Douglas Ernst

NSA hires ‘risk officer’ for oversight; critics fear ‘talking head with no authority’

The National Security Agency has hired its first "chief risk officer" in an attempt to quell public fear that it operates outside the rule of law.

September 26, 2014

FBI to investigate Oklahoma beheading; armed man stopped attacker

Police in Moore, Oklahoma, enlisted the help of the FBI as they try to uncover information about Alton Nolen, the former Vaughan Foods employee accused of beheading one woman and attempting to kill another on Thursday.

September 26, 2014

Marines: It’s time for an Amphibious Combat Vehicle with M1 Abrams tank mobility

The Marine Corps has sent out marching orders to vendors vying for the opportunity to build its next Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV 1.1): The vehicle needs to have the mobility of an M1 Abrams tank.

September 26, 2014

Pentagon to take illegal immigrant recruits approved through White House program

The Pentagon plans to expand a program that has historically targeted foreign nationals with desirable skill sets to include the children of illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. before their sixteenth birthday.

September 25, 2014

Obama in Bush flight suit on new cover of The Economist: ‘Mission Relaunched’

The latest issue of The Economist has taken the 2003 image of former President George Bush in a flight suit and swapped in President Obama's head for its cover.

September 25, 2014

Army’s ‘Big Red One’ HQ going to Iraq: 1st Infantry Division soldiers deploy in October

Roughly 500 soldiers from the U.S. Army's 1st Infantry Division headquarters are headed to the Middle East, with 200 of them to end up in Iraq.

September 25, 2014

Obama-armed Syrian rebels: Airstrikes on Islamic State ‘attack on the revolution’

A Syrian rebel group that received U.S. missiles and training issued a statement Tuesday denouncing the Obama administration's airstrikes on the Islamic State group.

September 25, 2014

U.S. Forest Service to charge reporters up to $1,500 for permits to take wildlife pictures

The U.S. Forest Service plans to finalize new regulations in November that would require reporters to obtain expensive permits to take pictures in federally maintained wildlife areas.

September 24, 2014

‘Complete transformation’ in Marine aviation: Ospreys send Vietnam classic to ‘The Boneyard’

Marine aviators expect big changes in 2015. The MV-22B Osprey will push out the historic CH-46E transport helicopters that have held a place in the hearts of Marines for more than half a century.

September 24, 2014

Chicago police faces lawsuit over cellphone-tapping devices, privacy safeguards

A local privacy activist who outed the Chicago Police Department for purchasing eavesdropping technology has now filed a second lawsuit for the department to disclose what privacy safeguards it uses when employing cellphone-tapping devices.

September 24, 2014

U.S. believes Khorasan terror leader Mohsin al-Fadhli killed in airstrikes

The leader of a group of senior al Qaeda terrorists who took refuge in Syria is believed to have died in U.S. airstrikes conducted Tuesday.

September 24, 2014

Fox News contributor Stephen Hayes added to terrorist watch list

Weekly Standard columnist and Fox News contributor Stephen Hayes took to twitter on Tuesday with an unexpected announcement: The Department of Homeland Security has added him to a terrorist watch list.

September 23, 2014

D.C. Council votes to allow concealed handguns

A reluctant District of Columbia Council voted unanimously Tuesday to allow people to carry concealed handguns in the nation's capital for the first time in nearly 40 years.

September 23, 2014

Russia’s Black Sea build-up: 80 new warships expected by 2020

Russia plans to add 80 new warships to its Black Sea fleet by 2020 and expects to have construction on new naval base near the city of Novorossiysk completed by 2016.

September 23, 2014

F-22 Raptors fly into combat for the first time with Syrian airstrikes against Islamic State

F-22 Raptors were used in U.S. airstrikes in Syria on Tuesday, a combat first for the stealth jet.

September 23, 2014

Minn. VA paperwork shows Marine rescheduled appointment — from the grave

The family of a deceased Marine is looking for answers after records from the Department of Veterans Affairs showed that he rescheduled an appointment after his death.

September 23, 2014

Self-healing soldiers: Pentagon seeks technology that can manage body’s nervous system

The human body has amazing self-healing capabilities — and the Pentagon believes it can manipulate those capabilities to its advantage.

September 19, 2014

Russian bombers buzz northern U.K., intercepted by RAF Typhoons

Scottish airman didn't have much time to dwell on the country's historic referendum Friday because they were busy responding to Russian bombers buzzing northern U.K. airspace.

September 19, 2014

Family of former SEAL killed in Benghazi to sue State Dept., CIA for $2M

The family of Glen Doherty, the former Navy SEAL killed in Benghazi, has filed a $2 million claim against the CIA and the State Department.

September 19, 2014

Ebola education team killed in Guinea, dumped in village latrine

An eight-man team sent to educate people in southern Guinea about the Ebola virus was killed on Tuesday and dumped in a village latrine. The group included medical officers, journalists, local administers and a preacher.

September 19, 2014