Defense

Factbox: What happens in a U.S. government shutdown?

By Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker and Richard Cowan and Susan Cornwell and Amanda Becker, Reuters

In shutdowns, nonessential government employees are furloughed, or placed on temporary unpaid leave. Workers deemed essential, including those dealing with public safety and national security, keep...
The Mysterious Threat to Pilots That the Pentagon Can’t Solve

By Ciro Scotti

Episodes of oxygen deprivation affecting the pilots of F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet — and other military aircraft including the F-35 — are on the rise and remain an unsolved mystery.
What Game Theory Tells Us About Trump’s ‘Madman’ Approach to North Korea

By Rob Garver

Is Donald Trump out of his mind? Maybe he wants North Korea to think so.
Does the Army’s $580 Million Handgun Have a Fatal Flaw?

By Ciro Scotti

Last January, the Army made a $580 million decision: It would replace its longstanding sidearm, the M9 Beretta, with a new modular handgun made by the U.S. arm of the German-controlled gunsmith Sig...
Why the Escalating Threats Between Trump and Kim Won’t End in War

By Patrick Smith

The supercharged threats volleyed between President Trump and Kim Jong Un this week bring us closer to war with the North Korea than at any time since Pyongyang tested its first nuclear device in...

Here’s the Real State of the $1 Trillion U.S. Nuclear Upgrade

By David Francis

The American nuclear arsenal is just about the same as it was when Trump took office.
Here’s Why North Korea Put Guam in Its Crosshairs

By David Francis

Hours after President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with fire and fury like the world has never known, Pyongyang announced it is "examining the operational plan" to attack Guam, a tiny U.S...
Why the Price of the F-35 Keeps Soaring

By Ciro Scotti

The most costly fighter ever built is getting even more expensive. A new General Accounting Office report says the Pentagon will spend an additional $3.9 billion over the next five years on “...
The Media Has to Stop Provoking Trump’s Worst Instincts

By Rob Garver

For a man constantly boasting about his extraordinary negotiating prowess, President Trump made a pretty obvious rookie mistake on Tuesday, with his apocalyptic-sounding promise to deliver “fire and...
Five Things You Need to Know About Plans to Privatize the Afghan War

By David Francis

The White House is actively considering a plan to turn a big chunk of the war in Afghanistan over to private contractors. That’s according to Erik Prince, founder of the Blackwater security firm, who...

Senate May Have Cliff Deal on Taxes Only

By Eric Pianin and Josh Boak

A seemingly upbeat President Obama tried to keep the pressure on negotiators to finalize a fiscal cliff deal by midnight tonight as the rough contours of a bipartisan agreement began to emerge from...
Cliff Drama’s Final Act Brings Biden on Board

By Josh Boak and Eric Pianin, The Fiscal Times

Sunday seemed in many ways like it was building to the tragic climax in the fiscal cliff drama, but it was actually just the end of the opening act. Plenty of challenges remain even if President...
GOP May Lose a Lot More Than Cliff Tax War

By Craig Shirley, The Fiscal Times

As President Obama and congressional leaders continue to joust in a last-ditch effort to avert the fiscal cliff , it’s time to articulate a brutal truth: There has never been a more incompetent group...
Obama Presses GOP on Deal As Cliff Deadline Nears

By Eric Pianin

The president urged Republicans to support a deal emerging in the Senate to extend Bush-era tax cuts to all but the wealthiest taxpayers, protect unemployment benefits for 2 million Americans and...
Rates, Estate Tax Are Sticking Points in Possible Deal

By Lori Montgomery Wp and And Lori Montgomery, The Washington Post, The Washington Post

Senate negotiators labored late into Saturday over a last-ditch plan to avert the “fiscal cliff,” struggling to resolve key differences over how many wealthy households should face higher income...

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