News
House passes first funding package to avert a partial government shutdown
The bill now heads to the Senate ahead of a Friday night deadline to avoid a shutdown. But Congress will face yet another funding lapse in just two weeks.
Bill that could ban TikTok in the US gains momentum in Congress
Nearly a year after TikTok’s CEO was grilled on Capitol Hill, House Republicans and Democrats are joining together on legislation that would force its parent company, China-based ByteDance, to divest the popular social media company or risk the U.S. banning it from app stores.
Air Force
B-52 and B-1 bombers fly with Gripens over Stockholm
With Sweden poised to officially join NATO in the next few days, the U.S. Air Force celebrated March 6 with a rare double bomber flyover of a B-52 Stratofortress and a B-1 Lancer over Stockholm, accompanied by Swedish Air Force Gripens.
Aviano middle school student found dead
The child of an airman was found dead Tuesday morning at the family’s off-base residence, according to Aviano Air Base officials and local Italian media.
Air Force looking outside the box to keep its bases powered up
The Air Force is looking into a range of technologies, community partnerships, and third-party financing techniques to keep bases at home and downrange powered up in the event of bad weather or an attack by an adversary, the department’s installations czar said March 6. Geothermal energy, solar panels, miniature nuclear reactors, and more are all on the table as the service works to avoid losing power due to grid failures or fuel shortages.
Defense
A nearly $1 trillion defense budget faces headwinds at home and abroad
As the Pentagon seeks to address these new wars along with consistently rising costs like salaries and health care for troops and civilians, the $1 trillion figure may draw new scrutiny to the defense budget, including questions about where to cut and where it’s falling short.
Lawmakers press Army aviation leadership on FARA cancelation
UH-60M Blackhawks from Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and CH-47F Block II Chinooks from Boeing would have ended production in 2030 if the Army kept FARA going, a top service official testified.
Carmaker model may yield cheaper drone wingmen: Air Force Research Lab
The Air Force Research Laboratory hopes a common car manufacturing technique might unlock the solution for building affordable autonomous drones that can be fielded in large numbers.
Space Force
Space Force reimagines training, operations as conflicts intensify
After four years of growth amid a steadily rising operational tempo, Space Force leaders say it’s time to improve on what they’ve built.
Veterans
Advocates push for Congress to move long-stalled vets benefits fix
Army veteran James Powers loses out on about $1,400 a month because of how the federal government calculates his veteran disability benefits.
Man charged for posing as doctor to steal vet suicide prevention funds
A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted a Massachusetts man for posing as a doctor to steal $50,000 in suicide prevention funds from a Veterans Affairs grant program, following a Department of Justice investigation.