Open Newswire

(The Center Square) – Posthumously honoring a soldier from World War II, the world’s largest military base in North Carolina in 2025 became known again as Fort Bragg. The home of the 82nd Airborne and Special Operations Forces, commonly known as the place where a president of the United States places his 911 call, got the name change late in the evening Feb. 10 from War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth in a memorandum. The Army base officially adopted the moniker Fort Liberty on June 2, 2023. The base was also tied into better than $400 million worth of projects through the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026 signed by second-term Republican President Donald Trump on Thursday. Honored in the change of name is Pfc. Roland Bragg from World War II. Bragg, of Sabattus, Maine, was born in 1923 and assigned to the 513th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division of the 18th Airborne Corps. According to Hegseth’s memo, Bragg was in the European theater of operations. During “hellish conditions and amidst ferocious fighting” at the Battle of the Bulge, Hegseth wrote, Bragg saved a fellow soldier’s life by commandeering an enemy ambulance and driving it 20 miles to transport him to an allied hospital in Belgium. He was awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity, and the Purple Heart for wounds. Hegseth signed the memorandum aboard a C-17 flying from Joint Base Andrews to Stuttgart, Germany. Fort Bragg was established Sept. 4, 1918, to develop and strengthen the U.S. Army. The original name was for Gen. Braxton Bragg, honored for his courageous acts in the Mexican-American War. Sweeping name changes from the Biden administration changed the installation to Fort Liberty. The 82nd provides the Global Response Force. U.S. Army Special Operations Command is headquartered on the base that is home to the 53,700 troops and 14,000 working civilians. Fort Bragg supports a population of 260,000 when including military families, contractors, retirees and others. In the defense spending appropriation approved for the 65th consecutive year, an estimated 91,000 active service members in North Carolina will get 3.8% raises. North Carolina’s five major military bases plus a Coast Guard station and Army military ocean terminal on the coast have ongoing funding toward $740.48 million in projects. The $900.6 billion bill is for Department of Defense authorizations, military construction, energy security, military pay raises, border security and strategic competition. For the Tarheel State installations: • At Seymour Johnson, there is a $54 million authorization for a child development center; $41 million for the Combat Arms Training Complex; and required reports related to F-15E maintenance and upgrades to F-15E Strike Eagle engine propulsion capabilities. • At Fort Bragg, there is $400.8 million across seven areas. The largest funding is $145 million for Special Operations Forces Operational Ammunition Supply Point. Next is $80 million for a Special Operations Forces Mission Command Center and $80 million for power generation and a resilient microgrid to keep critical missions running. Also at Fort Bragg, the bill sends $44.7 million to upgrades of the Freedom Village, known also as Forward Operating Base Freedom; $24 million for an aircraft maintenance hangar; $19 million for an automated infantry platoon battle course; and $8.1 million for the Special Operations Forces Joint Intelligence Center. • At Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, there is $90 million for an operations facility; $51.4 million for Special Operations Forces Combat Service Support/Motor Transport Expansion; and $48.28 million for amphibious combat vehicle shelters. • At Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, there is $40 million for the F-35 Aircraft Sustainment Center at the Fleet Readiness Center East; and $15 million for flightline utilities needed for additional F-35 squadrons. The FRC East funding ensures Marine F-35Es will be maintained for the next 50 years. Additionally, there’s a one-for-one replacement in place for Seymour Johnson should F-15E aircraft get transferred.

Like our earlier reports on the combat situation in Ukraine, this article reviews recent battlefield developments based on open-source information. Meduza has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the outset, and our military analyses reflect our commitment to objective reporting on a war we firmly oppose.

تایید صلاحیت یک مقام ارشد ایرانی‌تبار وزارت خارجه از سوی سنا

The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors on Friday chose Scott Beardsley as the institution’s 10th president, despite calls from lawmakers, UVA faculty and community organizations and Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger to suspend the months-long search. Spanberger and others had asked for the board to pause its process until appointees to fill the body’s vacant seats […]

Powerful men connected to Jeffrey Epstein are named, dissected and speculated about. The survivors, unless they work hard to step forward, remain a blurred mass in the background.

مارکو روبیو: در مذاکرات روسیه و اوکراین هر دو طرف باید کوتاه بیایند

Threats of funding cuts don’t just endanger nonprofits, they warp them—which is why putting political strings on funding violates the First Amendment.

Durante el debate en el Plenario de Trabajo y Presupuesto en la Cámara de Senadores, donde en el día de ayer, con movilizaciones masivas en todo el país, se discutió la Reforma Laboral impulsada por el oficialismo, se trató el artículo que afecta a los repartidores de aplicaciones. Una forma de legalizar la relación laboral […]

В пятницу, 19 декабря, глава РФ Владимир Путин в течение четырех с половиной часов выступал в телепрограмме «Итоги года», отвечая на вопросы журналистов и представителей российского населения. Он вновь дал понять, что завершить начатую им полномасштабную войну против Украины будет готов лишь на своих условиях.

A U.S. Department of Justice attorney informed a federal Rhode Island judge Friday morning that the Trump administration intends to issue a new funding notice for homeless support services before the end of the business day. That news posed a potential obstacle for Judge Mary S. McElroy, who was considering a request to block the […]

Louisiana regulators have adopted a new rule that suspends certain consumer protections if utility companies need to quickly build power plants for certain industrial developments, including data centers, that require massive amounts of electricity.  The rule change also directs these large-scale customers to pay for half the cost of these new power plants, meaning regular […]

A couple of months ago, I was reporting on the typhoon that hit Western Alaska and stopped by a news conference convened by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. I was there to ask him about long-term plans for protecting vulnerable coastal villages. But the governor diverted my focus by talking about Donald Trump and the president’s concern. […]

華爾街日報（WSJ）周五(12月19日）報導，美國總統特朗普本周批准一項美國迄今規模最大的對台軍售計畫，以此回應亞洲各界對美國是否會放任中國在區域內不斷擴張軍事行動的疑慮。而中國國防部周五表示，"中國軍隊將加強訓練，並採取“有力措施”，以維護國家主權和領土完整。

华尔街日报（WSJ）周五(12月19日）报导，美国总统特朗普本周批准一项美国迄今规模最大的对台军售计划，以此回应亚洲各界对美国是否会放任中国在区域内不断扩张军事行动的疑虑。而中国国防部周五表示，"中国军队将加强训练，并采取“有力措施”，以维护国家主权和领土完整。

美國國務卿魯比奧周五(12月19日）表示，美國不會將任何和平協議強加於烏克蘭。與此同時，圍繞結束俄烏戰爭的新一輪談判將於周六在美國邁阿密舉行，烏克蘭代表及法國、英國、德國等歐洲國家將首次直接參與磋商，引起高度關注。

美国国务卿鲁比奥周五(12月19日）表示，美国不会将任何和平协议强加于乌克兰。与此同时，围绕结束俄乌战争的新一轮谈判将于周六在美国迈阿密举行，乌克兰代表及法国、英国、德国等欧洲国家将首次直接参与磋商，引起高度关注。

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration took major steps Thursday in a campaign to block minors’ access to gender-affirming care nationwide.  Under two proposed new rules from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, hospitals would be barred from providing gender transition treatment for children as a condition of participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs, […]

Public health, explained: Sign up to receive Healthbeat’s free Atlanta newsletter here. MedShare is a global health nonprofit founded in Atlanta in 1998. It sends medical supplies that are frequently discarded in the United States to clinics around the world for free. More recently, it has added domestic work to its portfolio, providing unique insights into the needs of American safety-net clinics that serve the most vulnerable. Since its founding, the nonprofit has grown to work in 120 countries, including disaster zones, like Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa, and war-torn Ukraine. It ships items as small as sutures and syringes, to those as large as X-ray machines, transformers, and even, once, a morgue, around the world. Now the organization is looking homeward, bringing its “circular approach” to medical supplies to American clinics that serve people in need, including in its home state of Georgia. While the organization had periodically helped out in domestic crises like wildfires in California, CEO and Executive Director Stacey Koehnke told Healthbeat, Covid brought home the similarities between MedShare’s work abroad and domestic needs, since it had personal protective equipment to supply during the pandemic. Since Covid, MedShare has adopted an intentional approach to working with clinics domestically. There are many similarities, she said. Like the clinics it supports internationally, safety-net clinics in the United States serve vulnerable populations. That domestic work has become a priority for MedShare over the past 18 months, Koehnke said, with 10% of its resources distributed domestically, with an eye toward further growth. “Where our biggest impact is in access domestically for those communities who may be under- or uninsured,” she said, pointing to the examples of rural areas that lack hospitals, Native American reservations, and neighborhoods with many immigrants as other sites of health care need. MedShare has provided supplies to clinics in about 35 states, including at least 27 clinics in Georgia, in urban and rural areas. Creative partnerships with medical supply companies help MedShare meet clinics’ needs at home or abroad. The goal is to provide needed supplies while preventing waste. Take, for example, a recent effort to send ultrasound machines to low-cost clinics across the country. MedShare obtained machines from medtech firm BD. The equipment was new, but BD had taken the machines off the market in favor of updated models. MedShare sent the outdated but functional ultrasound machines to 30 states, Koehnke said. MedShare also provided training to technicians at those clinics in troubleshooting and using the equipment. Patients can save money and time if they can get ultrasounds in clinics, rather than an outside provider, Koehnke said. That could help with maternal health and other issues, she said. MedShare also provides clinics with blood pressure monitors, both for patients with hypertension and for pregnant women who need to keep an eye out for pre-eclampsia. Three of the clinics that got the ultrasound machines are in Georgia. Bethesda Community Clinic, based in Ball Ground in Cherokee County, will use one on a women’s health van to be deployed in the spring. The ultrasound machine will be used for basic prenatal care like confirming pregnancies and identifying complications early. “Having this capability on our mobile unit allows us to bring essential diagnostic services directly to underserved patients who otherwise lack access to these resources,” said executive director Melissa Belfield. The free machine is helping the clinic expand its services without incurring costs that would take away from direct patient services. The Macon Volunteer Clinic also got an ultrasound machine through the program, and the clinic’s nurse practitioner has attended a virtual training. The clinic plans to use it for placing IUDs and determining blood flow in cases of deep vein thrombosis, spokesperson Julia Norman said. MedShare has in recent years focused on ensuring that the medical equipment it sends to clinics at home or abroad gets used over the long term by including training. The domestic ultrasound donation program led MedShare to develop a remote training program since it couldn’t send team members to each of the American clinics that got the devices. It also sends its workers abroad to help clinic workers learn to use and maintain equipment. “If there’s no one there who knows how to do basic troubleshooting and basic repairs, it becomes a wasteland of beautiful equipment that’s unusable,” Koehnke said. Maternal care is a top concern, but it looks different in different places Domestic work gives MedShare employees a close-up view of the challenges American safety-net clinics face. One clinic that was using disposable tools was able to save money after MedShare provided it with an autoclave. The goal is to increase the resources that go to direct patient care instead of supplies, Koehnke said. Decreasing federal and state funding is one concern, Koehnke said. The reduction of services or closure of community hospitals also puts added pressure on the clinics. She said many hospitals first eliminate maternity care due to liability risk, pushing the clinics to pick up the slack. “We are seeing added requests, added needs for equipment that we originally didn’t know that we would need to provide,” she said. “We get requests for ultrasound all the time now. We don’t have as many ultrasounds to give as we’d love to.” Maternal care is a concern domestically and globally, Koehnke said, but it looks different depending on the setting. “We’re still working kind of within that (U.S.) system, so people are used to certain levels of care. There’s certain expectations from the different clinics and hospitals, and even the patients that we’re working with, which may have a different sensibility internationally,” she said. For example, clinics abroad often want clean birthing kits, which help people deliver babies at home in sterile conditions. But that’s not the case in the United States. “That is not something we’d be able to provide domestically, even for mothers who may not have a hospital nearby.” Koehnke said the needs are similar – pregnant women need to be prepared for safe births – but in the United States, the focus is more on preventing complications, such as through providing blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters, the clip-on fingertip devices that measure heart rates and how well oxygen is moving through the body. “It’s a different way to provide care, but the fact is that there are still underserved communities with families and children who need access to health care, and our role is to help ensure that those who can provide that direct care are given the tools and support to do that,” Koehnke said. How MedShare works: It’s like Amazon – but free Equipment comes to MedShare in a variety of ways, Koehnke said. Along with donations of equipment that is no longer for sale or has been refurbished, hospitals often have a large amount of everyday supplies like syringes that would otherwise go to waste. She gave the example of a case of individually packaged syringes that a hospital or home health care facility would otherwise dispose of once it was opened, even though the remaining syringes were safe to use. “We’re able to repackage those and get them actually out to someone who can still use them. So there is also a very much an underlying environmental element to the work that we do,” Koehnke said. Nurses are often key catalysts for the donations, she said: “They’re thinking, ‘Wow, I really don’t want to throw this out. How can I get this to someone?’” Supply chain administrators at hospitals are also key conduits. Once the supplies reach MedShare, it operates like most online shopping. Clinics register with MedShare and, once approved, they use an online portal to look for supplies. All supplies are free, and clinics outside Georgia pay only shipping costs, while Georgia clinics do not pay for shipping. Rebecca Grapevine is a reporter covering public health in Atlanta for Healthbeat. Contact Rebecca at rgrapevine@healthbeat.org.

美國總統特朗普周五(12月19日）表示，他不排除對委內瑞拉開戰的可能性。目前美國加大對委內瑞拉施壓、並對其石油出口實施封鎖。美國國務卿魯比奧稱，沒有任何力量能夠阻止美國對委內瑞拉實施石油封鎖。

美国总统特朗普周五(12月19日）表示，他不排除对委内瑞拉开战的可能性。目前美国加大对委内瑞拉施压、并对其石油出口实施封锁。美国国务卿鲁比奥称，没有任何力量能够阻止美国对委内瑞拉实施石油封锁。