Jan 08 Pentagon provides details on Defense Secretary Austin’s hospitalization, disclosure delay By Tara Copp, Colleen Long, Kevin Freking, Associated Press Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and top government leaders were not notified until Jan. 4 that Austin had been hospitalized since Jan. 1. Continue reading
Jan 07 Watch 2:38 News Wrap: Blinken visits Qatar in diplomatic effort to contain Israel-Hamas war In our news wrap Sunday, Secretary of State Blinken continued his urgent mission to the Middle East as the Israel-Hamas war enters its fourth month, Defense Secretary Austin took responsibility for delays in disclosing his hospitalization, major winter storms dropped… Continue watching
Jan 06 Days of secrecy around Defense Secretary Austin’s hospital stay raise questions By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Senior Biden administration leaders, top Pentagon officials and members of Congress were unaware for days that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized since Monday, U.S. officials said Saturday, as questions swirled about his condition and the secrecy surrounding it. Continue reading
Jan 06 Watch 2:59 News Wrap: FAA grounds Boeing Max jets for inspection after mid-air emergency In our news wrap Saturday, the FAA temporarily grounded about 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes after a window blew out during an Alaska Airlines flight, a major winter storm is bearing down on the East Coast, Hezbollah fired rockets… Continue watching
Jan 05 Defense Secretary Austin hospitalized due to complications after minor procedure, Pentagon says By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press It was the department's first acknowledgement that Austin had been admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Continue reading
Dec 18 Watch 4:30 U.S. military leaders urge Israel to scale back Gaza assault as civilian death toll mounts By Geoff Bennett, Alexis Cox, Teresa Cebrián Aranda America's two top defense officials are in Israel with a dual message: the U.S. supports the right to self-defense, but Israel must stop killing so many Gaza civilians and focus its operations. The war continues at a brutal pace with… Continue watching
Dec 18 Pentagon announces new international mission to counter attacks on commercial vessels in Red Sea By Tara Copp, Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press The seriousness of the attacks, several of which have damaged vessels, has led multiple shipping companies to order their ships to hold in place and not enter the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the situation can be addressed. Continue reading
Nov 21 WATCH: Pentagon holds daily news briefing following Austin meeting with Zelenskyy By Tara Copp, Felipe Dana, Associated Press While in Kyiv Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the Pentagon would be sending an additional $100 million in weapons to Ukraine from U.S. existing stockpiles, including artillery and munitions for air defense systems. Continue reading
Nov 20 Defense Secretary Austin shows solidarity with Ukraine in surprise visit By Tara Copp, Felipe Dana, Associated Press Austin arrived Monday in what is expected to be a high-profile push to keep money and weapons flowing to Ukraine even as U.S. and international resources are stretched by the new global risks raised by the Israel-Hamas conflict. Continue reading
Oct 31 WATCH: Austin and Blinken urge Senate to send aid to Israel and Ukraine By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press The nation's top military and diplomatic leaders urged an increasingly divided Congress on Tuesday to send immediate aid to Israel and Ukraine, arguing at a hearing that broad support for the assistance would signal U.S. strength to adversaries worldwide. Continue reading