Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

The State Department could be overspending on residences for employees stationed abroad because officials haven’t updated certain housing standards in more than three decades, the Government Accountability Office said in a report issued on Monday. State manages housing for more than 9,000 agency personnel living overseas and in 2025 spent nearly $500 million on residential leases. A majority, 64%, of such housing is leased while 36% is government-owned, as of March 2026. Officials told GAO, while leasing offers flexibility, purchasing properties provides “long-term stability and greater control over costs” but also “typically requires substantial upfront funding.” Housing for a foreign service officer is…

This is the UFC 330 live blog for Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry, the welterweight championship main event Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.Islam Makhachev reigns as the No. 1-ranked fighter in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings, while Garry is tied with Michael Morales for the No. 3 spot at 170 pounds in our Global Rankings.Not only is Makhachev (28-1) looking to join Henry Cejudo, Daniel Cormier, Jon Jones, and Amanda Nunes as the only fighters in UFC history to successfully defend titles in two weight classes, he also goes for his 17th straight win, which put him…

This is the UFC 330 live blog for Mackenzie Dern vs. Gillian Robertson, the strawweight championship co-main event Saturday at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.Dern is currently ranked at No. 7 on the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound chart, while Robertson is No. 6 at 115 pounds in the Global Rankings.This is the first title defense for Dern (16-5), who became champion this past October at UFC 321 where she defeated Virna Jandiroba to win a belt vacated by Zhang Weili. Dern, a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion prior to pursuing a career in MMA, struggled to find consistency early in her UFC…

Key PointsBoeing received a $75 million modification for spare parts on two VC-25B aircraft, bringing the contract’s cumulative value to $4.49 billion.The VC-25B, originally due in 2024, is now projected for delivery in 2028 and 2029, replacing the VC-25A fleet in service since 1990.The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a $75 million modification to buy initial spare parts for two VC-25B aircraft, the in-development replacement for the current Air Force One fleet. The modification brings the cumulative value of the underlying contract to $4.49 billion, up from $4.42 billion. The modification, listed as P00187 to contract FA8625-16-C-6599, is separate…

The final prep for a bodybuilding show is one of the most challenging phases that a competitor can put themselves through. Staying ripped means working on a vastly reduced calorie intake, while maintaining muscle requires enough fuel for flexing. Fortunately, multiple Olympia finalist, and respected IFBB coach, John Jewett says that finding the perfect balance is possible, and he has shared the winning formula for those who are looking to present their perfect physiques on stage. Why Pulling Every Lever at Once Destroys Your Prep When it comes to making changes to the body’s composition, cutting food, increasing cardiovascular training,…

Do we really need a Director for National Intelligence (DNI)? In my view, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. It’s the DNI’s mission that matters. And given that mission, whatever that is, the DNI must be staffed to provide and/or preserve the human capability needed to accomplish that mission. So that’s the real question. Just what exactly is that mission? And that’s something that we just don’t know, in part because that mission is unclear even 20-plus years after the Office of the DNI (ODNI) was first established. Much of that ambiguity can be blamed…

President Donald Trump’s order to “unleash” the private sector to conduct offensive cyber operations against foreign criminal hackers is raising novel questions about government oversight, as well as legal liability and other risks for private companies that enlist in the program. The national security presidential memorandum signed by Trump this week does not enable private sector companies to “hack back” when they face a cyber intrusion. Instead, it establishes a government-run program that will contract with private sector companies and approve any offensive cyber operations conducted by industry participants. The new directive follows the White House’s national cyber strategy, released…

There is limited evidence regarding strategies that policymakers can use to revitalize neighborhoods without contributing to displacement, particularly those involving community advocacy. This study examines how a sample of Latino Catholic parishioners in eastern Los Angeles perceive their role in neighborhood change before and after participating in a park environmental advocacy training. Two groups with 16 participants (85% women, median age 68) of a faith-based physical activity intervention received a two-day training. The training involved conducting a park audit to identify environmental issues and developing advocacy plans to engage local decision-makers. Participants completed pre- and post-training surveys (n = 12) on advocacy…

Economy & Business South Asia Econographics August 14, 2026 • 2:57 pm ET Print this page By Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou Ahead of the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Indonesia finds itself at an important strategic moment. Few emerging economies sit at the intersection of as many global priorities: resilient growth, critical minerals, digital transformation, climate finance, and geoeconomic fragmentation. Strong macroeconomic fundamentals have helped establish the country as one of the world’s most promising emerging markets, according to the IMF. But the question facing policymakers is no longer whether Indonesia can grow. It is whether Jakarta can translate today’s…

Here are all the latest playable releases from the past few days across turn-based RPGs, strategy games, and roguelites. August continues to be absolutely scorching, not just weather-wise- since where I’m writing from in Italy, the heat is brutal, but also when it comes to new releases. Personally, I’ve got my eye on the remake of a true strategy classic, which I’m hoping to dive into this weekend if I can carve out an hour for myself. But I’ve also come across several promising demos for dungeon-crawling RPGs, as well as the debut of a very intriguing SRPG that, after…