Commercial LPG Price Hiked: 19-kg cylinder gets costlier ahead of festival season, check new rates in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Patna and more
In Delhi, the price of a 19-kg commercial cylinder has increased from Rs 2,747.50 in September to Rs 2,810 from October 1, marking a hike of Rs 62.50 per cylinder. The increase follows a Rs 9.50 rise in commercial LPG prices in Delhi in September.
‘India is proud:’ PM Modi hails Flydubai Captain Smit Machchhar for his heroics, prays for good health
In a post shared on X, PM Modi said, “Captain Smit Machchhar is a HERO. In the face of the gravest danger and despite being seriously injured, he showed immense courage and an unwavering resolve to protect the lives of others. His valour helped save hundreds of lives and avert a great tragedy.”
ICE arrests illegal alien accused of sexually assaulting children after Fairfax County release: DHS
A Honduran illegal immigrant facing multiple child sex crime charges is back in federal custody after authorities in Fairfax County, Virginia, released him from an immigration detainer, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Oscar Evaristo Nunez Sept. 15 during a targeted enforcement operation, DHS announced Wednesday. Nunez was initially arrested Aug. 27, 2025, on charges of aggravated sexual battery involving children and offenses related to the non-consensual filming of an undressed minor, according to DHS. ICE lodged a detainer with the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center two days later, but DHS said local authorities did not honor it and released Nunez without notifying the agency. GUATEMALAN MAN CHARGED WITH CHILD PORN POSSESSION RELEASED BY FAIRFAX COUNTY DESPITE ICE DETAINER, DHS SAYS The case has become the latest point of contention between the Trump administration and Virginia officials over cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. “Another criminal illegal alien has been taken off the streets by the brave men and women of ICE with no help from sanctuary politicians in Fairfax County,” DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said in a news release. “This illegal alien from Honduras had been arrested for child sex crimes in August last year, but Fairfax County refused to honor ICE’s detainer and let this creep back out onto the streets. “Once again, ICE did the job that these heartless sanctuary politicians won’t do: enforce the law and protect American lives. DHS is calling on Gov. Abigail Spanberger and her fellow sanctuary politicians to stop putting the needs of illegal aliens over the safety of the American people.” ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ KILLINGS IN SPANBERGER’S VIRGINIA REACH ‘INSANE’ POINT AS MIGRANT CHARGED IN STABBING SPREE Spanberger, a Democrat, was not governor when Nunez was arrested, and ICE filed the detainer in August 2025. She took office in January 2026. Spanberger has moved Virginia away from some forms of state participation in federal immigration enforcement since taking office, including directing state agencies to terminate agreements with ICE under the federal 287(g) program. A representative for Fairfax County did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. DHS said Nunez illegally entered the U.S. near Arizona around September 2003. Nunez remains in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.
‘We beat Disney, Fauci, Soros’: Ron DeSantis unleashes ‘Florida model’ in hard-hitting midterm rally
Pitching his administration’s conservative record as a national blueprint for Capitol Hill, Gov. Ron DeSantis rallied Republicans in Osceola County Tuesday night, portraying Navy veteran Dan Green’s bid for Florida’s 9th Congressional District as part of a broader push to bring aggressive Florida-style governance to Washington. Speaking before a crowd in St. Cloud, south of Orlando, DeSantis pointed to his administration’s high-profile battles on education policy, state spending reductions and corporate pushback and urged voters to bring that same combative, policy-driven mandate to the halls of Congress. SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER DESANTIS GIVES ‘SOROS’ PROTESTER A PIECE OF HIS MIND: ‘AIN’T MY FIRST RODEO’ “I will say that I’m looking forward to y’all getting the congressman elected that has served this country and that has served for the right reasons. Now, I am a big believer that we need term limits for members of Congress. But until we do that, you can show your current guy the term limit by kicking him out of office. “So, I think what we need is what we’ve done in Florida. It can be a model for people like Dan going to Washington, other states, you name it, because it’s not just about peacocking and putting social media press releases out and never getting anything done. We have fought every big fight that there has been to fight in the state of Florida, and we have won every big fight that there is to fight in Florida.” DeSantis rallied the conservative faithful with a recap, alleging major victories over left-wing institutions, agencies and agendas. “Just think about it. We beat Dr. Fauci on COVID. We beat Disney on gender ideology. We beat Soros on crime by removing two of his prosecutors. We beat Martha’s Vineyard on illegal immigration. “We just beat the Muslim Brotherhood by banning Sharia law. We beat the teachers unions by enacting universal school choice for all Florida families. We beat SEIU by doing paycheck protection. “Every single time there was a fight, we would beat and win the fights. And that’s ultimately what it’s all about. Because leadership — when it’s popular, when it’s easy — anyone can do that. ‘I’ll just go with the flow,’ all this other stuff. It really matters when it is tough and when you’re going to face arrows.” TRUMP’S HANDPICKED DESANTIS SUCCESSOR WINS CROWDED GOP PRIMARY FOR FLORIDA GOVERNOR DeSantis repeatedly emphasized that his top priority was sticking to the courage of his convictions, not seeking political expediency or going along to get along. “I remember during COVID, I was doing things, and people said, ‘Oh, he’s not shutting down the beaches. Why does he have these people in school?’ And all this other stuff. You know, people come after you, and a lot of people told me that I was frittering away my governorship, that I wouldn’t be able to win in ’22, and all this other stuff. I don’t know if that was true. Who knows, right? “But when you get in a position to lead, you either do it or you should just sit down. My job was not to be worried about my own political hide. My job was to be worried about protecting the liberty, jobs, and businesses of the people I was elected to serve. So, we started the fire, and we gave them his right.” It is clear that the two-term governor considers his famed battle with Disney to be a particular feather in his cap. “Nobody in the history of the state had ever taken on Disney in anything. A lot of people told me I was making a mistake,” DeSantis said. “But the reality is, do we want a society in which our 6-year-olds are being told they can change genders, or do we want a society rooted in truth? If you want a society rooted in truth, even if the biggest, most powerful corporation in the state is against you, you’ve got to stand up and you’ve got to fight. And we fought, and we won.” As the federal debt has topped a staggering $40 trillion, DeSantis made the case that he has taken the state on a markedly divergent course. “Just look at the results. For four straight years, Florida has reduced its budget. Is any other state in the country reducing spending? We’ve done it four years in a row,” DeSantis said. “I was just able to announce today if you take all of Florida’s debt for all of our history up until the time I became governor, just in my tenure, we will retire 54% of the state’s debt, more than cutting it in half. “We’ve been ranked No. 1 for education freedom, and our public university system is ranked No. 1. We have the lowest in-state tuition of any state in the United States, and it’s the exact same cost today to students and families that it was the day I took office. “It did not go up one penny under my tenure. Is there anything else that didn’t go up? The dollar menu at McDonald’s is all $2.99 now. Everything else has gone up, but that has not gone up.” And DeSantis touts Florida as a national leader in lowering taxes for its citizens and called for voters to back Amendment 3 in Florida, which would pave the way for elimination of non-school property taxes. “If you look at tax relief, we’ve done $10 billion over my tenure — more than anyone. Some of it is permanent, like no tax on baby items, back-to-school items and no tax on business rent. But, really, the big enchilada is going to be on the ballot in November when you have a chance on Amendment 3 to vote yourself more control over your own home and not let them tax you to death. So vote yes on 3. As Republicans face headwinds heading into the midterms in a little over a month, DeSantis drew a parallel between this year’s election, and
Mamdani’s taxpayer-funded influencer army accused of plotting pressure campaign against NYC CEOs
Senior officials in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration are reportedly plotting a coordinated social media pressure campaign against some of the city’s most powerful business leaders, looking to mobilize a 200-plus influencer network run through City Hall. Mamdani’s network of social media creators working for him first drew scrutiny earlier this month after the Columbia Journalism Review revealed that City Hall was communicating with more than 200 influencers through an encrypted Signal group called “NYC Creators Announcements.” Fox News Digital subsequently reported that members receive daily talking points, videos and other updates from the administration, while also being offered access to events and city officials. MAMDANI’S ‘MASS ENGAGEMENT’ OFFICE DRAWS FIRE OVER PLANS TO BUILD INFLUENCE BEYOND CITY HALL: ‘NYC IS DONE’ Now, two sources briefed on the effort told the New York Post that senior City Hall aides have discussed mobilizing the influencer network against New York business executives, including leaders of the Partnership for New York City, an influential nonprofit representing the city’s business leaders and largest employers. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla and Related Companies CEO Jeff Blau have also been floated as potential targets, according to the Post. The reported strategy centers on “blindsid[ing]” Partnership for New York City President and CEO Steven Fulop, who took over the organization earlier this year, with one source telling the Post that aides viewed the leadership transition as an opportunity to “go at CEOs.” “They want to punch Fulop in the face,” the source told The Post. Fulop, however, told Fox News he personally spoke with Mamdani after the report and that the mayor, his communications director and political director all denied plans to target business executives. Fulop said the Partnership would take Mamdani “at his word” while remaining “vigilant and watchful” but noted if he continued down this path there could be “huge repercussions in a bad way.” Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec, meanwhile, called the Post’s report “categorically false” and “a complete lie,” though the Post reported that she declined to identify specific inaccuracies in its account. The Mamdani administration’s use of influencers and Signal had already drawn scrutiny before the latest report this week from the New York Post. Reinvent Albany, a government watchdog focused on transparency and accountability, has said it supports city agencies using paid social media influencers to promote government programs but opposes city officials using instant-messaging apps such as Signal for official communications. MAMDANI SPARKS FEARS OF VIOLENCE AFTER DOXING WEALTHY NYC PROPERTY OWNERS: ‘OUTRIGHT DANGEROUS’ In testimony before the New York City Council earlier this month, the group warned that the city still lacks a practical way for agency Freedom of Information Law officers to archive or retrieve official records created on apps such as Signal. “Even now, in 2026, the City of New York has not developed a practical way for official records created by these apps to be archived or retrieved by agency FOIL officers,” Reinvent Albany testified. The watchdog has called for legislation clarifying that electronic and instant messages constituting public records must be preserved and easily retrievable, while also proposing disclosure requirements for influencers paid to promote city messaging. NYC MAYOR MAMDANI CALLS THREAT OF RICH PEOPLE LEAVING NYC OVER TAXES ‘IMAGINED’ The alleged effort to go after NYC’s CEOs comes as Mamdani continues to push for higher taxes on wealthy New Yorkers and corporations to fund his agenda and address the city’s budget challenges. Mamdani called earlier this year for a 2% personal income tax increase on New Yorkers earning $1 million or more, alongside an increase in the corporate tax rate. While those proposals did not make it into this year’s budget, Mamdani has continued to publicly back both. “I’ve been very open and honest about my vision, whether it be fast and free buses or whether it be higher personal income taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers or the most profitable corporations,” Mamdani said in May. The mayor did secure a new pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes owned by non-city residents, which his administration projects will generate roughly $500 million annually. The measure was dealt a legal setback Tuesday, however, when a Staten Island judge ordered the administration to scrap its initial rollout and restart the process after finding the city failed to follow required procedures before sending tax notices. The ruling did not strike down the tax itself, and Mamdani’s administration vowed to continue fighting for the surcharge. Matt Rauschenbach, a Mamdani spokesman, defended the surcharge as a “basic principle of fairness,” arguing that owners of luxury second homes should contribute toward the city services they benefit from.
Biden Afghan migrant program hit with 40% vetting failure rate: ‘Alarming’
Federal inspectors identified one or more documentation or vetting errors in 40% of asylum applications they reviewed for Afghan nationals admitted under the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome program, concluding the deficiencies increased the risk U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) could miss information that may have made some applicants ineligible for asylum. The Sept. 23 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General report reviewed a sample of 678 asylum applications filed by Afghan nationals admitted through Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration initiative launched after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Inspectors identified 303 missing aliases, 23 missing security checks and more than 150 additional documentation deficiencies, including two cases involving applicants who may have been inadmissible on terrorism-related grounds. FORMER USCIS OFFICIAL, ACCOMPLICE CHARGED IN ALLEGED $960K CITIZENSHIP BRIBERY SCHEME The findings come as Operation Allies Welcome has faced renewed scrutiny following several high-profile arrests of Afghan nationals admitted under the program. Fox News Digital has previously reported on the arrests of an alleged ISIS-K supporter, an Afghan national charged with making terroristic threats and another Afghan national admitted under Operation Allies Welcome who was later arrested after being convicted of indecent exposure to a minor. In a press release, DHS argued the report demonstrated the Biden administration “dangerously mismanaged” Operation Allies Welcome, saying a lawsuit settlement that required USCIS to adjudicate 90% of asylum applications within 150 days forced the agency to prioritize speed over more thorough reviews. The DHS inspector general report, which noted hundreds of aliases had not been recorded for applicants, underscored the importance of accurate record keeping, pointing out one applicant had 124 known aliases. The report said that “missed FBI name checks” accounted for nearly 60% of the absent security checks that the report identified. The report also flagged two asylum applications involving applicants with potential terrorism-related concerns. In one case, required paperwork documenting the government’s review was missing entirely. In another, supervisors began the approval process but never completed the final step, leaving no clear record that the review had been finished. ARMY VET LAWMAKER MARKS ABBEY GATE ANNIVERSARY WITH BLISTERING MESSAGE FOR BIDEN-HARRIS: ‘ABJECT FAILURE’ Mark Krikorian, executive director of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies, said the inspector general’s findings reinforce concerns critics have raised since the chaotic Kabul evacuation in 2021. “The fact that 40% of these applications have errors is alarming,” Krikorian told Fox News Digital. “This IG report just underlines how superficial and even frivolous the vetting that we were assured was going on was.” Krikorian said many evacuees were first flown to temporary processing hubs, sometimes referred to as “lily pads,” in third countries before ultimately being admitted to the United States. While those locations allowed U.S. officials to conduct additional processing, he argued the practical reality was that partner countries were not going to permanently accept the evacuees, leaving the United States effectively committed to resettling them. HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIAL’S KILLING LEAVES AGENCY ‘DEVASTATED’ AS VETTING BREAKDOWN EXPOSED “As soon as that cargo bay door closed, we’re stuck with those people,” Krikorian said, noting how the United States effectively committed itself to resettling evacuees once they boarded evacuation flights during the chaotic Kabul withdrawal. Krikorian argued the inspector general’s report likely understated the scope of the problem because inspectors could only identify documentation deficiencies visible in the files they reviewed, not determine whether every applicant had been thoroughly vetted. The inspector general ultimately made five recommendations aimed at strengthening USCIS’ review of Operation Allies Welcome asylum applications, including improving documentation of applicant aliases, ensuring required security checks are properly recorded and enhancing oversight of adjudication files. USCIS agreed with all five recommendations, according to the report.
Fox News Poll: Michigan voters split between El-Sayed and Rogers
Michigan voters have concerns about both candidates in the U.S. Senate race and that leads to a tight contest, according to a new Fox News poll. Democrat Abdul El-Sayed has a slim 1-point edge against Republican Mike Rogers, 50-49%, among Michigan likely voters. The survey, released on Wednesday, is the first Fox News Poll this season among likely voters, so a direct comparison can’t be made to previous polls. Yet among registered voters, the preference is almost identical, 51% El-Sayed vs. 48% Rogers. That’s a reversal since August, when Rogers was ahead by 4 points among registered voters, 51% to El-Sayed’s 47%. FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS QUESTION WHETHER AI’S PROMISE OUTWEIGHS ITS RISKS The analysis below is among likely voters, unless otherwise noted. More of El-Sayed’s backers feel certain of their choice (87%) than Rogers’ (80%). Overall, 15% say they could switch their pick before voting, including 18% of Rogers’ supporters and 12% of El-Sayed’s. FOX NEWS POLL: SQUEEZED BY COSTS, FRUSTRATED VOTERS TURN TO THE DEMOCRATS Here’s why the race is tight. Roughly equal numbers of Michiganders say they are extremely concerned Rogers is too close to President Donald Trump (39%) as say El-Sayed’s views are too liberal (36%). And their favorable ratings are also close: 47% view El-Sayed positively compared to 44% for Rogers. Among registered voters, positive views of El-Sayed increased by 5 points since August while Rogers’ declined by four points. El-Sayed’s best groups include those who traditionally go Democratic: women, Black voters and those with a college degree. He’s also ahead with voters under age 45 and the small subgroup of union households. The groups giving Rogers some of his strongest support include men, rural voters, White evangelical Christians, married voters and Whites without a college degree. Both candidates receive near-universal backing from their party. Rogers receives 95% among Republicans, while it’s 93% for El-Sayed among Democrats. In addition, Rogers gets 99% of MAGA Republicans and 88% of non-MAGA Republicans, while El-Sayed garners 98% of DSA Democrats and 90% of non-DSA Democrats. The small number of independents narrowly favor El-Sayed. This year’s political landscape favors El-Sayed. The Democrats hold a 5-point advantage when voters are asked which party they want to control the Senate, 52% to 47%. But to capitalize on that, he’ll need to consolidate Democratic support after a contentious primary because 11% of likely voters who backed his primary opponent Haley Stevens say they plan to vote for Rogers. CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE “The Michigan Senate race is unique in that short-term political forces favoring the Democrats are somewhat offset by concerns about the Democratic candidate,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The bad news for Rogers is El-Sayed has made progress shoring up Democratic support and has room to grow given voter concerns about the economy.” Four in ten Michiganders say they are falling behind financially, and they back El-Sayed by 25 points. But the largest share, nearly half, describe their family as holding steady, and they favor Rogers by 13 points, while the small number who are getting ahead prefer Rogers by 36 points. Still, for 7 in 10 voters, the cost of living will be extremely important to their Senate vote, and they back El-Sayed by 13 points. He also has advantages among the 4 in 10 focused on U.S. policy toward Israel (+8 points) and AI technology (+17 points). Conversely, Rogers is favored by 26 points among the 44% focused on immigration. Half of Michigan voters consider Trump extremely important to their Senate vote, and they favor El-Sayed by 22 points. In 2024, Trump won Michigan by less than two percentage points, while Rogers lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin by less than half a point. Voter frustration with the administration is a drag on Rogers, as nearly 6 in 10 disapprove of the president’s performance. While 40% approve, not all support Rogers (93%). He remains competitive with support from 19% of Trump disapprovers overall, even as 28% who only “somewhat” disapprove of Trump prefer El-Sayed. In the gubernatorial race to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Democrat Jocelyn Benson leads Republican John James 54% to 45% among likely voters. Twelve percent of those backing Rogers in the Senate race cross-party lines to favor Benson. Conducted September 24-28, 2026, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,203 Michigan registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (114) and cellphones (794) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (295). Results based on the registered voter sample have a margin of sampling error of ±2.5 percentage points and for the subsample of 1,028 likely voters it is ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Likely voters are based on a probabilistic statistical model that relies on past vote history, interest in the current election, intention to vote, age, education, race, ethnicity and marital status. Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100. Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.
Pentagon data breach exposes Social Security numbers, personal info of 2.76M US military, civilian personnel
A Pentagon personnel database breach exposed sensitive personal information belonging to 2.76 million living U.S. military and civilian personnel, and 294,000 deceased individuals, a Pentagon official confirmed to Fox News. Unauthorized users accessed unencrypted files containing Social Security numbers and military or civilian employment information between October 2025 and July 2026. The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) discovered the vulnerability in a file-sharing system on July 16 and notified affected individuals Sept. 18. FBI STRIKES BACK AT HACKING GROUP WITH OVERSEAS ARREST OF ALLEGED LEADER A Pentagon official said a few unauthorized users accessed personally identifiable information through the DMDC system during the roughly nine-month period. Upon discovering the vulnerability, the DMDC immediately remediated it, according to the official. The Pentagon said it has no indication the information was misused. PENTAGON REVEALS SECRET SPACE WEAPONS ARE ALREADY IN ORBIT — BUT WON’T SAY WHAT THEY DO Affected individuals are being notified by postal mail through Identity Theft Guard Solutions, or IDX, a provider contracted by the Department of Defense. IDX will provide credit monitoring and identity restoration support to affected individuals based on the types of personal information impacted in each case, according to the Pentagon. The Pentagon directed individuals with questions about the breach to contact IDX through its website or by calling 1-855-744-4556. The DMDC maintains personnel and workforce information for the Defense Department and provides data and services supporting military personnel, their families and other Defense Department operations. FORMER SECRET SERVICE CYBERCRIME EXPERT WEIGHS IN ON PRIVACY AFTER HACKERS BREACH STOLEN FLOCK CAMERA The breach exposed information belonging to more than 3 million living and deceased individuals overall, though the Pentagon said it has not identified evidence that the accessed information has been misused. The Pentagon did not identify the unauthorized users in its statement or provide additional details about how they gained access to the file-sharing system.
Elon Musk lands new Trump administration role shaping future of American warfare
Elon Musk is taking on a new role in the Trump administration, this time helping the Pentagon determine which weapons and technology American troops will need to fight the wars of the future. War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday that Musk will co-lead Project Meridian, a new Pentagon initiative tasked with looking years and even decades ahead to identify emerging domains of warfare and the capabilities the U.S. military will need to dominate them. Musk, the former leader of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will lead the effort alongside defense tech billionaire Palmer Luckey and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich under the direction of War Department Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael. EXCLUSIVE: HEGSETH TO DOUBLE CUTS TO GENERALS, ADMIRALS IN MAJOR PENTAGON SHAKEUP “The best forecasters of future conflict do not solely reside inside the Pentagon,” Hegseth said during his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico. “There are obvious biases and risks to asking ourselves to both ask the questions and answer them.” Hegseth said the initiative would begin immediately, and he would meet with Musk, Luckey and Gingrich in a secure site just 200 yards from the stage after his speech. Project Meridian will have 120 days to “ruthlessly map the trajectory of wars, domains and technologies,” culminating in a public rollout of its findings and a classified annex. Hegseth described a sweeping mandate that stretches “from under the Earth to beyond the moon.” Rather than developing new military strategies or policies, the group will seek to identify “the domains that we must conquer and capabilities we must master” and focus on “discovering, developing and fielding” weapons and systems that could be needed by future generations of American troops. Musk and Luckey enter the effort with firsthand experience developing technology for the U.S. military. Musk’s SpaceX is a major Pentagon contractor, while Luckey founded Anduril Industries, a defense technology company specializing in autonomous weapons and other advanced military systems. Their industry experience positions both men to bring an unusually close view of emerging technology and the modern battlefield to the Pentagon’s long-range planning. It could also raise potential conflict-of-interest questions as executives whose companies compete for defense business help identify the capabilities and technologies the military should pursue. BATTLEFIELD ROBOTS OPEN NEW FRONT IN INNOVATION WAR WITH MAJOR US ADVERSARY Meridian was one piece of a broader push announced by Hegseth Wednesday to remake the military around autonomous warfare and rapidly emerging technology. Hegseth announced the creation of Autonomous Warfare Command, or AUTOWARCOM, a new four-star combatant command with what he described as “service-like authorities” to scale autonomous and robotic capabilities across the joint force. The War Department will also begin phasing in new occupational frameworks across the military departments to create dedicated career paths for what Hegseth called a new generation of “autonomous warfighters.” “We should have been thinking about Autonomous Warfare Command ten years ago,” Hegseth said, explaining that Meridian is intended to look far enough ahead to anticipate the next technological transformation before the military falls behind. The announcements came during the second iteration of what the War Department has dubbed Hegseth’s annual State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico. The setting was the same as last year, but the audience was markedly different. Hegseth summoned generals, admirals and other senior military leaders from around the world to Quantico for his first address, where he laid out sweeping changes to military standards, personnel and what he called the “warrior ethos.” This time, Hegseth addressed a younger generation of military leaders, including top-performing E-6 enlisted service members and O-3 officers from across the force. He called them the military’s “current and future leaders on the front lines” and said the address would become an annual opportunity to assess the state of the force and lay out his vision for its future. Hegseth used Wednesday’s speech to unveil six new initiatives, ranging from the military’s embrace of autonomous warfare to an effort to make U.S. bases and defense supply chains less vulnerable to foreign disruption. The secretary also used the address to deliver some of his most pointed rhetoric yet about his effort to reshape the culture of the military and about the news media. “We are no longer the woke department or the weak department,” Hegseth said. “No fatties, no trainees, no weirdos, no beardos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors.” Hegseth later accused some journalists of engaging in “partisan activism” that jeopardizes military operations and service members, calling such reporting “fundamentally anti-American.” “It’s sick. It’s a national betrayal. It’s treason, actually,” Hegseth said.
Trump Pentagon launches competition for America’s next great military base
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced plans to build a modern, self-sustaining military fortress, saying the site will be selected through a merit-based competition among governors pitching their states as potential locations. The megaproject, dubbed the “Next Great American Base,” was unveiled during an address at Marine Corps Base Quantico as part of Hegseth’s six strategies to modernize the military. The initiative rejects what Hegseth described as the legacy approach to spend heavily on advanced weapons systems while service members live on aging bases with outdated barracks. “For too long, our military has been bogged down by the same old tired Washington playbook: spending trillions on exquisite weapons systems, while our troops live in aging bases, outdated barracks, and with inadequate infrastructure. That era is over,” Hegseth said. EXCLUSIVE: HEGSETH TO DOUBLE CUTS TO GENERALS, ADMIRALS IN MAJOR PENTAGON SHAKEUP “To back up our warfighters, when we bring the troops home, we won’t just reshuffle troops onto legacy posts. We are going to build them beautiful new bases from the ground up,” he added. The ambitious undertaking will feature a brand-new military installation spanning hundreds of thousands of acres and housing up to 25,000 service members. “We are talking hundreds of thousands of acres with organic power generation, modern air defenses, and cutting edge technology — a fortress,” he said. The installation is expected to provide first-class living conditions, high-end training grounds and essential services such as health care and child care, while operating entirely off the commercial grid with independent power sources. Hegseth added that the base will support President Donald Trump’s executive order on “Beautiful Civic Architecture,” which calls for federal public buildings and military installations to be designed in timeless and classical styles. “We owe our warriors nothing less than the gold standard,” Hegseth said. SENATE REPUBLICAN PUSHES MERIT-BASED MILITARY PROMOTIONS, TARGETS BIDEN-ERA DEI POLICIES To determine the site location, the Department of War said it is launching a transparent, merit-based competition in which state governors can pitch their proposals directly to top military leadership at the Pentagon. The winning state will be chosen based on its ability to remove regulatory hurdles and bureaucracy to speed up construction, while offering the best package of land, community support, top-tier housing, schools and other services. “The state that cuts the most red tape and offers the best package of land and support will win the historic honor of hosting the most lethal, modern, and beautiful military installation on the planet,” a press release stated. Pitch deliberations will be recorded and made public to eliminate “political favoritism,” according to the Pentagon. “No backroom Washington deals. No political favoritism – just a straight-up, merit-based contest to see which state will partner with us to build the most modern, beautiful, and lethal military installation on the planet,” Hegseth said. The project is the fourth announcement among six major strategic initiatives unveiled by the secretary. According to the Department of War, the other initiatives focus on restoring male physical standards and combat roles, improving the comprehensive review of military standards, overhauling complaint processes, reforming senior leadership and focusing on core training and maintenance.