In this episode, we dive into Donald Trump’s latest remarks on the future of Gaza, his stance on Palestinian displacement, and his renewed “maximum pressure” strategy on Iran. Trump claims the U.S. will “cleanse Gaza” and might even “own it,” while Hamas outright rejects his vision. We also explore Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where he watched raw footage of the October 7 attacks.

Plus, we break down Trump’s latest statements on Iran, his push to reinstate harsh sanctions, and his claim that reports of U.S.-Israeli plans to strike Iran are “greatly exaggerated.” What does this mean for Middle East policy under Trump? Tune in for these crucial developments.

The DDG(X) program will be over-budget, very late and a shadow of its naval architectural ambition.

Of course.

The US Navy has seemingly abandoned naval gunnery at the 5″ level and above and the latest navy build program for a new destroyer is removing the capability. While missiles are certainly the predominant means to project power from naval ships, there is certainly a call for naval gunnery in certain operational tasks. The increasing density and threat capabilities of drones is making gunnery important also at levels below that caliber to bring back the anti-aircraft utility of Oerlikon and Bofors style 12.7 to 40mm to increase reasonable ship protection.

The latest renderings depicting the U.S. Navy’s next-generation destroyer are missing some weapon systems initially incorporated onboard the ship. According to Naval News, the image revealed by Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships last week showcases the DDG(X) without a main gun. Back in 2022, the upcoming destroyer was equipped with a 5-inch Mark 45 Mod 4 main gun forward of the bow-mounted 32-cell ark 41 Vertical Launch System cells. While this original design was purely conceptual, the new DDG(X)’s missing gun is significant. Similar to the service’s other next-generation projects, its destroyer timeline has been delayed. The most recent estimates surrounding the DDG(X) indicate the destroyer will not become available until the early 2030s at the earliest.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/new-renderings-show-ddgx-destroyer-missing-its-main-gun-214372/

Naval gunnery used to be quite the vocation for interested surface warfare officers and men.

The legendary ADM Ching Lee commanding the USS Washington battleship (BB56) in WWII was the winner in the sole “gunfight” between battleships in the PTO in WWII and sunk the IJN Kirishima in what was point blank range for 14″ and 16″ guns. He was a former Olympic shooting champion in 1920. Guns and gunnery are a tool in the armory.

The stewards of other people’s money continue to disappoint.

While 70% of the $6.4 billion charged on 2.3 million government cards that year was found to be appropriate, 12% was inadvertently spent on the wrong things, such as alcohol or in Google’s online store for games, smartphone applications and video streaming services. Inspectors also found cards used on federal holidays and during major sporting events when employees were unlikely to have work expenses. About 2% of spending was considering abuse and less than 1% fraud, according to the report. That’s down from a decade ago, when the inspector general found about $1 million had been charged to government cards at casinos and adult entertainment venues.

The most egregious case highlighted by the IG was an Air Force airman who withdrew more than $10,500 from two Maryland casinos between April and August 2023. The airman tried the card nine more times totaling $3,500, but those transactions were rejected because the card had reached its spending limit. 

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/pete-hegseth-is-unfit-to-lead-the-pentagon/

The quality of our enemies defines us. The Center for American Prosperity (CAP) opposition makes me certain Pete Hegseth is the right man at the right time.

The evil and execrable John Podesta runs CAP.

That John Podesta. He replaced John Kerry as the Climate Envoy.

The consequences of Hegseth’s appointment would reverberate far beyond the Pentagon. His lack of credibility and diplomatic acumen threatens to undermine alliances, embolden adversaries, and weaken America’s standing on the global stage—all outcomes that raise risks to the safety of the American people.

America’s armed forces deserve leadership that is competent, credible, and focused on the challenges ahead. The American people deserve a secretary of defense who will prioritize an effective and accountable Department of Defense ready to keep the nation safe against rapidly evolving threats. Hegseth is not that leader. His confirmation is a risk the nation cannot afford.

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/pete-hegseth-is-unfit-to-lead-the-pentagon/

Israeli agents are censoring American students’ textbooks.

Because as we all know, the only real marginalized group is the Israeli regime.