An Army official confirmed the decision Wednesday but did not provide details and referred all questions to the Defense Department, which did not respond to a request for information. During a congressional hearing Tuesday on the Army’s budget posture, neither Army Secretary Dan Driscoll nor Gen. Christopher LaNeve, the Army vice chief of staff, mentioned the deployment cancellation. But word already had started spreading early Tuesday morning among those affected, with soldiers texting friends and loved ones about the change. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said during his opening statement in the hearing that the Army faces a budget shortfall of at least $2 billion as a result of extended operations that include deployments of the Army National Guard to Washington, D.C., and units to participate in U.S. border control. Reed wondered what the impact was on training and operations but the topic was not addressed.

According to ABC News, the Army budget shortfall is significantly larger than Reed’s estimate. In the report, Army officials told the outlet the amount actually is between $4 billion and $6 billion. The Pentagon announced in April that it planned to withdraw roughly 5,000 troops from Germany. Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said that Secretary Pete Hegseth made the decision after reviewing “theater requirements and conditions on the ground.” The move would bring U.S. troops levels in Europe to pre-2022 levels, before Russia invaded Ukraine

…

More than 10,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Poland on rotation. The “Black Jack” brigade was expected to deploy for nine months. The Stars and Stripes reported that the Fort Hood, Texas-based tank brigade cased its colors May 1 in preparation for the deployment. Portions of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team advanced echelon are already in Poland and equipment is in transit, according to the deployment plan. Army officials from Fort Hood and U.S. Army Headquarters referred all questions to DoD, which declined to comment. “We have no comment on this at this time,” the Pentagon press office wrote in an email to Army Times.

Is the US military so cooked at this point that they can’t even maintain a proper development in Europe anymore? What’s going on

I note that his last major act as Health Secretary was allowing Palantir full access to NHS patient records. He also spent his entire term telling trans people that new restrictions on their healthcare / rights have all been part of some bigger plan to make things better, somehow, that will now clearly never be followed up on (if it wasn’t clear already).

He also neglected to mention the Mandelson affair in his published criticisms of Starmer.

February 26 (Pre War) $ $2.983

Current Gas Record: $5.016 on 6/14/22

February 26 (Pre War) $3.720

Current Diesel Record: $5.816 on 6/19/22

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday that the hantavirus remains a low public health risk and while the agency is “encouraging” American passengers of the infected cruise ship to isolate at home, the absence of a formal quarantine order means these individuals can go out in public if they choose.

“At this moment, I want to emphasize that the risk to the general public is low. Our top priority is both the passengers who are on the ship and American communities,” David Fitter, incident manager for the CDC’s hantavirus response said in a press briefing.

As of the most recent update, the hantavirus outbreak has grown to 11 cases.

Fitter said his agency has already held two briefings on Capitol Hill regarding the outbreak.

“Our role now is to continue our conversations with each passenger about their potential exposure and work with partners to ensure appropriate monitoring,” he added.

CDC officials further emphasized that the hantavirus is a “known virus” that has been found in the U.S. before. Given the virus’s incubation period, the CDC is maintaining a 42-day monitoring period, which they consider having begun on May 11 and set to end on June 22.

Hantavirus is generally considered to not be transmissible from person-to-person, apart from the Andes virus strain that spread on the MV Hondius. Even then, person-to-person transmission requires prolonged contact with an infected person, such as among members of the same household sharing a bed, intimate partners and medical providers.

When asked about individuals quarantining at home, Fitter said the CDC is currently taking a “conservative approach” that involves “encouraging” people to stay home during the monitoring period. The individuals who were taken to the University of Nebraska have also been “encouraged that they can stay in Nebraska.”

During the briefing, it was noted that adherence would be hard to guarantee, and Fitter was asked about concerns over the people who are monitoring for symptoms at home. They are currently only testing people who are symptomatic.

“Currently, there are no state or federal quarantine orders that have been drawn. We’re working really closely with all contacts to ensure that they understand what is expected for them to perfectly monitor themselves,” said Fitter. “We also want to make sure that they have the right information so that they can understand the situation as best as possible.”

“If they need to do it somewhere else, we will work with them,” Fitter said. When pressed on whether efforts were being made to keep exposed individuals at isolated facilities, he added, “Our goal is to continue to work with them to the best possible place for them.”

Citing individual privacy, CDC officials declined to say where the individuals isolating at home live or how many are currently not in a specialized facility.

Defense denies senator’s involvement in illicit activities; Supreme Court points to receipt of undue advantages.

The Federal Police (PF) investigation within the scope of Operation Compliance Zero details an alleged “mutual benefit” arrangement between Senator Ciro Nogueira (PP - Progressive Party - Conservative Right-Wing) and Daniel Vorcaro, owner of Banco Master. According to the Supreme Federal Court (STF) ruling, the parliamentarian allegedly used his mandate to favor the banker’s private interests in exchange for economic advantages that go beyond friendly relations.

One of the central points of the investigation is the so-called “Master Amendment.” This refers to Amendment No. 11 to Constitutional Amendment Proposal No. 65/2023, presented by Ciro Nogueira, which expanded the coverage of the Credit Guarantee Fund (FGC) from R$ 250,000 to R$ 1 million. The investigation indicates that the text was entirely drafted by the Banco Master’s advisors and delivered in an envelope to the senator’s residence.

Messages obtained by the Federal Police reveal that, after the proposal was published, Vorcaro stated that the legislative act “came out exactly as I ordered.” Sources at the bank reported that the measure could “sextuple” the institution’s business. In addition to this amendment, there is evidence that drafts of other bills of interest to the banker circulated through Ciro’s residence before reaching his office.

The investigation also identified the transfer of “monthly allowances” to the congressman. Financial intelligence reports and dialogues indicate recurring monthly payments that started at R$ 300,000 and allegedly increased to R$ 500,000. These amounts were supposedly handled through a business structure linked to what the investigated parties called the “BRGD/CNLF partnership.”

Another advantage highlighted in the Supreme Court’s decision was the acquisition, by a company managed by the senator’s brother, of a 30% stake in Green Investimentos SA. The deal allegedly occurred at a significant discount: the stake, valued at R$ 13 million, was acquired for only R$ 1 million. According to the Federal Police, the transaction was a disguised mechanism for transferring assets.

High-end luxury expenses

The relationship between Senator Ciro Nogueira and Daniel Vorcaro also included the payment of high-end luxury expenses . The decision cites the payment of accommodations at the Park Hyatt hotel in New York, flights on private jets, and dinners at upscale restaurants. In one of the dialogues, an interlocutor asks the banker if he should continue “paying the restaurant bills for Ciro/Flávia,” to which he confirms and instructs him to send his card to St. Barths.

The Federal Police also points out that the senator was using a property owned by Vorcaro as if it were his own. Given the evidence of passive and active corruption, criminal organization, money laundering, and crimes against the national financial system, Minister André Mendonça ordered precautionary measures, including prohibiting Ciro Nogueira from contacting the other individuals under investigation in the operation.

The senator’s defense denies any involvement in illicit activities and affirms that his parliamentary actions followed regular procedures, in addition to repudiating, in a statement, “any insinuation of illegality regarding his conduct, especially in his parliamentary activities.”