US military gets 'laser focused' on keeping up with China
CNN
China was first and foremost on the minds of American politicians, planners and military officials during Thursday's congressional hearing on the Pentagon's defense authorization request for the forthcoming fiscal year.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday issued an internal directive to "laser focus" US military "efforts to address China as the nation's number one pacing challenge." Austin issued the directive after receiving a classified document from a China Task Force he set up in February to look into the challenges posed to the United States by Beijing.President Joe Biden on Sunday delivers his first commencement address of the 2024 season at Morehouse College, where the president may for the first time in months have to confront the angst that’s been percolating on college campuses nationwide toward his administration’s policies on the Israel-Hamas war.
Arab and Palestinian Americans left a meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday night frustrated they did not have a clear understanding of how the Biden administration might act upon their concerns as the Israel-Hamas war devastates the civilian population in Gaza, participants told CNN.