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In the news today: The Trump administration resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine a week after Pentagon pause; the Senate confirms new administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration; and agencies in Texas missed opportunities over the past decade to fund a $1 million warning system near camps in an area known as "flash-flood alley." Also, Barbie's newest doll comes with a continuous glucose monitor, a device that tracks blood sugar levels. |
President Donald Trump with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a cabinet meeting at the White House on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Trump administration resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine after Pentagon pause
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The Trump administration has resumed sending some weapons to Ukraine, a week after the Pentagon directed some deliveries to be paused, U.S. officials said Wednesday. President Donald Trump has sidestepped questions about who ordered the pause in exchanges with reporters this week. Read more. |
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the pause on some shipments last week to allow the Pentagon to assess its weapons stockpiles in a move that caught the White House by surprise. A White House official speaking Wednesday on the condition of anonymity said there was never a "pause" in shipments, but a review to ensure U.S. military support aligns with its defense strategy. The official said the Pentagon never announced a pause.
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Senate confirms new FAA administrator at a time of rising concern about air safety
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The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Bryan Bedford to lead the Federal Aviation Administration, putting him in charge of the agency at a precarious time for the airline industry after recent accidents, including the January collision near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. Read more. |
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Bedford was confirmed on a near party-line vote, 53-43. Republicans and industry leaders lauded Trump's choice of Bedford, citing his experience as CEO of regional airline Republic Airways since 1999.
Democrats and flight safety advocates opposed his nomination, citing Bedford's lack of commitment to the 1,500-hour training requirement for pilots that was put in place by Congress after a 2009 New York plane crash. Bedford declined during his confirmation hearing to commit to upholding the 1,500-hour training rule, saying only that he would not "have anything that will reduce safety."
- Pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, made famous for safely landing a plane in the Hudson River, also opposed Trump's pick, posting on social media that "with the nomination of Bryan Bedford to be FAA Administrator, my life's work could be undone."
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A decade of missed opportunities: Texas couldn't find $1M for flood warning system near camps |
Over the last decade, an array of local and state agencies have missed opportunities to fund a flood warning system intended to avert the type of disaster that swept away dozens of people in Kerr County, Texas. The agencies failed to secure roughly $1 million for a project to better protect the county's 50,000 residents and thousands of youth campers and tourists in an area along the Guadalupe River known as "flash-flood alley." Read more. |
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Local authorities and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have urged the public not to point fingers after the flooding, which killed at least 120 people and left scores more reported missing.
The plan, which would have installed flood monitoring equipment near Camp Mystic, cost about as much as the county spends on courthouse security every two years, or 1.5% of its annual budget. Meanwhile, other communities moved ahead with sirens and warning systems. In nearby Comfort, a three-minute warning sound signifying flood danger helped evacuate the town of 2,000 people as practiced.
- A deadly 2015 Memorial Day flood in Kerr County rekindled debate over whether to install a flood monitoring system and public evacuation sirens when the river rose to dangerous levels. Some officials thought it was finally time. But the idea ran into opposition. Residents and elected officials opposed the installation of sirens, citing the cost and noise that they feared would result from repeated alarms.
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Young wrestlers compete during the 664th annual Historic Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling championship in Edirne, Turkey, on Sunday. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
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Photos show Turkey's youngest oil wrestlers keeping a 14th-century tradition alive
On a grass field slick with olive oil and steeped in tradition, hundreds of boys took part in Turkey's most time-honored sporting event: the annual Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Championship. Held every summer in the northwestern city of Edirne, the event is said to date to the 14th century as a way of keeping the Ottoman Empire's fighting men fit and ready for battle. |
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