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☆ 6 surprising things about US military boot camps
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

New recruits aspiring to join the military all have to go through boot camps. Here are some surprising facts about the different branches' boot camps. Navy recruits, for example, endure a 10-week-long program, while Marine Corps recruits face 13 weeks of grueling basic training. Insider has gone inside basic training at different boot camps as part of its "Boot Camp" video series exploring what life is like for recruits. Insider Correspondant Graham Flanagan shared the most surprising things we didn't expect to find at boot camp:

☆ Nearly 2,000 Christmas Eve flights canceled and more than 10,000 delayed in US as brutal winter storms take toll on several states
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Thousands of flight delays and cancellations sweep the US on Saturday, FlightAware reports. The NWS predicts "potentially life-threatening" weather conditions across the US. As a result, nearly 2,000 flights were canceled and 3,000 were delayed in the US as of Saturday morning, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. Passengers waited at airports for hours in the hopes of boarding a flight during extreme weather conditions. On Friday, the US experienced nearly 6,000 flight cancellations and over 11,000 delays due to the winter storms with Seattle, Chicago, Denver, and New York City claiming the most cancellations, FlightAware data shows.

☆ Vladimir Putin refuses to use the internet because he's afraid people will spy on him, the Wall Street Journal reported
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin won't use the internet because he's afraid of spying. The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Putin has become reliant on physical documents. Russian state media reported in 2020 that Putin does not use a smartphone. Citing US and Russian officials, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that the Russian leader has long refused to be online, fearing digital surveillance. Russian state media previously reported in 2020 that although Putin did use the internet occasionally, the Russian leader did not use a smartphone.

☆ Russia's infamous Wagner Group is throwing prisoners who 'have nothing to lose' on the frontlines, Ukrainian advisor says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's Wagner Group is sending prisoners who "have nothing to lose" to the frontlines, according to Politico. The prisoners have been shoved to the forefront of the fighting in the war-torn Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. The Wagner Group — which has close ties to the Kremlin — has fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. Moscow's reliance on the Wagner Group in Ukraine is indicative of the serious manpower issues facing the Russian military. The Russian military is also running low on munitions, which Western officials have said will make it difficult to successfully conduct ground operations.

☆ 5 of Russia's biggest blunders throughout Putin's war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia's military has little to show for itself after 10 months of fighting in Ukraine. US and Western officials have widely denounced Putin's campaign as a "failure." Here are some of Moscow's biggest blunders and mistakes throughout the war. In recent months, Ukrainian forces have liberated thousands of square miles of territory — including the only regional capital that Russian forces managed to capture. From Russia's botched invasion to Putin's miscalculation of the Western response, here are some of the biggest mistakes Moscow has made during its unprovoked war in Ukraine.

☆ Vintage photos show what Kyiv looked like before Russia's assault on Ukraine's glittering capital
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Ukraine remained a Soviet state until it gained its independence in 1991, and established diplomatic relations with the US. But the country remained on the frontlines of a struggle between pro-European Western values, and those of Russia to the east. Ukrainians brandish flags and celebrate the independence of Ukraine in front of the Communist Party's central committee headquarters on August, 25, 1991, in Kyiv. ANATOLY SAPRONENKOV/AFP via Getty ImagesSource: State Department

☆ Zelenskyy visited the frontline to see Ukrainian troops in one of his riskiest trips since the war began
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to the frontline Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on Tuesday. Russian forces have spent months attacking the city, and fighting has recently intensified. Zelenskyy spent the risky trip presenting several Ukrainian soldiers with medals. Zelenskyy posted photographs to his Telegram on Tuesday showing him shaking hands with Ukrainian soldiers and awarding them medals in Bakhmut. For months, Russian forces have been trying to capture Bakhmut, a city with a pre-war population of over 70,000 people in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.

☆ Jan. 6 committee reveals Trump seems to have ordered White House photographers to stop taking pictures of him once the Capitol riot began
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

In it, they said Trump appeared to have told White House photographers to stop taking pictures. The ban on photographs began after Trump seemingly found out that the deadly riots were unfolding. When Trump asked why the speech was cut, the staffer reiterated that there were riots at the Capitol. Trump asked, according to the report. The 18-month investigation into the Capitol riots is expected to conclude later this week when a final report detailing all the findings is published.

☆ Elon Musk was spotted with a sanctioned, pro-Putin Russian TV presenter at the World Cup final in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk was photographed at the World Cup final with a sanctioned Russian TV presenter. "Argentina beat France on penalties in the World Cup final. In addition to Asker-Zade, Musk was also photographed at the game on Sunday with Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Donald Trump, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Jared Kushner and Elon Musk look on during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. Dan Mullan/Getty ImagesTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) chats with Elon Musk (R), Founder of Tesla and SpaceX at Lusail Stadium.

☆ Fortnite's creator will pay a record FTC fine over allegations it vacuumed up private data about kids playing the hit video game
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Epic Games, which created hit video game Fortnite, was hit with a record-breaking $520 million fine to the FTC. The FTC alleged that the company violated a decades-old act protecting children's privacy. The agency also accused Epic of tricking young Fortnite users into buying in-game currency. Meanwhile, in a separate complaint, the FTC alleged that Epic Games tricked Fortnite users into making unwanted purchases by using "illegal dark patterns." The FTC settlement comes shortly after a Canadian Supreme Court judge authorized a lawsuit earlier this month against Epic Games.

☆ NFL roundup: Patriots fumble away game to Raiders on last play
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Carr completed 20 of 38 passes for 231 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Bengals 34, Buccaneers 23Joe Burrow threw four touchdown passes to help Cincinnati overcome a 17-point deficit and upend host Tampa Bay for its sixth straight win. Chicago regained possession trailing 17-13 with 8:25 to play after Jake Elliott's 38-yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright. Saints 21, Falcons 18Andy Dalton threw two touchdown passes and Taysom Hill threw another one as host New Orleans defeated Atlanta. Dalton completed 11 of 17 passes for 151 yards and connected with Juwan Johnson for touchdowns of 19 and 22 yards.

☆ An elite Russian military brigade was basically 'wiped out,' taking so many losses in Ukraine that it will 'take years to rebuild,' report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An elite Russian brigade suffered so many losses in Ukraine that it will take years to rebuild. The 200th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade is one of many high-profile units that saw heavy depletion. But despite these advantages, the 200th suffered greatly in the months of combat that would follow. "Nothing of that brigade is left," Col. Pavlo Fedosenko, the commander of Ukraine's 92nd Mechanized Brigade, told The Post in a recent interview. That figure echoes a similar estimate from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, the highest-ranking US general, who said last month that over 100,000 Russian soldiers had been "killed and wounded."

☆ Photos show the hundreds of shipping containers stacked to form a haphazard 'border wall' between Arizona and Mexico that sparked a federal feud
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Doug Ducey's makeshift border wall has sparked a federal feud. The miles-long wall consists of empty shipping containers lined up along the southern border of the US. The wall of containers runs through federal land and conservation areas and is expected to cost nearly $100 million. Federal officials with the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Reclamation demanded in October that Ducey stop building the impromptu wall. Meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, the government sued Ducey and the state on Wednesday for placing the wall on federal land.

☆ NCAA picks GOP Gov. Charlie Baker to be its new president, saying it wants someone who can create 'bipartisan solutions'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Charlie Baker will serve as the next NCAA president. The organization announced Baker — a moderate Republican — will start in March 2023. Baker, the state's popular governor, decided not to seek a third term in office. The moderate Republican has been selected as the next NCAA president, the organization announced on Thursday. The organization credited Baker with "bringing bipartisan leadership to the state, successfully guiding Massachusetts through an exceptionally turbulent period for government officials.

☆ A Patriot missile battery from the US could create new headaches for Russia in Ukraine and throw a wrench into its terror campaign
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine is reportedly slated to receive a US-made Patriot missile defense battery. The US is poised to send Ukraine a Patriot missile defense battery that is already stationed overseas. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defense Project, it is the primary air and missile defense system that the US has in its arsenal. Patriot missile defense system at Schwesing military airport in Germany on March 17, 2022. A NATO Patriot air defense missile system stands at Slovakia's Sliac air base on April 27, 2022.

☆ Suspect accused of attacking Paul Pelosi said he also was targeting Tom Hanks and Hunter Biden, police alleged in court
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The suspect accused of attacking Paul Pelosi had other targets, police testified Monday. The suspect planned to target Tom Hanks, California Gov. The suspect is accused of breaking into Nancy Pelosi's home and beating her husband with a hammer. Among the targets were Hollywood icon Tom Hanks, President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, and California Gov. Paul Pelosi has since been released from the hospital.

☆ ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ rekindles the wonder in a way that demands to be seen
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —“Avatar” took a very basic story and adorned it with eye-popping spectacle, in a way that made the film a must-see commodity, and a record-breaking hit in the process. Thirteen years later, braving much different theatrical tides, director James Cameron has done it again with “Avatar: The Way of Water,” a state-of-the-art exercise that rekindles that sense of wonder and demands to be seen by anyone with lingering interest in watching movies in theaters. The children, in particular, must grapple with the personalities and pettiness associated with becoming the new kids on the reef. Ultimately, though, “The Way of Water” melts away any skepticism that it might be too late or too long in its return to Pandora. “Avatar: The Way of Water” premieres December 16 in US theaters.

☆ A B-2 stealth bomber's emergency landing sparked a fire and damaged the plane, but the crew walked away unharmed
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A B-2 stealth bomber was damaged after making an emergency landing at a Missouri base on Saturday. "There was a fire associated with the aircraft after landing, and the base fire department extinguished the fire," the official added, noting that "there were no personnel injuries." Officials did not immediately release any additional information about the extent of the damage to the bomber, nor did they comment on what specifically caused both the emergency landing and the ensuing fire. On September 14, 2021 the left main landing gear collapsed on a B-2 bomber while it was landing, causing it to skid off the runway and rack up an estimated repair cost of over $10 million. The latest crash comes almost two weeks after the Air Force publicly unveiled its first new stealth bomber in decades, the B-21 Raider, at a facility in Palmdale, California earlier in this month.

☆ The federal judge who appointed Trump's special master just threw out his lawsuit against the FBI's raid of Mar-a-Lago
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Jake Epstein | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A federal judge officially dismissed the special master reviewing documents seized at Mar-a-Lago. Judge Aileen Cannon wrote in a Monday one-page order that she was dismissing the case because of a "lack of jurisdiction." A three-judge federal appeals court on December 2 wrote a scathing decision overturning Cannon's initial decision to side with Trump and grant him a special master to review documents taken in the FBI's search. During a search of Mar-a-Lago on August 8, the FBI seized boxes of materials, some highly classified, according to court records. Trump has without evidence accused the FBI of planting materials at his home, and the special master, Senior Judge Raymond Dearie, said Trump's team must provide evidence to support their claims.

☆ US military atomic cleanup crews were sent out in the wake of American nuclear testing, and many paid a heavy price, veterans say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Over a period of more than a decade, the US military conducted dozens of nuclear tests in the Pacific. Years later, soldiers were sent to the Marshall Islands to try and clean up the fallout from the testing. Nuclear tests like Castle Bravo produced a substantial amount of nuclear fallout that negatively affected the people of the Marshall Islands, according to the Brookings Institution think tank. Impact of radiation contaminationNuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands had "devastating effects" on the country's environment that "remain unresolved," according to a 2019 report by the Republic of the Marshall Islands' National Nuclear Commission. However, he, like thousands of others, are excluded from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which only covers veterans present for atmospheric nuclear tests.

☆ Russia and Iran exploring joint production of lethal drones, says US
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia and Iran are exploring the joint production of lethal drones, NBC News reported. Russia launched fresh attacks on Ukraine on Saturday using Iranian-made drones, per reports. The Wall Street Journal reported that Russia launched new attacks on Ukraine on Saturday morning using Iranian-made drones. Russia attacks Ukraine with drones ReutersThe UK's ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, said on Friday that Iran had transferred hundreds of drones to Russia since August, per The Guardian. On Tuesday, an unnamed Western official said that Moscow appeared to be running out of Iranian-made drones, but ABC News reported that it anticipated a "resupply."

☆ Russia wants 'hundreds' of ballistic missiles from Iran and is offering 'unprecedented' military support in return, UK envoy says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia wants more weapons from Iran, including "hundreds" of ballistic missiles. A top UK envoy said Friday that Russia is offering Iran "unprecedented" military support in return. In return, Russia is offering Iran an unprecedented level of military and technical support," Barbara Woodward, the UK's permanent representative to the United Nations, told reporters after a Security Council meeting. Woodward did not elaborate or specify on what, exactly, the military and technical support — or advanced components — might look like. Earlier this week, however, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a Facebook post that it shot down 14 Shahed-136 drones.

☆ UK, Japan, and Italy are joining forces to build a new next-generation fighter jet that can fight with artificial intelligence
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Britain, Japan, and Italy are working to build a next-generation fighter jet together. The fighter jet will have cutting-edge weapons and advanced capabilities, such as the ability to work with uncrewed aircraft. Britain's defense ministry said in a release that it hopes to develop the fighter jet with various advanced capabilities such as cutting-edge weapons, innovative data systems, and advanced sensors. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the aircraft's development, and partnership with Japan and Italy, highlights that "the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions are indivisible." In a joint statement with Japan's defense ministry on Thursday, the US Department of Defense said it supports Tokyo's security cooperation with London and Rome.

☆ Pentagon fears Viktor Bout, the so-called 'Merchant of Death' the US swapped for Brittney Griner, could restart his old arms business
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was released from US custody on Thursday. He gained notoriety during the 1990s for fueling deadly conflicts in various African countries. The Pentagon is concerned that with his release, he could return to his old business. Now, US officials worry the arms dealer could return to fueling deadly conflicts around the world. Bout fueled widespread death & destruction by arming UN-sanctioned regimes & groups in the #DRC, #Liberia, #SierraLeone, & beyond."

☆ An Iranian patrol vessel tried to blind the bridges of US Navy ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, US military says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An Iranian vessel tried to blind the bridges of US Navy ships on Monday, CENTCOM said. Two US Navy ships were conducting a routine crossing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrol boat crossed within 150 yards of the ships at night. "The Iranian vessel attempted to blind the bridge by shining a spotlight and crossed within 150 yards of the US ships — dangerously close, particularly at night," CENTCOM said, adding that the US Navy ships were conducting a routine crossing in international waters. In late November, the US Navy said an Iranian-made suicide drone was used in an attack on a commercial tanker while it was sailing in the Northern Arabian Sea.

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