Defense Department

• Trump Announces New ‘Trump Class’ of Warships - The president said development of the vessels would help maintain military superiority and improve the industrial base, but analysts suggested they were the wrong approach to current threats.
• Trump Halts Five Wind Farms Off the East Coast - The Interior Department said the projects posed national security risks, without providing details. The decision imperils billions of dollars of investments.
• U.S. Strikes Islamic State Targets in Syria - American forces struck dozens of suspected ISIS sites, making good on President Trump’s vow to avenge two American soldiers and a civilian U.S. interpreter killed by the group last week.
• Trump Relies on Distortions to Support His Pressure Campaign on Venezuela - The president has a long record of making false or misleading statements. But the sheer density of them in his administration’s boat attacks and Venezuela pressure campaign is exceptional.
• Venezuelan Navy Escorts Vessels in Defiance of Trump’s Blockade Threat - Pentagon officials, surprised by President Trump’s orders, scrambled to work out a plan to halt sanctioned tankers as Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s leader, vowed resistance.
• Top Republican Examining Boat Strike ‘Satisfied’ With Military Mission - After viewing video of a follow-up strike, Republicans largely had confidence in the Pentagon’s legal rationale while Democrats questioned its legality.
• Senate Passes Defense Policy Bill, Clearing It for Trump - The legislation authorizes $900 billion for the Pentagon, provides a pay raise for troops, and has some measures to reassert congressional oversight.
• Appeals Court Allows National Guard to Remain in D.C., for Now - A three-judge panel voted unanimously to allow troops to stay in the capital for the duration of the appeal, citing the city’s unique legal status.
• Troops are self-censoring and scrubbing social media amid a Pentagon crackdown on political speech - The Pentagon is policing troops' speech in ways experts call an "abuse." Some service members are self-censoring and scrambling to scrub social media.
• Deadly Attack in Syria on U.S. Troops Exposes Growing Challenges for Country’s Leader - The attacks further complicate President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to unify the country and rebuild relationships with the international community, analysts say.