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...

Israeli-Palestinian peace process in holding pattern: U.S.

By Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Friday the Israeli-Palestinian peace process had come to a standstill, all but acknowledging U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will fail to meet his...
28 killed in attack on Shi'ite political rally in Iraq

By Raheem Salman, Reuters

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A series of explosions killed 28 people and wounded more than 40 at a Shi'ite political organization's rally in Iraq on Friday, police and medical sources said. The militant group...
South Korea, U.S. pledge firm response to North Korea

By Ju-min Park and Mark Felsenthal, Reuters

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea represents a threat not just to Asia but to the United States, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday, as he and South Korea's President Park Geun-hye warned they...
'Pause' perhaps needed in Israeli-Palestinian talks: Obama

By Matt Spetalnick, Reuters

SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday a "pause" might be needed in U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, suggesting leaders on both sides lacked the...
Pentagon Could Pay $250 Million for Nothing

By Timothy R. Homan, The Fiscal Times

Spending reductions are forcing the Pentagon to cut back on some programs, only it’s finding that doing so may actually end up costing more money.

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