US Sued for Wrongful Deaths
Families of two Trinidadian nationals killed in a Trump administration boat strike last October sued the federal government, calling the attack a war crime and part of an “unprecedented and manifestly unlawful US military campaign.”
Experimental Supersonic Jet Completes 1st Test Flight
Lockheed Martin and NASA successfully completed the first flight of the X-59, a quiet supersonic aircraft designed to pave the way for faster commercial air travel.
Navy Films Sunken WWI Submarine
An interdisciplinary mission of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Naval History and Heritage Command, and National Science Foundation captured the first images and video of the USS F-1, a sunken US Navy submarine from World War Until this year only limited sonar readings showed the lost submarine’s location.
Short-Term Funding Measure Would Avert Govt. Shutdown
The White House has asked Congress to pass a short-term funding measure to keep the government operating after the current budget year ends September 30. Seven of 10 voters polled in a Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s survey said they were concerned there will be a shutdown because Congress will be unable to reach an agreement on a new budget. Voters are increasingly concerned about the economic damage created by political brinksmanship and the interruption of government services.
2 Very Different Films on Ukraine
“The Witness,” a Russian-sponsored film about a visiting Belgian musician caught in the February 2022 start of war tells of atrocities committed by Ukrainians. It premiered at home earlier this month. Sean Penn, in 2021, intended to tell how a superstar comedian became the president of Ukraine, but got caught February 2022 by the invasion. It changed the film “Superpower,” which is due to begin streaming in September.
Exercises Prep for Possible Conflict in the Pacific
Several recent US exercises have put the spotlight on a new era of military operations in the Pacific.
Lawmakers Push for UMD-Led Microtech Initiative
Rep. Steny H. Hoyer joined a bipartisan group of more than 20 of his congressional colleagues in writing to US DefSec Lloyd Austin in support of the University of Maryland-led Mid-Atlantic Semiconductor Collaborative proposal to contribute to the Department of Defense’s Microelectronic Commons initiative.
DoD Rescinds COVID Vaccine Mandate
The Pentagon has dropped the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for troops.
Lawmakers Ask for Halt on Nice Bridge Demolition
Three Maryland lawmakers are urging the state Department of Transportation to pause plans to demolish the existing Gov. Harry Nice Memorial Bridge. They want a review conducted to determine the feasibility and cost of repurposing the old bridge for recreational use.
Pilots Take First-Ever Crewed Flight in Military-Worthy Electric Aircraft
US Air Force pilots conducted the first-ever crewed flight of an electric aircraft — an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) — with military airworthiness. This milestone, which took place at BETA Technologies’ Plattsburgh, NY, facility earlier this month was the culmination of a two-year partnership between BETA and the Air Force’s Agility Prime program.
