Policy
Acting SecDef: I Haven’t Told the Pentagon to Prep for Afghanistan Withdrawal
In his first remarks to media as defense chief, Pat Shanahan says U.S. leaders are keeping their eyes on peace talks.
Policy
Trump Announces Deal to End Longest-Ever Shutdown — For Now
Congress is expected to quickly pass a new stopgap spending measure to reopen the government through Feb. 15.
Policy
The Government is Spending $90 Million a Day to Pay People Not to Work
The government’s debt to furloughed workers has already surpassed the payroll costs related to the 2013 shutdown.
Policy
Is Trump Setting the Stage for a Military Intervention in Venezuela?
“Everything is on the table, all options,” an administration official said.
Policy
The Wheels of Justice Are Grinding to a Halt
FBI agents say the government shutdown is costing them confidential sources, postponing indictments, and shutting down investigations.
Policy
FBI Agents Detail Shutdown's Toll
The FBI Agents Association is documenting the harms that the funding freeze have inflicted on investigations, travel, training, payments to confidential sources and employee benefits.
Policy
State Department Defends Unusual Recall of Furloughed Staffers, With Pay
Management, budget and legal teams approved emergency movement of funds.
Ideas
Trump Tried Partisan Applause Lines Inside the Pentagon. Nobody Applauded.
The president uses a missile-defense policy rollout to bash Democrats before the military’s senior leaders.
Policy
It's Official: Furloughed Feds Will Receive Back Pay Once the Shutdown Ends
Bill signed into law on Wednesday also will ensure retroactive compensation for furloughed feds in future shutdowns.
Policy
Poll: Nearly Three-Quarters of Federal Workers Oppose Shutdown, Majority Oppose Wall
One-in-three feds think the shutdown will drag on for more than three additional months.
Ideas
America’s Foreign Policy in the Middle East is Not What Pompeo Claimed
In Cairo, the secretary touted stronger U.S. engagement in the region, all evidence to the contrary.
Policy
In Primetime Addresses, Trump and Democrats Show No Progress Toward Ending Shutdown
Both sides highlight federal employees, but for very different reasons.
Policy
Can Pat Shanahan Serve as ‘Acting’ Defense Secretary Forever?
The law is unclear, and the situation all but unprecedented.
Policy
Will the Government Ever Reopen?
After a contentious meeting with lawmakers, President Trump said the government could stay closed “for a very long period of time,” and mused about declaring a state of emergency.
Policy
Trump Instructs Pentagon to Curb Watchdogs' Access to Secret Military Reports
Transparency groups decry move as hindering the work of inspectors general.
Policy
Trump Just Killed His Own Defense Strategy
The commander in chief has torn up 17 years of counterterrorism plans, offering instead his strange mix of talking points and lies.
Policy
GOP Lawmakers: Shutdown Could Last for Weeks
Trump summoned House and Senate leaders to the White House but failed to persuade them to fund the border wall.
Policy
Goodbye, Mattis. Goodbye, Syria. Hello, 2019
Dramatic shifts abound as Trump puts US military’s war plans in doubt, Democrats resurge in Congress, and the Pentagon gets a new boss.
Policy
Vladimir Putin’s Busy, Bloody, and Expensive 2019
Russia experts look at recent events and peer into the future.
Policy