Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Here are some of the federal government’s top recent personnel changes, brought to you by our partners at Leadership Connect: Charles Baldis has a new position as Special Counsel at Office of Special Counsel, United States Office of Special Counsel [OSC]Recently: Chief Counsel at Office of Special Counsel, United States Office of Special Counsel (2026 – 2026) Andrew M. Veprek has a new position as Under Secretary (Acting) at Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance and Humanitarian Affairs, and Religious Freedom [F], Office of the Secretary [S], United States Department of State [DOS]Note: Andrew Veprek is performing the duties of the Under Secretary for Foreign Assistance, Humanitarian Affairs,…

Day 2 will have the semi-final rounds, bronze medal matches, and the crowning moment for nine world champions. The second day will also have the ADCC’s iconic absolute tournament, along with the main event super-fight between ADCC 2024 double gold medalist Kaynan Duarte — who is also competing at the 99 kg tournament — and three-time ADCC champ Yuri Simoes.Once again, the event continues TODAY (Sunday, September 13, 2026), at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland. The prestigious no gi tournament will stream LIVE on FloGrappling, with the broadcast starting at 5 a.m. ET. Follow along with all the grappling…

Lt. Col. James Harvey had one wish for much of his Air Force career. He wanted the 332nd Fighter Group — the Tuskegee Airmen — to be recognized for winning the Air Force’s first-ever aerial gunnery competition. “We were the original ‘Top Gun,'” he told AARP Studios. “Our competitors didn’t think we were real. We were Black and flying this obsolete aircraft. We weren’t supposed to win it.” Harvey was drafted into the Army in 1943 as an Army Air Corps engineer. Just a few years earlier, he’d seen a group of Curtiss P-40 Warhawks flying over his home in…

The Pentagon is shifting its cybersecurity posture to rely more on new capabilities to maintain its digital defenses rather than just bolstering its operational manpower, the department’s IT head said on Wednesday. Speaking at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit in Washington, D.C., Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies said, “We can’t continue to throw people at the cyber problem; we have to throw technology at the cyber problem.”Given DOD’s vast size, she said managing cybersecurity means the department has to look at using “everything from automation to machine learning to actually AI,” since the threat environment and range of new and…

“Star Trek” began as a television series but grew into a cultural phenomenon.When it premiered in 1966, no one could have predicted that it would lead to more than a dozen spinoff shows, more than a dozen movies and one of the most enduring fandoms in popular culture.“Star Trek” is also unusual for its close connections to NASA, both in its storylines and in the real world. Decades of “Star Trek” adventures have ignited a love of spaceflight across generations, inspiring many who now work as space professionals.I’m a cultural anthropologist who studies why people work in space exploration. I’ve…

EDGE Group has announced the successful completion of Factory Acceptance Trials (FAT) for six ANAVIA HT-100 NAVAL unmanned helicopters (VTOL UAV), which have now been successfully delivered to the Angolan Navy under the landmark EUR 1 billion naval programme including three corvettes. EDGE Group press release The trials were conducted from 24 to 28 August at the facilities of ANAVIA in Bilten, Switzerland, and were attended by a high-level delegation from the Angolan Navy and Simportex, Angola’s public enterprise specialising in the supply, acquisition and importation of equipment, materiel and services supporting the country’s defence and security sector. The successful…

The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. The Ukrainian Navy is claiming one of its uncrewed surface vessels (USV) sank a Russian USV, marking the first time one of these weapons, also known as drone boats, destroyed another. The engagement is the latest iteration in the use of combat drone boats, which Ukraine has employed to devastating effect against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet vessels and facilities, forcing the general evacuation of Russian naval assets from occupied Crimea to bases in Russia proper. The use of weaponized USVs is now…

Ryan Garcia needed less than five total minutes to demolish Conor Benn to successfully defend his welterweight title before potentially setting up two even bigger fights for the future.While he was heavily favored to win, Garcia still had to get the job done and it’s safe to say he passed that test with flying colors. Best known for a blistering left hand, Garcia showed off his power in the right after blasted Benn with a single shot that sent the British boxer to the canvas in a heap.Benn managed to make it back to his feet but Garcia wasn’t going…

Artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities are reshaping the global economy. Across the world, nations struggle to keep policies and legal frameworks current, but the gap is widest in countries lacking domestic AI infrastructure or deep technical expertise. This is particularly critical across Africa, where rapid digital growth collides with nascent regulatory capacities. The United States needs to use its soft power and its diplomatic convening capabilities to become, and to stay, the go-to commercial and security partner for Africa in these domains. The stakes could not be higher. The region holds roughly 30 percent of the world’s critical mineral reserves.…

MMA Fighting has Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn live round-by-round updates for one of the most anticipated boxing fights of the year at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.The main event is expected to begin around 11 p.m. on Paramount+. Check out our Garcia vs. Benn results page to find out what happened on the undercard.Ryan Garcia (25-2, 1 no-contest) defends his WBC welterweight title for the first time in the contest. Garcia defeated Mario Barrios via unanimous decision in his last outing this past February.Conor Benn (25-1, 14 knockouts) competes in arguably the biggest fight of his…