POLICY AND PUBLIC INTEREST
The commander of U.S. Strategic Command spoke on the critical role of nuclear deterrence and its supporting platforms in securing U.S. strategic dominance and maintaining global stability at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
As global tensions rise, the United States confronts a complex and evolving geostrategic landscape, demanding it modernize its strategic nuclear forces. Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, outlined the stakes during a “fireside chat” at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. His remarks illuminated the critical role of nuclear deterrence and its supporting platforms, particularly the Nuclear Command, Control and Communications system, in securing U.S. strategic dominance and maintaining global stability.
In a conversation with Aerospace Security Project Director Kari Bingen, Cotton explained that contemporary threats are markedly different from those envisioned by strategic planners when nuclear modernization efforts began over a decade ago. He noted that these efforts — originally designed amid low-intensity conflicts like the war on terror — now require significant adaptation to address the increasingly aggressive postures of adversaries like Russia and China.
“The world has changed since nuclear modernization efforts began,” he said. “Our posture must align with today’s reality, where nuclear weapons are foundational to adversaries’ strategies.” Cotton’s observation reflects a shift in global power dynamics, where nuclear capabilities are not merely a deterrent but a central element of adversarial strategies to challenge American interests.
Russia’s evolving nuclear doctrine provides an example of these shifting dynamics. Recent statements from Russian President Vladimir Putin signal an expanded nuclear strategy, one that lowers the threshold for nuclear use and targets NATO alliances more directly. This shift aligns with broader Russian efforts to bully Western nations into withdrawing their support for Ukraine. Simultaneously, China continues its rapid expansion of nuclear capabilities while resisting international calls for transparency. Together, these adversaries present the Defense Department with an unprecedented “dual peer”…
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Massachusetts Faces Significant Wealth and Resident Exodus as Cost of Living Soars, New Study Reveals
A Pioneer Institute study released on Tuesday shows that Massachusetts lost $10.6 billion in adjusted
Andrew Sobko, BATCH, Spotlighted on New York Stock Exchange TV
New York Stock Exchange TV recently spotlighted the technology-enabled logistics brokerage firm BATCH Freight as
U.S. Army Boosts Financial Readiness for Service Members and Families With Comprehensive Support and Resources
Discussing matters related to finances is crucial for the future well-being of service members. That is why the Army offers comprehensive support and resources to enhance financial readiness for both Soldiers and their Families. The Army is promoting responsible spending, implementing effective budgeting strategies and addressing the challenge of…
U.S. and CARICOM Strengthen Cooperation Against Firearms Trafficking at High-Level Meeting
On October 31, the United States and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) co-hosted a high-level interagency coordination meeting to strengthen U.S.-Caribbean cooperation to counter firearms trafficking through the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIU).
Convened under the auspices of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) in Washington DC, the U.S. delegation…
Space Systems Command Outlines Organizational Priorities
Citing the growing criticality of effective, ready and reliable space capabilities in an era of Great Power Competition, Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, Space Systems Command commander, has authored and released his command plan highlighting the organizational improvements necessary to pave the way forward for excellence.
Garrant, joined by U.S….
U.S. Military Recruitment Hits New High With 225,000 Enlisted in FY 2024 Despite Challenges
The Defense Department’s armed services branches recruited 12.5% more people in fiscal year 2024 than in the year prior despite a challenging and disinterested recruiting market.
While speaking at a multiservice panel on 2025 recruiting issues at the Pentagon earlier this week, Director of Military Accession Policy Katie Helland said…
South Carolina Guardsmen Deploy to Centcom
A departure ceremony was held Oct. 19 for South Carolina Army National Guard Soldiers deploying to support Operation Inherent Resolve in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.
The Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 263rd Air Defense Artillery Battalion, 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command, will provide air defense in theater in…
Paralyzed Veterans of America issues statement in response to House passage of Elizabeth Dole Caregiver bill
Paralyzed Veterans of America National President Robert Thomas issues the following statement in response to the House’s passage of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. This legislation is a comprehensive bipartisan package of bills that expands services for veterans, their families and caregivers, as well as their survivors across healthcare, education, benefits, and more.
“Improving access to home and community-based services is crucial to the health and well-being of our wounded, ill, and injured veterans and their caregivers. The limitations on VA home care leads to veterans being forced to move into institutions to receive the care they need. PVA is pleased by the House’s passage of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which would address the inequities in care for our most catastrophically disabled veterans. We now turn our attention to the Senate and urge them to swiftly pass this important bill. Without these protections, caregivers will continue to face exhaustion, burnout, financial difficulties, and more. And the veterans with disabilities that they care for, like our members and thousands of others, will suffer extreme hardship.”
Paralyzed Veterans of America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and the only…
U.S. Department of State hosts OneBeat Institute’s 'Resilient Futures' residency, empowering global creative leaders
As part of the U.S. Department of State’s Global Music Diplomacy Initiative, which elevates music as a platform for promoting peace and democracy, the Department recently hosted the OneBeat Institute’s ‘Resilient Futures’ residency from October 27 to November 7. This year’s Institute brought together five teams of OneBeat alumni and their community partners from Iraq, Mexico, Nigeria, Türkiye, and Ukraine (by way of Portugal) for an intensive two-week exchange program in the United States. Through project-specific mentorship and strategic support, these creative leaders refined their vision, developed curricula, crafted business and multi-year plans —advancing their capacity to enrich the creative economies in their home countries.
Fellows, who included composers, curators, musicians, graffiti artists, and filmmakers- began their journey with a weeklong residency in upstate New York where they presented unique entrepreneurial music and civic projects, engaged in organizational and creative exercises, and met with guest artists and advisors. The program continued in New York City where fellows deepened their collaboration by engaging in peer-to-peer learning and receiving professional mentorship from U.S.-based leaders across business, arts, culture, technology, and education sectors.
Launched in 2012, OneBeat began as an annual U.S.-based residency and tour program, bringing together early-career musicians from around…
U.S., South Korea Concerned North Koreans May Soon Fight Against Ukrainians
The Defense Department is closely tracking the unprecedented level of direct military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.
Austin met with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun today for the 56th annual security consultative meeting. They also held a joint news briefing…
‘Maritime Big Play’ in Pacific Demonstrates AUKUS Partner Compatibility
This month Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. — all members of the AUKUS trilateral partnership — participated in “Maritime Big Play,” a series of integrated experiments and exercises held in the Indo-Pacific region, meant to enhance capability development and improve interoperability between the partners.
As part of the experiments…
Soldiers Injured in Raid on ISIS Locations Earlier This Week Headed to Walter Reed
On Tuesday morning, Iraqi Security Forces, working with service members from Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, conducted strikes and follow-on raids on multiple ISIS locations in central Iraq.
Two service members were injured during the raid and are now headed to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland,…
U.S., Japan, and Philippines Hold Trilateral Talks in Manila to Tackle Economic Coercion and Foster Resilience
Today, senior government officials from the United States, Japan, and the Philippines convened an informal trilateral discussion in Manila on countering economic coercion and promoting economic resilience. The discussion was chaired by Ms. Ma. Corazon Halili—Dichosa, Executive Director for Industry Development Services at the Board of Investments of the…
U.S. and Montenegro Strengthen Economic Ties Through In-Person Dialogue and MOU Signing
Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez met with Montenegrin Deputy Prime Minister Nik Gjeloshaj in Washington, D.C., on October 21 for the first in-person U.S.-Montenegro Senior Economic Dialogue together with Minister of Energy Sasa Mujovic, Minister of Public Administration Marash Dukaj, Minister of…
President Joe Biden thanked veterans for their service to the nation and emphasized that the nation must keep the faith with those who stepped up to defend the United States during a Veterans Day address at Arlington National Cemetery, Va
By Maxx Quinten / Executive EditorPresident Joe Biden thanked veterans for their service to the nation and their fellow Americans and emphasized that the nation must keep the faith with those who stepped up to defend the United States.
Biden spoke at the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, this morning. Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis R. McDonough, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., attended the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the speech at the Memorial Amphitheater.
President Biden noted that this is his last Veterans Day as commander in chief. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to lead you, to serve you, care for you to defend you just as you defended us,” he said in his remarks.
Biden took inspiration for his remarks from Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address delivered March 4, 1865. Biden, too, called to “bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.”
Biden said supporting veterans and their families is not a partisan issue, and he noted that Congress has easily passed legislation looking to address issues facing veterans and their families. This covers issues like addressing exposure to toxic substances. The president has worked with Congress to expand veterans’ access to health care, address veteran homelessness and support education and workforce opportunity for veterans and their families.
Biden announced that under the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, also known as…
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U.S. Navy Successfully Tests Revolutionary At-Sea Reloading System, Boosting Combat Readiness
The U.S. Navy achieved a breakthrough in combat readiness as it successfully demonstrated the Transferrable Reload At-sea Method (TRAM) on an underway warship in open ocean for the first time.
Sailors aboard the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65) used the hydraulically-powered TRAM device to load an empty missile canister…
Defense Security Cooperation Agency Director Discusses Focus on Workforce
The recent establishment of the Defense Security Cooperation Service marked a fundamental shift in how the Defense Department will organize, train and equip the security cooperation workforce, the director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Wednesday.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the Association of the United States…
U.S. Department of Energy Announces California’s Launch of First Phase of Federal Home Energy Rebate Programs to Help Lower Families’ Utility Bills
As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on October 8 that California is launching its first federal Home Energy Rebates program, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act. California is launching the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) portion of the…
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued a recent message to the force that emphasized the Defense Department's commitment to a professional, orderly and calm transition to the next commander in chief, the Pentagon announced
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued a recent message to the force that emphasized the Defense Department’s commitment to a professional, orderly and calm transition to the next commander in chief, the Pentagon announced today.
In that message sent out Wednesday, “Secretary Austin reiterated that the U.S. military will stand ready to carry out the policy choices of the next commander in chief and to obey all lawful orders from a civilian chain of command to defend the United States, our Constitution and the rights of all American citizens,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told the media.
Singh also said Austin’s message reaffirmed the military will, “continue to stand apart from the political arena; to stand guard over our republic with principle and professionalism; and to stand together with the valued allies and partners who deepen our security.”
She added that, as the transition will be getting underway soon, the defense secretary has expressed a deep sense of pride in and appreciation for both the Defense Department’s civilian workforce and all service members stationed stateside and deployed around the world.
With 74 days until President Joe Biden’s administration hands over control of the Defense Department to the second Donald Trump…
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FLEOA Congratulates President-Elect Donald J. Trump, Offers Its Counsel to New Administration
Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Travels to Argentina and Uruguay to Strengthen Joint Efforts Against Illicit Drugs
Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Todd D. Robinson will travel to Argentina and Uruguay from October 14-18 to strengthen our joint efforts in the fight against illicit synthetic drugs and to reaffirm our commitments to bolster regional security.
In Buenos Aires, Assistant…
U.S. Department of Defense, FEMA Working in Unison on Hurricane Relief Efforts
The Defense Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are fully engaged in a whole-of-government effort to provide relief to victims of both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, the Pentagon announced on Thursday.
The efforts include thousands of DOD personnel, vehicles and equipment providing relief on the ground in the…
Former Ecuadorian President and Vice President Designated as Ineligible for Entry into the United States Due to Corruption Involvement
The Department of State is designating Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado (“Correa”) and Jorge David Glas Espinel (“Glas”) as generally ineligible for entry into the United States due to their involvement in significant corruption during their time in public office.
Correa and Glas abused their positions as former president of Ecuador…