News
Hegseth tells lawmakers of plan to detain immigrants at 2 US bases
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says bases in Indiana and New Jersey can house detained immigrants without affecting military readiness — a step toward potentially detaining thousands of people on bases on U.S. soil.
Air Force will buy more KC-46s, skip competition
After years of uncertainty about the Air Force’s tanker plans, the service has decided to buy more KC-46s instead of launching a new competition for its next tanker buy.
National security elites accept Trump is creating a new world order
Six months into President Donald Trump’s second administration, national security elites at the annual Aspen Security Forum have accepted that this president has irrevocably upended the global order.
Another Hegseth aide exits as Pentagon churn continues
Another senior aide to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is leaving the Pentagon, officials said Saturday, marking at least the sixth departure of a top adviser in Hegseth’s first six months in office.
House advances $832 billion military budget plan for next fiscal year
House lawmakers advanced their $832 billion defense appropriations plan for fiscal 2026 early Friday morning despite strong objections from Democrats over missing budgetary details and social issue fights.
Air Force
White House taps Global Strike head as next Air Force vice chief
The White House has nominated Gen. Thomas Bussiere, head of Air Force Global Strike Command, to be the service’s next vice chief of staff.
USAF F-35s fly from Philippines for first time during Cope Thunder exercise
U.S. Air Force F-35s recently operated from the Philippines for the first time ever as part of the latest edition of the Cope Thunder exercise.
Space Force
New Space Force training headquarters on Space Coast gets new commander
The Space Force presence on the Space Coast is beginning to swell as one of its major units, STARCOM, had its first change-of-command ceremony since its headquarters moved from Colorado to Florida.
Space Force accepts delivery of GPS control system after years of delays
The U.S. Space Force has accepted delivery of the initial version of its long-delayed Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX), marking a key milestone for a GPS infrastructure upgrade that has become emblematic of Pentagon software development challenges.
Defense
No time to waste: NATO chief urges rapid industrial mobilization
As the U.S. and its allies in Europe pledge to ramp up defense spending amid mounting global threats, the supreme allied commander of Europe is calling on industry to deliver real capabilities to the field in record time.
Tariff anxiety grips defense elites at Aspen conference
The U.S. and its NATO allies have pledged to up their defense spending — by a lot. But a number of companies set to benefit from such contracts are instead fretting that President Donald Trump’s tariffs will erode global stability, and their profits.
Veterans
VA’s #2 leader downplays political strife between Congress, department
Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence thinks that department leaders have a solid relationship with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, despite what you’ve heard.
New homeless shelter for sober veterans to open in Portland this fall
A new 24-hour shelter for sober homeless veterans will open this fall in the old Kenton Hotel on North Interstate Avenue, according to a joint announcement Friday from homeless services nonprofit Do Good Multnomah and Multnomah County.
VA leaders push back deadline for caregiver program changes to 2028
Veterans Affairs officials on Friday announced plans to extend caregiver benefits to legacy participants of department support programs through September 2028, pushing back the potential cutoff of benefits by almost two years.
Hundreds from across US to compete in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games
Amid a sea of participants wearing rainbow, spotted cow and Paul Bunyan shirts, the 44th annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games kicked off Thursday in downtown Minneapolis.
D-Day veteran and TikTok star ‘Papa Jake’ Larson dies at 102
D-Day veteran “Papa Jake” Larson, who survived German gunfire on Normandy’s bluffs in 1944 and then garnered 1.2 million followers on TikTok late in life by sharing stories to commemorate World War II and his fallen comrades, has died at 102.
Two Nebraska veterans receive medals for service during World War II
Thank you. That was the message from Alex Straatman, city councilman for Kearney, Nebraska, when he presented two World War II veterans with a medal and a certificate at the assisted living facility Brookestone Gardens on Thursday afternoon.
Polina Gelman: Fearless ‘Night Witch’ who haunted Nazi troops
They said she was too short to fly. It was 1938, and Polina Gelman, a teenager with her heart set on the skies, was trying to join a Soviet flying club. But in the cockpit of a plane, at a height of under 5 feet, she could barely reach the foot pedals with her toes and only peek above the control panel.
