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...

Support for Hong Kong street protests wanes ahead of expected clearance: poll

By Reuters

Of those surveyed, 67.4 percent said the protesters should vacate the streets. Public support for the movement was also wavering, with 43.5 percent of people saying they were against it, compared...
For top U.S. general, a sober return to still-divided Iraq

By Phil Stewart, Reuters

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - On his first trip to Iraq since American troops returned this summer, the top U.S. general was dogged by a nagging question from troops. At meetings over the weekend, soldiers and...
Beheaded U.S. hostage remembered for fearless dedication to refugees

By Mariam Karouny and Colleen Jenkins and Colleen Jenkins, Reuters

(Reuters) - Peter Kassig, the U.S. aid worker beheaded by Islamic State militants who captured him in Syria last year, was remembered on Sunday for his courageous devotion to helping people whose...
U.S. military scrambles to keep its edge despite budget woes

By Andrea Shalal, Reuters

SIMI VALLEY Calif. (Reuters) - Short of funds, and awash in global challenges, the U.S. military-industrial complex is betting on robotics and other new technologies to stay ahead of rapid advances...
Purported beheading of U.S. hostage decried as 'loss for all of us'

By Mariam Karouny and Colleen Jenkins and Colleen Jenkins, Reuters

(Reuters) - The parents of U.S. aid worker Peter Kassig said on Sunday they were awaiting verification of whether their "treasured son" was beheaded by Islamic State militants who captured him in...

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