GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.21.14 >>>

An agreement reached last week to avert wider conflict in Ukraine was faltering as the new week began, with pro-Moscow separatist gunmen showing no sign of surrendering government buildings they have seized.

At least 30 suspected al Qaeda militants were killed in air strikes on Sunday in Yemen.

Obama's Asia pivot: A work in progress.

DoD reshapes Research and Development, betting on future technology.

United States is considering deploying about 150 soldiers for military exercises to begin in Poland and Estonia in the next few weeks.

Why Putin isn't worried about sanctions.

Japan bolstered its military surveillance capabilities in the southern island region of Okinawa over the weekend as territorial tensions with China simmer.

In shift to Africa, U.S. troops find complicated relationships.

Climate change is already destabilizing nations and leading to wars.

Divided in the wake of Fort Hood shooting.

U.S. Air Force pilot Capt. Joshua Wilson sidelined after criticizing F-22 system.

Pat Tillman's death discussed by former Army Ranger Steven Alliott.

10 years on, Pat Tillman's widow at peace with past.

Army to build military's largest solar array in Arizona.

The U.S. Army fired the first of a new fifth-generation tank cartridge, the M829E4, from an Abrams tank at Aberdeen Proving Ground, as part of a series of critical trials preceding the cartridge's entry into the Army's inventory.

Areo case will shape TV's future.

Nine of the coolest prefab houses in history.

This robot can teach you how to play golf and find that perfect swing.

The endless push and pull of Lindsay Lohan's reality show.

Explore the world of Game of Thrones as if it were on Google Maps.

Finally: photo gallery of bitchin' cosplayers.

Safety can be beautiful...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.19.14 >>>

U.S. ground troops to be sent to Poland and Estonia.

The U.S. Army plans to retire 798 aircraft and transfer AH-64 Apaches from the Guard to active duty units.

How the U.S. made its problem with Putin worse.

The U.S. Senate's top Republican said America should send weapons to the Ukrainian military as that country teeters on the brink of war with Russia.

How to navigate the East China Sea dispute between Japan and China.

Marine to receive Navy Cross for heroism in Afghanistan.

Air Force Wounded Warrior program officials announced the names of the athletes to represent the Air Force during the 2014 Warrior Games and the Invictus Games.

SOCOM lists Iron Man suit collaborators.

One of the most advance undersea drones contracted by the U.S. Navy is getting the workout of its robotic life this week as it plunges ever deeper into the Indian Ocean in search of missing Malaysian Airline's flight MH370's locator.

Navy destroyer USS Zumwalt christened at Bath Iron Works.

Oh good: Lab is missing 2,000 vials of the deadly SARS virus.

MIT scientists have invented a new invisible mirror that can show reflections but also be see through like a window.

Eric Wareheim, Aziz Ansari and Jason Woliner mix humor and food with their new web series Food Club.

The PBS show Pioneers of Television is back for another season, and the premiere is about standup comedians who transitioned to TV, including Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Bob Newhart and others.

Here it is: The new Orange is the New Black trailer.

Game of Thrones season four is officially the season of Jaime Lannister GIFs.

Men climb real life version Games of Thrones' northern ice wall.

Finally: The fastest way to take off your T-shirt.

Be sure to get a workout in today ...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.18.14 >>>

U.S., EU, Ukraine and Russia have agreed to talks.

Supreme Allied Commander Europe and four-star chief of US European Comman, Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove says armed attackers in Ukraine are Russian troops in disguise.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel pledged more non-lethal U.S. aid to Ukraine's military.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff will try to persuade senators they risk a crisis if they don't slow growth in military compensation.

Pentagon moves to block Russian spy plane in American skies.

Anger and dismay at stalled Guantanamo 9/11 trial.

Soldiers have options to explore before Army restructure.

Air Force researchers test Google Glass for battlefield use.

Navy report could clear way for Marines' move from Okinawa to Guam.

A fourth member of the Navy has been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery in a multimillion-dollar scheme involving a Singapore-based defense contractor accused of providing cash, vacations, electronics and prostitutes in exchange for classified information.

Why there will be a robot uprising.

The price tag for the Lockheed Martin F-35 joint strike fighter, the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program, increased $7.4 billion in 2013.

Methane hydrate, colloquially known as Fire Ice, is being discussed as the energy of the future.

Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic talk about their one-night-only reunion at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony (and afterward).

Turntable snowboard brings the party to the slopes.

Watch the latest Louie promo.

Spend the night in a treehouse.

List: Star Wars facts you may not already know.

Finally: 16 Delicious Facts About Peeps.

Bring High Tide Harry's to the South Sound now!

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.16.14 >>>

JBLM soldier found dead in the woods near Olympia Tuesday was the nephew of two presumed victims of last month's devastating landslide in Washington state.

446th Airlift Wing reservist named Howard O. Scott Citizen-Airman of the Year.

Former Sgt. Kyle White will receive the Medal of Honor for heroism in 2007 while serving as a specialist in Afghanistan.

Defense Department officials released a report that documents the cuts to military forces, modernization and readiness that will be required if defense budgets are held at sequester-levels in the years beyond fiscal year 2015.

The Pentagon's planned five-year spending plan for procurement and research-and-development projects, set forth in its 2015 budget proposal, would be cut by $66 billion if US federal spending caps remain in place.

More than $1 trillion in sequestration-related defense cuts, slated for now through 2021, "would significantly increase risks both in the short- and long-term," according to a report released Monday by the Pentagon.

Confidential U.S. assessments, which the State Department tried to hide from the public, show nearly all Afghan Cabinet ministries are woefully ill-prepared to govern after the U.S. withdraws its troops.

Is North Korea about to collapse?

A group of 11 lawmakers on Tuesday called for members of NATO to end all defense contracts with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine.

Planning for withdrawal in Afghanistan may be smart, but it's not wise.

China has good reasons to remain secretive about its military.

The National Guard Association of the United States accused Army leaders of refusing to create a commission that could show reserve force are cheaper to maintain than the active duty.

Game of Drones: It will be tough to go into the big battle against drones without the irrepressible Goose.

U.S. military leaders have approved funding to develop a hybrid, stealth motorcycle to be driven by special operations teams in the not too distant future.

Russian missile system masquerading as innocent cargo container.

Patients at Veterans Affairs medical centers remain satisfied with the care they receive and complaints are down, a new survey released Wednesday by the American Customer Satisfaction Index found.

Tricare announced its plans for reinstating thousands of beneficiaries who lost eligibility for Tricare Prime last October, but by law, not all who were booted off Prime will be able to re-enroll.

General Dynamics says the Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle competition is stacked against its 8×8 Stryker.

Hollywood is going to war again, and this time, Brad Pitt is in charge.

The soldiers of the 1st Battalion 69th Infantry aren't Navy SEALs, but now they've played them on TV.

The high-tech soldiers of the future are here.

List: 10 amazing discoveries that remain unexplained by science.

The Legacy of The Colbert Report: the joke's on you!

The X-Men: Days of Future Past trailer debuted on Conan last night.

Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss continue to morph into exact replicas of each other.

Yep, Nicolas Cage makes a good movie every five years. There's even a chart to prove it.

What beer are people really drinking?

Nice: Check out one dad's pop-culture lunches.

Kicked in the head by a train ...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.15.14 >>>

Ukraine anti-terrorist crackdown begins.

First women move to Army platoon artillery jobs.

The Pentagon plans for more drones in more places.

The U.S. Air Force is shuffling the command of several key programs, including missile systems and its new tanker plane.

The Navy's Fifth Fleet in the Persian Gulf doesn't have an effective long-distance missile for ship-to-ship engagements.

Pentagon condemns "provocative" Russian military action against U.S. Navy ship.

How the Internet could have predicted the invasion of Ukraine.

The Pentagon is looking at new ways to disperse its forces throughout the Asia-Pacific as military planners explore alternatives to the large US super bases in the region vulnerable to cruise missile strikes.

President Obama will deliver this year's commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Every type of equipment the U.S. military has at its disposal is on sale at the Gomrok bazaar in south Tehran's Razi Square, the merchants say.

Army bids farewell to its tireless advocate, Dr. Joseph W. Westphal.

National Guard soldiers remember Boston Marathon.

The U.S. Navy, in its fiscal 2015 budget proposal, said it wants to cancel a planned buy of 29 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters in 2016.

The Department of Defense announced today that it has undertaken a comprehensive review of the military justice system.

Ms. Veteran America uses title to tell Army story, support homeless female veterans.

The most normal states in America.

Check out David Cronenberg's new flick, Maps to the Stars.

A lot of people really killed it at Coachella.

The 12 best long takes in movie history.

List: Geeky things you can buy on Etsy.

Finally: Roundup of weird TV merchandise for sale.

Then there's this ...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.14.14 >>>

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency is reporting that the country has temporarily called off a plan to dispatch warships to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Asia-Pacific naval market is heating up, with massive quantities of new ships to boost regional navies in coming years.

China has begin installing sensitive hydrophones on the floor of the China Seas in an effort to detect and track submarines belonging to the U.S. and its allies.

Let Asia go nuclear.

After Ukraine, conventional deterrence will be the main purpose of NATO's armed forces.

U.S. defense secretary Chuck Hagel's straight talking in Asia gets results.

After battling Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, al Qaeda, the Taliban, forest fires, hurricanes and floods, America's Army is now fighting itself.

Aggregate tonnage alone doesn't win naval battles in the modern era, and suggesting otherwise is dangerous.

Fast and light: Army overhauls its gear strategy.

The Army is considering certifying some of its attack helicopters to operate from ships as the service looks to broaden the role it would play in an Asia-Pacific battle.

The Army is conducting a complete re-assessment of its NCO education system for the first time since 1976.

The Army's Ready and Resilient Campaign is now focusing on "intervention," not on "bystander" behaviors.

Army leaders are providing "under the oak tree" counseling, to improve their Soldier's health and resilience.

Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Michael Barrett issued a letter to all marines trying to explain his recent congressional testimony in which he said marines preferred better equipment over high pay and that lowering pay raises would improve discipline.

Here's your daily dose of paranoia fuel and an excuse to be outraged all wrapped up in one.

Airmen shave their heads to support fallen pilot's ailing son.

Top companies want to hire veterans.

11 cool new products.

Glow-in-the-dark roads finally exist outside of Hot Wheels.

Here's a spoiler-filled recap of last night's Thrones.

Mad Men Season 7 premiere recap.

Vintages photos of spring breakers.

List: Great music videos from 1995.

Good news: Robert Downey Jr. is now on Twitter.

Finally: Zooey Deschanel to unveil a clothing line.

Who wants to see a steam-belching butterchimney?

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.12.14 >>>

Armed pro-Russian militants raised the Russian flag in an eastern Ukrainian city today, deepening a stand-off with Moscow which, Kiev warned, was dragging Europe closer to a "gas war" that could disrupt supplies across the continent. 

Derek Chollet, assistant secretary of defense for International Security Affairs, told Congress Russia's annexation of Crimea will affect and perhaps even reshape the NATO alliance.

More amphibious forces are needed in the Pacific says the commanding general of III Marine Expeditionary Force Lt. Gen. John E. Wissler.

Defense civilian layoffs won't be pleasant, but they are necessary.

The move from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Fort Knox is the first step in Cadet Command's overall initiative to transform the Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps program of instruction.

Out of fuel, out of time and once chance to land on the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower.

John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona and former Republican presidential candidate added his voice to the growing chorus of lawmakers seeking to block the Pentagon's plans to retire the A-10 attack plane.

Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Michael Barrett told Congress that marines and sailors care less about pay and benefits than they do about having the best training and tools for the job.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden today announced several new initiatives designed to strengthen support for military caregivers.

Optimizing brain health can have immense benefits for readiness, resiliency and the health of soldiers.

Twitter, Facebook and other types of social media are contributing to global instability.

Video: Gen. Dempsey sings with Bret Michaels during the Military Child of the Year gala.

If only there was a high-tech way to replace your flat, expressionless gaze with a digital approximation of human warmth. Well, search no more. AgencyGlass is here.

Awesome video game will let you fully live your space pilot dreams.

SPRZ NY is a clothing line that features shirts, jackets, pants, dresses, tote bags, bandanas inspired by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollockand other artists.

Deer Teen Me is a website on which authors pen letters to their teen selves.

Here is the perfect male and female body according to male and females.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.11.14 >>>

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has urged Russia to pull back its troops from Ukraine's borders and enter a dialogue respecting Ukraine's sovereignty.

NATO provides images of Russian military buildup.

Japan prepares to shoot North Korean missiles out of the sky.

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee's top Republican slammed the Air Force's 2015 spending plan, saying it "increases risk to unacceptable levels."

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate are planning legislation to block the Air Force's plans to retire the A-10.

Inside the FBI's secret relationships with the military's special operations.

Forty lawmakers have signed a letter asking the Labor Department to exempt some military morale, welfare and recreation and exchange operations - such as fast food concessions - from wage regulations affecting federal contractors on military bases.

Black female lawmakers are urging Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to reconsider revised Army regulations that ban hairstyles frequently worn by minority women in the military.

Scientists in the United States, Mexico and Switzerland grew reproductive organs and nasal cartilage in labs, and successfully implanted them in patients.

Rare fish: A rare oarfish caught on video on the coast of Baja, Mexico.

Handheld electric jet thrusters make everything from snowboarding to rollerblading infinitely more awesome.

After last night's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, a reunited Nirvana played for 200 people a tiny club in Brooklyn. The video is wonderful; Joan Jett, Kim Gordon, St. Vincent, J Mascis and Deer Tick's John McCauley took turns singing lead.

Here are details on Michael Stipe's Nirvana speech and Nirvana's performance during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Stereogum has some video

Watch The Simpsons' Mad Men-themed promo.

Finally: Famous album covers in reverse.

Finally II: Artist creates an amazing Jackie Chan portrait using 64,000 chopsticks.

Then there's this ...

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.9.14 >>>

A Marine at Camp Lejeune shot and killed another Marine at the facility's main gate Tuesday afternoon.

U.S. won't share invasion intel with Ukraine.

Navy and Marines still unclear how Army will fit into Pacific Pivot.

Odierno: Army faces "tough" choices in uncertain fiscal times.

In the wake of last week's shooting on Fort Hood many soldiers and some lawmakers are calling on the military to reconsider allowing troops to carry concealed weapons on post.

Airmen at odds with Air Force brass over future of beloved A-10 plane.

Two key senators say U.S. Air Force plans to stop A-10 flights and training in October are against the law.

Lt. Gen. David Halverson took command of the U.S. Army Installation Management Command from Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter.

Russia's takeover of Crimea could prompt a review the U.S. military presence in Europe, which has declined steadily since the end of the Cold War.

The Pentagon will shrink the number of its nuclear weapon-carrying bomber aircraft and reduce the number of submarine ballistic missile launch tubes as it modifies its force posture to meet the limits of the New START treaty with Russia.

The head of the U.S. National Guard Bureau has given his blessing to the U.S. Army's plan to move all of the Guard's Apache attack helicopters into the active force while receiving several hundred Black Hawk and Lakota multi-use helicopters in return.

Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chinese military chiefs traded warnings and rebukes Tuesday as they clashed over Beijing's territorial disputes with its neighbors, North Korea's missile program and cyber espionage.

As F-35 program officials prepared to testify to the Senate Armed Services Committee, they announced they were keeping back some $25.7 million, or 5 percent, of payments for the F135 engine used in the Joint Strike Fighter.

Engineers with the U.S. Navy have finished drawing up blueprints for a future class of nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines.

Boeing built Marines an Osprey Jeep with NASCAR connection.

A limited number of Airmen who received notice that their previously approved applications for early retirement had been declined will be given the option to retire if they still desire to do so.

Heartbleed: Why the Internet's gaping security hole is so scary.

The 10 best houses of the year.

Archie Comics is killing off its main character.

HBO renewed Game of Thrones for two more seasons.

The New Yorker has a piece about the genius of Dave Letterman.

David Hasselhoff is selling his Knight Rider replica.

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 4.8.2014 >>>

The Army's assistant secretary for Installations, Energy and Environment told senators that the Army needs another round of base realignment and closure in 2017.

Nearly 80 U.S. sailors are seeking $1 billion from the Tokyo utility that operates the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.

The crisis between Ukraine and Russia appeared to escalate further today as Russia warned Kiev any use of force could lead to a civil war.

The U.S. is sending a guided missile destroyer to the Black Sea in order to reassure European allies in the region following Russia's annexation of Crimea.

Secretary of State John Kerry has been clashing with senior military leaders over U.S. strategy in Syria.

Congress and Pentagon are engaged in a new fight: Where do Apache helicopters belong?

The top U.S. Army commander in South Korea said the Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance serves as an "insurance policy" for the global economy by maintaining stability in Northeast Asia.?

China calls on U.S. to restrain ally Japan as tension simmers.

The Fort Hood soldier suspected of killing three people and wounding 16 others last week began his eight-minute rampage on the sprawling Texas Army post after an argument related to taking leave.

The Air Force's secret space plane has been up in orbit for nearly 500 days - a space endurance record. But nearly a year and a half into the mission, the Pentagon still won't say what the X-37B is doing up there, or when it might come back.  

Navy's magnetic super gun to make Mach 7 shots at sea in 2016.

The U.S. Navy believes it has finally worked out the solution to a problem that has intrigued scientists for decades: how to take seawater and use it as fuel.

Boeing is touting the effectiveness of its fourth-generation EA-18G electronic attack plane over Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 stealth fighter as the lobbying battle over attack aircraft heats up.

The Hal 9000 of grills tells you when to flip the meat.

This video reveals the origin scenes of the Internet's most famous memes.

Watch: Chrissie Hynde's new music video.

Yay!: Peter Mayhew will return as Chewbacca in the Star Wars movie.

Finally: A great oral history of Deadwood.

Finally: Scratch-n-Sniff jeans.

Nice!