Wednesday Morning Joe: Obama in Asia, Pentagon budget trims, Army in Europe, new tech, asteroids hit Earth, putt like Obi-Wan Kenobi ...

By Northwest Military News Team on April 23, 2014

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U.S. President Barack Obama said engagement with Beijing would not come at the expense of its Asian allies.

Why Obama's Asia tour is bad news for China.

The Pentagon has laid out plans for how it would cut $66 billion in procurement and research-and-development projects between 2016 and 2019 should U.S. defense spending caps remain in place.

Ukraine's president ordered the country's forces to renew a military operation against pro-Russian militants in East Ukraine after the killing of two men and a shooting at a plane.

Four Army units heading to Eastern Europe.

Germany helped prep Russia for war.

Commercial satellite imagery shows increased activity at North Korea's nuclear test site.

Report: U.S. may leave fewer troops in Afghanaistan.

New recruits in the U.S. military are getting slightly older.

U.S. Army denies it will lay off 3,000 officers to meet force reduction goals.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program personnel demonstrated five technologies under development to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Defense officials agree that the military must change the way it buys satellites and space services. They just can't settle on exactly how it should be done.

Buying in bulk is key to lowering the cost of the F-35 joint strike fighter, the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program.

Rising jet production lifted Boeing's profit above Wall Street estimates, and the company notched up its full-year forecast.

As the Department of Veterans Affairs nears officially ending vet homelessness in 2015, job training, sustainment is critical.

Watch where 26 asteroids recently slammed into Earth.

The simplest explanation of climate change you'll ever see.

You'll Watch the Whole Thing: The formation of the United States of America in one cool animated map.

Future: We got the doors from Star Trek. The ones that go swooooosh - and that's about it.

Putt like Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Finally: Tiny desktop-sized version of Jupiter.

Researchers from the University of Colorado Denver have been looking into the most common unfriendings on the social network.

See what Stephen Colbert had to say to Dave Letterman last night.

Read GQ's new interview with Louis C.K.

Listen: New Pixies record is streaming at NPR.

Finally: An oral history of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

In case you missed it yesterday ...