The remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper was the workhorse in the U.S. air campaign against Iran, Air Force leaders told Congress on May 20, even as the service’s fiscal 2027 budget request still pours the bulk of aircraft dollars into crewed fighters.Having repeatedly proven their worth, unmanned aircraft will “play an increasingly important role as we build out into the future across the board,” Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink told the House Armed Services Committee. When Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., asked whether manned and unmanned systems represent the future of the Air Force, Meink answered, “Absolutely.”Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach went further on Operation Epic Fury. “Perhaps maybe the most valuable player was unmanned,” Wilsbach said. “No other platform is even close to the MQ-9,” he added, citing strikes that consistently reduced risk to pilots.Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., wasted no time in challenging the gap between the Air Force’s praise for unmanned systems and the dollars allocated to them. “Gen. Wilsbach, you spoke very passionately when you answered the chairman’s question about UASs and their future,” Garamendi said. “However, your budget doesn’t follow that passion.”Detailing the service’s budget requests, Garamendi cited “$1.4 billion for CCAs”;…

The most recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC or DR Congo) is worsening. The World Health Organization (WHO) director, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is concerned that population movement is going to exacerbate the already tense situation. One main concern is that this outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments. The affected area is a mining zone with constant population movement, increasing the risk of the virus spreading further across the region. This is already the worst outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus in world history, and its rapid spread is of major concern for most health officials familiar with hemorrhagic diseases. The Ebola Scare Begins: The Worst Outbreak Of Bundibugyo Virus Disease In World History Ghebreyesus warned that the outbreak could worsen rapidly, citing several factors driving the spread of the virus. According to the WHO, the number of cases is expected to rise further because Ebola had likely been “circulating for weeks” before health authorities detected the outbreak. Cases have already been identified in several urban areas, while healthcare workers are among the dead, raising fears of transmission inside medical facilities. –RT DR Congo and Uganda confirmed…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The state of North Carolina now must remove noncitizens excused from jury duty from voter rolls, Fox News Digital has learned Thursday.The Republican National Committee and North Carolina Republican Party say they secured a consent judgment requiring the North Carolina State Board of Elections to use jury-duty records to identify registered voters who have acknowledged they are not U.S. citizens.Those noncitizens will have to be removed from voter rolls, a significant legal victory in forcing a state to purge its voter rolls amid strong Democrat opposition.”This agreement is a major win for election integrity in North Carolina,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters told Fox News Digital in a statement. “It’s straightforward: if someone admits they’re not a U.S. citizen during jury duty, that information should be used to check the voter rolls and remove anyone who doesn’t belong.”OBAMA-APPOINTED JUDGE REVERSES COURSE, RULES VOTER ID LAW ISN’T DISCRIMINATORY IN GOP WIN The agreement was accepted by Superior Court Judge Jennifer Bedford after an 19-minute online hearing Wednesday.”This type of information, I think the General Assembly has made somewhat clear, should not fall on deaf ears,” Bedford said, The Carolina Journal reported, adding that information…

AI-powered “decision support tools” are helping the U.S. Navy hang on to more of its highest-priority sailors — with the help of commanders authorized to persuade and offer flexibility incentives.In the little more than a year since the service launched the “Full Power Navy” pilot program in February 2025, leaders have “converted” 3,300 sailors who had begun the process of separating, convincing them to re-up instead. In the group targeted for engagement — sailors with between five and 20 years in service in ratings designated as high need — 20% more are choosing to stay in, said Rear Adm. Jeffrey Heames, assistant commander of Navy Personnel Command. The program aims to communicate with command triads about sailors whose data indicates they are at or near a departure decision from the Navy and initiating a conversation about the reasons for leaving, and what might convince them to stay instead. “The most important part of this is having the command talk to the sailor about staying in the Navy, and what you know, what are the obstacles, and identifying some of those, and informing us through our digital tracking system, so that we can reach out to them and hopefully craft up…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! You open your inbox and see a billing alert. It claims you signed up for Geek Squad protection. The total is $489.99. There is a big button to pay now.There is only one problem. You never signed up. That is where this scam starts. This email is built to create urgency. It pushes you to act before you think. Once you slow down and read it closely, the red flags show up everywhere.Let’s look at the warning signs one by one.Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy ReportGet my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.AMAZON RECALL TEXT SCAM COMES WITH RED FLAGS First red flag: It doesn’t even use your nameThe email is addressed to a generic recipient. There is no real personalization.Legit companies almost always use your name if you have an account. They also reference past activity. This email does neither.That tells you one thing. It was sent in bulk…

Seventy-three years after the “The World at War” debuted its comprehensive 26-episode arch chronicling the events of the Second World War, the History Channel and the National World War II Museum have teamed up with Tom Hanks to deliver what they hope to be updated docuseries uncovering “new dimensions of the conflict,” according to the History Channel.“I think the sweep and scope of the documentary is itself illuminating,” Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham told Military Times via email. “We are saying, ‘In a fragmented culture dominated by the device in your hand, you need to look up and engage in a story that is at once larger than any one of us but also intimate, personal and resonant.’”Rob Citino, senior historian at the National WWII Museum and lead consultant for the series, told Military Times that “For someone in my generation ‘The World at War’ was equivalent to a kind of historical gospel. We watched every episode, we memorized it, the footage, the interviewees, which at the time were largely German and Allied officers — men who actually fought the war — they were still alive.“It’s impossible to do that kind of series 1779381315, but the museum and the History…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Democrats are outraged again. This time, it is because the Department of Justice has set up a $1.8 billion fund to compensate victims of the weaponization of the federal government as part of President Donald Trump’s settlement with the IRS over his own targeting by the agency.This might mark the first time that the Democrats have ever sided with the government over alleged criminals, who they regularly coddle like swaddled babes. Obviously, it is only because we are talking about Republicans, not illegal immigrants. There is no better example than Michael Caputo, former spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services in the first Trump administration, whose life was shattered by the fruitless and politically driven Russia collusion investigations.Starting in 2017, after Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton, Caputo and others were targeted by the DOJ and eventually the Robert Mueller investigation for little reason other than their connection to Trump.APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED ‘WEAPONIZATION’ VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENTCaputo and his family were crushed by legal fees, constant legal appearances and serious reputational damage, and in retrospect, given the lack of evidence of Russian collusion at best, and the…

Marines who participate in missions along the U.S.-Mexico border are now eligible for a newly created award established by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.The Corps can award the Mexican Border Defense Medal to Marines “deployed in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection,” the service announced on Thursday.The medal applies to service members who spent at least 30 days — consecutively or cumulatively — on applicable missions beginning Jan. 20, 2025, in areas near the southern border, including Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The medal’s criteria also includes assignments to nearby waters north of the border.The award replaces the Armed Forces Service Medal for operations after Aug. 13, 2025. Marines who were previously awarded that medal for missions earlier in the year can choose to exchange it, according to the Thursday MarAdmin. They cannot, however, keep both for the same deployment. Only one medal may be awarded to each Marine, regardless of how many deployments they have completed. The change applies to the entire service, including active duty and reserve personnel. According to previous reporting by the War Horse, by late March, roughly 9,000 soldiers and Marines had been deployed as part of Joint Task Force Southern Border.Eve Sampson is…

Taking up a handgun for personal defense is indeed a life-changing experience that warrants a great deal of forethought and preparation. You not only have to select the best possible handgun and related gear to fit your lifestyle, but also become proficient in its use and knowledgeable of the laws that relate to personal defense and the use of force. You must also answer the questions of whether your pistol will be utilized primarily for home defense, or if it will be an everyday carry piece discreetly hidden on your person as you go about your daily routine. Danger can appear at any time of the day or night. Statistics suggest that having a flashlight will be important in identifying a threat and responding appropriately. Also, you must consider the types of situations and environments you might be carrying your pistol. Do you reside or work in a high crime area? Quite frankly, a great deal of violent crime can unfold in “nice” areas where you might feel safe. Suffice it to say, danger is unpredictable and can present itself at any time of the day or night and in just about any location. One long-time trend that is tough…

The United States Justice Department has indicted Raúl Castro, the former ruler of Cuba. Similarly, this move mirrors the one made by the US that offered a pretext for the kidnapping of Venezuela’s ruler, Nicolas Maduro. Much of the world condemned the US’s handling of Maduro and the brief military action in Venezuela it took to remove him from power.  Since then, the US has taken control of most of Venezuela’s oil. Trump Halts Second Wave of Venezuela Strikes As Global Outrage Grows Over Maduro Abduction The indictment of Castro was unsealed on Wednesday. It accuses Castro of ordering the shooting down of two American planes off the coast of Cuba in 1996, according to a report by RT. Castro and five of his officials are charged with conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder, one for each of the Cuban-Americans killed in the shootdown. Castro, who was Cuba’s defense minister at the time of the incident, “participated in a conspiracy that ended with Cuban military aircraft firing missiles at those civilian planes and killing four Americans,” acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conference in Miami on Wednesday. –RT On February…