VA expects 30K voluntary job cuts by October, erasing need for layoffs
More than 17,000 Veterans Affairs jobs have been eliminated or vacated since the start of the year.
Pentagon & Congress
House passes Trump megabill with $150 billion in military funding
The bill includes $150 billion for the Pentagon, earmarked for shipbuilding, the Golden Dome and restocking precision weapons, among other priorities.
US strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program up to 2 years, DOD says
“We’re thinking probably closer to two years — like degraded their program by two years,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Wednesday.
Pentagon creates new military border zone in Arizona
The fourth national defense area created along the US-Mexico border will be an extension of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in the Sonora Desert.
Ukraine arms freeze part of wider military aid review, Pentagon says
The decision to pause the delivery of some munitions to Ukraine "was made to put America's interest first," a White House spokesperson said.
All US military boots should be made in America, lawmakers contend
The bill requires all combat boots worn by U.S. service members, including optional boots, to be American-made.
Senate passes Trump’s major policy bill with $150 billion for the DOD
Funding included in the bill would go toward shipbuilding, the Golden Dome homeland missile defense project, munitions and other key Pentagon priorities.
Military requests pulling 200 troops back from California protest duty
The commander in charge of the troops in LA asked the Defense Secretary if 200 of those forces could be returned to wildfire fighting duty.
Missile Defense Agency’s FY26 budget targets homeland missile defense
The request includes funding for systems designed to defend the homeland against intercontinental ballistic missiles from Iran and North Korea.
No ‘significant’ mover capacity problems expected for troops, DOD says
The DOD says a new task force is "fully engaged" in overseeing the process of troops' household goods moves during this peak season.
Lawmaker proposes Iranian Campaign Medal for strikes on nuclear sites
Pilots and supporting service members involved in the complex airstrikes would be eligible for the new military medal.
Army seeks $197 billion FY26 budget with transformation plan at center
The Army's base budget request is $192 billion but relies on another $5.4 billon in supplemental funding for key initiatives.
Navy budget seeks to boost modernization of fleet, shipyards
The Navy intends to use some of the funds to increase its fleet of warships by 19 and modernize century-old shipyards.
Pentagon to request $848 billion in delayed base budget release
Defense officials argued the spending request should also include another spending bill in Congress, which would bring the total closer to $961 billion.
Iran’s supreme leader resurfaces to warn against future US attacks
Khamenei's speech, which went on for more than 10 minutes Thursday, was filled with warnings and threats directed toward the United States and Israel.
House passes $435 billion spending plan for VA in fiscal 2026
Republicans approved plans for an 18% boost in total Veterans Affairs spending next year, but the measure is far from becoming law.
Advocates recruit vets to attend Afghan allies’ immigration hearings
The effort is designed to show support for legal immigration of more Afghans who worked alongside American forces during the war overseas.
