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☆ A Ukrainian soldier died on the battlefield in Bakhmut. His death has sparked a fierce dispute between some American veterans and a volunteer trainer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

While entering a house in Bakhmut, two Ukrainian soldiers were ambushed by Russian troops. While he was doing laundry, Wang said a dark-green SUV suddenly pulled up and he heard a Ukrainian soldier shout, "De medyky?" More muscle than the pork ribsWang, by his own admission, decided to take charge of rescuing the wounded Ukrainian soldier. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesIn the phone conversation with Insider, Wang defended his involvement in the death of the Ukrainian soldier. A wider tapestry of issuesThe SOLI instructors said the Bakhmut deaths were just one part of a wider tapestry of issues caused by Wang's inexperience and overzealousness.

☆ Western defense leaders meet amid dissent over tanks for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Russia is regrouping, recruiting and trying to re-equip,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned as the meeting opened. We need to dig even deeper,” Austin told the gathering of as many as 50 defense leaders who were attending in person and by video. The U.S. has also declined, at least so far, to provide M1 Abrams tanks, citing the extensive and complex maintenance and logistical challenges with the high-tech vehicle. The United Kingdom announced last week that it would send Challenger 2 tanks, describing it as a natural progression of military aid to Ukraine. At a Pentagon briefing Thursday, spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the Leopard and Challenger aren’t comparable to the Abrams tanks because the Abrams is much harder to maintain and wouldn’t be a good fit.

☆ Factbox: Ukraine's military supplies: What ground vehicles are Kyiv's allies sending?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

THE UNITED STATES:Bradley Fighting Vehicle: a tracked, armoured vehicle with a turret-mounted 25-mm gun that can carry up to seven soldiers in addition to three crew. M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer: a tracked, armoured vehicle with a 155 mm gun. Stryker armoured personnel carrier: a wheeled armoured vehicle that can be configured to handle anything from carrying infantry to medical evacuations. M1117 armoured security vehicle: a wheeled vehicle with a mine-resistant hull. SWEDENArcher Artillery System: a wheeled, self-propelled gun.

☆ The US is scrambling to find what experts say may be the 'most important' hardware Ukraine needs to hold off Russia in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukraine and Russia have relied heavily on artillery to batter each other's forces. The US has vowed to ramp its munitions production. The US is buying 100,000 155 mm shells from South Korea that will be sent to Ukraine. Years after post-Cold War defense cutbacks, Europe is striving to supply Ukraine despite limited stockpiles and production capability. Ukraine's shopping list includes 152 mm and 122 mm howitzers, 122 mm rockets, and ammunition for tank cannons.

☆ Chinook helicopters could cost Germany twice as much as planned, Business Insider reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BERLIN, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Germany's planned purchase of 60 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters manufactured by Boeing (BA.N) to replace its ageing CH-53 fleet could cost twice as much as planned, Business Insider reported on Thursday, citing several government and industry sources. Six billion euros ($6.47 billion) had been budgeted for the helicopters, but the U.S. Army has signalled to Germany that the desired equipment is cost-intensive as some components have not even been fully developed, the German news outlet said. Boeing is currently working on new rotor blades as part of the Chinook's Block II configuration but these developments had not been requested by Germany, the spokesperson said. On aerial refuelling, the person added that this had been a feature of Chinook helicopters for 35 years. Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz shifted policy in February after Russia invaded Ukraine, sharply increasing defence spending and committing 100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces.

☆ U.S. to send hundreds of armored vehicles, rockets to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it would send hundreds of armored vehicles plus rockets and artillery shells to Ukraine as part of a $2.5 billion military assistance package. The package includes 59 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, 90 Stryker Armored Personnel Carriers, 53 mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles and 350 high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles, the U.S. Defense Department said in a statement. The armored Bradley has a powerful gun and has been used by the U.S. Army to carry troops around battlefields since the mid-1980s. In total, the United States has committed more than $27.4 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February last year. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Diane Craft and Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The only HIV vaccine in a late-stage trial has failed, researchers announced Wednesday, dealing a significant blow to the effort to control the global HIV epidemic and adding to a decadeslong roster of failed attempts. “I don’t think that people should give up on the field of the HIV vaccine,” Fauci said. Fauci said that a critical limitation of the Mosaico vaccine was that it elicited what are known as non-neutralizing — as opposed to neutralizing — antibodies against HIV. As with the Thai trial, the hope is to channel research findings into future HIV vaccine development. To prove a vaccine works, researchers must recruit participants who remain at substantial risk of HIV over time.

☆ Pepper-sprayed Army officer awarded $3,685 in $1 million police brutality case
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

A federal jury in Virginia on Tuesday found mostly in favor of two police officers who were sued by a U.S. Army lieutenant after he was pepper sprayed, struck and handcuffed during a traffic stop. The jury also awarded Nazario $1,000 in punitive damages after Windsor police officer Daniel Crocker illegally searched Nazario’s SUV, the attorneys said. A federal judge already ruled last year that Crocker was liable for the search. The jury found in favor of Crocker and against Nazario’s claims of assault and battery and false imprisonment, the attorneys said. U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young had narrowed the scope of Nazario’s lawsuit.

☆ How China planted an FBI mole who was discovered only after gutting the CIA's vast spy network
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( James Bamford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

At the time, four years after the handover from Britain to China, much of Hong Kong remained a world of neon and noise. "Five years ago, everyone looked down on you if you spoke Mandarin," said a Beijing executive living in Hong Kong. As soon as the Hong Kong Arts Festival ended, the Hong Kong International Film Festival began. In February 2006, Alex Ma, China's mole in the FBI, sent David photos he received from his handlers of five suspected human sources. Born in Hong Kong like Alex, Lee grew up in Hawaii and became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

Berlin has veto power over any decision to export its Leopard tanks, fielded by NATO-allied armies across Europe and seen by defence experts as the most suitable for Ukraine. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stressed the condition about U.S. tanks several times in recent days behind closed doors, the German government source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. This week, Britain raised the pressure on Berlin by becoming the first Western country to send tanks, pledging a squadron of its Challengers. Poland and Finland have already said they will send Leopard tanks if Germany approves them. "The supplies of Western tanks must outpace another invasion of Russian tanks."

☆ Air Force, Marine Generals Seen as Top Picks for Joint Chiefs Job
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | Gordon Lubold | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Army Gen. Mark Milley found himself a target of critics on the right and the left during his time as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. WASHINGTON—President Biden is considering two service chiefs and the head of the U.S. cyber defense command to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in what will be the president’s biggest opportunity to date to shape U.S. military leadership. Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, the Air Force chief of staff, and Gen. David Berger, the Marine Corps commandant, are leading candidates to succeed Army Gen. Mark Milley as the Pentagon’s top officer when his four-year appointment ends Sept. 30. Army Gen. Paul Nakasone , who serves as both head of U.S. Cyber Command and the director of the National Security Agency, also is a contender, U.S. and defense officials said.

☆ California has been hammered with rain. It may not be enough to reverse its drought.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

California counts on a system of about 1,400 human-made surface reservoirs and thousands upon thousands of miles of levees to manage surface water. During the recent storms, extreme drought has buffered some impacts of intense rainfall with plenty of space in the state’s largest reservoirs, which have withered under drought. Before the series of atmospheric rivers, it was storing less than 1 million acre-feet of water. In the Central Valley, Californians extract about 2 million acre-feet more than what returns to the ground, on average, every year, Lund said. California legislators in 2014 passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which requires local agencies to reach groundwater sustainability by 2042.

☆ Factbox: Who is Russia's new war commander Gerasimov and why was he appointed?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Gerasimov's deputies will be Army General Sergei Surovikin, the previous theatre commander, appointed three months ago and nicknamed "General Armageddon"; Army General Oleg Salyukov; and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Colonel-General Alexei Kim. "Now the General Staff is directly and uncompromisingly responsible for absolutely everything," said Semyon Pegov, a Russian military blogger who uses the name Wargonzo. Gerasimov was appointed chief of the general staff and deputy defence minister by Putin on Nov. 9, 2012, three days after Putin's long-time ally Sergei Shoigu was made defence minister. Gerasimov played key roles in Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and in Russia's game-changing military support for President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian Civil War. Gerasimov was born on Sept. 8, 1955, in Kazan, rising through the ranks from Russia's tank forces to graduate in 1997 from the Military Academy of the General Staff.

REUTERS/Joshua RobertsWASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) - The United States and Japan on Wednesday announced stepped-up security cooperation in the face of shared worries about China, and Washington strongly endorsed a major military buildup Tokyo announced last month. At the briefing, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced plans to introduce a Marine Littoral Regiment in Japan, which would bring significant capabilities, including anti-ship missiles. A senior administration official told Reuters that Biden and Kishida are expected to discuss security issues and the global economy and that their talks are likely to include control of semiconductor exports to China after Washington announced strict curbs last year. The large U.S. presence has fueled local resentment, with Okinawa's government asking other parts of Japan to host some of the force. In total, there are about 54,000 U.S. troops in Japan.

WASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The United States will significantly increase its anti-ship missile capabilities in Japan as part of a broader effort to deter China, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday. The anti-ship missiles would arrive in Japan under a revamped Marine Corps regiment of 2,000 troops that will focus on advanced intelligence, surveillance and transportation, the officials said. Japan has watched with growing concern China's belligerence toward Taiwan as Beijing seeks to assert its sovereignty claims over the island. Japan hosts 18,000 U.S. Marines, the biggest concentration outside the United States. In total, there are about 54,000 U.S. troops in Japan.

The United States experienced 18 extreme weather events last year that each caused at least $1 billion in damages, according to a report released Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Weather and climate disasters across the country resulted in more than $165 billion in damages in 2022, making it the third-costliest year on record, NOAA officials said. Despite a slow start to last year's hurricane season, three storms resulted in at least $1 billion in damages: Hurricane Fiona, Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole. Hurricane Ian, which slammed into southwestern Florida in late September and caused widespread destruction, resulted in nearly $113 billion in damages, the report found. NOAA’s findings offer a glimpse of the major toll that extreme weather events are already having and the country’s vulnerability to climate disasters in the future.

The U.S. is planning to begin training Ukrainian troops on the Patriot air defense system at Fort Sill, Okla., later this month, according to three defense officials. The first group will consist of just under 100 Ukrainian service members with some experience in air defense systems. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Patriot systems, which use surface-to-air missiles to destroy cruise missiles and other fast-moving airborne targets, are outdated. Biden said, “We’re working on it.”Earlier this month, Germany said it would provide a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine. Russian and Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond to requests to comment on the news.

☆ Trial set for Black soldier suing police over violent stop
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

Since the traffic stop, Nazario has developed anxiety, depression and PTSD, according to his lawsuit. “In fact, shortly after the traffic stop, Mr. Nazario deployed to Washington, D.C. in support of the January 6, 2021 disturbance.”Nazario, a medical officer, said he arrived after the insurrection occurred, according to a deposition. Besides Nazario’s lawsuit, fallout from the traffic stop includes a lawsuit brought by the state attorney general that alleges Windsor discriminated against Black Americans. U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young also narrowed the scope of Nazario’s lawsuit. That episode happened during a 2019 traffic stop while Gutierrez served as a sheriff’s deputy in Isle of Wight County.

☆ U.S. announces over $3.75 billion in new military assistance to Ukraine, other countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The United States will provide more than $3.75 billion in military assistance to Ukraine and countries affected by the Russian invasion of its neighbor, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Friday. That authority allows the United States to transfer defense items like Humvees, trucks and munitions from stocks quickly without congressional approval in response to an emergency. RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, used for air defense, will also be sent to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has stressed the need for better air defenses to curb Russian missile strikes that have damaged the country's energy infrastructure during winter. The United States and Germany have also pledged to send Patriot missile systems to repel Russian missile and drone attacks.

☆ Factbox: What is the Bradley Fighting Vehicle?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday that it will send Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine to bolster Kiev's fight against Russia's invasion. What is a Bradley Fighting Vehicle? The Bradley is a tracked, medium-armored vehicle armed with a 25-mm gun. France has pledged a similar armored vehicle called the AMX-10 RC. Germany will send about 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine before the end of March.

☆ U.S. to unveil over $3 bln in Ukraine aid with new air defense missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - A new U.S. weapons aid package for Ukraine worth more than $3 billion is set to be announced later on Friday and will include Sea Sparrow missiles for air defense and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, according to a document seen by Reuters. The Sea Sparrow missiles will help curb Russian missile strikes on Ukraine, which are intended to exhaust Kyiv's air defenses and damage the country's energy infrastructure. The U.S. and Germany have also pledged to send Patriot missile systems to repel Russian missile and drone attacks. The RIM-7 Sea Sparrow will be an additional anti-air defense system for Ukraine. Politico reported on Thursday that the Sea Sparrow System would be used on the Buk launcher, a Soviet-era weapon that Ukraine currently uses.

WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A new U.S. weapons package for Ukraine will include about 50 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, two U.S. officials said on Thursday, with one of the officials saying the package will be worth roughly $2.8 billion. On Wednesday President Joe Biden said that sending Bradley Fighting Vehicles, a U.S. Army staple, to Ukraine was being considered to help fight Russia's invasion. The latest security package for Ukraine is expected to be unveiled on Friday, the officials said. As the war progressed and Ukraine's needs changed, more complex weapons systems, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), were shipped to Kiyv. Most recently, the United States pledged to send a Patriot missile system to repel Russian missile and drone attacks.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Latest news on Russia and the war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine is continuing to press its international partners to provide it with heavier tanks to fight Russia, having been offered more armored fighting vehicles by its allies this week. On Wednesday, France announced that it was giving Kyiv light tanks, AMX-10 RCs, as well as Bastion armored personnel carriers, while President Joe Biden hinted that the U.S. could provide Ukraine with Bradley Fighting Vehicles, a staple of the U.S. army — but both still fall short of the modern, heavy tanks that Ukraine has been seeking.

☆ Biden says Bradley Fighting Vehicles are on the table for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] U.S. Bradley fighting vehicles that will be deployed in Latvia for NATO's Operation Atlantic Resolve wait for an unload in Garkalne, Latvia February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins/File PhotoHEBRON, Kentucky, Jan 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday said that sending Bradley Fighting Vehicles to Ukraine was being considered to help the that country fight Russia's invasion. The United States has sent about $21.3 billion in security assistance to Kyiv as Europe's biggest land conflict since 1945 grinds on, killing tens of thousands. As the war progressed and Ukraine's needs changed, more complex weapons systems, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS)d, were shipped to Kiyv. Most recently, the United States pledged to send a Patriot missile system to repel Russian missile and drone attacks.

Here are four climate and environment lawsuits that are likely to make headlines in 2023. The oil companies in the nation's high court are hoping to upend a series of circuit court decisions saying the cases belong in state courts where they were filed. If the court takes the appeal and rules for the oil companies, then the cases would be moved to federal court, the preferred venue for the industry defendants. (Bellwether trials are chosen as test cases and are used to work through common legal and factual issues.) "I think it will be a huge year for this issue," Conroy said of 2023.

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