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...

Erdogan struggles with Merkel's skepticism on Turkish EU bid

By Stephen Brown and Andreas Rinke, Reuters

BERLIN (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan urged Angela Merkel to throw Germany's full weight behind his country's bid to join the European Union but there was no sign the chancellor...
U.S. retailers at Senate hearing: hackers have upper hand

By Alina Selyukh, Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. retailers speaking to a U.S. Senate panel on Tuesday bemoaned the sophistication of hackers and urged better collaboration with banks on anti-theft technology. However,...
Ukrainian opposition seeks to cut president's powers

By Richard Balmforth, Reuters

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich, battling mass unrest against his rule, faced demands from the opposition on Tuesday for a constitutional change that would seriously curtail...
U.S. ambassador McFaul to leave Russia, Obama administration

By Steve Gutterman, Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul, who engineered Washington's "reset" of relations with Moscow but riled Russia during his tenure as envoy, said on Tuesday he would soon leave his...
Russia says Syria to ship chemical arms as civilians flee bombs

By Gabriela Baczynska and Erika Solomon, Reuters

MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia said its ally Syria would soon ship more chemical weapons abroad for destruction after being accused of dragging its feet, while activists said civilians in Aleppo...

Search form