Ideas

After Six Years, It’s Time to Confirm a Defense Department Inspector General

IGs perform a critical role in holding powerful officials and government agencies accountable, and the Senate should confirm a Defense IG when it returns from recess.  

Threats

White House Aims for Bio-Defense ‘Moonshots’ In New Strategy

Biden wants more rapid testing, vaccine production, etc. using breakthrough technologies.

Ideas

Civilians Will Choose the Marine Corps’ Future—and Soon

And they will do it by selecting the next commandant and other four- and three-star generals.

Policy

New National Security Strategy Returns Focus to Rules, Partnerships, and American Leadership

China is a “pacing” threat, Russia just an “acute” one—but international partnerships, the old global order are key to beating both.

Ideas

Just How Long Should the US Send Aid to Ukraine?

History can help us understand whether Kyiv’s situation better resembles Afghanistan or Colombia.

Policy

VA Taking ‘Prudent’ Steps to Protect Employees Who Provide Abortions

The department announced its plans to continue offering abortions shortly after Roe v Wade was overturned in June.

Threats

Are You 'Choice-Paralyzed' About Protecting Your Critical Infrastructure? NSA Wants to Help

Simplifying decisions about hardening industrial control systems is the aim of new guidance from the NSA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Ideas

In NYC, a Bronx Cheer for Putin, Trump, and the Aging UN

As the General Assembly met for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine, Biden warned against nuclear war and the UN’s growing irrelevance. Will he do more?

Policy

US Weighs Escalation Risk As Ukraine Asks for Longer-range Missiles

Will ATACMS become the latest weapon that Washington has initially withheld, but ultimately given? 

Policy

White House Announces New Restrictions on Foreign Investment in US Tech, Supply Lines

Administration will require investments to be weighed on whether they will put U.S. national security at risk.

Defense Systems

Space Chief Nominee Worried About Launchpad ‘Traffic Jams’

The Space Force will “need to look at other opportunities” as launch cadence grows, Lt. Gen. Chance Saltzman told lawmakers.

Ideas

10 High-School Questions for the Authors of the ‘Principles’ Open Letter

Actual civics students would demand more from the former SecDefs and retired four-stars who opined so vaguely on civil-military “best practices.”

Policy

Conservative Groups Urging Lawmakers To Vote ‘No’ On More Ukraine Aid

“This new package will prolong a fight that lacks an American dog, allowing regional allies to shirk their security responsibilities yet again,” one former Trump official said.

Policy

White House Asks Congress For $13.7B for Ukraine

The administration has used about three-quarters of the $40 billion Congress authorized in May.

Threats

National Archives Recovered More than 100 Classified Documents from Trump in January

The 700-plus pages of classified material included documents relating to special access programs – some of the nation's most closely held secrets.