Policy

Pentagon’s ‘Willingness to Kiss the President’s Ass’ Worries Top Lawmaker

‘I am worried about a culture developing,’ says House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., after the latest delay in Navy captain’s fate.

Policy

Global Defense Spending Decline Expected As Nations Deal with Coronavirus 

Experts see domestic projects taking priority over national security in the coming years.

Policy

Pentagon Blasts Lawmakers’ Critique Of COVID-19 Response

Democratic lawmakers accused SecDef of leading a “disjointed and slow” response to the pandemic.

Policy

The Pentagon's Spectrum Defeat May Presage a Loss of Other Key Frequencies

Rejecting appeals by Defense officials and their Congressional allies, the FCC approved a private company's use of spectrum near ones used by GPS.

Policy

Pentagon’s Esper Was Too Slow With Coronavirus Response, Senate Democrats Say

In a letter, lawmakers accuse the SecDef of causing confusion, showing ‘dangerous misunderstanding’ of the virus, and harming readiness.

Policy

Reinstate Capt. Crozier to USS Roosevelt, Navy Tells Esper

The decision now rests with Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

Threats

Will the US Navy Sink Iranian Fast Boats in the Gulf? Maybe, Maybe Not

It may be time to formalize how orders are passed from the White House to the military.

Policy

‘Reopen’ Protestors Are A Minority Whom Public-Health Experts Say Threaten the Majority

Trump praises the movement even as Fauci warns that reopening too soon will delay economic recovery.

Science & Tech

SPECIAL REPORT: The Problem With Coronavirus Models Is How We Talk About Them

Despite what political leaders want them to say, COVID-19 models will become less predictive exactly when we need them most.

Policy

Pentagon IG: We Can’t Rule Out White House Influence on JEDI Award

A 300-page investigation reveals multiple ethics violations and a refusal by Defense Department General Counsel to let senior officials comment on communications with the White House.

Ideas

Don't Be Fooled. Trump’s Cuts to WHO Aren’t About the Coronavirus

Republicans have been hating on international organizations for decades. This is just a convenient excuse to take another shot, and it harms American security.

Policy

Republicans Seek to Punish China for Coronavirus as Trump Waffles

“Having the relationship I have with China is a good thing,” Trump says. But Republicans say China needs to “pay a price.”

Ideas

Where is NATO? And Where is Trump?

The virus is destroying economies and paralyzing societies in ways Russian military planners could only dream.

Policy

Congress Hears Options—And Concerns—for Using Smartphone Data to Fight Coronavirus

Other countries have been using various forms of location- and proximity-tracing to slow the spread of the disease, with widely varying levels of privacy protections.

Ideas

NATO Should Always Work From Home

Alliance leaders are using virtual meetings to make quicker decisions. That’s exactly what Russia should fear.

Policy

Pentagon Delays Budget Deadline to Help Staff Work from Home

Service officials had complained that a June 1 deadline was preventing them from implementing coronavirus-related social-distancing guidelines.

Policy

US Military Can Do More to Help with Coronavirus, House Armed Services Chief Says

The House Armed Services Committee’s top Democrat says the Pentagon needs to “get creative” in its response.

Policy

Trump Removes Acting Pentagon IG Slated to Lead Pandemic Oversight

Glenn Fine was ousted from the Defense Department’s acting IG position on Monday.

Policy

Acting Navy Secretary Quits After Slamming Fired CO to Carrier Crew

Thomas Modly flew to Guam on Monday, made a 15-minute speech aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt, and spent the rest of the day trying to wriggle out of trouble.

Ideas

So Much for Keeping the Military Out of Politics

Acting Navy Secretary Modly’s Trumpian approach to the military and his firing of a carrier captain has gone over like a lead anchor. Now members of Congress are calling for his own firing.