Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has thrown his support behind proposed legislation that would give combat-wounded service members who are medically retired from the U.S. military their full retirement pay and Veterans Affairs disability compensation.During a hearing Thursday on the Defense Department’s $1.5 trillion fiscal 2027 budget request, Hegseth said he supports the Maj. Richard Star Act — a bill that would give roughly 54,000 veterans their retirement pay and VA disability concurrently.“As I have said in the past to other organizations, we support the Richard Star Act,” Hegseth said during questioning by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.Blumenthal is a lead sponsor of the bill who repeatedly has tried to pass the legislation, most recently, calling in March for a Senate vote. The legislation has the support of 79 Senators and 323 House members.But it has been blocked by some Republicans over concerns of funding. In March, Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., objected to Blumenthal’s call for a floor vote, saying the legislation would cost more than $70 billion over the first 10 years of enactment.RELATEDThe $70 billion Johnson cited is the total estimated cost of eliminating the offset for all 250,000 military medical retirees, and according to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee,…

It’s been interesting to watch what’s happened in the tactical illumination market over the last few decades. I’d argue we’re seeing a rough equivalent to Moore’s Law, whereby flashlights become exponentially more powerful every couple of years. With that, there’s now a good number of consumers who are conditioned to think that when it comes to lumens, bigger numbers are always better. Princeton Tec headlamps are renowned for their durability and field performance. Is there one that is right for you and your needs? Don’t get me wrong: if you’re shining an illumination tool into the eyes of someone trying to cause you bodily harm, then brilliant, blinding light is handy indeed. However, if you’re trying to change a fuse or do some repair work around the house, blowing out your own vision with thousands of reflected lumens is less than ideal. By the same token, hunters and other outdoorsmen may not necessarily want to change night into day every time they turn on a light source. Today, I’m happy to share two well-considered headlamps from Princeton Tec that solve a number of problems and avail themselves to the user not with raw power, but through thoughtful, intuitive design. Snap…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! We’ve reached one of the best days of the week. Work winds down, we get to go home, crack open a cold one and reach for the remote. Tonight, my TV will be locked on three different NBA games that will all be closeout games.There are two Eastern Conference matchups and one Western Conference battle. It starts with the Pistons looking to force Game 7 in Detroit. The Pistons won the most games in the Eastern Conference this season. While that is a fact, they haven’t really looked like a dominating team in the first round of the playoffs. That isn’t to say that Detroit has been terrible, but they do look like some of the flaws that didn’t hurt them playing a team once and moving on, have been exposed in a seven-game set.They are down, but they aren’t out yet, and if they win tonight, they get to bring the series back to Detroit for a decisive Game 7.I do feel like we need to take a moment to appreciate just how good Cade Cunningham has been in this series. He was drafted first overall in the 2021 draft, so…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! FIRST ON FOX: Minnesota Republican lawmaker Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, announced on Friday she is ending her gubernatorial campaign to replace embattled Gov. Tim Walz.”It was not a tough decision to get into the race 10 months ago,” Robbins exclusively told Fox News Digital. “We could not allow Tim Walz to have a third term in Minnesota. He’s destroyed our state, and we had to stop him and so I think I made a great case for that, and because of all my work on the fraud committee he got out 9 months ahead of schedule, which is great.”Robbins continued, “Once Senator Klobuchar became sort of the anointed candidate to replace him, I just think the establishment kind of circled the wagons and, you know, it became a challenging endeavor, and I’m a realist, and I am a numbers person, and when I look at the math, I don’t see a path for me to win.”Weeks after Walz dropped his re-election bid in January amid a massive fraud scandal that unfolded during his watch, Sen. Amy Klobuchar jumped into the race, bringing her…

FORT MAGSAYAY, Philippines — As an American reconnaissance drone hummed overhead, soldiers of the U.S. and Philippine armies stormed forward through the jungle terrain, laying down suppressive fire on enemy positions.Finishing off the foe’s stubborn resistance, a Kestrel first-person-view (FPV) drone carrying an explosive payload slammed into the enemy bunker. Afterwards, sweating profusely in the 97ºF heat, the Americans and Filipinos secured the area.This jungle patrol in the thickly vegetated training area of Fort Magsaysay, located 75 miles north of Manila, was just one of many events taking place across the Philippines in Exercise Balikatan 2026.More than 17,000 troops from seven countries are participating in this multilateral exercise being held from Apr. 20 to May 8.The major U.S. Army contingent in Balikatan is the 3rd Mobile Brigade of the Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division. The soldiers conducting this realistic drill were from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, alongside troops from the Philippine Army’s 1st Brigade Combat Team.This engagement integrating new tech underscored how the “Tropic Lightning” division is transforming and adopting new technologies as one of the Army’s two original Transformation in Contact divisions. It is required to do so by the changing nature of modern warfare.Col. Adisa King,…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The body of a Republican Oklahoma state Senate candidate reported missing earlier this week has been discovered inside a truck parked in a rural area. Barry Christian, a 54-year-old Senate candidate from Sayre, mysteriously vanished Tuesday and was found dead two days later, his campaign said in a statement obtained by KOCO. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirmed to the outlet that Christian’s gray Ram truck was discovered near Highway 30 with a body inside.FBI SAYS TRUCKER FOUND DEAD AFTER SUSPECTED HIJACKING; KEY DETAILS REMAIN UNCLEAR Due to the truck’s location by a ravine near the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area, the recovery of the vehicle and body was reportedly delayed, initially stalling identification of the remains. Officials are still working to determine Christian’s cause of the death. The OSBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. GOT A TIP?Christian was reported missing on Tuesday after he failed to attend a scheduled meeting, and was last seen driving the same truck found by officials, according to the Harmon County Sheriff’s Office. FOLLOW US ON XChristian’s campaign site described the District 38 candidate as the “conservative choice” for Senate, vowing to “proudly…

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy is ramping up its AI capabilities to hunt for Iranian mines in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, a recently awarded contract shows.President Donald Trump has said the U.S. Navy is clearing Iranian mines from the strait, a vital sea route for oil shipments, whose disruption is increasingly threatening the global economy. Sweeping for underwater explosives could take months despite a tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran in their weeks-long war.The up to $100 million contract for the San Francisco artificial intelligence company Domino Data Lab could quicken this process with software that can teach underwater drones to identify new types of mines in a matter of days.RELATED“Mine-hunting used to be a job for ships,” Thomas Robinson, Domino’s chief operating officer, said in an interview with Reuters. “It’s becoming a job for AI. The Navy is paying for the platform that lets it train, govern, and field that AI at a speed required for contested waters that block global trade and imperil sailors.”Last week, the U.S. Navy awarded the up to $99.7 million contract to expand Domino’s role as the AI backbone of the Navy’s Project AMMO -…

Summary Not giving up nuclear program: Iran will “guard” its “advanced technologies” like it does its own borders, Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written speech read aloud by state TV. It will “secure the Persian Gulf region and dismantle the hostile enemy’s exploitation of this waterway.” US military teases cutting-edge, not yet tested in battle, hypersonic missiles for the Mideast region as CENTCOM head set to brief Trump on further military options at White House. Brent crude for June delivery reached as much as $126 a barrel in trading on Thursday, before easing to $114, as oil prices have surged to their highest levels since 2022 as Trump mulls a military-enforced Iran blockade extension. US x Iran permanent peace deal by June 30, 2026?Yes 34% · No 67%View full market & trade on Polymarket *  *  * Khamenei: Protect Nuclear Program, Gulf Region Will Have Future Without America Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has never released video or voice messages, and he’s still not been seen or even photographed since the war’s start, and is believed to be severely injured and recovering. State TV on Thursday read aloud his written speech, which struck a defiant tone, declaring that the only place Americans belonged in the Persian Gulf is…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Country star Lauren Alaina is sharing how Miranda Lambert gave her a reality check about the music industry during an unexpected first meeting.Alaina, 31, recently recalled the moment during an appearance on “Taste of Country Nights.” She was asked who had given her some of the best advice in both her career and personal life, and she said that Lambert was responsible for giving her some solid tips.”Miranda Lambert — I ran into at the BMI Awards, in the bathroom. It was my first time meeting her, and she was like, ‘Don’t you let this town or anybody change who you are. You’re a sweet Southern girl, and you stay that way,’” the “Road Less Traveled” singer shared.MIRANDA LAMBERT SAYS SHE’S ‘ADDICTED’ TO SHOOTING GUNS ON HORSEBACK IN NEW WILD WEST HOBBY “I didn’t even know she knew who I was. It was the sweetest moment ever,” she added.Alaina first appeared in the music industry at 15 years old on the stage of “American Idol.” She made it all the way through the competition singing show to the finals in 2011. She came in second place as Scotty McCreery took first.COUNTRY STAR…

Fans joked that WWE’s landmark rights deal with ESPN last year would lead to Stephen A. Smith appearing in the ring. That idea is no longer just a joke or social media meme.According to Fightful Select, a source known for reporting accurate wrestling information, there are discussions about giving Smith an on-screen role this summer.The report says ESPN is “pleased and enthusiastic” about the potential for Smith to get more involved in the partnership.ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW! Notably, Smith is represented by Mark Shapiro, the president of WWE parent company TKO. WWE president Nick Khan is also Smith’s former broadcast agent. The TKO and ESPN relationship has already led to an in-storied crossover, with Pat McAfee’s involvement in the WrestleMania storyline between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton.McAfee, who works with TKO CEO Ari Emanuel, says he is done with WWE as part of the stipulation if Orton loses.If McAfee is actually done with WWE, Smith would be a logical replacement. By most metrics, McAfee and Smith are the two biggest stars at ESPN and its most pro-wrestling-style personalities. McAfee was a natural fit. He excelled on the WWE broadcast…