News
Trump’s federal hiring freeze raises fears about VA medical care
Congressional lawmakers this week expressed concern that President Donald Trump’s new federal hiring freeze could hurt operations at Veterans Affairs medical centers by complicating efforts to fill critical health care specialties.
Over 50,000 under evacuation orders or warnings as wildfire imperils homes north of Los Angeles
More than 50,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings Wednesday as a huge and fast-moving wildfire swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles, but fire officials said a rapid ground and air assault was giving them the upper hand.
Ukraine to hand combat units $60 million monthly for new drones
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence will provide its combat units with 2.5 billion hryvnia (US$60 million) of direct funding per month to procure their own drones, in a move to allow commanders in the field to buy the equipment they need rather than rely on centralized purchasing.
Trump ejects Democrats from intelligence-and-privacy oversight board
The Trump administration has asked the three Democrats serving on an independent oversight panel that probes the intelligence community’s infringements into civil liberties to step down, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Navy aims to expand vendor pool for COCO drones and ISR support
Naval Air Systems Command’s program executive office for unmanned aviation and strike weapons is looking to onboard additional companies that can support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions via contractor-owned, contractor-operated drones and sensors.
Air Force
F-15Es with new electronic-warfare system make their debut in the UK
The first two F-15E Strike Eagles rigged with the latest war-fighting software touched down in the United Kingdom last week, according to the Air Force.
Air Force planes will fly deportation flights under Trump order
The U.S. military will fly about 5,400 migrants currently in detention out of the country as part of the Defense Department’s response to President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on the southern border, defense officials said on Wednesday.
Money-saving Microvanes inch closer to fleetwide C-17 use
Small new devices meant to save money spent on gas by reducing aerodynamic drag are inching closer to fleetwide adoption for the Air Force’s 222 C-17 transport jets.
Sicily to Norway: How an unexpected deployment trip Inspired an Air Force Veteran to find her family roots
The town seemed deserted. The only sounds were our footsteps on the ancient cobblestones. We wandered down the unfamiliar roads, wondering about all the closed doors and shuttered windows, when we suddenly heard rustling up ahead. We hurried forward, hoping it might be someone who could explain why this quaint little Sicilian village was so empty in the middle of a weekday. Rounding the corner, we were startled to see the black faces and wooly bodies of a herd of sheep coming right at us.
Space Force
Former Space Force CTIO joins advisory board for artificial intelligence startup Seekr
Former Space Force Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Lisa Costa has been appointed to the advisory board for artificial intelligence startup Seekr, the company announced Wednesday.
US Space Force forecasts $2.3 billion in commercial satellite services contracts
The U.S. Space Force’s Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO) has announced contracting opportunities worth approximately $2.3 billion for commercial satellite services over the coming year.
First warning: How Guardians sparked fight to defeat Iran’s missiles
When missiles are detected putting U.S. or allies at risk, alarms ring out, sending Space Force Guardians scrambling to calculate trajectories and potential impact areas and to determine if any U.S. or allied assets are at risk. Within minutes, if not seconds, they share those alerts.
Veterans
Neighbor stole over $450,000 from veteran with ALS, feds say. ‘As low as it gets’.
A Massachusetts man took “repeated, deliberate steps” to steal from his neighbor — a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was in the hospital — “again and again,” federal prosecutors wrote in court documents filed last week.