Justices say vet who lost job as Texas trooper can sue state
The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed a former state trooper to sue Texas over his claim that he was forced out of his job when he returned from Army service in Iraq. The justices ruled for Army veteran Le Roy Torres under a federal law that was enacted in 1994 in the wake of the Persian Gulf war to strengthen job protections for returning service members. “Text, history, and precedent show that the States, in coming together to form a Union, agreed to sacrifice their sovereign immunity for the good of the common defense,” Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the court.
news.yahoo.comChelsea Manning memoir to be published in October
Books - Chelsea Manning Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning appears in Alexandria, Va., on May 16, 2019, left, and cover art from Manning's book “README.txt,” releasing Oct. 18. (AP Photo, left, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux via AP) (Uncredited)NEW YORK — (AP) — A memoir by Chelsea Manning will come out this fall. The book is titled “README.txt,” and it's scheduled for release on Oct. 18. Manning's book was first announced in 2019 but did not have a title or release date. The day after her conviction, Manning declared her gender identity was a man and began to transition.
wftv.comFloods in India, Bangladesh leave millions homeless, 18 dead
DHAKA, Bangladesh — (AP) — Army troops were called in to rescue thousands of people stranded by massive floods that have ravaged northeastern India and Bangladesh, leaving millions of homes underwater and severing transport links, authorities said Saturday. Lightning strikes in parts of neighboring Bangladesh have left at least nine dead since Friday. The Brahmaputra, one of Asia’s largest rivers, breached its mud embankments, inundating 3,000 villages and croplands in 28 of Assam’s 33 districts. In Bangladesh, districts near the Indian border have been worst affected. Flights at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet in northeastern Bangladesh were suspended for three days as floodwaters almost reached the runway, according to Hafiz Ahmed, the airport manager.
wftv.comFloods in India, Bangladesh leave millions homeless, 18 dead
Army troops were called in to rescue thousands of people stranded by massive floods that have ravaged northeastern India and Bangladesh, leaving millions of homes underwater and severing transport links, authorities said Saturday. In India's Assam state, at least nine people were killed in the floods and 2 million saw their homes submerged, according to the state disaster management agency. Lightning strikes in parts of neighboring Bangladesh have left at least nine dead since Friday.
news.yahoo.comNative children's remains to be moved from Army cemetery
CARLISLE, Pa. — (AP) — For more than a century they were buried far from home, in a small cemetery on the grounds of the U.S. Army War College. The Army began disinterring the remains of eight Native American children who died at a government-run boarding school at the Carlisle Barracks, with the children's living family members poised to take custody. More than 20 sets of Native remains were transferred to family members in earlier rounds. She is a relative of Paul Wheelock, one of the children whose remains will be disinterred. The small cemetery has been enclosed with privacy fencing during the disinterment process, which is expected to conclude in July.
wftv.comPost Politics Now Senate Republicans poised to block bill intended to combat domestic terrorism
President Biden has no public events on his schedule Thursday. He said Wednesday that he will soon travel to Uvalde, Tex., to meet families of the children killed in the mass shooting there.
washingtonpost.comBrazil toughens environmental fines in reaction to a lawsuit
Brazil Environmental Legislation FILE - Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro attends a ceremony marking Army Day at Army headquarters in Brasilia, Brazil, April 19, 2022. Bolsonaro signed a decree Tuesday, May 24, 2022 that creates stricter rules against environmental crimes in the Amazon rainforest, such as fraud in timber licensing. At the center of the lawsuit are 'reconciliation centers' Bolsonaro created in 2019 where environmental offenders may contest their fines. The centers led to a sharp reduction in environmental fines, a fact that's been celebrated as an achievement by Bolsonaro, who promised to stop what he called the “fining industry” during his election campaign. At a time when environmental crimes are exploding, enforcement is down and punishment procedures are chaotic, "this decree means absolutely nothing,” she said.
wftv.comNew names for Fort Bragg, 8 other Army bases recommended
Renaming Army Bases FILE - Fort Bragg shown, Feb. 3, 2022, in Fort Bragg, N.C. An independent commission is recommending new names for nine Army posts that were commemorated Confederate officers. Among their recommendations: Fort Bragg would become Fort Liberty and Fort Gordon would become Fort Eisenhower. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File) (Chris Seward)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Fort Bragg would become Fort Liberty. And, for the first time, Army bases would be named after Black soldiers and women. Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, is the only base that wouldn’t be named after a person.
wftv.comPanel recommends new names for Fort Bragg, other Army bases
Renaming Army Bases FILE - Fort Bragg shown, Feb. 3, 2022, in Fort Bragg, N.C. An independent commission is recommending new names for nine Army posts that were commemorated Confederate officers. Among their recommendations: Fort Bragg would become Fort Liberty and Fort Gordon would become Fort Eisenhower. The recommendations are the latest step in a broader effort by the military to confront racial injustice. (AP Photo/Chris Seward, File) (Chris Seward)WASHINGTON — (AP) — An independent commission on Tuesday recommended new names for nine Army posts that were named after Confederate officers. Among their recommendations: Fort Bragg in North Carolina would become Fort Liberty and Fort Gordon in Georgia would become Fort Eisenhower.
wftv.comSearch for Supreme Court leaker falls to former Army colonel
When Gail Curley began her job as Marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court less than a year ago, she would have expected to work mostly behind the scenes: overseeing the court's police force and the operations of the marble-columned building where the justices work. Earlier this month, however, Curley was handed a bombshell of an assignment, overseeing an unprecedented breach of Supreme Court secrecy, the leak of a draft opinion and apparent votes in a major abortion case. People who know Curley described the former Army colonel and military lawyer as possessing the right temperament for a highly charged leak investigation: smart, private, apolitical and and unlikely to be intimidated.
news.yahoo.comArmy officer who reported Trump probably faced retaliation, inquiry finds
Yevgeny Vindman, a former White House adviser, "was the subject of unfavorable personnel actions" after raising alarm about President Donald Trump’s actions toward Ukraine, the Defense Department's inspector general determined.
washingtonpost.com4 Air Force cadets may not graduate due to vaccine refusal
Virus OUtbreak Military Academies FILE - Air Force Academy cadets make their way to their seats as family and friends cheer from the stands during the United States Air Force Academy's Class of 2021 graduation ceremony at the USAFA in Colorado Springs, Colo., on May 26, 2021. Four cadets at the Air Force Academy may not graduate or be commissioned as military officers in May 2022, because they have refused the COVID-19 vaccine, and they may be required to pay back thousands of dollars in tuition costs, according to Air Force officials. Across the military, the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps have discharged nearly 4,000 active duty service members for refusing the vaccine. The officers, mostly from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, filed a lawsuit in February after their exemption requests were denied. As of recent data, the Air Force has approved 73 religious exemptions, the Marine Corps has approved seven, and the Army has approved eight.
wftv.comTurkey's leader opposes letting Finland, Sweden join NATO
Nato Finland Sweden Explainer Finnish soldiers take part in the Army mechanised exercise Arrow 22 exercise at the Niinisalo garrison in Kankaanp'', Western Finland, on May 4, 2022. Russia's war in Ukraine has provoked a public about face on membership in the two Nordic countries. “We are following developments concerning Sweden and Finland carefully, but we are not of a favorable opinion,” Erdogan told reporters. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that Finland and Sweden, should they formally apply to join the world’s biggest security organization, would be welcomed with open arms. The report pointed to NATO membership carrying a number of advantages for Sweden - above all the collective security provided by the 30-member military alliance.
wftv.comFormer defense secretary Mark Esper: President Trump suggested shooting protesters, missile strikes in Mexico
In his new memoir, "A Sacred Oath," Esper writes that he had to press President Trump to send aid to Ukraine, and also walked the president back from ideas such as shooting protesters and missile strikes in Mexico.
cbsnews.comFormer defense secretary Mark Esper: President Trump suggested shooting protesters, missile strikes in Mexico
In his new memoir, "A Sacred Oath," Esper writes that he had to press President Trump to send aid to Ukraine, and also walked the president back from ideas such as shooting protesters and missile strikes in Mexico.
cbsnews.comArmy pressed to fix dilapidated base housing by senators
One after another, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee pressed top Army leaders during a hearing to spend money on military housing in their states. The Army, she said, is requesting nearly $2 billion for military housing in the 2023 proposed budget, and has a 10-year infrastructure plan. The housing focus comes on the heels of a massive fraud case involving one of the largest providers of military housing in the United States. According to the Army, the $1.9 billion budget request is actually a 12% increase over last year's request. Gen. James McConville, the chief of staff of the Army, told senators the Army is doing all it can to ensure quality housing and other services for troops.
wftv.comArmy captain killed when 2 helicopters collide at Georgia military airfield
HINESVILLE, Ga. — An Army captain died early Wednesday when two helicopters collided at a military airfield in eastern Georgia, authorities said. >> Read more trending newsAccording to Fort Stewart officials, Capt. He became an aeromedical evacuation officer in 2019 and has been stationed at Fort Stewart since March 2020, according to WSAV-TV. Fort Stewart soldier killed in helicopter crash at Wright Army Airfield identified https://t.co/gqDbfMGWFU via @ChaseJusticeTV, @dgracetv — WSAV News 3 (@WSAV) March 31, 2022His job at Fort Stewart was to evaluate critically ill COVID-19 patients, the television station reported. “So yeah, it’s heartbreaking, and we say prayers for the family and everybody involved.”Wright Army Airfield has been closed until further notice while the crash is investigated, WTOC reported.
wftv.comJustices cast doubt on Texas immunity claim in vet's lawsuit
At the heart of the case is Congress' power to wage war and states' acknowledgments that they lacked similar authority, both laid out in the Constitution. A state appellate court dismissed it, and the justices stepped in. Fifteen other Republican-led states are calling on the court to side with Texas and rule out private lawsuits like Torres'. Congress first allowed returning service members to sue states to keep their jobs in 1974, recognizing discrimination because of opposition to the Vietnam War. “The Vietnam War is what made the statute necessary,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said.
wftv.comJustices cast doubt on Texas immunity claim in vet's lawsuit
The Supreme Court on Tuesday cast doubt on Texas' claim that it can't be sued by a former state trooper who says he was forced out of his job when he returned from Army service in Iraq. The justices heard arguments in a dispute over a federal law that was enacted in 1991 in the wake of the Persian Gulf war to strengthen job protections for returning service members. Over 90 minutes, the justices discussed the Vietnam War, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Alexander Hamilton and even Hamilton, the musical, as they tried to sort through whether states are shielded from lawsuits filed by veterans who complain that their jobs were not protected, in violation of the federal law.
news.yahoo.comArmy soldier dies during training incident in California
An Army soldier died during a “training incident” on Thursday at the National Training Center in California, officials said Saturday. Meitl was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Army officials said. While the incident did not happen at Fort Hood, it involved a soldier assigned to the base, KXAN-TV reported. He was participating in the brigade’s collective training at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, which is located in Southern California’s Mojave Desert, KRDO reported. He was an armored cannon crewmember whose honors include an Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
wftv.com6 Spring Break overdose victims in Florida include Army football player
Overdose: An Army football player was one of six people who overdosed on fentanyl-laced cocaine at a South Florida rental property on Thursday. >> Read more trending newsThe students were renting a home in the Fort Lauderdale suburb of Wilton Manors, the Sun-Sentinel reported. A West Point official told The Associated Press that one of the cadets who was hospitalized is an Army football player. “It brings great concern that there could be other ODs over the next couple of days,” City of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Stephen Gollan told WFOR-TV. The six victims were found in different overdose states and were all taken to hospitals, Gollan said.
wftv.comWhy Pakistan’s Leader Is Facing the Risk of Ouster
First elevated to power in 2018 elections, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has been widely seen as closely allied with the country’s powerful military, which until then had ruled the country for almost half its existence. Now, he appears to have lost some of the backing of this mighty constituency as well as some of his political allies. That spells danger for Khan at a time when his opponents, charging mismanagement of the economy, have ganged up to challenge his leadership.
washingtonpost.com'Very hectic': US troops rush to Europe amid war in Ukraine
They had barely a week to prepare — getting medical screenings, making sure bills would be paid, arranging for relatives to care for children and pets — before marching with rucksacks and rifles onto a plane bound for Germany. “It’s been very hectic and stressful, but overall it’s worked out,” Army Staff Sgt. Ricora Jackson said Wednesday as she waited with dozens of fellow soldiers to board a chartered flight at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah.
news.yahoo.comAcross services, troops face discipline for refusing vaccine
U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.
Study: Texas bases lead Army posts in risk of sexual assault
A new study finds that female soldiers at Army bases in Texas, Colorado, Kansas and Kentucky face a greater risk of sexual assault and harassment than those at other posts, accounting for more than a third of all active duty Army women sexually assaulted in 2018.
Army under fire from Congress over Fort Hood response
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON – Lawmakers expressed frustration Tuesday with how slowly improvements are being made to criminal investigation at Fort Hood, Texas, where rates of violent crime and sexual assaults are particularly high. More than two dozen Fort Hood soldiers died in 2020, including in multiple homicides and suicides. The review also concluded that the Army CID was understaffed, overwhelmed and filled with inexperienced investigators. Elder Fernandes, who was missing for more than a week last year before he was found dead about 28 miles from Fort Hood. AdAs a result of the independent review and other investigations, the Army earlier this year took action against 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at Fort Hood.
Coworkers: Man charged in Capitol riot had a Hitler mustache
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021 file photo rioters supporting President Donald Trump storm the Capitol in Washington. An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)WASHINGTON – An Army reservist charged with taking part in the attack on the U.S. Capitol was known as a Nazi sympathizer who wore a Hitler mustache, coworkers told federal investigators. The filing included photos from Hale-Cusanelli’s cellphone of him with a Hitler mustache, along with pro-Nazi cartoons. Jonathan Zucker, Hale-Cusanelli’s attorney, wrote in a filing that there was no evidence his client belongs to any white supremacist organizations.
General: Pentagon hesitated on sending Guard to Capitol riot
Guard troops who had been waiting on buses were then rushed to the Capitol, arriving in 18 minutes, Walker said. Much of the focus at Wednesday's hearing was on communications between the National Guard and the Defense Department. Contee said Sund pleaded with Army officials to deploy National Guard troops as the rioting escalated. AdAccording to the Defense Department, Walker was called at 3 p.m. by Army officials, and was told to prepare Guard troops to deploy. Thousands of National Guard troops are still patrolling the fenced-in Capitol, and multiple committees across Congress are investigating Jan. 6.
Let down your hair: New Army rules for ponytails, nail color
Female soldiers can let their hair down and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. Army leaders are loosening restrictions on various grooming and hairstyle rules, as service leaders try to address longstanding complaints, particularly from women. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)WASHINGTON – Female soldiers can let their hair down, and flash a little nail color under new rules being approved by the Army. Army leaders announced Tuesday that they are loosening restrictions on various grooming and hairstyle rules, as service leaders try to address longstanding complaints, particularly from women. Female soldiers going through Ranger or special operations training get their heads shaved, like male soldiers do.
The Latest: Colgate-Army men's basketball games postponed
(AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Colgate men’s basketball games this weekend at Army have been postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test result within Army’s Tier 1 personnel. ___The Tennessee Tech men’s basketball team has its first schedule change of the season because of COVID-19 issues. ___Michigan State is planning to resume competing later this week after postponing three straight games due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the men’s basketball program. Staal said he was “the first guy to test positive” and said he was “as surprised as anyone else – really in shock” after finding out. He said he was trying to be safe and follow health protocols before testing positive.
Austin wins Senate confirmation as 1st Black Pentagon chief
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, right, greets Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist as he arrives at the Pentagon, Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, in Washington. Biden is expected to win approval for others on his national security team in coming days, including Antony Blinken as secretary of state. Before heading to the Pentagon, Austin wrote on Twitter that he is especially proud to be the first Black secretary of defense. Austin retired in 2016 after serving as the first Black general to head U.S. Central Command. The House and the Senate approved the waiver Thursday, clearing the way for the Senate confirmation vote.
Congress poised for quick action on Biden's Pentagon nominee
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, confirmed that the confirmation vote on Austin would be conducted Friday. Austin, a 41-year veteran of the Army, has promised to surround himself with qualified civilians and include them in policy decisions. Many of them opposed a similar waiver in 2017 for Jim Mattis, former President Donald Trump's first secretary of defense. He emphasized on Tuesday that he will follow Biden’s lead in giving renewed attention to dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. As a career Army officer, Austin had little reason to learn the intricacies of nuclear policy, since the Army has no nuclear weapons.
Florida won’t host U.S. Space Command after Air Force taps Alabama’s Redstone Arsenal
(AP Photo/David Goldman)Florida won’t be home to the U.S. Space Command after the Air Force plans to announce the Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Alabama will host the 11th unified combatant command over the favored base in Colorado. The U.S. Space Command was previously established in 1985 to coordinate the use of outer space by the branches of the U.S. military but later disbanded. In the meantime, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, thought to be the frontrunner candidate, will remain the temporary home of USSSPACECOM until the permanent headquarters is ready. Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; the Army’s Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Joint Base San Antonio, Texas; and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska were also among the six finalists. During the final phase, the Air Force conducted both virtual and in person site visits at all six locations late last year.
The Latest: House urges Pence to remove Trump from power
__10:40 p.m.Michigan Rep. Fred Upton has become the fourth Republican to back the impeachment of President Donald Trump. ___8 p.m.Vice President Mike Pence is ruling out invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from power, less than a week after the president fomented the violent insurrection at the Capitol. That word comes as GOP divisions emerge over Democrats’ plan for a House vote Wednesday. As rioters were still in the Capitol, Trump released a video seemingly excusing the events, saying of the rioters: “We love you. On impeachment, Trump said it’s “a really terrible thing that they’re doing.” But he said, “We want no violence.
General sorry for ‘miscommunication’ over vaccine shipments
I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Perna told reporters in telephone briefing. I am fixing and we will move forward from there," Gen. Gustave Perna told reporters in a telephone briefing. There is no problem with the Moderna vaccine.”There’s a distinction between manufactured vaccine and doses that are ready to be released. Perna said the government now is on track to get approximately 20 million doses to states by the first week of January, a combination of the newly approved Moderna vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday accused the White House of “slow-walking the process.” Michigan is due 60,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in its second allotment, down from an anticipated 84,825.
The Latest: Austin reveres idea of civilian military control
(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON – The Latest on President-elect Joe Biden (all times local):2:15 p.m.Lloyd Austin, the retired Army general whom President-elect Joe Biden picked to be secretary of defense, says he reveres the principle of civilian control of the military. Austin retired four years ago after 41 years in the Army. Austin says he understands the need for civilian control of the military and sees himself as a civilian, not as a general. Congress intended civilian control of the military when it created the position of secretary of defense in 1947 and prohibited a recently retired military officer from holding the position. Austin retired in 2016.
14 Fort Hood soldiers fired, suspended over violence at base
The Army says it has fired or suspended 14 officers and enlisted soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, and ordered policy changes to address chronic leadership failures at the base that contributed to a widespread pattern of violence including murder, sexual assaults and harassment. He also ordered a separate probe into staffing and procedures at the base's Criminal Investigation Command unit, which is responsible for investigating crimes on Fort Hood. Mejhor Morta was found near a reservoir by Fort Hood. The five-member panel spent three weeks at Fort Hood and conducted more than 2,500 interviews, including 647 in person. Fort Hood, he said, has the highest rate of positive drug tests in the Army.
National museum dedicated to Army debuts on Veterans Day
The Sherman tank that first broke through enemy lines at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Those are just a few of the artifacts that tell the 245-year story of the nation's largest and oldest military branch at the new National Museum of the United States Army. Morando said the museum does not shy away from discussing painful aspects of Army history. The museum was built with private funds raised by the Army Historical Foundation. The Army provided the land and $230 million for site preparation, infrastructure, exhibits and the interior work that turns a building into a museum, officials said.
Asia Today: South Korea OKs single test for COVID-19 and flu
Even as India's overall coronavirus cases continue to fall, health officials say that New Delhi is in the grip of its third and worst wave of infections yet. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Wednesday reported 118 new cases of COVID-19, most of them in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area. In other developments in the Asia-Pacific region:— India’s capital reported a record high 6,725 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, hit by its worst wave of coronavirus infections since March. New Delhi has averaged more than 5,200 cases a day this past week, a spike the Health Ministry attributes to the festival season. Authorities have also closed schools and key public offices, banned public gatherings and restricted public transport.
Army: No requests made for use of troops around election
Army leaders said Tuesday that they have not received any requests to use active-duty or National Guard troops for possible civil unrest surrounding the presidential election next month, but are ready to do so if called on. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said no government agencies have asked for military troops. Thousands of National Guard troops, however, were used in Washington and in states across the nation to help law enforcement. The Army leaders on Tuesday also addressed other issues surrounding possible unrest. He and other Army leaders sat socially distant during the event and wore masks whenever they were not speaking.