Defense And Security

President Trump on Tuesday said he would order an end to sanctions on Syria in place since 1979, and the White House said he would briefly meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharra on Thursday, a dramatic about-turn in U.S. policy toward a man who until recently led a group the United States labeled a terrorist organization.

"There is a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace," Trump said to extended applause at an investment conference in Riyadh, where he made the first major foreign policy address of his second term.

Meta is courting national security and former Pentagon officials to help sell its virtual reality and AI services to the federal government, Forbes has learned. Multiple former government officials said they were aware of the recruiting efforts.

The U.S. is stepping up its intelligence-gathering efforts regarding Greenland, drawing America’s spying apparatus into President Trump’s campaign to take over the island, according to two people familiar with the effort.

Several high-ranking officials under Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued a “collection emphasis message” to intelligence-agency heads last week. They were directed to learn more about Greenland’s independence movement and attitudes on American resource extraction on the island. 

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s ordering of at least a 20% reduction of four-star generals and admirals has raised concerns that those cuts could be weaponized to cut officers deemed insufficiently loyal to the president and secretary.

Hegseth, in a memo to senior Pentagon leadership dated Monday, directed a reduction of at least 20% of four-star positions across the Active Component, at least a 20% reduction of general officers in the National Guard, and an additional minimum of 10% cuts in general and flag officers.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed President Donald Trump to implement his ban on transgender people serving in the military.

The justices granted an emergency request from the Trump administration to lift a nationwide injunction blocking the policy while litigation continues.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with the Trump administration in lifting a lower court order that paused the Pentagon's transgender military ban from taking effect – allowing Trump's order and related policies to proceed, at least.

The high court ruling is a near-term victory for the White House, even as it did not address the underlying merits of the case or President Donald Trump's Jan. 27 executive order banning transgender service members from the U.S. military.

The US Supreme Court temporarily allowed President Donald Trump to enforce his ban on transgender people serving in the military while legal challenges to the policy move forward.

Shortly after taking office in January, Trump signed a pair of executive orders that enabled the Pentagon to implement the ban.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday directed the active duty military to shed 20% of its four-star general officers as the Trump administration moves forward with deep cuts that it says will promote efficiency but that critics worry could result in a more politicized force.

Hegseth also told the National Guard to shed 20% of its top positions and directed the military to cut an additional 10% of its general and flag officers across the force, which could include any one-star or above or officer of equivalent Navy rank.

Last Thursday morning, a bit before 10 am in Austin and nearly 11 pm in Singapore, Joe Lonsdale had enough of Balaji Srinivasan’s views on China.

“This is insane CCP thinking,” Lonsdale, a co-founder of Palantir, wrote to a 300-member Signal group. “Not sure what leaders hang out w you in Singapore but on this you have been taken over by a crazy China mind virus.”