A fire that destroyed a US warship last year was “clearly preventable” and was the result of a series of systematic failures, according to a Navy investigation.
HHS’ Dr. Rachel Levine sworn in as US’ first openly transgender four-star officer
Dr. Rachel Levine, the assistant secretary for health at the US Department of Health and Human Services, made history Tuesday as the first openly transgender four-star officer across the nation’s eight uniformed services.
Marine forced to forfeit $5,000 in pay following conviction related to his videos criticizing the US withdrawal from Afghanistan
A Marine who was found guilty after posting a series of videos on social media criticizing top military leaders’ handling of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan received a sentence of one month forfeiture of $5,000 in pay and a direction to receive a letter of reprimand from a military judge on Friday.
US officially rejoins controversial UN Human Rights Council
The United States is officially a member of the controversial United Nations Human Rights Council again, reversing former President Donald Trump’s withdrawal three years ago.
FBI sting operation nets couple accused of trying to sell US nuclear secrets
Following a year-long operation by undercover FBI agents, a Maryland couple has been arrested and charged with attempting to sell US nuclear secrets to another country in exchange for cryptocurrency.
Millions across the central US are under threat of severe storms today
A “potentially significant severe weather event” is forecast for portions of Oklahoma and Texas on Sunday, meteorologists warn.
US surpasses 700,000 Covid-19 deaths
The US surpassed 700,000 deaths from Covid-19 on Friday, 108 days after the country reached 600,000 deaths from the virus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
After one of the driest years on record, it will take multiple years for some states to recover
Record drought, wildfires, and water shortages have beleaguered the western US, and the forecast is not much brighter. A new water year began Friday, resetting the clock for many states who are hopeful to start anew and see better results.
Analysis: States are drawing new election maps. Here’s what to know
Here’s the first of a number of stories we’ll write between now and the end of the year on the most important element of US politics that most Americans don’t spend too much time worrying about: redistricting.
DHS intelligence branch sent ‘untrained, inexperienced’ intel collectors to Portland, internal review finds
An internal review of the Department of Homeland Security intelligence branch revealed an unprepared and ill-trained workforce was thrown into assisting with intelligence collection amid the civil unrest in Portland, Oregon, in summer 2020, contributing to the gathering and dissemination of intelligence on US journalists there.
DC appeals court grapples with the question of due process rights for Guantanamo detainees
The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit grappled on Thursday with the question of whether to issue a significant decision about the due process rights of Guantanamo detainees — a case that has put the Biden administration on complicated footing as the President has looked for ways to finally close the US prison in Cuba.
Suicide rate among active duty service members increased by 41% between 2015 and 2020
The suicide rate among active duty service members in the US military increased by 41.4% in the five years from 2015 to 2020, according to data provided in the annual report from the Department of Defense on suicide in the military.
So long, pandemic pricing. Rents are skyrocketing
The days of rent discounts and “pandemic pricing” are over as rents across the US climb back up.
America’s biggest bank is prepping for potential US default
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says America’s largest bank is once again preparing for a potential US default even though he expects Congress to avoid that “potentially catastrophic” event by lifting the debt ceiling.
Economists slash their forecasts for America’s growth
Business economists are marking down their forecasts for US growth this year as the Delta variant takes a toll on the recovery, according to a survey released Monday.
Biden administration issuing new security guidance to companies on cyberattacks
The Biden administration is issuing new security guidance to critical infrastructure firms in an attempt to blunt the impact of ransomware and other hacks, following a series of attacks on US companies.
UK bails out an American company to prevent food supply crisis
The UK government has agreed to subsidize a major US fertilizer manufacturer at a cost of several million pounds to taxpayers in order to restart carbon dioxide production vital to Britain’s food supply.
US Space Force unveils new uniform prototypes
The US Space Force, the newest branch of the US military, on Tuesday unveiled a new uniform prototype for its members, known as Guardians.
Why we’re talking about the debt limit again
Republicans and Democrats in Washington are gearing up for their occasional fight over raising the US debt limit.
It’s premature to declare economic victory from the Covid crash
In March 2020, the US economy faced the specter of a financial crisis and a full-blown depression as Covid-19 crippled American society.
Pope Francis says bishops should be pastors, not politicians in US debate on denying Biden communion over abortion
Pope Francis on Wednesday said bishops debating whether to deny communion to public figures who support abortion rights, such as President Joe Biden, should make their decisions from a “pastoral” viewpoint and not a political one.
Climate measures in budget bill could cut nearly 1 billion tons of emissions per year by 2030, analysis finds
Six major climate provisions in congressional Democrats’ massive budget bill could slash US greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 1 billion tons per year by 2030, a new analysis from the nonpartisan Rhodium Group found.
Cubans still reside on Guantánamo Bay base decades after US-Cuba relations deteriorated
Sixty years after the United States’ failed Bay of Pigs invasion, the remnants of the US and Cuba’s fractured relationship are tucked away in a small neighborhood of the US Naval base at Guantánamo Bay. Nineteen Cubans still live on the base almost 60 years after the base closed its borders with the island nation it sits on the edge of.
Top US commanders in Afghanistan wrestle with mistakes and regrets
US commanders who led the war in Afghanistan are wrestling with the country’s collapse to the Taliban, with some ruing the “pretty horrible mistakes” the US military made along the way and one of them flatly declaring America’s longest war was not worth the price.
Walmart is ending these bonuses for store workers
Walmart will end its quarterly bonuses for US store workers in January after it raises its hourly minimum wage from $11 to $12, eliminating a longstanding perk for workers.
Navy identifies 5 sailers killed in helicopter crash off California coast
Five US Navy sailors were declared dead after they disappeared following a helicopter crash off the California coast, the US 3rd fleet said in a news release on Saturday.
How a Trump adviser slowed down the entry of Afghan allies into the US
Stephen Miller seemed floored by the idea, raised during a fall Cabinet meeting in 2018, of keeping open the doors for Afghan allies and other Middle East refugees to enter the US.
Congressman claims Taliban not allowing US citizens to depart Mazar-i-Sharif airport
Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he has received classified briefings that American citizens and Afghan allies are stuck at the Mazar-i-Sharif airport in Afghanistan.
Biden visits wounded service members at Walter Reed
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden traveled to Walter Reed medical center in Maryland on Thursday to visit wounded US service members.
Hurricanes, wildfires and drought: US battling climate disasters on several fronts
Hurricanes, wildfires, floods, heat waves, and drought wreaking havoc on much of the United States paint a picture of a nation in peril. Region by region, the country faces compounding disasters.