Author: Braxton Taylor

The Pentagon is eliminating over $580 million in programs, grants, and contracts that it called “wasteful spending,” with a long-stalled software modernization program accounting for almost half of the cuts.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the cuts in a memo released on Thursday, saying they affected efforts “inconsistent with the priorities of the DOD” and that they would free up about $170 million for better priorities.The most noteworthy termination was a human-resources software-development program and its associated contracts. Launched in 2018 as a one-year, $36-million effort to streamline HR operations, the program has consumed more than $300 million and has yet to become…

Ahead of his confirmation hearing Thursday to become assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, Keith Bass is facing tough questions from a prominent Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee.Bass, a retired Navy commander and substance abuse counselor who previously led the Central Intelligence Agency’s Office of Medical Services and the White House Medical Unit, was nominated Dec. 22 to manage the Defense Department’s $61 billion health system, which serves 9.5 million beneficiaries, including 1.3 million active-duty troops.The health affairs assistant secretary is responsible for protecting and preserving the health of the armed forces, setting policy, and managing the…

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.On a frigid winter morning in 2022, a stranger knocked on the door of a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, during Shabbat service.Soon after he was invited in for tea, the visitor pulled out a pistol and demanded the release of an al-Qaida-linked detainee from a nearby federal prison, seizing as hostages a rabbi and three worshipers. The standoff lasted 10 hours until the rabbi, drawing on extensive security training, hurled a chair at the assailant. The hostages escaped.“We are alive today…

Hill Air Force Base in Utah has closed one of its two day care centers, harming quality of life for some service members, civilian employees and their families following hiring freezes ordered by President Donald Trump’s administration.Earlier this month, Military.com first reported that Hill — the service’s second-largest base by population and size — had begun warning certain families that it would likely have to close one of its child development centers, or CDCs, due to a lack of staffing exacerbated, in part, by Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk’s push to trim the size of the federal workforce.”CDCs traditionally…

The Pentagon’s inspector general is launching a three-pronged investigation into the department’s “failure to secure its unclassified telephone communications from foreign espionage,” a top IG official has informed lawmakers.The inquest, which follows Chinese penetrations of U.S. telecommunications companies, will look at three ways the Pentagon uses unclassified commercial devices and services, Jaryd Bern, assistant inspector general for legislative affairs and communications, wrote in a March 20 letter to Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.Bern wrote that the IG would first look at the Pentagon’s Spiral 4 contract vehicle for buying mobile communications devices and services—specifically, its security requirements,…

It’s a picturesque April morning in the turkey woods. The air is cool and still—no breeze to be found. The robins are greeting the morning sun, as are the turkeys perched in a stand of oak trees on the hillside opposing you. Things are looking good for the morning hunt.Shortly after fly down, the toms are responding to your calls, even the hens are talking back to you. But just like yesterday’s hunt (and the weekend prior) the birds have lost interest and carry about their business directly away from your calling location. You don’t know what you said to…

First Lite’s new Treeline turkey vest does a great job of balancing both comfort and modularity, making it perfect for everything from quick hunts before work or all day run-and-gun fests. I’m running the Treeline turkey vest this spring, and I’ve already put it to good use. Vests typically take one of two approaches: run and gun or maximum storage/comfort. The Treeline does both well. Pack-style vests usually sacrifice the traditional game bag, but the Treeline offers both. This design takes a page from the Western pack book and brings a much-needed update to the turkey vest. Two clips allow…

1791 Outdoor Lifestyle Group manufactures and sells leather holsters, EDC tool organizers and associated outdoor gear and sporting goods, and has now introduced its new Pathfinder Chest Holster, an open-carry holster created for hunters, campers, hikers, pilots or anyone who needs quick, unobstructed access to their handgun in case of an emergency. A chest holster positions the firearm across the chest, keeping it easily accessible without interfering with arm movement or other gear, like a backpack. This is especially useful when carrying heavy loads or navigating rough terrain, as it avoids the hip area where a traditional holster might snag…

Turkey season is here, folks, and it’s time for the MeatEater Crew to strut their stuff and see who is the best turkey-talker of the bunch. Over the next week, crew members will be facing off head-to-head in three rounds: best turkey call sequence, crow call and owl hoot, and turkey gobble—and you get to pick who wins.The winner of the contest will get to donate $500 to the National Wild Turkey Federation in their name. Watch the videos and cast your vote below to select who you think should make it to the next round. Don’t delay—voting will only…

Blazer Brass is part of the CCI ammunition lineup and has recently released an all-new line of hollowpoint ammunition. These new handgun loads are sold in 50-round boxes and feature reloadable brass cases, clean CCI primers and an accurate hollowpoint bullet that offers reliable expansion. This product line is currently being delivered to retailers nationwide, and is available in 9mm, .40 S&W, 10mm and 45 ACP. The 9mm round as a muzzle velocity of 1,145 fps, .40 S&W round has a velocity of 1,015 fps, while the 10mm round has a muzzle velocity of 1,175 fps and the .45 ACP…