Author: Braxton Taylor
This week, Brent’s sharing his passion for baseball with some stories from his childhood. He has a special affinity for America’s pastime, but his favorite part of it isn’t the players – it’s the game itself. The similarities he sees between life and baseball are close. You’ll have to listen to see if you agree. Batter up! It’s time for MeatEater’s “This Country Life” podcast. Read the full article here
Former officials from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, are calling the watchdog’s choice to let Navy Federal Credit Union off the hook for charging its members — almost exclusively service members, veterans and their families — millions in illegal overdraft fees unprecedented, and they warn that the agency doesn’t seem to living up to its promise to protect troops from financial scams and predatory acts.”We are at a point where it’s very uncertain whether the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will ultimately step in on the side of consumers and not take the side of their bank as they…
The Coast Guard has renamed its operational districts to reflect their geographic regions, a move the service says will make its construct more recognizable to the public as well as governmental partners and industry.The change is part of the service’s Force Design 2028, a restructuring announced in May that aims to increase the size of the service and streamline its organization.According to Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard’s acting commandant, the shift to geographic names is a “critical step” in becoming a “more agile, capable and responsive fighting force.”Read Next: After Navy Federal Overdraft Fees Case Dropped, Experts Warn Troops…
Tim Kennedy, a National Guard Green Beret and major public figure within the post-9/11 veteran community, admitted this week to lying about receiving a valor award for combat service and to exaggerating parts of his service.The admission by Kennedy, who is often seen promoting the Army’s top brass, triggered an investigation and raised fresh questions inside the Pentagon about his close relationship with senior leaders.In a social media post Monday, Kennedy said he had “implied directly or indirectly” that he had received the Bronze Star Medal with Valor. “That is not true, and there is no excuse for it,” he…
A Camp Pendleton Marine was charged with multiple felony counts of sexual exploitation of children last month after allegedly sending explicit photos and videos of himself to middle school students and threatening them with rape, according to a partially redacted affidavit obtained by Military.com.Pfc. Justin Ryder Simmons, 19, was arrested June 16 at Camp Pendleton, California. He was extradited to his home state of Colorado later that month where he was booked into a county jail on a $25,000 bond and then subsequently released, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado.Simmons was charged with two counts of sexual…
Top officials at the Pentagon office that played a key role in designing the bombs used in the strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities more than two weeks ago cannot say whether the weapons were successful in reaching the deeply buried bunkers.At a press briefing days after the strike, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that “for more than 15 years” a pair of officers at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency “lived and breathed this single target — Fordo — a critical element of Iran’s covert nuclear weapons program” and hailed the agency as “the world’s…
Family members who lost loved ones when a passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair in Washington, D.C., in January said in a letter that Army leadership is failing to take accountability and be transparent with those who are still mourning from the tragedy.The letter, posted publicly Wednesday, is addressed to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and calls on the service to communicate directly with the families in the wake of the crash, as well as designate a point person to keep them notified of steps in several ongoing probes related to the circumstances of the collision.”We understand…
Too many overlapping roles and responsibilities, excessive classification, and too few people in key positions are hurting U.S. collaboration with allies in space, a new government watchdog report says.In recent year, the Defense Department’s space operations have grown considerably in recent years, and at least in theory, have been streamlined since the 2019 creation of the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command. But a new report from the Government Accountability Office found that allies and partnersare struggling to figure out who to contact within the sprawling U.S. military space enterprise—for example, about training exercises, information sharing, and other matters.That confusion…
Rare earth minerals are not a technology in and of themselves, but are underlying ingredients for some of the most complex systems across the planet including military platforms and automobiles.Which explains how the U.S. and other countries are concerned about their availability after China started to limit the availability of rare earth exports in April, following President Trump’s placement of higher tariffs on Chinese goods.China supplied about 70% of the U.S.’ rare earth imports in 2023, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.That is the backdrop against which the Defense Department is taking matters into its own hands, agreeing to acquire…
If July had a motto, it could look something like this: “Still time to make this year awesome.”The fireworks are behind us, the kids are knee-deep in popsicles and pool time, and the second half of the year is staring us right in the face. That makes it the perfect time for a financial tuneup.Just like you wouldn’t head out on a summer road trip without checking the tires and topping off the oil, you shouldn’t cruise into the second half of the year without taking a peek under the hood of your finances. This is your moment to assess…