GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.12.14 >>>

The House voted overwhelmingly to repeal the $6 billion cut to military pensions, which was paid for by extending the sequester for mandatory Medicare spending for one year.

Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Christine H. Fox warned against assuming a permissive environment for U.S. naval air and sea assets.

House voted to raise the government's borrowing limit until March 2015, without any conditions.

Republicans on House panel conclude the White House and the State Department, but not the military, are to blame for Benghazi.

A senior U.S. intelligence official warned of a "very real" risk of extremist groups gaining control of Syrian chemical or biological weapons.

Diplomacy is failing in Syria, Obama acknowledges, underscoring the fact the United states has little influences on the conflict.

Army considers trading armor for speed.

Western militaries may lose access to critical materials needed for weapons and other systems, because of the growing demand for new technologies, questionable supply lines and production in unfriendly or dangerous countries.

New iPhone app will buzz your pocket each time the U.S. kills someone with a drone.

The U.S. Army has identified hundreds of senior noncommissioned officers for involuntary separation as the service advances toward reducing 80,000 soldiers from its ranks by 2018.

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno said statistics do not yet demonstrate a significant enough change in Army culture with regard to sexual assault.

Defense Department will begin fully enforcing a previously optional policy regarding the reissuance of lost or stolen common access cards.

Israeli defense executives are eyeing potentially lucrative, US-subsidized sales of advanced border security systems.

A heavy fuel version of Israel Aerospace Industry's big-selling Heron UAV literally had the wraps taken off on the opening day of the Singapore Airshow Feb.

US Special Operations Command is looking to boost its procurement investments as operational costs come down after more than a decade of war.

Humans are killing the planet.

A rocket, a meteor and the Milky way, all in one awesome photo.

Here are the comedians getting half-hour specials on Comedy Central this year.

TV Guide rounds up all the TV shows that are going off the air this year.

"15 of Cinema's Best Dance Party Endings."

Spin has a good roundup of this year's music festivals.

Finally: Billy Ray Cyrus Releases Hip-Hop Sequel to Achy Breaky Heart.

Can't get enough of figure skating!

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.11.14 >>>

The Army recently released new standards for how long some enlisted soldiers can stay in uniform.

The House could vote as soon as Wednesday on a bill that would raise the nation's debt ceiling and reverse a cut made to some veterans' benefits as part of the recent budget deal.

Afghanistan has now announced it will release 65 of 88 Afghan detainees that the U.S. deems dangerous and played a role in killing and wounding dozens of American and coalition forces. 

A new, dramatic video shows U.S. commandos nabbing a top terror suspect in Libya.

Rep. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) suggested military spending cuts made Benghazi compound more vulnerable.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno visited with NATO Land Component Command Headquarters personnel at Izmar, Turkey, to discuss the future of the Army and its NATO relationship.

Hillary Clinton had kind words for former CIA Director David Petraeus after his resignation.

Q&A: Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, commander of US Pacific Air Forces

Three wounded warriors who recovered at Brooke Army Medical Center, are aiming to glide to gold in Sochi, Russia, next month to compete in the Paralympic Winter Games.

Since Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness launched its ArmyFit site two weeks ago, tens of thousands have logged on.

Meet Lt. Col. Luis Solano, the Army's first officer in a fellowship with the non-profit MITRE Corporation.

Training at Tuskegee: Turning dreams into reality.

Two factories that assemble the Boeing 787 are struggling to cope with a ramp-up in production that started late last year, and a huge backlog of unfinished work threatens to slow output. 

Here's some sad news: Shirley Temple has died. She was 85.

Really? Fred Armisen will lead the Late Night band for Seth Meyers.

Spend the day watching all of the Beatles' Ed Sullivan appearances.

The former Green Power Ranger broke a world record for, er, breaking pine boards while skydiving.

The actor who played McGruff the Crime Dog has been sentenced to 16 years in jail.

Saturday Night Live's Brooks Wheelan shot video of himself every day in 2013. It was a life-changing year for him, and the montage is inspiring to watch.

Bad dad or cool dad?

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.10.14 >>>

Car bomb in the Afghan capital Kabul killed two United States contractors for the international security force ISAF today.

The Obama administration is considering lethal force against an American citizen overseas who has allegedly been working with al Qaeda.

The U.S. and South Korea announced plans Monday for two annual spring military exercises, which come amid questions of whether Seoul will assume wartime control of allied forces as planned next year.

The Senate will vote this week on whether to repeal the $6 billion cut to military pensions that was included in the December budget deal.

The White House and Pentagon, after weeks of back-and-forth debate, appear ready to expand the Defense Department's budget starting in 2016.

North Korea paid a fine Saturday for trying to ship undeclared Cuban arms through the Panama Canal, possibly in violation of UN sanctions.

An ammunition plant, three installations, and three environmental teams recognized for their outstanding environmental and sustainability program achievements with Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards for fiscal year 2013.

A San Francisco-based developer of solar and wind power is the latest company to join to the U.S. Army's multi-billion-dollar alternative energy program.

Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno and Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh met with deployed service members and received Regional Command (South) mission updates at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.

Service members from around the world converged on the Kaiserslautern Military Community to train international partners from Africa for Central Accord 14 Phase I.

After more than a year of modification maintenance, the newly created AC-130J Ghostrider took to the sky for the first time as a gunship.

Ten Soldiers from the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program watch Russian history at Sochi opening ceremony.

Sgt. 1st Class Steven Janotta pitches idea for Army Retirement Medal.

A fired executive from one of New Jersey's red-light camera vendors contends in a lawsuit filed in Arizona that the company provided lavish gifts and bribes to government officials in 13 states - including Washington - to secure new contracts.

Watch a 15-minute preview of the new season of Game of Thrones.

Preview the new HBO comedy from Mike Judge, which stars T.J. Miller.

What happens when you plug in the locations from Kerouac's On the Road into Google Maps? You get this free manual of driving directions.

22 Things the New York Times Has Called a 'Guilty Pleasure.'

Will Ferrell has challenged the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith to a drum battle!

Have you visited the "Dumb Starbucks"?

Eight of the most fascinating items from Carl Sagan's personal archives.

Finally: A movie about beavers that are zombies and eat women in bikinis.

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Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel hints at hiring an ethics enforcer for the military.

Hagel also officially announced the president had nominated Robert Work as deputy secretary of defense.

The incoming No. 2 American commander in Afghanistan said today that his immediate focus is on supporting upcoming Afghan elections - not on the possibility of U.S. troops remaining after the NATO-led combat mission ends.

The Syrian civil war "has become a matter of homeland security" as authorities seek to identify any foreign fighters who might be a threat to the United States.

Read more...

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Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is deeply troubled by the ethical behavior of servicemembers, following several recent Air Force and Navy investigations into drug use and cheating on qualification exams. Ya think?

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday unveiled a web site detailing the GOP's Benghazi probe amid mounting pressure from conservatives that he's not doing enough.

The threat of a toothpaste bomb targeting flights destined for the Winter Olympics in Russia is "very specific and credible," the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said Wednesday.

A nuclear-capable U.S. B-52 bomber sortie over South Korea has endangered plans for reunions between families from the North and South of the country and risks triggering a further escalation of military tension.

The Taliban has released footage of what they claim is a U.S. military working dog allegedly captured during fighting in eastern Afghanistan in December.

The Navy receives likely boost as reports say former Navy Under Secretary Robert Work will take over as Deputy SecDef.

Locator beacons for Air Force ejection seats failing at "unacceptable" rates.

Defexpo 2014, the eighth biannual exhibition showcasing land, naval and homeland security systems, will focus on indigenous capabilities in line with new government procurement rules that favor homegrown weapons.

Analysts: U.S. should cut carriers, buy subs and work with allies.

Pentagon proposals to reportedly slice $1 billion from the annual commissary budget may not hinge on closing stores, but on raising prices for patrons.

The Army has announced changes to retention control points for soldiers in the ranks of corporal through sergeant.

More than 200 soldiers from around the force competed against each other and Mother Nature at the history-making 2014 U.S. Army Small Arms Championship.

Nine true facts that sound made up but are actually completely true.

Here's a map of the U.S. if every state's population matched its size.

Thirteen depictions of cities and towns gripped by miserable winters.

The trailer for the new James Franco movie, Maladies, is intriguing.

The goofy gag reel of Thor: The Dark World is a raucously good time.

Finally: Ice-T Records Dungeons & Dragons Audiobook.

Well played, Canada. Well played.

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Footage has emerged showing the Syrian regime using explosive "barrel bombs" on civilian neighborhoods, killing hundreds, while its representatives attended peace talks at Geneva.

Pakistan's government reportedly made the request as it pursues peace talks with the Taliban.

President Obama called his commander in Afghanistan and the nation's top military leaders to the White House to hear planning options.

DOD lacks plan for collecting and validating Afghan security forces capability assessments.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and her colleagues criticized Army and company officials for failing to previously spot an alleged National Guard recruiting scam that may have cost taxpayers some $50 million.

The effort to repeal the $6 billion cut to military pensions advanced on numerous fronts on Tuesday, although the central problem in Congress with passing one of the measures - how to pay for it - has yet to be resolved.

Lockheed Martin is planning to offer a civilian version of the C-130J Super Hercules, an aircraft designed for Special Operations Command.

Negotiations over the multibillion dollar deal to sell 126 Dassault Rafale jets to India have stalled.

The White House's nomination of Robert Work to be the U.S. deputy defense secretary is said to be imminent.

The 25th Combat Aviation Brigade added a different twist to the primary joint training exercise Koa Kai 14-1 around the islands of Kauai and Ni'ihau: integrating the rotary wing aircraft aboard the naval ships.

Among those in the hunt for precious metal in the mountains of Russia will be a squad of military athletes competing in the downhill speed sports of bobsled and luge.

The Olympic torch arrived in Sochi, Russia, today, and most Americans aren't too thrilled - with that country, its anti-gay laws or its President Vladimir Putin.

Area 51 spy plane and other aviation tales.

Who would win if it was actual broncos and actual seahawks?

This simple invention seals gunshot wounds in 15 seconds.

America is preparing to land a robot on the moon for the first time in four decades.

Though-provoking photos of Israeli soldiers' bedrooms and the guns they keep in them.

A great piece on Salon: "Too Poor for Pop Culture."

Magnolia Pictures will release the Roger Ebert documentary this summer.

Will Ferrell did a Q&A on Reddit.

This whatchamacallit is made out of parts from a scooter and from roller blades.

Instagram, Atari style

GRAB A CUP AND READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 2.3.14 >>>

On Sunday night at MetLife Stadium, Carroll's old-school football produced an old-school Super Bowl beatdown, something that was common in the 1970s and 1980s. The Seahawks won their first NFL championship by dominating the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII.

At Munich Security Conference, Secretaries Hagel and Kerry, as well as NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Breedlove and others wrestled with how to deal with Syria and other hotspots at a time when the public is growing weary of the war in Afghanistan.

Read more...

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A new poll finds a majority of the public believes the United States failed to meet its goals in either Iraq or Afghanistan.

It's official: President Obama will nominate Vice Adm. Michael Rogers to lead the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.

The president also has nominated Mike McCord for Pentagon comptroller, Brian McKeon for principal deputy undersecretary of Defense for policy and others.

The U.S. Air Force should look at moving as much manpower into the Reserve and Air National Guard components as possible, according to a new report from a congressionally mandated panel.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is refusing to sign the bilateral security agreement negotiated with the U.S. And without it, U.S. officials say they'll have to consider a complete withdrawal of troops post-2014.

Veterans group says military suicide rate is "out of control."

A long-awaited complaint system, launched Jan. 30 by the Veterans Affairs Department in partnership with other federal agencies, offers students using military or veterans' education benefits a way to report unscrupulous schools to authorities with the power to stop them.

A former Canadian brigadier general and head of Canadian forces in Afghanistan is being detained in Afghanistan for alleged gun smuggling.

Premature weapons testing drains military budget.

Senior military commanders should not retain authority over sexual assault cases within their command, a congressionally-appointed panel said in a report released Thursday. 

What exactly is this secret Seinfeld project?

See a bunch of new photos from the upcoming season of Game of Thrones.

This week's episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee features Tina Fey.

Get nostalgic with these bizarre Super Bowl ads from now-defunct companies.

Sharknado 2 is on the way.

Finally: A ranking of 94 X-Men members.

First-person view of Felix Baumgartner's space jump

GRAB A CUP & READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 1.28.14 >>

DoD test report warns of major cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Last night, the Pentagon confirmed the ship assigned to destroy Syria's chemical weapons had left Virginia and was headed to the Italian port of Gioia Tauro.

An upcoming Anglo-French summit could breathe fresh life into a bilateral defense relationship seen as faded, with industry waiting to hear if there is progress on an anti-ship missile and a future combat drone for the two nations.

Read more...

GRAB A CUP & READ THE MORNING REPORT FOR 1.27.14 >>>

The U.S. military launched an airstrike in Somalia on Sunday against a militant leader who was linked to al Qaeda and al Shabaab, and was considered a successful operation. 

Officials say a suicide bomber has killed four Iraqi troops west of Baghdad while attacks elsewhere in the country killed four people.

The Senate Armed Services Committee will dive into the most controversial part of last month's budget deal this week when it holds a hearing on the $6 billion cut to military pensions.

Raytheon is challenging Boeing to build the so-called Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Site Terminals, or FAB-T.

The Army's chief of staff said contrary to what many people may think, the Army has been doing anything but slowing down and becoming stagnant, despite cash flow and end-strength issues.

The Global Hawk UAV looks to be a big winner in the US Air Force's fiscal 2015 budget submission, an impressive turn of events for a program the service has spent years attempting to kill.

Starting in April, female soldiers will be eligible to serve in about 33,000 positions previously off-limits to them because of a now-canceled policy designed to keep women out of combat.

The 36th and 86th Aerial Port Squadrons are seeking some high-speed, motivated airmen to offer a helping hand out on the flightline as air transportation specialists - Air Force Specialty Code 2T2X1.

Military watchers are hoping the president's State of the Union speech Tuesday will feature lengthy passages about the war in Afghanistan, the recent reductions in military retirement pay or the veterans claims backlog.

Dr. Phil Gibson, supervisory physical scientist with the Molecular Sciences Engineering Team at Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, helped Burton Snowboards pick a fabric for uniforms that the U.S. Olympic Snowboarding Team will wear at next month's 2014 Winter Games.

Advising and assisting their Afghan National Security Forces counterparts remains the primary objective of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment "Warrior," for the remainder of their deployment. ?

Retired Air Force Col. Robert Freniere unintentionally became the public face for homeless veterans after a Philadelphia newspaper wrote about his struggle to find work.

The Grammy Awards celebrated outcasts and outsiders, lionizing a couple of French robots, white rappers and a country gal espousing gay rights, and a Goth teenager who's clearly uncomfortable with the current themes in pop music.

Tegan and Sara weren't at The Grammys - but their commentary was easily a highlight of the night.

Led Zeppelin won a Grammy.

A star "just" went supernova in a nearby galaxy.

BBC shares timeline of likely events through next one hundred quintillion years.

Huh, there really is a biological explanation for why women have colder hands than men.

How to make the world's most expensive cup of coffee.

Finally, someone put together a cool compilation of the best wingsuit flight videos.