Confusion reigns after closure of El Paso airport - POLITICO

But an aviation industry official, granted anonymity to discuss the nature of the restriction, told POLITICO that the restriction was put in place because the Defense Department has been using drones and testing some counter-drone technologies — including high-energy lasers — in the airspace, which neighbors Mexico, without sharing critical safety information on such operations with the FAA. (Lasers pose a serious safety hazard that can harm pilots as they land or take off.)…

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/02/11/faa-el-paso-airport-flight-restrictions-lifted-00775627

 

Microsoft “Digital Escorts” Could Expose Defense Dept. Data to Chinese Hackers — ProPublica

The arrangement, which was critical to Microsoft winning the federal government's cloud computing business a decade ago, relies on U.S. citizens with security clearances to oversee the work and serve as a barrier against espionage and sabotage. 

But these workers, known as "digital escorts," often lack the technical expertise to police foreign engineers with far more advanced skills, ProPublica found. Some are former military personnel with little coding experience who are paid barely more than minimum wage for the work. 

"We're trusting that what they're doing isn't malicious, but we really can't tell," said one current escort who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity, fearing professional repercussions…

https://www.propublica.org/article/microsoft-digital-escorts-pentagon-defense-department-china-hackers

 

Trump allies pressed Defense Department to help overturn election, new book says - ABC News

… some of Donald Trump's closest allies embarked on an unprecedented effort to get the Department of Defense to chase down outlandish voter fraud conspiracy theories in hopes of helping Trump retain power, ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl writes in his new book...
https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-allies-pressed-defense-department-overturn-election-book/story

Military atheists want to be heard by DoD | Freethought Today

... Another FFRF veteran made the alarming disclosure that he did not re-up because "there was so much Christian Nationalist evangelism [in my branch of the U.S. military] that I was often scared for my own safety. There was always pressure to toe the line to keep the military nonsecular. It was for this reason that I could not continue serving in the U.S. Armed Forces."...

https://www.freethoughttoday.com/vol-37-no-10-december-2020/military-atheists-want-to-be-heard-by-dod