Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

For more than 40 years, the U.S. Arctic Research Commission has advised Congress and the president on what to study in the frigid and dynamic far north, from the environment to military security. It’s typically done so without making waves, led by people well-versed in science and public policy.That was until December, when President Donald Trump appointed a Texas venture capitalist and MAGA influencer with no formal background in science as the commission’s chair. Since then, Thomas Dans has traveled the globe generating headlines. Serving as the administration’s main voice on the Arctic, he’s advanced some of the president’s wildest…

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended plans for a leaner workforce at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and criticized a federal judge’s ruling that a now-abandoned plan to cut FEMA’s workforce in half was advanced unlawfully. In remarks to reporters at a FEMA roundtable in Omaha, Neb., on Monday, Mullin argued that “it’s not always personnel that you need.” He said the Trump administration’s goal is “more efficiency,” including using technology at the emergency management agency. “Throwing people at a problem that aren’t passionate about or not being an added value to it doesn’t help,” Mullin said. “For some reason,…

9/15/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary | Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University wpDiscuzInsert

Together with Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius, Minister President Manuela Schwesig and Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger, high-ranking representatives of the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) and numerous guests from the industry and politics attended the keel-laying ceremony for the third fleet intelligence vessel. This important milestone in shipbuilding took place several months ahead of schedule at Rheinmetall’s shipyard in Wolgast, where the second fleet intelligence vessel is also being built in parallel. At the same time, the Federal Minister also spoke in favour of procuring a fourth fleet intelligence vessel. Boris Pistorius, Federal Minister of Defence: “The new generation of…

Iranian strikes have damaged hundreds of U.S. military and diplomatic buildings, according to a new report by the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General.U.S. Central Command told IG investigators that “Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and structures at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, and Jordan during the conflict.”While the report provided no details on damaged military facilities, it did include specifics on damage to U.S. diplomatic facilities. The State Department told investigators that “U.S. diplomatic facilities in four countries suffered physical damage from Iranian strikes, with an estimated total…

U.S. veterans ages 20 to 39 had higher levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, in their bloodstream compared with civilians of comparable age, according to a new study published Monday by Brown and Harvard researchers.Known as “forever chemicals” because they resist breaking down and can accumulate in the body over time, PFAS are used in a host of products and equipment such as firefighting foam, weapons systems and textiles in military settings and food packaging, cookware, makeup, stain repellent and more. At least one type of PFAS — PFOS — has been linked directly to testicular cancer, while…

Top 155-pound contender Arman Tsarukyan will be donning new custom shorts for his upcoming fight. Tsarukyan is going to lock horns with Mauricio Ruffy this weekend in the co-main event of UFC 331. The Armenian fighter has previously stated that he plans to change his nickname from “Ahalkalakets” to “Batman” ahead of this fight. He will also walk out to his friend and popular streamer N3on’s track “She Wanna Hang With A Indian,” with N3on set to be part of his corner on Saturday night. The design of Tsarukyan’s custom shorts revealed by the UFC today features a black design…

The French Armament General Directorate (Direction générale de l’armement – DGA) has officially delivered the first two Falcon 2000LXS Albatros maritime surveillance and intervention aircraft to the French Navy (Marine nationale). Handed over on July 27 and 31, 2026, the platforms are now stationed with Flottille 24F at the Lann-Bihoué naval air station. The milestone follows a rigorous development path that began with the aircraft’s maiden flight on January 24, 2025, at Dassault Aviation’s Bordeaux-Mérignac facility. Following successful flight testing and certification campaigns overseen by the DGA at Istres, the aircraft arrived at Lann-Bihoué to undergo military evaluations by the…

There’s an undisputed trinity of strategy gaming franchises in the world. Ask anyone- any gamer, any non-gamer- and chances are, they all have heard about one of these: Age of Empires, Civilization, and Total War. Now, for the first time in the franchise’s history, an enhanced version of a game was announced, and it’s none other than Total War: SHOGUN 2, the most beloved game in the series, with a new “Complete Edition”. Set to have improved visuals, updated lighting, shadows, and textures. Add to that modernized controls, 4K UI scaling, and 50 newly playable minor factions! Like many of…

The U.S. military has incurred about $38 billion in costs from combat operations against Iran through Aug. 1, while the conflict’s main opportunity cost has been the missile-defense interceptors the Pentagon has expended defending U.S. forces and allies, according to a new Congressional Budget Office analysis released today. CBO estimates the conflict has consumed between one-half and two-thirds of the U.S. inventory of certain missile-defense interceptors since June 2025, leaving the military with fewer weapons available for a future conflict. Rebuilding those stocks could take at least five years, even if production rates increase, the agency found. The estimate includes…