Friday Morning Joe: America's Secret War, NSA overhaul, Air National Guarserve, weather, Mr. Potato Head Homer...

By Northwest Military News Team on January 17, 2014

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Obama has presided over a huge surge in special operations, vastly out-pacing Bush.

The US Senate passed a government-wide spending measure that would give the Pentagon nearly $600 billion to buy new weapons, address readiness problems and fight America's wars. The final vote tally was 72-26.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel huddled with his top military and civilian leaders as the Defense Department puts the finishing touches on its 2015 budget proposal.

President Obama will announce today a major overhaul of a controversial National Security Agency program that collects vast amounts of basic telephone call data on foreigners and Americans.

Its Senate sponsors describe it as a "diplomatic insurance policy" that will help President Obama cut a better nuclear deal with Iran. The White House condemns it as a deal-killer that could put the United States on a path to war.

South Korea rejected North Korean warnings to call off scheduled joint military exercises with the United States and vowed "severe" retaliation to any provocation from Pyongyang.

Members of al-Qaida's branch in Iraq handed out pamphlets urging those in Fallujah to take up arms and back the militants in their weekslong fight against government troops as clashes raged on around the city.

As the U.S. economy gets back on track - unemployment recently fell below 7 percent for the first time in five years - the Pentagon's recruiting commands are bracing for potential challenges.

With the Army drawdown the question arises - what a smaller Army can do and what it can't?

The US Air Force's Total Force Task Force (TF2) is now the Total Force Continuum (TFC), to guide integration of Air National Guard and Reserve units.

Rock mysteriously appears in front of the Mars Opportunity rover.

R.I.P. Professor, Reuben Kincaid and one of the last surviving Munchkins.

The 5 most ridiculous ways studios spoiled their own movies.

Here is your soundtrack today, thanks to Henry Rollins.

Why are today's teens watching so much bad '90s television.

Mr. Potato Head Homer: Let's Play D'oh.

Enjoy Vladimir Putin playing the piano and singing "Blueberry Hill."