Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Pentagon communications policy could cut off Congress from military, GOP lawmakers say
The Pentagon's crackdown on communications with Congress will make it harder for lawmakers to get the information they need on military affairs, said Republican lawmakers, retired military officers and former Defense Department officials. Published October 29, 2025
Beijing jeers U.S. after helicopter and jet crash in separate incidents into the South China Sea
China condemned America's "disruption to regional peace and stability" on Monday, just hours after a U.S. Navy helicopter and fighter jet crashed into the South China Sea. Published October 27, 2025
Pentagon confirms anonymous $130 million donation from Trump ‘friend’ to pay troops
The Pentagon has confirmed that it received an anonymous $130 million donation to help pay troops during the ongoing government shutdown. Published October 24, 2025
Pentagon says ‘new generation’ of more than 60 journalists signed restrictive new rules
The Pentagon on Wednesday announced that more than 60 journalists have agreed to the restrictive new press policies implemented by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and will form the "next generation of the Pentagon press corps." Published October 22, 2025
‘He lost us’: Generals, senior officers say trust in Hegseth has evaporated
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has lost the trust and respect of some top military commanders, with his public "grandstanding" widely seen as unprofessional and the personnel moves made by the former cable TV host leading to an unprecedented and dangerous exodus of talent from the Pentagon, said current senior military officers and current and former Defense Department officials. Published October 20, 2025
Zelenskyy insists ‘Putin is not winning,’ says Ukraine needs U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy insisted that Russia "is not winning" the war between the two nations. Published October 19, 2025
Embassy in Trinidad warns Americans to avoid government buildings amid U.S.-Venezuela tensions
Americans in Trinidad and Tobago should avoid government buildings due to a "heightened state of alert" on the twin-island nation, according to a warning from the U.S. Embassy there. Published October 19, 2025
Israel launches airstrikes in Gaza after attacks on IDF troops; Trump-backed ceasefire in jeopardy
The U.S.-backed ceasefire in the Gaza Strip barreled toward total collapse Sunday after Hamas terrorists killed two Israeli soldiers and Israeli forces responded with a wave of airstrikes on dozens of targets across the Palestinian enclave. Published October 19, 2025
Powering the future: Army sees small, mobile nuclear reactors as key to energy resilience
The Army is developing next-generation mobile nuclear reactors under a program announced Tuesday. It promises to have "at least one" working reactor by summer 2026 as part of a push to ensure reliable power generation at military installations and for forward-deployed troops. Published October 14, 2025
How the U.S. Army and defense industry will build new generation of counter-drone weaponry
It's an urgent mission for the Pentagon and its defense industry partners: Build cost-effective tools -- lots of them -- to counter the increasingly cheap and lethal tactical attack drones wielded by America's adversaries abroad or terrorists targeting events at home. Published October 13, 2025
Army officials, defense industry leaders to land in D.C. for big military conference
Key military officials and defense industry leaders will descend on Washington next week for a major Army conference, with the service's 21st-century modernization effort in the spotlight and against the backdrop of a push across the Pentagon to maintain an edge over America's adversaries. Published October 11, 2025
South Korean investigators indict Hak Ja Han Moon, head of Family Federation
South Korean authorities indicted Hak Ja Han Moon, the 82-year-old matriarch of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, on Friday on charges of bribery, embezzlement and other alleged offenses. Published October 10, 2025
Trump-Kim meeting over North Korea’s nukes possible
A meeting between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is possible in the near future and could provide the spark needed for a deal between Washington and Pyongyang, one that could limit the communist country's nuclear program. Published October 8, 2025
Four killed as U.S. strikes another drug-smuggling speedboat off coast of Venezuela, Pentagon says
U.S. forces on Friday struck another boat off the coast of Venezuela that was transporting drugs to America, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. Published October 3, 2025
America aims to keep air superiority in high-tech battle spaces
It's no longer a given that the U.S. and its allies will control the skies with ease in conflict. In the 21st century, gaining and maintaining air superiority will require a combination of cutting-edge tactical drones, surveillance aircraft powered by artificial intelligence, multimillion-dollar fighter jets and stealth bombers. Published October 3, 2025
Hegseth slams ‘fat generals and admirals’ and racial quotas, announces new fitness standards
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday unveiled a series of new directives he said are aimed at purging the U.S. military of the "woke garbage" that has infected it for years, and he specifically said all service members -- including the highest-ranking officers -- will be required to meet weight requirements and pass physical fitness tests twice a year. Published September 30, 2025
Inside the defense industry’s push to build the next wave of counter-drone weapons
From directed energy weapons to cutting-edge electronic warfare and new computerized fire control systems that improve the effectiveness of a soldier's AR-15 rifle, the global defense industry is developing new, creative and affordable ways to combat the small attack drones that have revolutionized modern warfare. Published September 29, 2025
Trump’s thrashing of the United Nations shines a light on the need for reform
President Trump's no-holds-barred takedown of the United Nations this week drew pushback from the international community, but the president's criticisms are shared by many analysts and other world leaders across the globe. Published September 25, 2025
Hegseth’s ‘warrior ethos’ vision targets First Amendment; courts expected to reject media crackdown
The Pentagon's sweeping new rules for journalists -- including the demand that reporters sign a pledge to not release any "unauthorized" information -- are just the latest moves under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to restore what he often refers to as the "warrior ethos." Published September 25, 2025
U.S. intercepts Russian warplanes flying near Alaska
The U.S. scrambled fighter jets Wednesday to intercept four Russian military aircraft flying near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, said in a statement. Published September 25, 2025
