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.

Please note the highlights from the new report from CRS below on the Ford-class carrier fiasco speaks to “welding issues”, call me Captain Obvious but in shipbuilding or the building of any exquisite platforms, the identification of welding issues infers a complete welding inspection of the entire ship. That ain’t cheap but then again when you build these future fish apartments on the taxpayer’s dime, the pursuit of excellence is always optional.

Procuring more of the incredibly poorly designed and executed new nuclear super-carriers is not only martial malpractice but a death warrant for the thousands of sailors assigned to these if employed during a peer conflict in this century.

The U.S. Navy Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) underway in the Atlantic Ocean on 4 June 2020, marking the first time a Gerald R. Ford-class and a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier operated together underway. Gerald R. Ford is underway conducting integrated air wing operations, and the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group remained at sea in the Atlantic as a certified carrier strike group force ready for tasking in order to protect the crew from the risks posed by COVID-19, following their successful deployment to the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.

Read the full report at your own peril of bubbling anger issues and remove all sharp objects from the room.

Oversight issues for Congress for the CVN-78 program include the following:

– faulty welds on certain new Navy ships, including Ford-class carriers, that were first reported in late September 2024;

– whether to procure CVN-82 in FY2030 (as proposed in the Navy’s FY2025 budget submission), in FY2028 (as scheduled in prior-year Navy budget submissions), or in FY2029;

– whether to procure CVN-82 and a subsequent aircraft carrier (which would be CVN-83) as a two-ship buy that would similar to the two-ship buy that was used for procuring CVN-80 and CVN-81;

-the future aircraft carrier force level;

-CVN-78 program issues that were raised in a January 2024 report from the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) and a June 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on DOD weapon systems; and

-the procurement of aircraft carriers after CVN-81 or CVN-82.

https://news.usni.org/2025/01/17/report-to-congress-on-ford-class-aircraft-carrier-program

Stop building these things!

In this episode of the Kyle Anone Show, we dive deep into Trump’s recent interview with Sean Hannity, where he reveals his bold and controversial views on foreign policy. We’ll unpack the rhetoric surrounding Trump’s stance on Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran while highlighting key details that shape his approach.

Additionally, we explore Trump’s policies regarding Gaza. Initially seen as a peacemaker who brokered a ceasefire deal before taking office, recent statements suggest a troubling shift towards endorsing ethnic cleansing in the region. Join us as we analyze these critical developments and their implications for peace in the Middle East.

Aiviq

The US has 1.5 icebreakers because it has had to cannibalize one of its ancient and sclerotic icebreakers to make the remaining heavy work.But for all this, the same Coast Guard bought the Aiviq for $125 million late last year. And don’t expect them to get this right. The ship was built to operate in the Arctic, but it has a type of propulsion system susceptible to failure in ice. 

…a type of propulsion system susceptible to failure in ice.

…a type of propulsion system susceptible to failure in ice.

…a type of propulsion system susceptible to failure in ice.

Former Coast Guard icebreaker captains were reluctant to criticize the purchase of the Aiviq when contacted by ProPublica, in part because it has taken impossibly long for the service to build the new heavy icebreakers it says it needs.

“Is the Coast Guard getting the Aiviq a bad thing? No,” said Rear Adm. Jeff Garrett, a former captain of the Healy icebreaker. But “is it the ideal resource? No.”

To reach the Arctic from Juneau, Garrett noted, the Aiviq will have to regularly cross the same storm-swept stretch of the Gulf of Alaska where it once lost the Kulluk.

Lawson Brigham said he had questions about the Aiviq “since it’s our tax dollars at work,” but he granted that “it’s bringing some capability into the Coast Guard at a time when we’re awaiting whenever the shipbuilder can get the first ship out, which is still unknown.”

Zukunft, who retired in 2018, stands by his past opposition to the Aiviq.

“I remain unconvinced,” he wrote in response to questions from ProPublica, that it “meets the operational requirements and design of a polar icebreaker that have been thoroughly documented by the Coast Guard.” By acquiring the Aiviq, “the Coast Guard runs the risk that those requirements can be compromised.”

The American acquisition system is broken. In case you haven’t noticed.

https://news.usni.org/2025/01/20/report-to-congress-on-u-s-air-force-next-generation-air-dominance-fighter