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Key Points and Summary – The U.S. and E.U. have unveiled parallel, sweeping new sanctions against Russia, causing global oil prices to surge by over $2 a barrel.
-The E.U.’s 19th sanctions package is designed to choke Moscow’s energy revenue by banning Russian LNG imports, blacklisting over 100 “shadow fleet” tankers, and restricting crypto and AI services. Russia called the moves “painful… but not deadly.”
Putin in 2022. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Key Points and Summary – Despite years of Houthi missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea, not a single U.S. Navy ship has been hit, demonstrating the effectiveness of the military’s layered defenses.
-Reflecting on the campaign, Rear Adm. Kavon Hakimzadeh stated that while U.S. weapons and sailors performed flawlessly, the engagements highlighted the critical challenge of “magazine depth”—the risk of running out of expensive interceptors to counter cheap drone swarms.
U.S. Navy Railgun Test. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The Defense Information Systems Agency is inviting vendors to showcase innovative artificial intelligence capabilities that can help manage and gain insights from the agency’s data.
DISA will host an industry day in February at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland that will focus specifically on AI tools, streamlined database systems, advanced analytics, automation and decision-support platforms, according to an announcement posted to Sam.gov on Tuesday.
Key Points and Summary – According to a former U.S. Navy pilot, the F/A-18 Super Hornet “isn’t complicated to fly” thanks to its modern systems and effective autopilot.
-However, the pilot explained that what is complicated is performing the jet’s actual combat missions.
(July 24, 2025) – A U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet, assigned to the “Black Knights” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 154, transits the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), July 24, 2025.
The Senate failed to pass a stand-alone bill on Thursday that would pay troops, leaving service members once again with no clear idea of where their next paycheck will come from next week.
The Republican-backed bill, called the Shutdown Fairness Act, was intended to pay “excepted” federal employees, service members, and contractors who have gone unpaid as the government shutdown surpasses its third week. The vote tallied 54 to 45, failing to reach the required 60 votes to pass, with most Democrats voting against it.
Key Points and Summary – A former Army journalist recounts his personal brushes with the special operations world, which led to a deep dive into the U.S. Army’s Delta Force, also known as Combat Applications Group (CAG).
-Delta is the “Tier One” counter-terrorism unit, and while its entry requirements seem broad, the selection process is grueling, testing endurance and land navigation.
U.S. Army Pvt.
Key Points and Summary – While it’s a common question, it is extremely unlikely for a modern aircraft carrier to capsize in a storm.
-Carriers are engineered to be inherently stable; their center of buoyancy is higher than their center of gravity, which creates a powerful righting force that grows stronger the farther the ship tilts.
-This design, combined with wide hulls, ballast systems, and numerous watertight compartments, makes them incredibly resilient.
A Marine decorated earlier this year as one of the service’s top combat instructors was shot and killed Sunday in an off-duty traffic confrontation near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Marine Staff Sgt. Dylan Rasmussen, 31, was riding a motorcycle in Onslow County, North Carolina, which is home to Lejeune, when he was confronted and shot by a local man, according to police.
The Onslow County Sheriff’s Department charged a local man, James Wells, 43, with second-degree murder in the shooting, according to a news release.
Key Points and Summary – The aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) was out of action for six years, a catastrophic delay of its mid-life overhaul (RCOH).
-The maintenance, which began in 2017 and was scheduled for four years, was not completed until May 2023.
USS George Washington. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-The U.S. Navy attributed the delay to the ship’s unexpectedly poor “arrival condition,” pandemic-related labor and supply chain disruptions, and the strain of having only one shipyard capable of nuclear carrier work.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has openly ratcheted up threats against Venezuela. It has surged military aircraft and warships to the Caribbean, and U.S. forces have attacked at least seven boats near Venezuela. The Trump administration says that it is targeting drug traffickers and has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of working with cartels that ship drugs and immigrants to the United States.