Policy

Trump fires head of NSA and Cyber Command

Gen. Timothy Haugh’s removal was spurred by far-right activist Laura Loomer, who, earlier Thursday, reportedly urged the president to terminate multiple National Security Council staffers.

Ideas

We tried ‘fighting China’ with lower budgets. It didn’t go well.

Tabletop exercises hosted by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments offer one big lesson for the fiscal 2026 spending plan.

Science & Tech

Space Force may use SpaceX satellites instead of developing its own, senator says

The satellites in question are part of the data transport layer of the Space Development Agency’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

Threats

Intelligence officials remain defensive about Yemen-bombing group chat

House testimony followed release of full transcript of the chat over the Signal app — including attack times and weapons.

Business

Shipbuilders swarm Capitol Hill to lobby for aircraft carrier funding

The Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition wants $600 million to secure building of the years-delayed CVN-82.

Threats

‘Sloppy,’ ‘incompetent’ intelligence chiefs hammered for Signal chat

At Senate hearing, Gabbard, Ratcliffe struggled to recall details of Yemen-strike chat shared with journalist.

Policy

Service leaders beg for flexibility as full-year continuing resolution looms

Without a new budget—or relief from the strictures of its absence—the military can’t start new projects or pay for the unexpected.

Policy

Weld, baby, weld: White House to create an ‘office of shipbuilding’

Trump wants America to bend steel and build like it used to.

Policy

SECNAV nominee: Trump wants ‘shipbuilding, shipbuilding, shipbuilding’

Investor John Phelan wants to apply his business experience to the ailing defense industrial base, as Pentagon looks at cutting civilian shipyard personnel.

Threats

Lawmakers to DOGE: Use a scalpel, not a sledgehammer at the Pentagon

Cutting first and asking questions later could hurt national security, HASC members say.