Declassified Report Sheds New Light on ‘Clinton Plan' Emails
The revelation is part of a newly declassified annex to the Durham report released by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on July 31.
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Business Insider
12 minutes ago
- Business Insider
A front-line Ukrainian unit says it made a new kind of robot to shoot down Russian planes and helicopters
A front-line Ukrainian military unit said it built a new robot that can shoot down Russian aircraft. It is said to be the first weapon of its kind in this conflict. The remote-controlled robot offers air defense solutions to front-line fighters without requiring soldiers to expose themselves to the prolific threat of drones. Ukraine has constantly found itself needing air defense options for both its cities and for its troops fighting along the front lines, and has found innovative ways to get there. "Russian aviation poses a threat not only to peaceful cities but also directly to the front line," Ukraine's 28th Mechanized Brigade explained in a post on the Telegram messaging app, adding that Russian planes, helicopters, and reconnaissance drones appear over infantry positions regularly. In the past, soldiers could use man-portable air defenses to shoot down the aircraft, "but now the situation has changed," the 28th said, according to a translation of the statement. Russian drones"literally hang in the air, tracking every movement and not even allowing soldiers to raise their heads from the trenches." The unit said it responded to this problem by arming a ground robot with an "Igla" surface-to-air missile system, developing the country's first air defense system mounted on an uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV). The 9K38 Igla is a Soviet-era man-portable air defense system, known as MANPADS. It is essentially a shoulder-launched weapon that fires munitions at higher-threat targets like planes, helicopters, and cruise missiles that might be beyond the reach of machine guns. It's unclear how many targets this robotic system will have the chance to engage. Over the course of the war, Ukraine has destroyed or damaged over 300 Russian aircraft and helicopters, per the open-source intelligence site Oryx, which tracks equipment losses on both sides, but aircraft of all different types are still flying. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine triggered an arms race, with Moscow and Kyiv rushing to develop and field new technology that could help give them an edge in the grinding conflict. Drone warfare and robotics have emerged as leading areas of innovation by far, as uncrewed systems are being used in combat on the ground, in the air, and at sea. Russia and Ukraine have continuously tried to adapt their drones to outsmart the enemy. The air defense robot is one of the latest examples of innovation with UGVs. The Ukrainian armed forces, for instance, have been experimenting with automated machine gun turrets, which allow troops to keep their heads down in combat. Front-line units are mounting .50-caliber machine guns and grenade launchers on ground vehicles. And a Ukrainian company is said to have developed a new ground combat robot that can carry and launch multiple first-person-view drones, acting like a mothership. Other UGVs can carry out additional combat and logistics missions, such as delivering ammunition to troop positions, evacuating wounded soldiers, placing land mines, and detonating next to enemy armored vehicles.
Politico
14 minutes ago
- Politico
Will feds weigh in on religious vax carveouts?
Driving the Day RELIGIOUS VAX EXEMPTIONS — It's back-to-school season, which means parents are shuttling their kids to pediatricians for annual checkups — and advocates for and against states' exemptions to vaccine mandates for school entry are gearing up for a fight, Lauren reports. Vaccine skeptics have sought to make their case to the Trump administration's Religious Liberty Commission — created by executive order in May — for executive action to bolster religious carve-outs. But they face pushback from public health experts who warn that more exemptions could threaten public health, setting up another front in the vaccine wars. Four states — California, Connecticut, Maine and New York — don't offer religious exemptions to school vaccine requirements, and Massachusetts lawmakers are considering banning them. West Virginia provides exemptions after GOP Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed an executive order earlier this year invoking the state's religious freedom law. Some religious liberty groups have called on the federal government — which has no say in state vaccine mandates — to use federal education funding as leverage to expand religious opt-outs from school immunization requirements, pointing to a Clinton-era religious protection statute. Precedential web: Some vaccine law experts question how far the executive branch could go to nudge those outlier states toward accepting religious exemptions. The Supreme Court curtailed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act's application to the states in 1997, and administrative conditions on federal funding can't run afoul of Congress' directions. But proponents say those lawyers ignore more recent opinions that work in exemption advocates' favor, pointing to a Covid-19-era decision lifting in-home gathering restrictions on religious grounds and, more recently, the court's ruling in favor of parents who want to opt their children out of LGBTQ+-themed lessons in public schools. Shifting winds: The number of kindergarteners entering school with at least one vaccine exemption continues to tick up, with the CDC reporting last week that 3.6 percent had one in the 2024-2025 school year, compared with 2.2 percent a decade ago. Days before the updated data was released, the American Academy of Pediatrics reaffirmed its opposition to religious exemptions, arguing they should be abolished to protect public health. 'In practice, nonmedical exceptions based on religious belief can substantially limit the public health value of vaccine requirements for school attendance,' the group said in a statement. 'There is no practicable way for schools or other involved community partners to distinguish fairly among religious or other nonmedical claims.' What's next: The Religious Liberty Commission will hold a hearing next month on public education issues, giving exemption proponents another opening to make their case. It's unclear where the White House stands on the concept — a spokesperson didn't comment — but the first Trump administration's HHS pursued avenues to grant health care workers expanded 'conscience' protections and to allow imports of certain vaccines due to some patients' religious beliefs. IT'S TUESDAY. WELCOME BACK TO PRESCRIPTION PULSE. Your host is wondering whether concerns about a common allergy medicine's risks might catch the FDA's attention. Send tips to David Lim (dlim@ @davidalim or davidalim.49 on Signal) and Lauren Gardner (lgardner@ @Gardner_LM or gardnerlm.01 on Signal). Eye on the FDA NEW TOP LAWYER — FDA Commissioner Marty Makary named a longtime government attorney on Monday to be the agency's chief counsel, months after his first pick was torpedoed by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). Sean Keveney, who most recently served as HHS's acting general counsel, served as a career civil servant at DOJ's civil rights division before becoming deputy general counsel at HHS in 2019, according to the department and his LinkedIn profile. His predecessor in the position, Hilary Perkins, was also a career DOJ lawyer whose appointment drew Hawley's ire before Makary's confirmation because of her record defending the Biden administration's abortion pill policies. While Perkins also defended the Trump FDA's mifepristone positions, that wasn't enough to overcome his opposition, and she ultimately stepped down days into the job. MDUFA KICKOFF — The FDA's medical device user fee program is not set to expire until Sept. 30, 2027, but the process to renew it has already begun. Despite HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vocal distaste for the user fee programs, the Trump administration has made it clear they are committed to the monthslong process that will likely result in their renewal for another five years. Industry and FDA leaders — including FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Center for Devices and Radiological Health Director Michelle Tarver — met Monday to discuss the potential sixth iteration of the medical device user fee program. 'While user fees support timeliness and predictability by providing FDA with additional resources, user fees are not a guarantee of approval,' AdvaMed's senior executive vice president, Janet Trunzo, said according to prepared remarks. 'They never have been, and they never should be.' In Congress SENATE PASSES FDA FUNDING — Before leaving town for the August recess, the Senate passed a bill to fund the FDA for fiscal 2026 as part of a minibus package by an 87-9 vote. The legislation, which funds the agency at $7 billion, is made up of $3.6 billion in taxpayer funds and $3.4 billion in user fee revenues. But it is unclear whether lawmakers will have to turn to a continuing resolution before government funding runs out at the end of September. The House Appropriations Committee previously advanced an FDA bill that funded the agency at a lower level. Research Corner BOOST FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH — The Gates Foundation said Monday it would spend $2.5 billion through 2030 to speed global women's research into maternal, menstrual, gynecological and sexual health. Pharma Moves Erika Sward is now chief advocacy officer at UsAgainstAlzheimer's. She previously was assistant vice president of national advocacy at the American Lung Association. Document Drawer FDA Commissioner Marty Makary met with Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.) for an introductory meeting on July 24. He also met with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to discuss nonanimal testing approaches on July 21, according to newly posted public calendar disclosures. He also met with the leadership team of the Government Accountability Office on July 16 to discuss 'items of mutual interest.' WHAT WE'RE READING Top FDA cancer medicine regulator Richard Pazdur played a critical role in the rejection of Replimune Group's skin cancer therapy, STAT's Adam Feuerstein reports. Longevity companies are eyeing Montana as a potential hub for 'biohacking' treatments thanks to state laws embracing patients' 'right-to-try' experimental drugs, The Wall Street Journal's Alex Janin writes.
Newsweek
14 minutes ago
- Newsweek
US Military Holds Arctic Defense Drills With Eye on Russia Threat
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States is conducting its annual Arctic-themed military drill in Alaska to bolster its ability to defend North America amid the persistent threat posed by neighboring Russia. Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense and foreign ministries for comment via email. Why It Matters Moscow maintains a strong presence in the Arctic—a rising geopolitical frontier between Russia and the West—through the construction of military outposts, the deployment of military aircraft near Alaska's airspace and cooperative activities with its quasi-ally China. Last summer, the U.S. military released its updated Arctic strategy, calling for an increased presence in the region, which is now more accessible because of climate change. More recently, U.S. and Canadian fighter jets staged a show of force over an Alaskan island near the Russian border. What To Know A joint and combined field training exercise, code-named Arctic Edge 2025, commenced on Friday and took place at multiple locations across Alaska. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command are conducting the drill. Besides U.S. forces, the exercise—scheduled to conclude at the end of this month—involves participation from the United Kingdom, Denmark and U.S. interagency partners, including the FBI and Alaskan state and local law enforcement. A United States F-16 fighter jet, left, intercepts a Russian Tu-95 bomber, right, over the Bering Sea near Alaska on July 22. A United States F-16 fighter jet, left, intercepts a Russian Tu-95 bomber, right, over the Bering Sea near Alaska on July 22. U.S. Department of Defense The defensive war game seeks to improve readiness and demonstrate capabilities in the Arctic, according to the U.S. Northern Command. Its key objectives include detecting, tracking and engaging "advanced cruise missile threats" in the northern approaches. The Tu-95MS bomber—one of the Russian aircraft that approached Alaska—is capable of carrying six to 16 cruise missiles, according to the Federation of American Scientists. Russian submarines stationed in the Far East are also capable of launching cruise missiles. Meanwhile, the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies—the Pentagon's regional center at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska—announced on July 30 that it had hosted the Arctic Operational Risk Course for U.S. and Canadian forces for the first time. The course—organized from July 14 to 18—sought to deepen operational preparedness in the Arctic while advancing U.S. homeland defense objectives by providing new tools to anticipate and mitigate risks in "one of the world's most complex operating environments," the center said. What People Are Saying The U.S. Northern Command said in a news release on July 28: "ARCTIC EDGE is an annual defense exercise designed to demonstrate engaged forces that are postured and ready to assure, deter, and defend North America in an increasingly complex Arctic security environment." The Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies said in a news release on July 30: "The [Arctic Operational Risk Course] is built around applied learning: expert-led panels, case studies, and breakout sessions centered on real-world scenarios drawn from Alaska and the broader Arctic region." What Happens Next It remains to be seen whether the Russian military will deploy aircraft or vessels near Alaska during Exercise Arctic Edge 2025 to demonstrate its ability to operate in the frigid region.
