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Army trains for modern battlefield with Texas exercise focused on speed, technology

Wed, 20 May 2026 04:19:16 -0400

FORT HOOD, Texas — The Army is embracing state-of-the-art technology to adapt to the evolving demands of the modern battlefield.

‘Operation Hood Strike’ brought units from the Army's active duty, reserves and National Guard to Fort Hood, Texas for a rigorous, hands-on stress test. Canadian troops joined the training too.

"We're a total Army. We're a total engineer regiment. And we will fight with them in wartime. So we have to train with them here in peacetime," Col. Justin Pritchard, 36th Engineer Brigade Commander, said.

Troops were thrown into a realistic combat scenario. Their mission was to cross Lake Belton and close in on enemy territory.

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Engineers built a seven float raft consisting of two ramps and five bays. Capt. Bruce Burgener, 43rd Multi-Role Bridge Company Commander, said it's the standard ramp and bay configuration to move M1 Abrams tanks.

"Anything less than that won't move them," Burgener said. "Our goal is to get as much throughput as possible for friendly forces."

Burgener said his company has received "a lot of new troops," and that the training gives his higher-ranked troops the opportunity to work with the newer ones. He broke this training into three phases: ‘crawl, walk, run.’

"At this stage, we're about at the walk stage for our company," Burgener said. "So we're slowly working towards getting to a run stage where we'd be able to work a lot more efficiently with our new soldiers."

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Once all the equipment and personnel are in place, the assault across the water begins. The Texas National Guard swooped in with Chinook helicopters to provide recon and dropped sections of a bridge into the water.

Lt. Col. Travis Shahan, 961st Engineer Battalion Commander, said air assets are crucial to dropping large payloads in hard-to-reach areas.

"Sometimes, when you build a bridge, there's a little bit of difficulty getting all the equipment you need to the water," Shahan said.

Troops crossing the bridge already know what the enemy territory looks like because it's been mapped out at the tactical command center. The map allows every soldier, from the highest rank down to line infantry, to know how they fit into the mission.

"If you're working in an office, it's pretty easy to plan this stuff. But when you're out here and the aircraft are flying here overhead at midnight... It's much harder when you're when you're out here trying to execute," Maj. Salem Maud, the Battalion Executive Officer, said.

'Operation Hood Strike’ happens every year at Fort Hood, but each year is different since the modern battlefield is constantly changing. While Col. Adam Rasmussen, 420th Engineer Brigade Commander, said the Army is trying to get soldiers out of harms way, he said war is "still a very much a human endeavor."

"We want soldiers who can innovate, and there's no better person to innovate how to get a human out of the breach than a human who has been through the pain of a breach," Rasmussen said. "That human knows how important it is to get an automated system or an unmanned or an AI system into the breach instead of a human."

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In 2025, the Army set a goal to recruit 60,500 active duty troops, according to the Army Recruiting Command. They cracked their goal by 103.47% and recruited 62,050 soldiers.

The Recruiting Command reported the Army Reserves aimed to recruit 14,320 troops in 2025. The Reserves fell short, only meeting 86.76% of their goal with 12,426 recruits.

"The way we recruit and retain is that we get them out here doing very challenging but rewarding training. They may not enjoy it 100% that minute, but by the end of the day, they think they have just done the coolest thing in the world," Rasmussen said.

"They signed up to do just this," Pritchard said. "Anytime we can get out and do what they signed up for the Army to do… That just encourages you, like, this is why I served. This is why I want to stay in the army and continue serving the nation."

The units involved in ‘Operation Hood Strike’ are not preparing for a specific deployment. Rasmussen said the training is still critical to bring the newer soldiers up to speed.

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"Every hour these soldiers are on the battlefield, they become more lethal," Rasmussen said.

NASCAR fans pack into Talladega Superspeedway ahead of Sunday's Jack Links 500 race

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 05:42:12 -0400

NASCAR's high-stakes Jack Links 500 race is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama, where 41 drivers will take on the league's largest track in front of an estimated 100,000 race fans.

The legendary track attracts visitors from "all 50 states and multiple countries," according to track officials.

"It's like a vacation for them. There's people that just see each other twice a year here, and they meet up here at Talladega Superspeedway," Patrick Barfield, senior director of Venue Experience and Guest Services at Talladega Superspeedway, said. "They all have their little parties and groups, and it's a great site."

Josh Harris, Regional President at Talladega Superspeedway, credits the charm of the track to its unpredictable pack racing at extreme speeds exceeding 200 mph. The track, at 2.66 miles, is the longest in the NASCAR Cup Series, and drivers must complete 188 laps to finish the 500-mile race.

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"Everything's just a little bit bigger here at Talladega, and that's how we like it," Harris said.

The Jack Links 500 is the tenth race in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series, and drivers are already fighting for their spot in the playoff standings.

"Drivers are positioning themselves. They want to be in that top 16 come Daytona in August and be able to jump themselves into the chase," Harris said.

Talladega is always challenging for drivers, according to Harris, both physically and mentally. As the NASCAR Cup Series continues into spring and summer, he said the inside of a race car can exceed 100 degrees on an 85-degree day.

Many fans, however, are taking advantage of the warm weather. Thousands of fans started camping outside the track and in the infield over the past week.

Riley Eubanks traveled from Indianapolis, Indiana, with his cousin and friend. The three of them are spending their first Talladega race together in a small tent inside turn one, living on "plenty of food and water" and a constant game of poker.

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"We spent hundreds, if not thousands on meat and plenty of water," Eubanks said. "We're able to provide food to others if they want to come by, but we have got plenty to eat here for a few days."

Many fans said they were excited to see the track's infamous 33-degree banking in its four turns, the steepest in stock car racing. The turns are engineered to allow drivers to maintain 200 miles per hour without losing traction.

"The coolest thing is getting over here and checking out how high up that wall really is. Seeing it for the first time. Just crash after crash over years. After years of watching, I got to see it," Caleb Eubanks said.

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Drivers will begin qualifying Saturday morning to secure their starting position for Sunday's race.

Judge orders man accused of spraying Ilhan Omar held before trial, possibly in solitary confinement

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:06:50 -0500

The man who allegedly attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., with a mysterious liquid later identified as apple cider vinegar will remain in custody until he stands trial after the judge deemed him to be a danger to the community.

Anthony James Kazmierczak, 56, appeared in court on Tuesday, one week after he allegedly used a syringe to spray the congresswoman during a town hall in Minneapolis.

Court-appointed defense attorney John Fossum noted that Kazmierczak was wearing a yellow jumpsuit, telling the courtroom that color signifies his client is being held in solitary confinement. He expressed concern for Kazmierczak's mental state.

While Kazmierczak is not considered a flight risk, U.S. Magistrate Judge David Schultz ordered that he remain in custody to reduce risk to the community. The decision, the judge said, was made in light of the charges in Hennepin County. They include one felony count of terroristic threats and one count of fifth-degree assault.

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"This was a disturbing assault on Rep. Omar, who is frequently the target of vilifying language by fellow elected officials and members of the public," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. "The trust of our community in the federal government keeping politics out of public safety has been eroded by their actions. A state-level conviction is not subject to a presidential pardon now or in the future."

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Fossum stated that his client is not in good health and is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and sleep apnea. He went on to argue that the "risk of harm" to Omar was "actually quite small," saying that the liquid was relatively harmless.

However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar argued that it could've caused bodily injury.

"Certainly that would cause bodily injury if that got in Rep. Omar’s eyes," Bejar said. "We simply cannot have protesters and people, whatever side of the aisle you’re on, running up to a representative conducting official business."

Kazmierczak allegedly admitted to Minneapolis police during his arrest that he had squirted vinegar on Omar.

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When the alleged attack occurred, Omar was speaking about immigration policy and called for a transparent investigation and legal action against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as the abolition of the agency. She also said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem should resign or "face impeachment."

Omar stepped back momentarily, appearing shaken after Kazmierczak allegedly sprayed her with the liquid. After a brief pause, Omar continued to address the crowd for at least another 10 minutes.

Kazmierczak has a criminal history and was convicted of driving while intoxicated in 2009 and again in 2010. Records indicate he served one day in jail followed by five years supervised probation for the 2010 conviction and was put on home detention for 30 days in relation to his 2009 conviction.

ӣ��Ƶ Digital's Adam Sabes contributed to this report.

US prisons battle evolving drone technology used to smuggle contraband to inmates

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 05:59:34 -0500

More drones are being detected flying over U.S. prisons than ever before, and federal regulations make it harder for state prisons to do anything about it.

Advancements in drone detection technology have shown a dramatic increase in airborne smuggling operations over U.S. prisons since 2018. The Federal Bureau of Prisons reported 479 drone incidents at federal prisons in 2024, a substantial rise from 23 incidents in 2018. Unlike the federal government, states cannot shoot down a drone or jam its radio frequencies.

Joel Anderson, director of South Carolina's Department of Corrections, said his team is leading the nation in developing drone detection systems. South Carolina reported 262 drone incursions over its prisons in 2022, up from 69 in 2019.

"We get assaulted nightly," Anderson said. "We get assaulted at multiple institutions at night."

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Anderson has watched drone smuggling missions become more elaborate in recent years. When smugglers first went airborne, he said drones only carried about four pounds and reached a top speed of 45 miles per hour. Now, massive heavy-lift drones traveling more than 75 miles per hour are hauling 25-pound duffle bags of contraband over prison fences.

"At some institutions, it'll be nights just one right after another… They may have multiple drops in one night, just flying back and forth to the controller and back to the institution," Anderson said.

Most of the criminal drone pilots are former inmates who already have connections inside and know the layout of the facility. Many inmates contact them with illegal cellphones obtained in prison.

Most of the time, Anderson said drone pilots will try to camouflage their payloads, making it harder to spot from a distance.

"If they're lying on the grass out there, say, on a green day during the summer months, a lot of times they'll take duct tape and put grass on it and lay it across the yard," Anderson said. "It's not easy to see from here. You know, you have to be right on top of it to be able to see and detect it."

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South Carolina has developed a drone detection system for all of its medium and maximum security prisons. When a drone is over a facility, select prison staff get a cellphone alert that a drone is in the area. Seconds later, a dedicated drone response team scrambles to the location of the drop.

Within minutes, the drone is out of sight unless it crashed or the prison's drone team followed it back to the controller.

"We've had drones caught in our nets. We've had drones caught in our fences. We've had drones crash on the yard. We've had drones where the battery ran out," Anderson said.

The drone team confiscates disabled drones and pulls their in-flight records, which show investigators the drone's previous flights, the paths it took and the images it created.

Anderson said flight data can lead law enforcement to a drone pilot's front door for an easy arrest.

"In some cases, our crooks are so smart that they'll fly them in their own yards," Anderson said. "We had one fly and took a picture of his mailbox, and that's how we went and got him."

Currently, detection and confiscation is all states can do when a drone flies over its prison. The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits states from bringing down drones because they are considered registered aircraft.

Anderson agreed that shooting down a drone could be dangerous for people inside and outside the prison because they often carry deadly drugs.

"We picked up enough fentanyl, one institution to kill the entire prison system one time. Four hundred and sixty-four grams of fentanyl in one bag with one drone," Anderson said. "We would hate to disable a drone, and it flies off into a subdivision somewhere, and then we don't know where it is."

Anderson said drone smuggling wouldn't be as big of an issue if inmates didn't have access to the illegal cell phones they pay people thousands of dollars to smuggle in.

The Federal Communications Commission is looking to allow states to use radio-jamming technology, which would prevent inmates from contacting people outside the prison walls.

"I applaud our staff for being as steadfast as they are. They're good at what they do," Anderson said. "I'd much rather be using them in the living areas, watching inmates, than running around out here chasing illegal packages, because a lot of it is caused by these illegal cell phones that we have that give them direct communication with their counterparts outside the fences."

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Decision Day: Trump, Speaker Johnson, AOC blitz campaign trail in must-win special House election for GOP

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:00:00 -0500

FRANKLIN, TN - Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters says that the Democrats' momentum following their sweeping victories in last month's 2025 ballot box showdowns will come to an end in Tuesday's special election for a hotly contested GOP-controlled vacant House seat in a ruby red Tennessee congressional district.

"Tennessee is the red wall. So they’re not getting past Tennessee. We’re going to win this race. This is our territory," the RNC chair told ӣ��Ƶ Digital after speaking at a rally for Matt Van Epps, the GOP congressional nominee in a must-win race for Republicans.

Van Epps is facing off against Democratic nominee Aftyn Behn in the race to succeed former GOP Rep. Mark Green, who resigned from office in June to take a private sector job.

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President Donald Trump carried the 7th Congressional District — which is located in central and western Tennessee, stretches from Kentucky to Alabama, and includes parts of Nashville — by 22 points in last year's presidential election. And Green won the district by over 20 points in his 2022 and 2024 re-elections.

But Democrats are energized following the 2025 elections, and polls suggest a close contest between Van Epps and Behn in a race that's seen as a key barometer ahead of next year's midterm elections, when the GOP will be defending its razor-thin House majority.

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Pointing to New York City, New Jersey and Virginia, where the Democrats scored high-profile victories last month, Gruters said they are "a lot different than Nashville, Tennessee and these communities out here."

"From a registration perspective and from a party perspective, this is our home turf.... We’ll get right back on track to the 2026 midterms with a victory," Gruters predicted.

Outside groups aligned with both parties have shelled out millions of dollars to run ads in the race and pour resources onto the campaign trail.

And on Election Eve, Gruters and House Speaker Mike Johnson joined Van Epps at a series of campaign stops.

"We're going to win this seat, but we cannot take anything for granted," Johnson said in an interview with ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

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"Special elections are strange because a lot of people take for granted in a deep red district like this that the Republican is just going to win automatically. Nothing's automatic. So we're here to help turn out the vote and make sure we get this great candidate right over that line," Johnson said.

Aiming to motivate low-propensity Trump supporters, who often don't vote when the president's not on the ballot, Johnson emphasized that "we take no vote for granted. We need everybody to turn out."

Before introducing Van Epps at Monday's first rally, Johnson called Trump on his cell phone and the president spoke to the crowd for over four minutes.

"Let's make it a sweeping victory," Trump said. "The whole world is watching Tennessee right now. And they're watching your district. The whole world. It’s a big vote. It’s going to show something. It's got to show that the Republican Party is stronger than it's ever been."

Trump joined Van Epps later in the day for an evening tele rally.

In another sign of the importance of holding the seat, Republican Gov. Bill Lee, GOP Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, as well as Republican members of Congress from Tennessee, state GOP lawmakers and rival candidates who lost to Van Epps in last month's primary, showed up in support.

Van Epps, a military combat veteran and former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of General Services who was backed by Trump in the primary, told ӣ��Ƶ Digital that "we're going to win decisively."

The RNC spent nearly half a million dollars to support Van Epps. The national party committee deployed full-time RNC field staff to the district and launched get out the vote and persuasive mail efforts in partnership with the Tennessee GOP.

The rival Democratic National Committee (DNC) also poured plenty of resources into the race. And DNC Chair Ken Martin campaigned with Behn late last month.

"If a Trump +22 seat is where Republicans are drawing the line and making their final stand, they should get ready to be in the minority after the midterms next year," DNC deputy communications director Abhi Rahman told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

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Behn, a state representative, former healthcare community organizer, told supporters at a canvassing launch event on Monday that "this race is a lot closer than they [Republicans] ever expected."

And Behn, speaking with ӣ��Ƶ Digital, argued that "we've been building, we've been organizing, they've [Republicans] been scapegoating."

And Behn also enjoyed support from high-profile surrogates on Election Eve.

Progressive champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York headlined a virtual rally on Monday evening for Behn, a rising progressive star who some have dubbed the "AOC of Tennessee."

Ocasio-Cortez was joined by Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington state, who chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus the past four years, Black Voters Matter Fund co-founder LaTosha Brown and former Vice President Al Gore, a Tennessee native.

Behn has faced repeated attacks that she's out of step with voters in the district.

"She does not represent the values of Tennessee or of America. She is as far left as you can get. She's a radical," Van Epps claimed in his ӣ��Ƶ Digital interview. "We have to reject that ideology. And we're going to do that tomorrow."

Johnson argued at the Franklin rally that Behn was a "radical" and "a dangerous far leftist. And she will be a rubber stamp for Hakeem Jeffries and AOC and all the radicals in Congress."

And Trump, repeating comments he made over the weekend on social media, charged that Behn "hates Christianity" and "hates country music."

Trump was referring to past comments Behn made from a 2020 podcast.

"I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music, I hate all of the things that make Nashville apparently an 'it' city to the rest of the country. But I hate it," she said in the podcast.

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The district is solidly red, but includes parts of the Democratic stronghold of Nashville, Tennessee's capital and its most populous city, and a major national center for the country music industry. The district encompasses parts of north and west Nashville, including the downtown area which has long been a very popular tourist destination.

Behn, in a CNN interview on Sunday, noted that she was a "private citizen" when she made the comments. "Nashville is my home. Do I roll my eyes at the bachelorette parties and the pedal taverns that are blocking my access to my house? Yeah. Every Nashvillian does. But this race has always been about something bigger. It's about families across middle Tennessee that are getting crushed by rising prices."

Republicans are also taking aim at Behn over an op-ed titled, "Tennessee is a racist state, and so is its legislature," that appeared in a 2019 edition of The Tennessean newspaper.

The RNC, pointing in a recent social media post to the six-year-old opinion piece, asked, "If Behn hates Tennessee so much, why is she trying to represent it?"

Also resurfacing in recent weeks are anti-police comments Behn made on a now-deleted social media account.

"Clearly, I'm living rent-free in President Trump's mind," Behn told supporters on Monday.

And asked by ӣ��Ƶ Digital about the incoming verbal fire from Republicans, Behn joked, "I always love to hear from my fans."

She touted that "I have a track record of showing up in the hard fights and small fights in between, not only as an organizer and as an activist, but as a legislator."

And sticking to her key issue of tackling the high cost of living, Behn said she's "running on a very simple message of addressing the affordability crisis that Tennesseans are facing, and they [Republicans] don't have a remedy for it."

Should Behn pull off an upset and win, the GOP House majority would become so fragile the Democrats could have a shot of taking back the chamber next year ahead of the midterms if one or two more Republicans leave Congress early. Republicans were rattled last month when MAGA rock star and top Trump ally Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she would step down in January following a falling out with the president.

"Since I became speaker, I presided over some of the smallest majorities in history. Every seat counts," Johnson told ӣ��Ƶ Digital.

The showdown in Tennessee isn't the only ballot box showdown capturing national attention on Tuesday.

In New Jersey, a disgraced former Democratic governor is seeking a political comeback, but may be blocked by a younger progressive candidate who's gaining momentum.

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Former Gov. Jim McGreevey, the 68-year-old who resigned more than two decades ago, is facing off against 41-year-old Councilmember James Solomon in a runoff election for mayor in Jersey City, which is the Garden State's second most populous city.

The election comes a month after former New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who resigned amid multiple scandals four years ago, was defeated by now-Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in New York City's high-profile mayoral showdown.

Drought conditions leave pumpkin farmers with empty fields and smaller crops

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 00:06:08 -0400

CROSS PLAINS, Tenn. – Many pumpkin patches won’t look the same this year as drought conditions across the United States leave farmers with empty fields.

The National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska estimates around 38% of the United States is experiencing a ‘moderate drought,’ which the National Weather Service defines by damaged crops, low water wells and developing water shortages.

Pumpkin farmers — including those in Cross Plains, Tennessee – are dealing with drought conditions for a second straight year. Stephen Freeland’s pumpkins are growing in 14 acres of bone-dry soil. He said the pumpkins are trying to adapt to dry conditions, but many of them aren’t surviving.

"Because of the drought. I don't know. We probably dropped 15 to 20 percent," Freelanad said. "It's just a roulette of the rain. Who gets the rain and when?"

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Freeland plants pumpkin seeds in June and July. He said the first set of pumpkins harvested received adequate water and came out normal. However, the seeds he planted later endured weeks of heat — but with no rain.

"The thing with pumpkins, when it gets 95, 98 degrees, the pumpkin plant wants to abort the fruit that it just pollinated," Freeland said.

When it gets too hot, Freeland said pumpkin plants start to wilt, and their flowers fall off more easily. On a warm day, the flowers stay open for shorter periods of time, which affects pollination.

Farmers have found ways to alleviate the stress caused by the drought. Freeland added drip irrigation lines to his pumpkin field by pumping water from his well. A water line then allows smaller amounts of water to drip directly onto a plant's roots.

Agricultural adaptation can be costly and force farmers to raise their prices, although their pumpkins are smaller.

"The downside is if you need to raise prices, but your size is not there, that makes it a little more difficult," Freeland said. "They're just smaller, less marketable."

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Katie Osborne’s family farm includes 20 acres of pumpkins and 70 head of cattle. Osborne doesn’t run an irrigation line through her farm, because she said the cows need water from the ponds to stay hydrated.

"We pray a lot, for rain at those critical times," Osborne said. "We don't want to irrigate the ponds, because we don't want to take away the water source from the cattle."

Osbourn said her farm produced about 30% fewer pumpkins than usual this year. She said timing is key to staying on top of next year’s weather, but it’s too late to do anything about this year’s harvest.

"We also need to be strategic. We know that we will get more rain in late May, early June," Osborne said. "Some of our prize-winners and larger jacks, we need to go ahead and plant them at that time."

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Freeland and Osborne said an abundance of rain could do more harm than good, especially as the ground is dry and hard. They're hoping for a gentle rain that the ground can soak up before they begin planting their winter crops.

DEA in Atlanta using new lab to process federal drug seizures as fight against cartel heats up

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 01:41:06 -0400

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Atlanta has a new tool in its fight against one of Mexico's most notorious cartels.

The DEA Atlanta Field Division opened a new lab in May to process all federal drug seizures in Georgia. The lead DEA agent in Atlanta said the lab is already making agents more efficient as they go after the violent "Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG)."

In the past, the DEA in Atlanta would call in chemists from labs in other cities to test drugs, a process that took a few days to complete. Now that the lab is in house, the agency can test drugs within minutes.

"It would take maybe a day or two for somebody to come out," said Chad Chumbley, DEA Supervisory Forensic Chemist. "We are able to respond right away and help out."

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Since federal prosecutors determine charges based on what the drug is and how much of it an agent seizes, the DEA chemists who test and weigh the drugs play a vital role in the process.

In September, the DEA in Atlanta seized over 1,000 pounds of meth in an operation targeting the CJNG. After the busts, agents sent the drugs to the lab for testing.

"We will take a statistical sampling to give a general proportion of the population that will contain the substance," Chumbley said.

Agents arrested five illegal immigrants who they said were distributing the meth in black trash bags. Robert Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, said all the suspects were Mexican nationals with ties to CJNG.

"Over 700 pounds of this was in an apartment with two kids under ten years old in there," Murphy said. "They do that by design. Cartels want to blend in."

Murphy estimated the street value of the meth to be at least $4 million. He said the suspects were also in charge of getting that money back to the cartel.

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"Their drug of choice is money. They care nothing about the poison, the people, the lives they're destroying or the misery they're dealing in. That doesn't bother them one bit," Murphy said.

CJNG has risen to power ever since the arrest of multiple high-ranking members of the rival Sinaloa Cartel.

In 2023, El Chapo's son, Ovidio Guzmán López, was arrested in Mexico. The next year, Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and Joaquín Guzmán Lopez, another son of El Chapo, were arrested in El Paso, Texas.

"All the war and fighting going on in Mexico — it's about one thing. Whoever controls the gateway, the access points to the U.S., wins the war in the end," Murphy said. "CJNG has risen to power, and we want to make sure our efforts are focused on making sure they don't get too strong."

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The operation is part of the DEA's nationwide effort to crackdown on CJNG.

On Monday, DEA agents stopped more than 175 pounds of cocaine linked to the cartel from crossing the southern border into the United States. The next day, agents in Houston seized more than 28 pounds of cocaine and $470,000 from suspected CJNG members.

"Every little bit counts. Every seizure counts. We're targeting the entire network from facilitators, producers, transporters, money launderers — anybody that we come across that's related to CJNG, we are pursuing," said Brian Leordo, DEA Houston Field Division Deputy Special Agent in Charge.

Pentagon exploring counter-drone systems to prevent incursions over national security facilities

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 23:31:28 -0400

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – U.S. Northern Command collaborated with dozens of companies to test various counter-drone systems to protect certain national security sites from drone incursions.

USNORTHCOM demonstrated its counter-small unmanned aerial system (C-sUAS) platform during the ‘Falcon Peak 25.2’ event at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. For the demonstration, crews launched a "hostile" drone from Santa Rosa Island before an interceptor drone captured it with a net fired from a shotgun.

Twenty anti-drone systems were tested in the days leading up to the event. Falcon Peak gives companies an opportunity to test their anti-drone systems in a realistic environment.

Squarehead Technology developed an acoustic sytem that detects drones by their sound and pinpoints their location.

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"You see a lot of drones flying near the ground, in the ground clutter, making it difficult for radars to pick up on them. Acoustics doesn't have that issue," Knut Moe, Squarehead Technology VP of Defense, said.

Once the acoustic system pinpoints a drone's location, troops can shoot it down themselves or use mitigation systems like Fortem Technologies' low collateral effect interceptor drone.

"[The drone] goes out and grabs it with a net and takes it down safely and puts it wherever you need to," Jon Gruen, Fotem Technologies CEO, said.

However, Gruen's C-sUAS platform can detect, track and mitigate drones on its own. In some cases, Fortem Technologies' interceptor drones use explosives to eliminate hostile drones.

In 2024, a swarm of over a dozen drones was able to fly over a military base in Virginia for 17 nights straight. At the time, lawmakers accused the Pentagon of lacking counter-drone procedures.

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USNORTHCOM estimates about 8,000 drones are in U.S. airspace at any given time. In 2024, at least 350 drone incursions were reported across more than 100 U.S. military installations.

"Not every drone is nefarious. Some of them are just people. They don't know they're not supposed to be there," Jason Mayes, USNORTHCOM C-sUAS Division Operations Manager, said. "You don't want one of these things flying on an airfield on an approach or departure path, when aircraft are coming in or taking off."

Mayes said drones can easily be modified to become surveillance or smuggling tools. Some countries have used drones as guided explosive devices in warzones.

U.S. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot is Commander of USNORTHCOM. He said he's confident the military could stop a surprise drone attack. However, he hopes more anti-drone technology could protect military sites in the event of a sustained attack.

Gen. Guilott's goal is to have counter-drone response teams on the East Coast, West Coast and in Alaska that can respond to any drone incursion in the country within 24 hours.

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USNORTHCOM expects the number of drone incursions over national security facilities to increase in the future as hobbyist drones become more common. About 1 million drones are registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA expects that number to rise to about 2.7 million by 2027.

Memphis residents split over National Guard deployment to fight city's crime

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 22:33:09 -0400

Many Memphis, Tennessee residents are split over President Donald Trump’s approval to deploy the National Guard to fight crime in the city.

On Monday, President Trump signed a memorandum establishing the "Memphis Safe Task Force" to address crime in Memphis. The task force includes the National Guard, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said the task force will "accelerate the positive momentum" of "Operation Viper," an ongoing FBI mission that Lee says has led to the arrest of hundreds of violent criminals since July.

"We’ve made significant investments to address crime throughout my seven years in office, and thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the Memphis Safe Task Force will ensure we have every resource at our disposal to create significant change," Lee said.

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Lee also authorized more than 100 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers to help local law enforcement in Shelby County.

Memphis has the highest crime rate in the United States, and some residents said federal intervention could be the only way to bring it down quickly.

"I just feel like their presence may deter some. It's not going to do a whole lot, I don't think, but I mean, anything will help," Angela Dowdy, a Memphis resident, said.

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Memphis Mayor Paul Young said a National Guard deployment isn’t necessary, citing a downward trend in crime in the past year.

"I want to be clear: I did not ask for the National Guard and I don’t think it is the way to drive down crime," Young posted to X.

Memphis reported a 23% drop in Part 1 crimes from 2024 to 2025. The FBI defines Part 1 crimes as criminal homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson and human trafficking.

Dr. George Campbell, a Memphis resident, said he hopes local leaders could use this as an opportunity to take advice from the feds.

"[W]e need to have all the individuals in office really concerned about making a difference in the city and not just put in their pockets or from a political sense, just politics," Campbell said.

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Memphis business owner Joe Morrow said "crime is bad for business." With large companies like Google and xAI building data centers in the area, Morrow said something still must be done to solve the city’s crime.

However, Morrow questions whether a National Guard deployment is the answer to solving the city’s lingering crime.

"We've got law enforcement here already. We've got state troopers that they've sent in. We have the FBI here. Different things. The National Guard is just another form of law enforcement," Morrow said. "Deployment comes with orders. What are the orders that they have when they're coming here? Am I going to be looked at… as a human being? Or am I something on the list of deployment that is a target or a threat? Which I'm not."

Michael Kuntzman, a Memphis bar manager, was also concerned that a National Guard presence would hurt the city’s nightlife that his bar relies on.

"I think having a show of force like that will definitely affect nightlife, where people won't be out if there are bright lights and National Guard in camo everywhere," Kuntzman said. "I know, I'll be at the house if that's the case."

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Trump several weeks ago threatened to send the National Guard to Chicago but was met with strong resistance from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Trump insisted on Tuesday that Chicago is the National Guard’s next stop.

Pilots test first-of-its-kind cockpit alert system that detects possible collisions on runways

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 23:14:07 -0400

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Engineers are in the final testing phase of a cockpit alert system they say could prevent close calls on the runway.

Honeywell Aerospace's "Surface Alert System," or "SURF-A," can detect when a rogue aircraft gets in the way of another plane that has been cleared for takeoff or landing. The system gives pilots two aural alerts when an unauthorized aircraft enters the runway on a collision course with the authorized aircraft. The first alert sounds 30 seconds before a collision, and the second alert sounds 15 seconds before a collision.

"It sounds like such a small amount of time, but things happen so rapidly, and 15 to 30 seconds is actually a very, very large margin when you're moving at the speeds that we're moving in an aircraft like this," Honeywell test pilot Doug Rybczynski said.

The aural call-out includes an automated voice that says, "traffic on runway."

"It's a very good, I would say direct, call out," Rybczynski said.

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The Honeywell crew flew from the Kansas City Downtown airport in Missouri to Topeka, Kansas. On Test Flight 757's approach to Topeka, a Honeywell crew member parked a smaller Gulfstream aircraft at the end of the runway, triggering the SURF-A alert system. After hearing both alerts, the pilot performed a "go-around" maneuver.

The demonstration simulated a 2023 close call at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Austin, Texas. In that scenario, a FedEx B767 was cleared to land in poor conditions. As the FedEx plane got closer, the pilots noticed a Southwest Airlines B737 lined up on the runway below them. The FedEx pilots were able to perform a last-second go-around maneuver to avoid a collision, but Honeywell says the SURF-A system, which wasn't around at the time, would have given the pilots an additional 28 seconds of notice.

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SURF-A relies on Federal Aviation Administration-mandated technology called "Smart X," and it has been around since 2008. It lets pilots know if they are taking off on a taxiway, and if they are coming in for a landing too fast or too high.

Honeywell started developing the SURF-A system in 2020 when the aviation industry noticed more close calls happening on runways. Using "ADS-B" Out technology, a GPS system that makes an airplane's position known to other pilots, engineers were able to determine the trajectory of planes that are on a collision course.

In 2024, the FAA reported 1,664 runway incursions, which is when an aircraft enters a runway without clearance. Seven of those involved two planes on a collision course.

The FAA has reported 657 runway incursions so far in 2025.

"Shockingly, I think for a lot of passengers, there's not an alert system available today to let you know that you're about ready to run into another aircraft on the runway," Thea Feyereisen, Honeywell Aerospace distinguished technical fellow, said.

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The FAA said the best way to eliminate runway incursions is to improve airport infrastructure by adding edge lights, pavement markers, signage, and by making taxiways less complicated. Since 2021, the FAA has given nearly $12 billion to airports across the country to improve airport infrastructure.

However, Feyereisen said pilots are ultimately the last line of defense.

"Pilots have a shared destiny on the aircraft," Feyereisen said. "The pilot can be doing everything correct, but on a path to disaster."

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Honeywell Aerospace is pitching the prototype to major airlines, and hopes to have the system certified by September. Engineers said the system could be added to commercial flights in early 2026.

How the deadly Camp Mystic flash flood is transforming summer camp safety protocols across America

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 05:32:06 -0400

Camp directors across the country have put their safety plans under the microscope after the deadly July 4 flash floods in Kerrville, Texas killed 27 campers and left over 100 missing.

The tragic flash flooding in the Texas Hill Country at Camp Mystic, an all-girls Christian camp in Kerrville, Texas, is causing summer camps across the U.S. to reevaluate their emergency preparedness plans—especially for extreme weather threats.

The camp was situated near the Guadalupe River. At least 134 people are confirmed dead across Texas as search and rescue efforts continue.

Roger Dunn, Camp Director at the Coldstream Christian Camp in Adams, Tennessee, said the Texas flooding taught him that conditions can change in a matter of minutes.

"Flooding for us isn't necessarily the risk, but tornadoes, straight-line winds, that type of thing, absolutely, that is a threat for us," Dunn said.

The nearest warning sirens are too far away to help because camp staff can’t hear them. Dunn is training counselors to monitor the weather more accurately, and to use newly added walkie talkies in their cabins to stay in touch in case of an emergency in the overnight hours.

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"We're using our weather apps. We're constantly in contact with local officials if there's anything severe that is happening," Dunn said. "I know the City of Adams is working on getting an alert system expanded in town… I believe once they get the rest of it put in, then we should be able to hear it."

Officials are investigating Camp Mystic officials to see whether they received and responded to flash flood warnings before the disaster. The incident has caused questions over how camps assess and act on fast-moving weather threats.

Dunn says he reviews his camp’s safety plans annually, which is something the American Camp Association recommends.

"Part of the risk assessment takes into consideration any location-specific concerns and any location-specific weather events that might occur," Henry DeHart, ACA Interim President and CEO, said.

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The ACA has accredited more than 2,300 camps across the country. The organization expects more camps to go through their accreditation process in the Fall in light of the Texas floods.

If parents have concerns about a camp’s safety protocols, DeHart encourages them to ask camp directors directly.

"We've created a resource for camps to help them think through the best way to communicate with parents, knowing that parents were going to have these questions," DeHart said.

"As a camp director, I encourage them to ask questions," Dunn said. "Ask questions about safety, what you have in place. Ask questions about any type of emergency procedures. I want their minds and their hearts to be at ease."

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The ACA said camps should act immediately, and that they should use the offseason, when children are in school, to make more adjustments to the safety plans.

Trump's nuclear strategy takes shape as former Manhattan Project site powers up for AI race against China

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 23:03:37 -0400

Over 80 years after scientists of the ‘Manhattan Project’ harnessed the power of the atom to end World War II, the top-secret worksite has a new mission to help dominate AI before China does.

The first phase of the United States' latest uranium enrichment facility opened in Oak Ridge, Tennessee in May.

Uranium powers the nuclear reactors the AI data centers are turning to for reliable energy. They will use more energy as AI becomes more sophisticated, according to Orano USA CEO Jean-Luc Palayer.

"The United States can lead in AI, only if we can power AI," Palayer said. "Having that in mind and our new project on enrichment in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, we step forward on a new mission of equal consequence."

Numerous Tennessee lawmakers joined Palayer for a ribbon cutting of his new facility in Oak Ridge.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported 99% of U.S. nuclear fuel is imported from other countries. In 2023, most of America's uranium products came from Russia, Canada, Australia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. The U.S. banned the import of uranium products from Russia in May 2024, but companies can still apply for waivers until 2028.

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"America is staring down the barrel of an energy crisis," Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said. "We can't lose the AI war to China. We can't lose the energy war to Russia. In order to do that, we have to win the nuclear energy renaissance war in America."

At the end of May, President Trump signed four executive orders aimed at quadrupling domestic nuclear energy production by 2050. The orders include a deadline for the publication of a report on how to strengthen domestic uranium conversion capacity and enrichment capabilities. It orders the government to update its nuclear energy policies to streamline production. At least 10 large nuclear reactors must be under construction no later than 2030, according to the order.

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Meanwhile, China plans to build 10 new nuclear power reactors each year for the next decade, totaling 100 reactors by 2035. A list of U.S. nuclear reactors posted by the National Energy Institute shows the U.S. has built three in the last 30 years.

Despite rapid capacity growth in 2022, nuclear power made up only about 5% of China’s cumulative power generation that year. Nuclear power accounts for about 18% of the electricity generation mix in the United States.

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"We can't wait 10 years to build nuclear reactors in this country. "That's how long it used to take to approve them, to permit them, to build them," Lee said. "We don't have 10 years. China will have built 150 in 10 years."

In 2023, the Department of Energy reported data centers used an estimated 176 TWh. That number is expected to rise to between 325 and 580 TWh by 2028. The department estimated AI data centers will use about 12% of U.S. energy annually by 2028, enough to power New York City for 11 years.

Sawmills act to relieve wildfire threat from Hurricane Helene debris

Wed, 28 May 2025 22:25:04 -0400

Sawmills are working to recycle trees blown down by Hurricane Helene to assist wildland firefighters while boosting domestic timber production.

Many of the trees downed by the storm are usable, according to Johnny Evans, owner of EvAns Lumber Co. in Manchester, Tennessee. About 6% of the lumber produced at his facility comes from trees that fell during natural disasters.

"It's a resource that God gave us, and we need to recycle it instead of letting it rot into the ground," Evans said. "If we don't get those dead trees out of the forest, then you're going to have a forest fire. Then it's going to wipe out all your good timber as well as your dead timber."

There have been at least eight wildfires in areas ravaged by Hurricane Helene since the storm ripped through the Great Smoky Mountains in September.

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The Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Forestry Division estimated it could take at least three years for the thickest trees downed by Hurricane Helene to dry out enough to become potential wildfire fuel. However, those trees can still hinder firefighting efforts by getting in the way of bulldozers used to create firelines.

"Those trees are there just blocking the dozers. So we have to send in crews to clear a path for the dozers, which is way slower than what we would ideally want to have happen," Megan Carpenter, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Forestry Division, said.

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture pitched in $23 million to clear dead trees from high-risk wildfire zones across the country. The dead trees will then be sold to wood processing facilities to be consolidated into soil enrichment materials, construction materials, energy sources and paper. The USDA said the effort would eliminate potential fuel for future wildfires while supporting a March executive order signed by President Trump to boost domestic timber production by 25%.

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High-risk firesheds will be cleared out first to protect already-vulnerable communities. The U.S. Forest Service is simplifying the permitting and contracting process for sawmills looking to access the timber supply.

Tennessee tornado cleanup faces a long road to completion

Wed, 07 May 2025 23:48:12 -0400

Extensive damage left Selmer, Tennessee stuck in time at the exact moment a strong EF-3 tornado ripped through the town over a month ago.

The tornado's 160 mile per hour winds were strong enough to shred well-built homes and businesses on April 3. The McNairy County Emergency Management Agency reported that 332 buildings were damaged by the tornado. Among them, 108 were completely destroyed.

The Jesus Cares Thrift Store was a total loss, according to the owner. The roof and back wall of the store collapsed. Only about 30% of the merchandise was salvageable.

"This was the main location that families and everybody came to when they needed something," Mayor Sherry Inman said.

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The thrift store was a non-profit that built tiny homes across the street for those in need. The tornado damaged all the tiny homes, but the thrift store's owner said none were completely destroyed.

Inman estimated the tornado caused an estimated $30 million in damage. There's no timeline for cleanup, but she said it could take up to a year. About 10,000 tons of natural debris have been taken to the county landfill.

"It's devastating. It's something that you just try to always prepare for, but you can't," Inman said.

The weather event killed five people in Selmer, including Jamarcus McGowan. He died two days before his daughter, Jaleiya Bryant-McGowan's 16th birthday.

"Two days before her 16th birthday. She was identifying her dad's body. On her 16th birthday, we were burying her dad," Brittany Bryant, the teenager's mother, said. "When you go to the funeral, they put makeup on, they fix you up, they fill you in, and you look more like yourself. When you're identifying somebody, especially after such a horrific thing, that looks a lot different."

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McGowan, 39, lived in a trailer park in the direct path of the tornado. His family said his trailer was "bent like a paperclip." McGowan's 2012 Dodge Charger was the only thing of his to survive the tornado. The teenager's family wants to fix up her father's heavily damaged car.

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"He loved this car. This car was everything to him. She wants to have her dad’s car to drive," Bryant said.

Most of the car's damage is cosmetic, but the family expects it to cost about $10,000.

Scientists in East Tennessee examine fish counts for the first time since Hurricane Helene

Thu, 01 May 2025 23:15:47 -0400

Fisheries biologists with the Tennessee Valley Authority have begun to survey fish populations in Douglas Lake in Dandridge, Tennessee for the first time since Hurricane Helene debris covered many East Tennessee waterways seven months ago.

The data they collect could illustrate the impact that excessive debris has had on the sport fish population. The findings will be compared to similar surveys on Douglas Lake over the last 30 years. Fewer fish in the lake or fish with deformities, parasites or injuries would be red flags going into spawning season.

Scientists shocked the water around their research boat, which tensed the muscles of all the fish within a four-foot radius of the boat. Once the fish floated to the top, they were examined for defects, measured and weighed.

All fish were released back into the water after the study.

"I think here over the next few weeks, we will really be able to see what, if any, impacts there have been," Lyn Williams, TVA Fisheries and Aquatic Monitoring Manager, said. "You know, judging off yesterday, things look within normal range. We'll see if that's what the complete data says or not."

Structures in the water, like debris, give fish a place to lay eggs, hunt and feed. TVA Fisheries Biologist Kevin Parr said a disruption in shoreline habitat might force fish to find a new place to congregate.

"It might move the fish around, but fish can move. They're not going anywhere. They might go deep or go offshore," Parr said.

According to the Jefferson County Tourism Department, about 80% of the tourism in the area comes from sport fishing. Skylar Hamilton said it brings in hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

"We have other events, of course. We have festivals. We have a lot of other things in Jefferson County, but the lake is our bread and butter," Hamilton said.

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Most fishing tournaments scheduled on Douglas Lake immediately after Hurricane Helene were rescheduled until this spring, which put a dent in last year's revenue.

Cleanup on Douglas Lake is about 90% complete. More than 112,000 cubic yards of debris across 351 miles of shoreline have been removed.

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The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency estimates that 3.7 million cubic yards of debris have been removed from all Tennessee waterways in the last seven months.

Hurricane Helene cleanup in East Tennessee faces stiff deadline

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 20:44:17 -0400

Hurricane Helene cleanup efforts in East Tennessee are up against a stiff deadline as crews work to complete the project by June.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) crews working at the Douglas Reservoir in Dandridge, Tennessee, hope to complete the cleanup efforts before water levels reach their summer peak at the end of June.

In September, Hurricane Helene left some East Tennessee waterways unrecognizable.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said they are clearing debris from waterways in six counties.

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One of those waterways is the Douglas Reservoir, where residents said a hurricane was the last thing they expected to happen in the foothills of the Great Smokey Mountains.

"It looked like you could walk on the water. There was that much debris," Dandridge resident Kathy Villars said.

"We had just come in from out of town, and it was gut-wrenching," Dandridge resident Jill Cody said. "You know, I've never been through a hurricane. Certainly, I did not expect to have one here, and I didn't realize how much it would affect me emotionally."

Clint Stanley is one of about 100 TVA workers tasked with cleaning up the reservoir's 390 miles of shoreline. So far, his team has removed more than 96,000 cubic yards of debris from the reservoir. That was enough to fill 96 barges.

Much of the remaining shoreline debris will be out of reach of TVA's excavators until the water level rises enough for the machinery to clear the steep shoreline. Land crews arranged stockpiles of debris along the shore for when excavators are able to reach it.

"We staged it at elevations in which we’ll have the appropriate drafts from the barges to go in and get it," Stanley said.

However, rising water levels are expected to carry debris that was once on the shoreline out into open waters. Stanley's team placed debris traps along the shore and in coves to prevent the debris from floating away.

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TVA Civil Construction Manager Kevin Holbrook said about three-quarters of the debris at Douglas Reservoir is natural and able to be burned to ash. He said burning the debris reduces the impact to Tennessee's roadways and landfills.

"Now, as our water levels rise, we're having to take that material here to our load out location and haul the remaining amount of debris to the landfill," Holbrook said.

Cleanup of Douglas Reservoir is about 70% complete, according to TVA.

Progress is moving along in the rest of the state as well.

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TEMA estimated over 2 million cubic yards of hurricane debris has been hauled out of Tennessee's waterways. That's enough to fill about 973 football fields at a depth of one foot.

Tornado Alley shifts to the Southeast, storm shelters become more popular

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 22:40:12 -0400

More tornadoes in the Southeast put more population centers in the bullseye of what some researchers are calling a new Tornado Alley.

A study posted on the American Meteorological Society’s website found that tornadic activity in the Great Plains decreased by 25% in the last 35 years compared to the 35 years prior. In the same timeframe, tornadic activity jumped 12% in the Southeast.

Parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky were among the states that have experienced more tornadoes, according to the study.

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Mark Brasfield, Nashville Safe House Owner, said he’s sold thousands of storm shelters in his 33 years of selling them. He said he'd never seen intense demand in the Southeast until recently. Brasfield estimated his phone rings at least 20 times a day with people looking to buy storm shelters.

"It's like insurance. You don't think you're ever going to have to use it, but if you need it, you got it," Brasfield said.

Brasfield said his shelters are compliant with the standards set in place by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

A quarter inch of steel, reinforced walls and a dozen six-inch bolts help make Brasfield’s shelters withstand the 200-mph winds of an EF-5 tornado.

"You get someone that moves here from a state that's never had tornadoes. They are scared to death," Brasfield said.

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Lawrence Behrs moved from California to Tennessee 10 years ago. He said he and his wife traded earthquakes and wildfires for tornadoes.

"We looked at maps and said, ‘okay, well, where could we move? Where would we be completely safe?’ And I just don't think that exists anywhere," Behrs said.

In December, Berhs finally decided to buy one of Brasfield’s family-sized storm shelters. He said it was installed in January, just in time for what he described as an already active tornado season in his area.

"With the increase in the occurrence of tornadoes and seemingly moving, you know, eastward from Tornado Alley, we decided that it would be a good investment for peace of mind," Berhs said.

The National Weather Service in Nashville has already issued 14 tornado warnings this year in their jurisdiction.

When his weather radio tells him that he and his wife are under a tornado warning, Berhs said they scramble to the storm shelter with a "go bag." The shelter is bolted to his garage floor, steps away from his home.

"Heaven forbid that there's a really serious tornado, but I have had visions of, you know, being in here, coming out of, you know, out of the shelter after a storm, and it's the only thing standing, but hopefully that'll never be a reality," Berhs said.

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The United States gets an average of 1,425 tornadoes per year, according to numbers provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center. Nearly half of those tornadoes hit from April to June.

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