Military
Pentagon to halt use of firefighting foam that contains PFAS as cleanup costs mount
WASHINGTON — Battered by years of criticism from U.S. lawmakers and environmental advocates, the Department of Defense will stop purchasing PFAS-containing firefighting foam later this year and phase it out entirely in 2024. The replacement for Aqueous Film Forming Foam has yet to be determined, and advocates are frustrated it’s taken so long to halt […]
White House unveils $2B in weapons for Ukraine on one-year anniversary of Russian invasion
WASHINGTON — On the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration announced an additional $2 billion in weapons and a host of new sanctions targeting Russia’s key industries and government officials. The Friday announcement came on the heels of President Joe Biden’s historic and surprise visit to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, where […]
One missile fired at mystery flying object wound up in Lake Huron, officials say
WASHINGTON — The American public may know by week’s end the administration’s strategy on unidentified flying objects going forward, but some questions about three recent ones shot down by the U.S. military may not be answered for a long time, if ever. Debris from the three low-altitude objects downed by U.S. Air Force air-to-air missiles […]
Midwestern, Western states in spotlight after mystery flying objects shot down by military
WASHINGTON — Military posts in Midwestern and Western states played key roles in the unprecedented downings of multiple unmanned aerial objects over the North American continent this weekend. Members of Congress and governors from the states involved and from both parties have shared information about the downings on Twitter and in statements, in some cases […]
After China balloon scare, Air Force shoots down object flying above Alaska’s North Slope
This story was updated at 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 10, 2023. An F-22 fighter jet from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson shot down an unidentified object flying above Alaska’s North Slope on Friday, officials at the White House said. The shootdown, at 9:45 a.m. Alaska time, took place less than a week after an Air Force fighter jet shot down […]
China balloon’s voyage across Alaska, Montana and U.S. enrages members of U.S. Senate panel
WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. senators grilled Pentagon officials Thursday on why a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was permitted to fly over Alaska and across the lower 48 states before being shot down off the coast of South Carolina. The Senate Committee on Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, led by Montana Democrat Jon Tester, featured […]
Chinese surveillance balloon now drifting across the middle of the U.S., Pentagon confirms
(This article was updated at 3:35 p.m. Central to add more information from the Pentagon.) WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his planned trip to Beijing after the U.S. detected a Chinese surveillance balloon hovering over Montana. A senior State Department official said Friday that despite the Chinese government claiming the […]
Arkansas House passes law to expand eligibility for disabled veteran license plates
The Arkansas House voted Monday to expand the pool of disable veterans eligible for special license plates. Without dissent, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 1101 by Rep. Andrew Collins (D-Little Rock). It allows any veteran who has been determined to be at least 10% disabled due to their military service to register for […]
Camden-made rocket launcher and missiles changing Ukraine conflict
A new Pentagon contract that is part of President Joe Biden’s most recent Ukraine security package will increase production of Arkansas-made rocket launchers and precision-guided missiles at Lockheed Martin’s sprawling manufacturing campus in East Camden. The $430.9 million Pentagon contract awarded on Dec. 2 will ramp up production of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) […]
Thousands of veterans deluge VA with claims for toxic exposure benefits, health care
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is processing claims at the fastest rate in its history, hoping to avoid a significant backlog as hundreds of thousands of veterans apply for health care and benefits under the landmark toxic exposure law Congress passed earlier this year. The day after President Joe Biden signed the […]
Arkansas National Guard soldiers lose jobs at military training center over federal disagreement
*This story was updated at 4 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2022, with comments from the National Guard Bureau. Roughly 20 members of the Arkansas National Guard stand to lose their jobs this week after state and federal leaders failed to reach an agreement on their continued employment at Camp Robinson and Fort Chaffee. These temporary […]
How you can help veterans every day
As the nation celebrates our 17 million living veterans, it is also important to know that the chance these heroes will end their own lives prematurely is still higher than among civilians. Among veterans with PTSD, suicide is the fourth most common cause of death. Among veterans younger than 35, it’s second. Over the past […]