Department of Defense

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Death Toll in US Boat Strikes Blows Past 100

US military says 5 were killed in 2 new boat strikes against alleged drug smugglers in eastern Pacific

(Newser) - The US military on Thursday said it had conducted two more strikes against boats it claimed were smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five people. US Southern Command posted on social media that "intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern...

Kids at Military Base Schools Will Have to Ditch Cellphones

Bipartisan defense bill bans student smartphones in K-12 classrooms on military bases

(Newser) - Military kids on US bases are about to join the growing list of students who can't check TikTok between classes. Tucked into the $900 billion National Defense Authorization Act is a new requirement: K-12 students at schools run by the Department of Defense Education Activity will be barred from...

Pentagon Weighs Major Shake-Up of US Commands

Proposal would cut combatant commands, elevate new Americas, International hubs

(Newser) - The Pentagon is weighing one of its biggest command shake-ups in decades, a move that would trim top brass and rewire how US forces are run around the world, the Washington Post reports, citing "people familiar with the matter." According to the Post's sources, a draft proposal...

Hegseth: We're Not Releasing Video of Second Boat Strike

Defense chief cites Pentagon policy on footage of secret operations

(Newser) - The Pentagon says video of a deadly strike on a suspected drug-running boat that killed a pair of survivors will not be released to the public. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Tuesday that the complete, unedited video of the Sept. 2 operation, in which 11 people were killed, will...

Pentagon Launches New AI Platform
Pentagon Launches
New AI Platform
Dec 11, 2025 10:19 AM CST

Pentagon Launches New AI Platform

GenAI.mil to support analysis for 3M Pentagon employees

(Newser) - The Pentagon is hitching much of its AI future to Google's biggest brain. Defense officials say they've selected Alphabet's Gemini for Government—Google's tailored version of its flagship AI model—to power a new platform called GenAI.mil, which will be available to about 3 million...

House OKs $900B Defense Bill That Raises Pay for Troops
House Approves
Pay Raise for Troops
Dec 10, 2025 7:45 PM CST

House Approves Pay Raise for Troops

Defense bill changes the way Pentagon buys weapons, putting emphasis on speed

(Newser) - The House passed a sweeping defense policy bill Wednesday that authorizes $900 billion in military programs, including a pay raise for troops and an overhaul of the way the Department of Defense buys weapons. It includes a demand that videos of the US strikes on boats in the Carribean be...

NYT Sues Pete Hegseth Over 'Press-Restrictive Scheme'

Pentagon has banned reporting without official approval; press corps revolts

(Newser) - The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, challenging a controversial Pentagon policy that bars journalists from reporting any information—even unclassified material—unless it has been formally cleared by defense officials. The newspaper says the rule, put in place...

US Military Announces Its 20th Boat Strike

4 are reported dead after Caribbean Sea hit that US government alleges targeted a drug vessel

(Newser) - The US military's 20th strike on a boat accused of transporting drugs has killed four people in the Caribbean Sea, the US military said Friday, coming as the Trump administration escalates its campaign in South American waters. The latest strike happened Monday, according to a social media post on...

Report Puts Trump's DOD Rebrand Cost at $2B

Changes to signage, letterhead alone could cost $1B, congressional sources tell NBC

(Newser) - President Trump's push to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War could cost taxpayers up to $2 billion, NBC News reports, citing sources familiar with the matter. The proposed change, which still requires congressional approval, would trigger a sweeping overhaul of signage, letterhead, digital systems, and...

Trump Jr. Ties to Drone Firm Scrutinized After DOD Contract

President's son has $4M stake in Unusual Machines, which just saw its largest Pentagon deal

(Newser) - A Florida-based drone manufacturer with financial ties to Donald Trump Jr. has landed its largest Pentagon contract to date as the US military steps up efforts to boost domestic drone acquisition. The company, Unusual Machines, in which Trump Jr. holds a stake worth about $4 million, announced it will supply...

Pentagon Sending Aircraft Carrier to South America

It's the latest US military escalation in the region

(Newser) - Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said Friday the military is deploying an aircraft carrier to the waters off South America, a move the Washington Post describes as a "major escalation" of the US military presence in the region. Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group to...

Journalists Vacate Pentagon as Hegseth's Rules Kick In
Pentagon Reporters Pack Up
Oct 15, 2025 5:08 PM CDT

Pentagon Reporters Pack Up

Journalists turn in their badges as Trump endorses Hegseth's new rules

(Newser) - Dozens of reporters turned in access badges and exited the Pentagon on Wednesday rather than agree to government-imposed restrictions on their work, pushing journalists who cover the American military further from the seat of its power. News outlets were nearly unanimous in rejecting new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete...

Even Fox News Says No Thanks to New Pentagon Rules

So far, only ultra-conservative OANN has signed on

(Newser) - Fox News, the former employer of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has joined a near-unanimous outpouring of news organizations rejecting new rules for journalists based in the Pentagon , the AP reports. Fox signed on to a statement with ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN saying they would not agree to Hegseth's...

News Outlets Say They Won't Sign Pentagon Policy

Hegseth set deadline for agreeing to restrictions of 5pm Tuesday

(Newser) - A number of major media organizations—including the Atlantic, CNN, Newsmax, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Breaking Defense, and NPR—have announced they will not agree to comply with a new Pentagon press policy. The rules require that all information, including unclassified...

Hegseth Is Really Going After Charlie Kirk's Detractors

Pentagon is probing hundreds of DOD staffers over online posts after activist's murder

(Newser) - The Pentagon has launched nearly 300 investigations into Defense Department personnel—including service members, civilian staff, and contractors—for their online comments following the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The sweeping probe, described in internal documents and reported by the Washington Post , follows a directive from Defense...

Press Association Blasts New Pentagon Restrictions

'The American people deserve to know how their military is being run'

(Newser) - Facing a deadline next week on whether to sign a statement acknowledging new restrictions on how they do their jobs or risk being thrown out of the Pentagon, journalists who cover the US military appear headed toward a showdown with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Negotiations over changing some of the...

Trump Sending Troops to 'War-Ravaged' Portland

President claims it's partly to protect ICE facilities from 'domestic terrorists,' 'antifa'

(Newser) - President Trump said on Saturday that he'll send troops to Portland, Oregon, to handle "domestic terrorists" as he expands his controversial deployments to more American cities. He made the announcement on social media , writing that he was directing the Department of Defense to "provide all necessary Troops...

Possible Agenda Items Emerge for Generals Meeting

Hegseth may talk about the 'warrior ethos,' administration officials say

(Newser) - In the absence of an explanation for ordering hundreds of generals and admirals to Virginia to hear from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, possible agenda items are being floated. The mystery only deepened in the Oval Office on Thursday when reporters asked about the meeting. "I think it'...

Military's New Facial Hair Rule May Mostly Affect Black Men
Military's New Facial Hair Rule
May Mostly Affect Black Men
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Sep 21, 2025 2:25 PM CDT

Military's New Facial Hair Rule May Mostly Affect Black Men

Most hair exemptions are issued for condition that disproportionately affects Black men

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that troops who need an exemption from shaving their facial hair for longer than a year should get kicked out of the service, the AP reports. While commanders are still able to issue service members exemptions from shaving—a policy that has existed for...

Pentagon Denies Report of Kirk-Focused Recruiting

Sources told NBC the military was considering using Turning Point USA offices as recruitment centers

(Newser) - Pentagon officials are considering a recruitment campaign centered on Charlie Kirk, NBC News reports, citing "two officials familiar with the planning." According to NBC's sources, the campaign would urge people to honor the murdered conservative activist's legacy by joining the military, with slogans including "Charlie...

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