Senate Compromise Ends Gov’t. Shutdown
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A bipartisan group of negotiators in the Senate prevailed with leadership, reports The Washington Post, trading Democratic support for reopening the government for a commitment by Republicans to hold a vote resolving the status of young undocumented immigrants by mid-February. The federal government shutdown lasted roughly 60 hours.
Some financial institutions with large numbers of military customers had planned to help ease troops’ financial stress in the event a government shutdown interfered with their Feb. 1 paychecks, reports Defense News.
Navy Times has come up with its list of the top 5 naval bases. The criteria? Sun, surf, food and activities helped put some installations on the list.
The US State Department approved a $6.53 billion sale of F-35s to Belgium, reports Defense News, opening the door to an expedited purchase once that country selects its future fighter.
The deal would cover 34 F-35As.
PACIFIC OCEAN (Jan. 20, 2018) Two AV-8B Harriers assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161, and aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 2 fly in formation above Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson Strike Group is currently operating in the Pacific as part of a regularly scheduled deployment. (US Navy Photo by Lt. David Babka/Released)
The Navy’s decision to level criminal charges against the commanding officers of the destroyers Fitzgerald and John S. McCain is forcing the surface warfare world into a grim reckoning on how it operates, and the consequences of sailors dying on a leader’s watch, reports Navy Times.
The Chinese government accused the US of trespassing in its territorial waters when a US guided missile destroyer sailed near a disputed shoal, reports Navy Times. China’s Global Times is calling the US a trouble-maker, Reuters reports. A commentary in the newspaper said US moves in the South China Sea like last week’s freedom of navigation operation will only cause China to strengthen its deployments in the disputed waterway. The Philippines said it won’t get embroiled in this fresh spat between the US and China, reports Stars and Stripes.
The Navy is considering a paternity leave policy change, reports Navy Times. The service could increase the amount of paid paternity leave from 10 to as many as 21 days, Chief of Naval Personnel VADM Robert Burke said.
The littoral combat ship Little Rock is still stuck in Montreal, literally. The crew will remain there until wintry weather conditions improve and the ship is able to safely make its way through the St. Lawrence Seaway to Florida, reports Navy Times.
The Coast Guard wants intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability for all of its national security cutters and plans to jump start a competition for small unmanned aerial systems services in the coming weeks, reports Defense News. The service wants economically priced air vehicles that can remain airborne for at least 12 hours a day.
The US plans to open its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem next year, reports UPI. This will be the first establishment of an embassy in Jerusalem by a foreign government in.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan released some details of his $5 billion pitch to lure Amazon to Montgomery County, The Baltimore Sun reports, proposing giving Fortune 100 companies that invest $5 billion in the state a series of tax breaks worth $3 billion. Combined with $2 billion in proposed road and infrastructure projects, it would be the largest economic development package in state history.
