Tara Copp

The Atlantic releases the entire Signal chat showing Hegseth's detailed attack plans against Houthis The Atlantic has released the entire Signal chat among Trump senior national security officials. It shows that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided the exact times of warplane launches and when bom...

SecDef Pete Hegseth provided the exact times of warplane launches and when bombs would drop — before the men and women flying those attacks against Yemen’s Houthis this month on behalf of the United States were airborne. apnews.com/article/hegs...

Why were pictures of one of history's most famous planes in a database set to be deleted by the Defense Department?

Apparently, because of its "Gay" name.

Credit to @taracopp.bsky.social for the excellent reporting.

War heroes and military firsts are among 26,000 images flagged for removal in Pentagon's DEI purge References to a World War II Medal of Honor recipient, the Enola Gay aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan and women and minorites are among the tens of thousands of photos and online posts ma...

EXCLUSIVE: The @AP has obtained and tonight published a database of the file names and descriptions of more than 26,000 military images flagged for removal --because the pictures highlight contributions by women or minorities, or celebrate cultural heritage. apnews.com/article/dei-...

VA pauses billions in cuts lauded by Musk as lawmakers and veterans decry loss of critical care The Department of Veterans Affairs has temporarily suspended billions of dollars in contract cuts after an uproar that critical veterans health services were harmed, lawmakers and veterans service org...

The @apnews.com has obtained the full list of 875 VA contracts to be cut. Contracts to support veterans disability ratings, toxic exposure work and more are affected: apnews.com/article/doge...

Caine, who is retired, served in combat roles in Iraq, special operations postings and other high-value roles. However he does not not have experience that was identified in law as prerequisites - but the president can waive them if necessary in times of national interest.

Trump fires chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff President Donald Trump has abruptly fired Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

apnews.com/article/trum...

Hegseth directs Pentagon to find $50 billion in cuts this year to fund Trump military priorities Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the military services to identify $50 billion in programs that could be cut next year in order to redirect those savings to fund President Donald Trump’s pr...

The cuts Hegseth is directing would be as steep as the 2013 sequester. apnews.com/article/trum...

Some of the 400 jobs that were cut at the FAA helped support air safety, a union says A union says jobs eliminated at the Federal Aviation Administration had direct roles in supporting safety inspectors and airport operations.

FAA staffers cut included aviation safety assistants, mechanics and staff that update navigational aids for crews. apnews.com/article/faa-...

Here’s latest update on FAA firings - less than 400 - but in critical missions. And folks working on a classified radar program …https://apnews.com/article/doge-faa-air-traffic-firings-safety-67981aec33b6ee72cbad8dcee31f3437

It’s been a busy day … I am hearing from FAA and DOD staff through my Signal (taracopp.06 and protonmail taracopp@protonmail.com - anyone in any agency who wants to reach out securely you can through either of those ways.

DOGE reversal: Firings of US nuclear weapons workers halted The Trump administration has halted the firings of hundreds of federal employees who were tasked with working on the nation’s nuclear weapons programs.

New from me: The Trump administration has reversed the firings of all but 28 of the nuclear weapons workers that @DOGE blindly cut last week. apnews.com/article/nucl...

Thank you! I will try to post more here too - it’s been a busy few weeks

More DEI fallout: Air Force scraps course that used videos of Tuskegee Airmen and female WWII pilots The U.S. Air Force has removed training courses for service members that included historical videos of its storied Black Tuskegee Airmen and Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs — female World War ...

apnews.com/article/air-...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to answers he provided during his confirmation process that the AP has obtained. apnews.com/article/hegs...

Hegseth could lead troops who'd face getting fired for actions he's done in the past Some current and former defense leaders and veterans are questioning whether Pete Hegseth would be able to enforce discipline in the ranks if the Senate confirms him as President-elect Donald Trump's ...

IAVA on Hegseth getting troop pardons w/ Trump & impact on morale: “These aren’t war criminals that some liberal activist went after when they saw a news story. These men were convicted because men who served alongside them who experienced the same horrors of war felt like they crossed a line.”

In their final meeting, Zelenskyy and Austin say military aid to Ukraine must continue under Trump Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin used their final meeting in Germany to press the incoming Trump administration to not give up on Kyiv’s fight, warning t...

Germany’s defense minister Boris Pistorius called Trump’s comments on potentially using military force to take Greenland -- which is part of NATO member Denmark -- “diplomatically astonishing.” apnews.com/article/zele...

US troops need to stay in Syria to counter the Islamic State group, Austin says Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told The Associated Press that the U.S. needs to keep troops deployed in Syria to prevent the Islamic State group from reconstituting as a major threat.

apnews.com/article/aust...

Hi from frigid, windy and black-iced (I already slipped once) Joint Base Andrews where we are boarding for Austin’s final trip as Defense Secretary - see you in Ramstein

Sen. Warren presses Hegseth to answer questions about his past actions and statements Sen. Elizabeth Warren is pressing Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, to answer additional questions about his past actions and statements before next Tuesday’s co...

apnews.com/article/hegs...

Biden administration set to announce 'substantial' final weapons package for Ukraine The Biden administration is set to announce a massive, final weapons aid package for Ukraine as part of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to Germany this week to meet with representatives of abou...

apnews.com/article/ukra...

Soldier who died by suicide in Las Vegas told ex-girlfriend of pain and exhaustion after Afghanistan The highly decorated Special Forces soldier who died by suicide in a Cybertruck explosion on New Years Day confided to a former girlfriend who had served as an Army nurse that he faced significant pai...

New: Livelsberger helped a former Army nurse he was dating in 2019 restore a Tesla she'd recovered from a junk yard, and days before he died, sent videos to her about the Cybertruck he'd rented. However in their relationship he exhibited symptoms of TBI and severe PTSD. apnews.com/article/trum...

Jabbar served until July 2020, leaving the military with the rank of staff sergeant.

Driver rams New Year's revelers in New Orleans, killing 10; FBI doesn't believe he acted alone Law enforcement officials have told The Associated Press that the suspect in the New Orleans crash that killed 10 people and injured 30 was killed after a firefight with police.

NEW: Jabbar enlisted in the Army in March 2007, working in both human resources and information technology. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010, then transferred into the U.S. Army Reserve in 2015. (More) apnews.com/article/new-...

Army National Guard soldier from Indiana dies in non-combat incident in Iraq The Indiana National Guard says a 34-year-old soldier serving in Iraq has died in a non-combat incident. Capt. Eric Richard Hart of Indianapolis, Indiana, died Saturday.

apnews.com/article/us-s...

Pentagon says it doubled the number of US troops in Syria before Assad's fall The Pentagon says the United States doubled the number of forces in Syria to fight the Islamic State group before the overthrow of President Bashar Assad’s government.

The Pentagon reveals that it has, for months, had 2000 troops in Syria, after previously claiming they were only 900. It seems unrelated to Assad’s toppling, but they still claim it’s a temporary increase.

Story by @taracopp.bsky.social and Lolita Baldor of @apnews.com: apnews.com/article/syri...

Under a #governmentshutdown "military personnel would not be paid until new funds are appropriated," @PentagonPresSec Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Thursday. Those troops would still be required to report for duty and carry out their missions.

Lovely USAF holiday gathering & Gen Allvin’s LEGO gingerbread house collection

I was in the same Syrian prison as Austin Tice. He was very much alive Saher al-Ahmad, held captive in Damascus until 2022 by the Assad regime, offers new information on American who disappeared 12 years ago

www.thetimes.com/world/us-wor...

Washington Journal
#CSPAN #CSPANWJ
Skeet at @c-span.bsky.social

Associated Press Pentagon Correspondent
@taracopp.bsky.social discusses potential changes for the Defense Department in the next Trump Administration

Watch here: tinyurl.com/5y4pk8xm