A military appeals board has ruled that the Pentagon bears no responsibility in the death of 26-year-old Army specialist whose family says her health concerns and request for a diagnostic test were ignored by medical providers until it was too late for treatment.A March 11 letter from the Defense Health Agency’s Military Medical Malpractice Claims Appeals board rendered final judgment in the case of Spc. Maria Martinez,who died in 2021 of breast cancer after receiving a Stage 4 diagnosis at Fort Bliss, Texas, in October 2019. Her family, led by her father, Army Lt. Col. Ed Larumbe, filed a suit…
Author: Tommy Grant
The Coast Guard temporarily relieved the commander of the fast response cutter Douglas Denman, based in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Monday. Lt. Edwin Kuster, a 2017 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, was removed “following an investigation leading to a loss of confidence” but was not to misconduct, according to a Coast Guard media release. A Coast Guard spokeswoman said Tuesday the service received information raising concerns about Kuster’s leadership in operating the cutter safely and effectively and a decision was made by Arctic District Commander Rear Adm. Bob Little to remove him. “Commanding officers are expected to demonstrate the…
While Iran is denying any discussions have taken place, United States ruler Donald Trump claims that the Islamic Republic wants to “make a deal”. Trump has also extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the U.S. will hold off striking power plants in the country for five days. Trump said that he has already instructed the Department of War to “postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five‑day period.” The pause is “subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions,” he claims are taking place. Trump Threatens To “Obliterate” Iran’s Power…
The Army removed commissioned officers from its credentialing assistance program in a policy update this week.The program, known as credentialing assistance, helps service members pay for professional certifications and licensure that is tied to their military duties or civilian careers. Under the new rules, released March 19, only enlisted soldiers and warrant officers remain eligible. Enlisted soldiers will also have to obtain command approval prior to utilizing benefits under the new update. The move follows a 2024 policy announcement that the Army would cut credentialing assistance funding and remove officers from the program, citing the initiative’s rapid growth and skyrocketing…
Natural gas is a convenience that most people never think twice about. Turn the knob, the burner lights, dinner gets made. It works so reliably and invisibly that it never shows up on anyone’s list of vulnerabilities. Until the grid goes down. Natural gas delivery depends on pressurized municipal pipeline infrastructure. That infrastructure is fragile in ways that most people do not appreciate until it fails. Earthquakes, major storms, pipeline ruptures, infrastructure attacks, and prolonged grid-down scenarios can all cut your natural gas supply with no warning and no timeline for restoration. When that happens, every natural gas appliance in…
The Army has taken a step toward pilot-optional flight, receiving its first Black Hawk helicopter equipped with autonomy systems that allow it to fly without a human crew. The service received the aircraft, designated H-60Mx, and said the Black Hawk variant will begin rigorous testing of its ability to operate with a reduced crew or autonomously. According to a March 20 Army release, the helicopter uses autonomy software developed under a Defense Department program to enable flight with minimal human input.The Army said the aircraft is modified with “fly-by-wire” controls, which replace mechanical systems with electronic ones that allow computer-assisted…
North Korea’s ruler, Kim Jong-Un, has said that his country’s nukes provide some “leverage” against American aggression and terrorism. He added that North Korea poses a credible nuclear threat to the United States. North Korea To Build Up Missile Arsenal Amongst “U.S. Nuclear Threat” Kim was speaking during a policy address to newly elected lawmakers on Monday when he emphasized the role of nuclear weapons in ensuring national security. He accused Washington of carrying out “state terror and aggression” globally, arguing that such actions justify Pyongyang’s concerns about the US military presence in the region, including deployments involving nuclear-capable assets. According…
SYDNEY — China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S. stronghold of Guam, and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows. In October 2024, it checked on a set…
We reported last July how a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld an earlier preliminary injunction against the section of the California Business & Professional Code that prohibits advertising of any “firearm-related product in a manner that is designed, intended, or reasonably appears to be attractive to minors.” In Junior Sports Magazine v. Bonta, Junior Sports Magazine argued that the law infringed its First Amendment right to free speech and joined with the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) to challenge it. Fast forward about eight months, and on March 17, the United States District Court for the…
This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse Blog. After this week is over, there may be no turning back. President Trump is literally threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s power grid, and the Iranians cannot do a thing to prevent that from happening. But in response, the Iranians are threatening to destroy oil and gas infrastructure all over the Persian Gulf. The Iranians have already destroyed 17 percent of Qatar’s Ras Laffan natural gas complex, and if they destroy the remaining 83 percent of that facility, it will immediately plunge us into the greatest natural gas crisis…