‘We Are With Pakistan If US-Pakistan War Breaks Out’: Rajasthan BJP Chief Madan Rathore sparks row
Rajasthan BJP chief Madan Rathore says India would stand with Pakistan if war breaks out with US due to neighbour proximity; Congress calls remarks anti-national; AAP slams BJP.
Delhi on High Alert: 25,000 personnel, CCTV watch for CJP’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at Central Park
Delhi turns fortress with 25,000+ personnel and CCTV surveillance ahead of CJP’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at Central Park demanding CEC’s resignation and protesting arrest of its leaders.
‘Oh, shut up!’: Democrat snaps at Collins after heckler drives Maine Senate debate off the rails
A protester interrupted the final debate between Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson in Maine, triggering a heated exchange after Collins suggested the demonstrator was a Jackson supporter. The interruption came amid a debate that saw the candidates trade fire over numerous issues. The race between Jackson and Collins, who is seeking a sixth term representing the blue-leaning Northern New England state, is a top flip opportunity for Democrats as they try to win back the Senate majority from Republicans in the midterm elections. The latest public opinion polls indicate a race within the margin of error between Collins and Jackson, a one-time logger and former state Senate president. The latest Fox News Power Rankings rate the race as a toss-up, as do leading nonpartisan political handicappers the Cook Political Report, Inside Elections and Sabato’s Crystal Ball. DEMS SEE NEW CHANCES TO FLIP SENATE SEATS BUT GOP’S MASSIVE CASH ADVANTAGE AN OBSTACLE The protester, who interrupted Collins as she spoke, yelled out, “I’m terrified. AI data centers are destroying our climate. They are poisoning our water.” “30 years for what?” the demonstrator shouted, referring to Collins’ tenure in the Senate. As security escorted the protester out of the debate hall, Collins suggested the man was a Jackson supporter. “So, this is obviously one of Troy’s supporters,” Collins said. Jackson quickly fired back, “Oh, shut up, I did not — I didn’t, I don’t even know who that kid.” Another heated moment came a few minutes later when each candidate was able to ask a question of the other. Jackson, who grew up in rural northern Maine in the same county as Collins, asked, “What I’m curious about — is it just me that you look down on, or is it working-class people overall?” DEMOCRATS THINK A BLUE WAVE IS BUILDING – HERE ARE THREE FACTORS THAT COULD STOP IT The senator shot back, “Troy, I do not look down on you or on anyone. I grew up in Caribou. My first job was picking potatoes.” As he works to oust Collins from the Senate, Jackson has repeatedly tried to anchor the senator to President Donald Trump, who has seen his approval ratings in Maine and across the country drop further underwater. “The reality is 100% of the time when Donald Trump needs her, Susan Collins is going to be there,” Jackson claimed. But Collins pointed to what she described as a “major difference between Troy and me. I vote very independently. … I am the most bipartisan member of the Senate.” SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER And referring to Jackson, Collins said, “We don’t need more people who are going to vote a straight party line.” Collins and Jackson spent much of the hour-long debate trading fire on issues, including the Iran War, immigration, rising fuel prices and electricity rates, budget deficits, Supreme Court reform, dark money in politics, an assault weapons ban and climate change. Collins used the debate, the fourth between the two candidates over a two-week period, but the first with a live audience, to once again showcase how her Senate seniority has helped her deliver federal funding for Maine. Meanwhile, Jackson used the showdown to position himself as an outsider who understands the struggles and frustrations of working-class voters. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Jackson won a special nominating convention in late July to claim the party’s Senate nomination, which was left vacant after primary winner Graham Platner ended his campaign following allegations he raped a woman he previously dated. Platner denied the allegations but dropped out. Jackson, who earlier this year unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, had campaigned alongside Platner during the primary campaign. Collins, who is the only GOP senator seeking re-election in a state Trump lost in the 2024 election, has a history of surviving Democratic efforts to unseat her. Six years ago, she trailed Democratic challenger Sara Gideon, the Maine House speaker at the time, but Collins won re-election by nearly nine points while former President Joe Biden carried the state by a similar margin. Fox News’ Jessica Sonkin contributed to this report.
Connaught Place central park closed Oct 16-17 ahead of CJP’s Tiranga rally, Delhi Police urges citizens to stay away
Delhi Police said a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) is already in force in Connaught Place and surrounding areas.
Delhi Ramleela to burn 30-foot Cockroach effigy alongside Ravan
Delhi’s Ramleela celebrations will feature a 30-foot cockroach effigy alongside Ravan, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad, adding an unusual twist to the traditional Dussehra festivities.
Can cooking for terrorists bar asylum? Supreme Court takes up unusual case with broader immigration stakes
A Nigerian man forced to cook thousands of meals for the Unknown Gunmen, a militant group linked to political violence in Nigeria, is at the center of a Supreme Court showdown that could determine how broadly immigration authorities can apply a terrorism-related bar to asylum, and how far the Trump administration can go in deporting immigrants accused of supporting terrorism. The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear the Trump administration’s challenge to a ruling that overturned Nigerian citizen Izuchukwu Ozurumba’s deportation order, setting up a legal battle over whether ordinary services provided to terrorist organizations, including cooking meals, can disqualify immigrants from receiving asylum even when those services are not directly connected to terrorist attacks. Ozurumba was deported to Nigeria in April 2025 while his appeal was pending. At the center of the case is a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that bars certain immigrants who provide “material support” to terrorist organizations from receiving asylum. The law lists examples of prohibited assistance, including transportation, communications, housing, money, weapons and training, but does not explicitly define what constitutes material support. “The biggest takeaway is that this is a case about who gets to draw the line on a law that affects national security,” Bryce Poole, a senior legal fellow with Advancing American Freedom told Fox News Digital. “Congress wrote a broad rule, and the court interpreted it narrowly.” The case also comes two years after the Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference, a legal doctrine that required judges to defer to federal agencies’ reasonable interpretations of ambiguous laws. The 2024 ruling gave judges greater authority to decide what those laws mean. THE SUPREME COURT IS BACK. THESE FIVE CASES COULD RESHAPE AMERICAN LIFE The Fourth Circuit, in a 2-1 ruling, overturned Ozurumba’s deportation order and sent the case back to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Judge James Wynn Jr., an Obama appointee, wrote the majority opinion, joined by Judge Nicole Berner, a Biden appointee. The judges concluded that although Ozurumba prepared thousands of meals for the group’s leaders, his cooking did not provide resources that could be directly used or readily redirected toward terrorist operations. Although Ozurumba said he was forced to cook under threat of violence, the Fourth Circuit did not decide whether the law contains an exception for assistance provided under duress — an issue the court previously addressed in a 2012 ruling that relied on Chevron deference. Instead, the majority found that his cooking for the terrorist organization did not qualify as “material support” that would bar him from asylum, leaving the separate duress question unresolved. Meanwhile, the Trump administration argued that the Fourth Circuit interpreted the law too narrowly, insisting that even ordinary services such as cooking meals can help sustain a terrorist organization and free its members to carry out attacks. “Because he’s cooking the meals, one of the armed guards doesn’t have to cook the meals and can be an armed guard,” Poole said. “That’s one guard who doesn’t have to come in off guard duty to cook meals, or that’s one bomb maker who doesn’t have to stop making bombs to go cook meals, because all this stuff is fungible,” Poole continued. Ozurumba said he initially agreed to work as a chef at a “rural camp,” preparing three meals a day for 15 to 17 leaders. He later learned the camp belonged to the “Unknown Gunmen.” An immigration judge determined that the Unknown Gunmen qualified as a “Tier III” terrorist organization under federal immigration law, even though the State Department had not formally designated the group as one. Ozurumba said armed guards prevented him from leaving. According to court records, he cooked for the group’s leaders for roughly six months, including three months without pay, before escaping during a trip into town to buy groceries. STATE’S LARGEST MOSQUE LEADER’S DEPORTATION FIGHT TAKES DRAMATIC TURN AS TRUMP ADMIN SCORES MAJOR WIN Ozurumba said members of the Unknown Gunmen continued threatening and attacking him after his escape, prompting him to flee Nigeria for Venezuela and eventually the United States. He crossed the southern border without valid entry documents in July 2023, during the Biden administration, and surrendered to Border Patrol agents . An immigration judge denied Ozurumba’s asylum request and ordered his deportation, a decision upheld by the Board of Immigration Appeals after finding that his cooking violated the federal material-support rule. The Fourth Circuit later rejected that interpretation and sent the case back to the immigration board. Judge Julius Richardson disagreed with the majority, arguing in his dissent that cooking thousands of meals for terrorist leaders freed them to focus on their organization’s goals and therefore constituted material support. “Ozurumba did not run a hot dog stand that the Unknown Gunmen happened to stop by once or twice,” Richardson wrote. “Rather, he acted as a private chef, providing three meals a day for over a dozen leaders of a terrorist organization—for months.” Hans von Spakovsky, a legal expert with Advancing American Freedom, also argued that the majority misinterpreted the law. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “The idea that providing over 8,000 meals for the leaders of a terrorist organization and its members is not ‘material’ defies common sense,” von Spakovsky told Fox News Digital. “Richardson correctly cites Napoleon’s famous quote that an ‘army marches on its stomach.’” “Other federal appeals courts have all held that providing food and shelter, even if unconnected to a specific terrorist event, constitutes material support within the statute,” von Spakovsky continued. “And doing so under duress, even if true, is not an excuse under the statute to avoid removal.” Even if the Supreme Court rules in his favor, a victory would not automatically grant him asylum or guarantee his return to the United States. His case would still need to be reconsidered by immigration authorities. The Fourth Circuit previously declined to order the government to bring him back, instead leaving it up to officials to decide whether his presence in the U.S. would be necessary for
Ilhan Omar’s husband snaps over rumors she fled US after federal immigration fraud raid
While Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has not been seen publicly since federal agents raided her Washington, D.C., residence on Monday, her political consultant husband was once again spotted emerging from their shared rental home this week. Tim Mynett was seen Wednesday stepping out in the neighborhood to walk their Golden Labrador Retriever dog Teddy, a second time later that same day to take out the trash and a third time to walk out his wife’s staffer. “There are rumors that the congresswoman left the country, is that true?” Mynett was asked while on an evening walk with Teddy. “You guys are annoying the hell out of all the neighbors around here, man,” he told Fox News Digital when approached about the developments this week, including President Donald Trump weighing in on the saga. One of Omar’s congressional staffers was captured the same day bringing into the couple’s home two large bags from fast food chain Burger King. Security escorted her to the door and staked out in front of the house after she entered with the meal. ILHAN OMAR’S EMBATTLED HUSBAND APPEARS AT SCENE OF HSI RAID IN MIDST OF CRIMINAL FRAUD INVESTIGATION Rumors swirled that Omar fled from the country following the raid carried out by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) as part of a criminal fraud investigation looking into the Somali-born congresswoman’s immigration paperwork, as first reported by Fox News Digital. Omar’s cellphone and passport were reportedly seized by federal authorities during the search. The congresswoman’s staff helped to get her birth year adjusted from 1981 to 1982 in the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library, according to reporters. Omar gained citizenship automatically through her father’s naturalization since she was reportedly 17 years old at the time. If Omar was born in 1981, she would have been 18 years old, meaning the validity of her citizenship could be threatened because she was no longer a minor. The altered birthdate was published during her entire time serving in Minnesota’s House and for months into her time serving in Congress. When asked about the federal investigation earlier this week, Mynett told Fox News Digital he has “no concerns” about what federal authorities will find on his wife while investigating her immigration pathway. “My wife came here when she was 12 years old as a child war refugee,” Mynett said. “No concerns.” His comments to Fox News Digital come after Omar’s relatives were reportedly issued subpoenas as part of HSI’s investigation into the congresswoman’s immigration paperwork. At least two of Omar’s relatives were subpoenaed, one of which is reportedly Omar’s sister, Sahra Noor. ILHAN OMAR’S HUSBAND INSISTS HE HAS ‘NO CONCERNS’ AMID FEDERAL IMMIGRATION INVESTIGATION Fox News Digital asked Mynett about President Donald Trump publicly questioning Omar’s net worth by alleging on Truth Social that her accountant may have reported fraudulent money when her previous financial disclosure listed the couple’s shared net worth as high as $30 million. “Why did Ilhan Omar report a Net Worth of up to 30 Million Dollars just a short time ago, and then immediately say, “Oh, I made a mistake! It’s really $100,000.” Could it be that her highly paid accountant actually reported the money that was stolen from her fraudulent activities in Minnesota? Would something like that be possible? Do you think the accountant actually gave the right number the first time, 30 Million Dollars, and then she was forced to disavow because she never would have been able to report where that much money came from? She must have freaked out when she saw that money!” Trump posted to Truth Social on Tuesday. “Where did her house come from, where did her cars come from, and what about her lovely place in Washington, D.C.? I didn’t know that Congressmen and women made that kind of money, but I do know her husband, according to information and belief, makes almost nothing, so it couldn’t have come from him. How many people did she illegally bring into our Country from Somalia? America wants answers, and we want them, NOW!” Mynett is at the center of yet another investigation into Omar — this time looking into her finances. Following Monday’s HSI raid, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Tuesday that her office is also investigating Omar’s financial disclosures about reporting of her and Mynett’s shared net worth. OMAR FACES MOUNTING SCRUTINY AFTER FRAUD RINGLEADER SENTENCED TO 41 YEARS Scrutiny of Omar’s finances intensified after her 2024 congressional financial disclosure listed business interests associated with Mynett valued between $6 million and $30 million. Omar’s office subsequently said the figures were incorrect and amended the filing. The largest change in the documents was from Mynett’s assets. His reported ownership interests in both his winery and venture capital advisory firm, which were previously valued in the millions of dollars, are listed with no value now. In Omar’s 2024 financial disclosure records, Mynett’s share in his winery was valued between $1 million and $5 million, and his share at the venture capital advisory firm was valued between $5 million and $25 million. Now, his equity interests are both listed at $0. Omar’s office previously told Fox News Digital that Mynett has partners in both businesses and said the earlier disclosure mistakenly reflected the businesses’ total equity rather than his ownership interest. The office also said the original filing listed assets without accounting for liabilities. Officials noted that the investigation into Omar’s financial disclosures is unrelated to the raid on her home.
Fort Hood survivors praise Trump for scrapping Hasan execution livestream: ‘We’re not barbaric’
Survivors of the 2009 Fort Hood massacre praised President Donald Trump’s decision not to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, after warning that broadcasting his death could turn the execution into a spectacle and hand terrorist groups a propaganda tool. Hasan is still set to be executed by firing squad on Dec. 3, 2026, and Trump said the immediate families of his victims will be permitted to witness the execution in person. But it will no longer be broadcast to the general public as previously announced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Alonzo Lunsford, who was shot seven times by Hasan during the attack nearly 17 years ago, told Fox News Digital that Trump’s decision is a “positive move.” “It proves that we are a better people, a better nation, and that we’re not barbaric,” Lunsford said in immediate reaction to the walk-back by Trump on Thursday. “We don’t glorify such actions.” VETERAN SHOT 7 TIMES IN FORT HOOD MASSACRE HAS A WARNING FOR AMERICANS PLANNING TO WATCH EXECUTION Lunsford said he supports Hasan’s death sentence and execution by firing squad but drew a line at broadcasting it to the public. “For it to be made a spectacle for everyone to witness how they’re gonna do a tailgate or, ‘Hey, we’re gonna have a cookout and we’re gonna watch this man be put to death.’ No, it’s not about that,” Lunsford said. “It’s not a spectacle. It’s not a pay-per-view event or a WWE wrestling match or even a boxing match.” He also warned that footage of Hasan’s execution could be seized upon by terrorist organizations. “You don’t want that to be used as a tool for ISIS or al-Qaeda to recruit and say, ‘Hey, this is what happens to you if you do this against the infidel,’” Lunsford said. Julia Wilson was a civilian employee at Fort Hood when Hasan went on his rampage. She was nine months pregnant during the attack, which was carried out on her due date. FORT HOOD SHOOTER SHOULD BE EXECUTED ’13 TIMES OVER’ — BUT NOT ON LIVE STREAM, SURVIVOR SAYS She was slammed against a wall amid the chaos of the shooting and has said that it was only by the grace of God that she and her then-unborn son survived. Wilson was already against the livestreaming of Hasan’s execution because she didn’t want others to be traumatized like she was during the deadly attack. “I’m ecstatic about that,” she told Fox News Digital, reacting to the news that the plan to livestream the event would not proceed. “I’m worried about other people’s mental health,” she continued. “I don’t think the government… really put a lot of thought into how this was going to go down and how it was going to transpire until today.” “I don’t think they really thought about how this may affect people,” said Wilson. “Seeing something like that affects your mental health. I don’t care who you are. I don’t care what you’ve seen. Seeing someone murdered in front of you or killed in front of you affects your mental health, whether they deserve it or not.” Wilson also worried that if the livestream had proceeded, it would exist online forever, and that children might discover it while searching the web. “Once it’s on out there, it’s out there,” she said. Trump said Wednesday that he believed publicly broadcasting Hasan’s death could have served as a deterrent, but ultimately sided with those who opposed making the execution available for anyone to watch. “I think streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan but, many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed,” Trump continued. “That said, the execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims, if they so choose. They deserve to witness JUSTICE!” Lunsford pointed to warnings surrounding Hasan before the shooting and criticized the Army’s handling of the future attacker before he was transferred from Walter Reed to Fort Hood. “We knew this guy had issues,” Lunsford said. “If you are privy to the ticking time bomb report, you will see what he was talking about. This guy had issues and they just passed the buck and moved him from Walter Reed to Fort Hood.” Lunsford wondered what might have happened had Hasan deployed overseas before carrying out an attack. “Suppose he would have did the deed once he got in country on a FOB, a forward operating base,” he said. “Imagine how many American lives would have been lost then.” For Lunsford, allowing victims to witness Hasan’s execution remains important even without a public broadcast. “It’s gonna be a traumatic thing for, at least for the families of the fallen,” he said. “They’ll be able to close the chapter and hopefully close the book.” Lunsford said survivors will continue to live with reminders of the attack long after Hasan is gone. “Every day we get up, we come to the VA hospital or we have to take our meds in the morning or we get ready to do something that we normally would have been doing prior to 5 November ’09 that we’re no longer able to do now, that’s a constant reminder,” he said. “I am no longer a victim of his,” Lunsford added. “I’m a survivor.”
Trump links Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed to Muslim Brotherhood: ‘He’s a con man’
President Donald Trump on Thursday linked Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood amid scrutiny over his alleged family ties to the Islamist organization. “He’s a Muslim Brotherhood guy, 100%,” Trump said during a lunch in the White House Rose Garden. “He’s a Muslim Brotherhood guy. How about having him be on the Senate Intelligence Committee? How about that? The guy’s 100% Muslim Brotherhood.” El-Sayed has come under scrutiny from Republicans over social media posts made by his half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, alleging their mother was an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during the 1970s. COUNTERTERRORISM EXPERT WARNS ABDUL EL-SAYED SENATE BID RAISES HOMELAND SECURITY CONCERNS He has denied any family connections to the group. During a recent interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, El-Sayed rejected the assertions when asked to set the record straight. “I have no ties; we have no ties,” El-Sayed said. EL-SAYED ASKED IF HE BELIEVES AMERICA IS ‘READY FOR A MUSLIM PRESIDENT’ AHEAD OF SENATE RACE He accused political opponents of engaging in anti-Muslim rhetoric rather than addressing his policy positions. “[Opponent Mike Rogers’] only strategy is to point to me and my name and my faith and to say that we’re different, and that you should suspect people simply because they are different than you in how they pray,” he said. EL-SAYED’S LIBERAL AGENDA CLASHES WITH MUSLIM VOTERS WHO BACK HIM ANYWAY: ‘MALE VERSION’ OF ILHAN OMAR However, according to Abdelhadi, their mother was an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood. “Had an amazing talk with my mom about her activism in the Muslim Brotherhood during the early 70s while she was in college #respect,” Abdelhadi wrote in a 2012 post on X. In another 2012 social media post, she wrote: “My family has long been MB, but I’ve always felt that it has navigated the political sphere poorly/destructively.” During his remarks, Trump said he looked forward to visiting Michigan to “expose this fraud that’s running.” “He’s a fraud. He’s a con man,” Trump said. Fox News Digital has reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.
America’s next war could reach US soil, top Army general warns
The American military has largely operated on a familiar premise: combat the enemy overseas before the fight reaches home. But as drones, cyberattacks and long-range weapons pose growing threats to U.S. military installations and critical infrastructure, Army leaders are preparing for a future in which American forces could come under attack before they ever deploy overseas. “If we’re going against a pacing threat, power projection will be contested,” Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army’s acting chief of staff, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. He said the military is rethinking assumptions that were held during decades of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, when American forces could largely count on secure bases and supply lines at home. FBI WARNS BATTLEFIELD-STYLE DRONE ATTACKS COULD REACH US: ‘ONLY A MATTER OF TIME’ “During the Global War on Terror, we took a lot of things for granted, because we could,” LaNeve said during a small-group roundtable at the Association of the United States Army’s annual conference in Washington this week. In a potential conflict with China, disrupting American military bases, transportation networks and communications could delay U.S. forces from reaching the battlefield. The Pentagon’s latest report on China’s military capabilities warns that Beijing has positioned cyber capabilities inside U.S. critical infrastructure networks that could be used to disrupt American military mobilization during a conflict. The concerns come as the Pentagon places renewed emphasis on homeland defense and military installations as they prepare to potentially confront threats closer to home. U.S. officials have previously confirmed drone incursions over installations — including Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia and Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. Though those incidents have not been publicly attributed to China. The warning of a future fight on American soil comes amid the How the Army Fights rollout. The new operational framework places greater emphasis on preparing American forces to deploy, communicate and sustain operations even when military bases, supply lines and communications networks are under attack. The guidance places greater emphasis on the Army’s ability to deploy and sustain forces under threat, including when communications, supply lines and military infrastructure are disrupted. US MILITARY BASES ARE ‘ILL-EQUIPPED’ TO STOP DRONE SWARMS, TOP COMMANDER REVEALS AFTER RUBIO’S UAP WARNING LaNeve said the Army is using the framework to establish clearer priorities for how its formations train, fight and incorporate new technology. “It was important to get this document out to provide a direction for our Army, a stake in the ground in where we’re moving,” LaNeve told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday. The changes are being led by an Army leadership team serving in acting capacities following the departures of former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George. LaNeve remains the Senate-confirmed vice chief of staff. LaNeve explained how the Army is preparing to keep fighting even when an adversary disrupts military communications. “I think what you would see inside this command and control capability is the ability to operate disconnected and then reconnect when you have that capability, but to continue to be able to maneuver,” he said. The Army is also rethinking how it protects military installations at home. LaNeve pointed to Joint Interagency Task Force 401, which is working with federal and local law enforcement to strengthen counter-drone defenses around military bases and critical infrastructure. CARTELS USE DRONES TO SCOUT BORDER AGENTS AND MAP SMUGGLING ROUTES, EXPERT WARNS Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle pointed to the southern border as an example of how soldiers are already confronting drone threats closer to home. He said soldiers are using the mission to test new counter-drone technology against real-world threats, gaining experience they can bring back to their units as the Army prepares for future conflicts. The Army is also expanding its preparations for biological threats that could disrupt military operations. Officials announced this week that biological incidents will be incorporated into routine combat training as part of a broader effort to ensure soldiers can continue carrying out their missions through disease outbreaks or deliberate biological attacks. During a separate panel Wednesday, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink warned that advances in surveillance technology could soon make it increasingly difficult for military forces to operate anywhere without being detected. “We are rapidly heading to a point in time where, depending on what your signature is, how fast you’re moving, the enemy is going to have some sense to where you are no matter where you are on the planet,” Meink said. He suggested that level of surveillance could emerge within five years, potentially sooner, as China and other adversaries expand their ability to track and target military assets. Meink said the Pentagon is working to make its forces more survivable, including through autonomous systems capable of operating in dangerous environments where commanders might hesitate to send manned platforms. War Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking alongside Meink and the other service secretaries, criticized what he described as the Pentagon’s failure to keep pace with technological advances under the Biden administration. “On hypersonics, they took a nap. On space, they took a nap. On weaponization of space, they took a nap. On drones, they took a nap,” Hegseth said. LaNeve emphasized that despite the Army’s growing reliance on advanced technology, soldiers must still be able to carry out their missions when those systems are unavailable. “Soldiers are our number one platform. It is the Army’s platform,” he told Fox News Digital. The technology, he said, is intended to make troops more capable, but soldiers must remain grounded in the fundamental skills needed to fight without it.