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...

Obama’s Good First Step in Iran Leaves More to be Done

By Patrick Smith

Plenty of work remains, and there is plenty of arguing to do, before a final accord governing Iran’s nuclear program can be concluded by the June deadline diplomats have set. Let both proceed: This...
Netanyahu Sounds Off on Tentative Iran Nuke Deal

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

Just days after the Obama administration announced a tentative framework for a nuclear deal with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressing world leaders to reject the deal and start...
Menendez Indictment May Help Obama in Iran Nuke Deal

By Eric Pianin

The indictment of Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) on political corruption charges last week is having an important ripple effect as Congress positions itself to respond to the Obama administration’s...
Another $400 Million Afghan Program May Be Failing

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

The largest women’s empowerment program in U.S. government history is coming under scrutiny by auditors who are questioning whether the $400 million initiative is actually working. The Promoting...
Fmr. GSA Exec Pleads Guilty to Fraud in Conference Scandal

By Brianna Ehley, The Fiscal Times

The former General Services Administration official who planned the agency’s $800,000 over-the-top Las Vegas conference five years ago just pled guilty to defrauding the federal government out of at...

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