Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Hey folks, Fireside this week, as I am fresh back from a short family trip before the jaws of the Fall semester close upon me. I did get a chance to see Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and I wrote a review of it for Foreign Policy (alas, paywalled, I assume), although by far the most discussed review has been that of Emily Wilson, noted translator of Homer. I have a few scattered thoughts about the film that either didn’t fit into the FP piece or have been occasioned since then, which I thought I’d put here. Spoiler warnings, I suppose…

Ultra-Compact Rimfire Revolver Shelton, CT.  (July 10th, 2026) Charter Arms®, manufacturers of affordable, 100% American-made revolvers for more than 60 years, is proud to announce the introduction of the new WalkerSeries of revolvers. The Walker is an ultra-compact, rimfire revolver designed for concealed carry. It is available with either a .22 LR or .22 WMR chambering; both have eight-round capacities. “We couldn’t be happier to offer this .22 caliber revolver series,” said Nick Ecker, Owner, President and CEO of Charter Arms. “Customers have praised its concealability, accuracy, and design. This new series offers the ultimate in dependable performance.” The new…

The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. The head of Operation Aspides, the European-led task force created to provide security for ships transiting the Red Sea region, tells TWZ that there has been a major increase in the number of commercial vessels seeking escorts since the U.S. and Israel started attacking Iran in February. Security concerns in that region have spiked after the Houthi rebels of Yemen imposed a blockade on Saudi shipping and began attacking the kingdom’s vessels and oil infrastructure. Late Thursday, the leader of the Houthis…

Top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan locked horns with Ankit Baiyanpuria earlier tonight at Hype FC in Yerevan, Armenia, in a submission-only grappling match. Tsarukyan won the Hype FC strap after putting Muhammad Mokaev to sleep with a rear-naked choke at Hype Brazil earlier this year and tonight against Baiyanpuria, he defended the strap for the first time. Ankit Baiyanpuria, a former Haryanvi wrestler and Indian fitness influencer who honed his wrestling and grappling skills in local akharas and recently trained in Dagesatan, rose to prominence after documenting the Indian version of the 75 Hard Challenge on his socials. Notably,…

The Connecticut National Guard’s funeral honors team conducted a dignified transfer of the remains of U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Bernard Sweet at Bradley International Airport, July 30, 2026.Sweet’s remains were transferred to the custody of Brig. Gen. Sarah Albrycht, the Provost Marshal General of the Army and Commanding General of Army Corrections Command, who volunteered to escort Sweet to their mutual hometown of Bennington, Vermont to be buried.His niece, Shirley McLenithan, was also present planeside to welcome home her uncle.Sweet enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps on Aug. 1, 1939. In 1942, Sweet, 21, was deployed to the…

The General Services Administration on Wednesday celebrated the graduation of 71 U.S. Digital Corps fellows, marking the largest graduating class since the program’s inception. Those graduates updated the FedRAMP website, helped streamline Agriculture Department environmental reviews and supported other technology projects during their stints in the federal government.“This government has starved for talent, for people who understand how to do all the things that we want to do to deliver better,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said during graduation remarks.Some of the graduates of the two-year fellowship program are continuing civil service while others are headed to the private sector.“For talented…

Key PointsA photo circulating on social media in July 2026 showed a modernized Russian T-80BVM tank with an updated anti-drone cage loaded on a rail flatcar.Rostec delivered a batch of upgraded T-90M, T-80BVM, and T-72B3M tanks with similar anti-drone protection to Russian forces on May 9, 2026.A modernized Russian T-80BVM tank fitted with a reworked drone-defense cage and an upgraded side armor package was spotted loaded onto a railway flatcar in Russia in July 2026, according to a screenshot circulating on social media that shows the tank mid-transport toward an undisclosed destination. The combat vehicle appears to carry a new…

Advances in synthetic biology are expanding scientists’ ability to design biological systems from synthetic components, raising questions about whether some innovations could create risks that outweigh their benefits. One possibility is mirror life—a hypothetical form of life, such as a mirror bacterium, built from proteins and nucleic acids with the opposite molecular handedness of those found in nature. Some scientists warn that, if created, mirror bacteria could pose an unprecedented global threat because they might evade the immune systems of humans, animals, and plants; cause severe infections; and outstrip society’s ability to develop and deploy countermeasures at scale. Despite these…

Marignane, France, 30 July 2026 – Airbus Helicopters has officially delivered the first NH90 Standard 2 to the French Armament General Directorate (DGA). This new variant of the NH90 TTH was designed specifically for special operations. France has ordered a total of 18 NH90 Standard 2 helicopters that will be delivered by mid 2029. They will be operated by the French Army Aviation’s special forces squadron in Pau. In December 2025, Spain joined the programme ordering 31 NH90s in a similar standard. “We are honoured to deliver this NH90 Standard 2 to the French armed forces,” said Matthieu Louvot, CEO of…

Editor’s Note: This reflection first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter.My little sister has been in the military for 19 years, serving in Germany, U.S. territories, South Carolina, and elsewhere. Since February, she’s called a base in the Middle East home. I’ve known her location and her proximity to danger for months, but it had felt like she wasn’t really there. Iran seemed intent on attacking bases other than hers, and American casualties were rare. Our conversations were often about how bored she was. The lousy…