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☆ 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 Russia has withdrawn from several arms control treaties in recent years, leaving the post-Cold War arms control architecture all but gutted.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

☆ 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

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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

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 U.S. Blames Iran-Backed Militia for Deaths of 3 Soldiers in Jordan
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Eric Schmitt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

The attack happened at a remote logistics outpost in northeast Jordan called Tower 22 where the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan converge. The Pentagon declined to identify the service members who died or their units pending notification of family members. Central Command said it expected the number of injured to “fluctuate” as additional service members sought treatment. It was the latest in at least 164 strikes by Iran-backed militias against U.S. troops in Syria, Iraq and Jordan since the Oct. 7 attacks. It turned out to be a dud, but several service members would most likely have been injured or killed had it exploded, a senior military official said.

Persons: Biden, —, Mr, “, ”, Lloyd J, Austin III, ” Mr, Austin, Yemen —, Gen, Charles Q, Brown Jr, General Brown, Al, Charles Lister, Jordan, Al Tanf, Syria’s, Roger Wicker of Organizations: U.S, Hamas, ”, Pentagon, Command, Central Command, Resistance, Hezbollah, Joint Chiefs of Staff, ABC, Navy, Sunday, Army, Air Force, United, Operations, Middle East Institute, American, Troops, The Defense Department, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base, Congressional Republicans, Republican, Armed Services Committee Locations: Jordan, Iran, Syria, Iraq, U.S, Israel, Columbia, United States, Lebanese, Yemen, Aden, Gaza, Erbil, Red, Al Tanf, Islamic State, Azraq, Washington, Jordanian, Baghdad, Damascus, Tehran, Lebanon, Al, Al Asad Air, Roger Wicker of Mississippi

CNN —The three US soldiers killed in the drone attack on a US military outpost in Jordan were identified Monday as Sgt. US Army Reserve Command, APSingh said more than 40 were injured in the attack, a number that could possibly continue to increase. The enemy drone also flew low, which may have allowed it to evade the base’s air defenses, officials said. A US official told CNN that there have been six attacks since Friday, including Sunday’s drone attack and a multi-rocket attack on Patrol Base Shaddadi in Syria on Monday morning. The consensus is that an Iran-backed militia group is behind the deadly drone attack, though the US is still working to determine which group specifically is responsible.

Persons: William Rivers, Kennedy Sanders, Breonna Moffett, Sabrina Singh, William Jerome Rivers, Kennedy Ladon Sanders, Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, AP Singh, Singh, Syria —, John Kirby, CNN’s Phil Mattingly, White, “, ” Kirby, weren’t, ” Singh, ”, Jens Stoltenberg, Lloyd Austin, ” Austin Organizations: CNN, Defense Department, 718th Engineer Company, US Army Reserve, Pentagon, US Army Reserve Command, Spc, Breonna, AP, Baghdad Diplomatic Support, Regional Medical Center, US, Patrol Base Shaddadi, National Security, Kataib Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guard, Hezbollah, NATO Locations: Jordan, Carrollton , Georgia, Waycross , Georgia, Savannah , Georgia, Fort Moore , Georgia, Baghdad, Landstuhl, American, East, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon

☆ Biden considers halting some US military aid to force Israel to scale back its offensive in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Biden is considering curtailing some weapons support for Israel, NBC reported. Biden wants to use the weapons as leverage to force Israel to scale back its attack. Biden has repeatedly asked Netanyahu to show restraint and dial back attacks on Gaza, and to open humanitarian corridors so that aid can reach Palestinians. Biden has also asked Netanyahu to plan for a two-state solution after the conflict. AdvertisementSo to finally force Netnayahu's hand, the Biden administration is now quietly considering holding back support, NBC News reported.

Persons: Biden, Israel's Netanyahu, —, Joe Biden's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Israel Organizations: Israel, NBC, Service, NBC News, Defense Department Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States

☆ Drone Strike Kills 3 U.S. Soldiers in Jordan, White House Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Vivek Shankar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The attack happened at a small outpost in northeast Jordan called Tower 22 near the Syria border where the troops were based. Other details were not immediately available from the Pentagon’s Central Command, which issued an initial bare-bones statement on Sunday. In 2016, the American military turned Al Tanf into a small base. The Rukban refugee camp, with some 8,000 residents, is near both Al Tanf and Tower 22. Troops at Al Tanf have come under fire before from Iran-backed militias.

Persons: Biden, —, Mr, Al, Al Tanf, Syria’s, Alissa J, Rubin Organizations: U.S, Pentagon’s, Command, Resistance, Hezbollah, United, Operations, Pentagon, Navy, Sunday, American, Troops, The Defense Department, Al Asad, Al Asad Air Base Locations: Jordan, Iran, Gaza, Syria, Israel, Iraq, ”, Iranian, Lebanese, Yemen, Aden, United States, Azraq, Al Tanf, Islamic State, Red, U.S, Baghdad, Damascus, Tehran, Lebanon, Al, Al Asad Air

☆ Defense secretary expected to return to Pentagon Monday after nearly a month away
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to return to the Pentagon Monday after nearly a month away and host NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, according to a defense official. Doctors at the hospital released a statement saying he is recovering well and is expected to make a full recovery. Republicans have been highly critical of how the Pentagon handled Austin’s illness and the House Armed Services Committee has called on the defense secretary to testify next month about the failure to notify key government leaders. From the hospital, Austin authorized the first round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and spoke daily with senior Pentagon officials. Asked if Austin would take questions from the media upon his return to the Pentagon, press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder demurred.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Jens Stoltenberg, Austin, ”, Joe Biden, Biden, Jeff Zients, Zients, Austin’s, Kelly Magsamen, Pat Ryder demurred, Ryder, Betsy Klein Organizations: CNN —, Pentagon, NATO, Walter Reed National Military Medical, Walter Reed Medical, Republicans, House Armed, White, The Associated Press, CNN, White House, Defense Department, Ukraine Defense Contact Locations: New, Yemen, Ukraine

☆ Opinion: The actual hidden truth about UFOs
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —A former Pentagon official — driven, he says, by his duty to the truth — goes public with an explosive allegation. Facing a scrum of TV cameras and members of Congress, this official claims that the US government has been keeping crashed alien spaceships under wraps for decades. Crashed alien spacecraft and dead extraterrestrials, right there in the Congressional Record. Because, for decades, UFO true believers have been telling us there’s a US government conspiracy to hide evidence of aliens. But — if you believe Kirkpatrick — the more mundane truth is that these stories are being pumped up by a group of UFO true believers in and around government.

Persons: Peter Bergen, ”, Erik German, “, CNN —, David Grusch, he’d, Grusch, must’ve, Sean Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick, Tom Williams, ” Kirkpatrick, Naval Intelligence Scott Bray, Kevin Dietsch, It’s, you’ve, Harry Reid, Robert Bigelow, ’ ”, Sen, Chip Somodevilla, Reid, Bigelow, ” Reid, “ I’m, who’d Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, Pentagon, Air Force, SPAN, US Department of Defense, Defense, National Security, Foreign Affairs, Naval Intelligence, Intelligence, Capitol, Roswell Army Air Field, Army, Newspapers, Roswell, US Air Force, NASA Voyager, Walker, Roswell AAF, Reuters, Nevada Democrat, Bigelow Aerospace, US Defense Intelligence Agency, New York Times Locations: New America, Roswell, New Mexico, Florida, Nevada, Washington ,

☆ Increased US military presence in the Middle East has cost $1.6 billion — a bill it can't pay right now, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US has expanded its military presence in the Middle East since Hamas' terror attacks in October. AdvertisementThe US military presence in the Middle East since Hamas' terror attacks on October 7, 2023, has cost the Pentagon $1.6 billion, Politico reported , citing two US officials. AdvertisementHowever, the Defense Department can't pay the $1.6 billion bill right now without extra funding from Congress, the sources told the outlet. Since Hamas' terror attacks on Israel, the US has sent munitions as well as aircraft carriers and destroyers to the region. These include the USS Gerald R. Ford, the USS Normandy, the USS Thomas Hudner, the USS Ramage, the US Navy destroyer USS Carney, and the USS Roosevelt.

Persons: —, Joe Biden's, Gerald R, Ford, Thomas Hudner, Ramage, Carney, Roosevelt Organizations: Politico, Service, Pentagon, US Navy, Defense, Republicans, Ukraine Locations: Yemen, Red, Israel, Mexico, Ukraine, Normandy

☆ Pentagon says it created more hoops to jump through on AI weapons to calm fears it was 'building killer robots in the basement'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The update was partially to assure people that DoD wasn't "building killer robots in the basement," a senior official said. The US and some of its adversaries are making rapid progress on AI weapons, with lots of controversy in the mix. Last year, DoD updated its directive on autonomy in weapons systems, which was originally published back in 2012. AdvertisementThe move reflects the US' growing interest and progress in developing AI weapons systems. Other nations, however, had hoped to use the UN as a platform to propose restrictions and limit how autonomous weapons operate.

Persons: —, Kathleen Kicks, Dominic Garcia, William Pugh, Michael C, Horowitz, isn't, Henry M, Jackson, Devin M, Langer, Tiffany Price, Khalil Hashmi, Hicks Organizations: Defense Department, DoD, Service, Pentagon, of Defense, Air Force, Barksdale Air Force Base, Defense for Force Development, Center for Strategic, International Studies, AI, Technologies, Strategic, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Tyndall Air Force Base, United Nations, New York Times, UN, The Times Locations: China, La, Ukraine, Fla, United, Russia, Australia, Israel, Pakistan

☆ Pentagon Names Two SEALs Lost in Raid in Arabian Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Dave Philipps | More About Dave Philipps | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Defense Department identified on Monday the two Navy SEALs who were lost at sea and died this month during a nighttime commando raid on a small ship carrying weapons components bound for Yemen. Active-duty and veteran SEALs said it appeared that the men might have sunk quickly before they could be rescued, and that the circumstances of their deaths raised questions about the planning and conduct of the raid. Special Operator First Class Christopher J. Chambers, 37, and Special Operator Second Class Nathan Gage Ingram, 27, were lost on Jan. 11 when SEALs in two stealthy combat speedboats, shadowed by helicopters and drones, boarded a dhow, a type of small wooden cargo ship, in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Somalia. Both SEALs were quickly lost in the waves.

Persons: Christopher J, Chambers, Nathan Gage Ingram Organizations: Defense Department, Navy Locations: Yemen, Somalia

Lawmakers have conveyed as much directly to the White House, a US official told CNN. Biden met with House and Senate lawmakers at the White House on Wednesday to outline what is at stake for Ukraine. House Speaker Mike Johnson makes a statement alongside Reps. Mike Turner, Mike Rogers and Mike McCaul on January 17, outside the White House. Privately, some US and Western officials say there could be as many as five more years of fighting. In the near term, Ukraine may be able to hang on, albeit in a stalemate, without US support, a Western intelligence source said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Jake Sullivan, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Mike Johnson, I’ve, ‘, ’ ” Johnson, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, ”, ” Biden, Mike Turner, Mike Rogers, Mike McCaul, Samuel Corum, Donald Trump, Trump, Mike Quigley, CNN Max, “ He’s, Putin, outlast, “, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Michael McCaul, ” Said, Kostiantyn, don’t, Volodymyr Zelensky, Gitanas Nauseda, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ints Kalnins, ” Zelenskyy, ” Trump, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, frontloading Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, White, Pentagon, Defense, National Intelligence, White House, NATO, Republicans, Getty, Kyiv, ” Democratic, Administration, Trump, Republican, Biden, Ukrainian National Guard, Army Tactical Missile Systems, Reuters, Russian Central Bank Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, Kyiv, Europe, Ukrainian, Kreminna, Donetsk Oblast, Moscow, Iran, North Korea, Crimea, Sevastopol, Melitopol, Vilnius, Lithuania, New York City, West

☆ Senators Seek Answers From Pentagon on Troops’ Blast Exposure
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Dave Philipps | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A bipartisan group of senators is demanding to know what steps the military is taking to protect troops from brain injuries caused by the blasts from firing their own weapons. The senators — Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts; Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa; and Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina — made the demand in a detailed letter sent on Thursday to Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III. It was incited by recent research by the Defense Department and reporting by The New York Times showing that repeated blast exposure from weapons like artillery and rocket launchers can cause lasting and profound brain damage, but that the military often fails to protect troops, or even recognize the risks, from the blasts. “Our service members have been suffering the health consequences of blast overexposure for far too long, and they’re still not seeing real action to limit and track these risks,” Ms. Warren said in a statement.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Joni Ernst, Thom Tillis, North Carolina —, Lloyd J, Austin III, they’re, Ms, Warren Organizations: Republican, Defense Department, The New York Times Locations: Massachusetts, Iowa, North Carolina

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