Center, Defense Department Locations: Washington ,

☆ Widening Mideast Crisis Militia Blamed for Attack on U.S. Forces Says It Will Halt Military Activity
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

His comment raised fears in Iraq about a possibly retaliatory U.S. attack on its territory. The militia, Kata’ib Hezbollah, or Brigades of the Party of God, is the largest and most established of the Iran-linked groups operating in Iraq. (Kata’ib Hezbollah is separate from the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.) The other two Iraqi groups that are believed to have been involved in strikes U.S. targets — Harakat al Nujaba and Sayyid Shuhada — have not announced they will halt attacks. Kata’ib Hezbollah and other groups had ignored the Iraqi government’s request to stand down, but once the attack in Jordan on Sunday took American lives, Mr. Sudani demanded a complete halt from Kata’ib Hezbollah.

Persons: Biden, Israel, —, Nujaba, Sayyid Shuhada —, Kata’ib, Abu Hussein al, “, Pat Ryder, ”, Mohammed Shia, Sudani, Hisham al, Sudani’s, Nuri al, Qais, Hadi, Esmail Qaani, Falih Hassan, Farnaz, Eric Schmitt Organizations: Pentagon, Hezbollah, Party of, Iraqi Army, Kurdish Syrian Defense, Islamic, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Defense Department, U.S, Sunday, Revolutionary Guards, Maliki, Quds Force Locations: Iran, Iraq, U.S, Jordan, Syria, Gaza, The U.S, Islamic State, Lebanon, Yemen, Islamic Republic of Iran, United States, Iraqi, Baghdad, New York, Washington ,

☆ Donald Trump will not win a war against the Swifties
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

If former President Donald Trump and his campaign choose to attack Taylor Swift, he'll have to defeat a far scarier and more dangerous force than Joe Biden's reelection campaign: her scorned fans. A Morning Consult survey from March 2023 estimated that 53% of US adults consider themselves Swift fans, an astoundingly large support base. While the general perception is that Swift fans are overwhelmingly Democrats or left-leaning, liberals are estimated to be around 55% of her fan base, meaning there are more than 100 million Republican Swifties that the former president risks alienating. If just a small fraction of Swift's Republican fans defect over such attacks, it could legitimately help Biden secure a second term in the White House. If Trump and his circle go ahead with their "holy war" against the pop star, they should be prepared for the worst.

Persons: Donald Trump, Taylor Swift, Joe Biden's, vilifying, Rolling Stone, MAGA, Swift, sullying, Biden, they're, Trump Organizations: Defense, Trump, Rolling, Business, Biden, Democratic

Search resuls for: "Defense Department"

25 mentions found