Policy
Congress Is Concerned About Who Gets to Launch Nuclear Bombs
Here are three questions to consider during and after lawmakers hear testimony on nuclear authority.
Policy
Many Top Cybersecurity Posts Remain Empty — And Not On Purpose
Filling various CIO and CISO jobs is taking a temporary backseat to more senior appointments, the White House cybersecurity coordinator says.
Policy
Defense Bill Compromise Boosts 2018 Military Pay Raise
Democrats vow a fight for civilian pay parity.
Policy
Paying Off Post-9/11 War Debt Could Cost $8 Trillion: Report
Analysts say a reckoning is coming — even as Republicans seek tax cuts that will add at least $1.5 trillion to the national debt.
Threats
Turkey Tells US To Withdraw Weapons, Support for Syrian Rebels
In Washington, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim rejected the U.S. desire to keep supporting Syrian Kurdish rebel forces even after ISIS is finished.
Policy
‘Indo-Pacific’ Is the Trump Administration’s New Name for Asia
Why it matters: Chinese media and leaders pay a lot of attention to fine details like this.
Policy
Saudi Arabia’s New Strongman Wants the Kingdom to Become a Middle East Arms Powerhouse
The crown prince’s surprise arrests of rivals puts him in position to execute a sweeping diversification of the country’s economy.
Policy
15 Things We Learned from the Internet Giants
The key takeaways from three days of testimony about Russia’s electoral mischief during the 2016 election.
Ideas
Four New Questions For Trump on Syria
The ISIS fight is nearly over, military leaders say. Is the United States ready to lead what happens next?
Policy
A Federal Court Pushes Back on Trump’s Transgender Military Ban
A judge issues a preliminary injunction, taking issue with everything from the framing of the directive to the way it was delivered.
Threats
‘We're Not Taking Sides,’ Trump Tells Clashing Kurds, Iraqis
The Pentagon watches two American allies turn on each other, as Iraq’s fractious politics are laid bare once again.
Policy
The Questions Raised By Trump's Iran Deal Decision
The U.S. will stick to the nuclear agreement—for now.
Threats
Trump Administration Gambles On Iran Nuclear Deal
White House staffers say the president will decertify the 2015 seven-party agreement, introducing uncertainty and worrying arms control watchers.
Policy
If War with Russia Breaks Out, Borders and Bureaucracy Could Slow the West’s Response
In a summer of multinational exercises in Europe, the first thing the U.S. Army learned was: ‘Borders are hard.’
Policy
Mattis to Generals: Start Talking to the Press
Nine months into the Trump administration, the defense secretary tells senior military leaders to engage with the media — but stay in their lanes.
Policy
The US Will Be Dropping A Lot More Bombs on Afghanistan
More air support for Afghan forces will help drive the Taliban to the negotiating table, Mattis and Dunford tell Congress.
Ideas
All That Could Go Wrong When Jihadists Return Home — to China
Once separatists, now jihadists, some Uighurs returning from the ISIS battlefield could threaten — and test — Beijing.
Policy
Here’s How Much of Your Taxes Have Gone To Wars
Previously unreported Pentagon data shows how much the average U.S. taxpayer has paid for combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Syria.
Ideas
Why Trump Should Be the One Stopping to Take a Knee
I support the cause, but I'm a combat veteran, so I won't kneel. We still need a leader who brings the temperature down, not cranks it up.
Policy