Defense and Military

The Defense and Military category explains how the U.S. uses armed forces, legal authorities, and security partnerships to protect the country at home and abroad, covering traditional deployments, arms sales, and newer challenges like cyberattacks, nuclear testing, and space security. For example, readers can explore why the US military is struggling despite a $900 billion budget, why the U.S., Russia, and China are ramping up nuclear testing activities, and threats in space the U.S. is fighting.

Presidential War Powers and Congress

This category breaks down how presidents decide when and how to use military force, and what role Congress plays in approving, limiting, or pushing back against those decisions. It includes plain-language explainers on the War Powers Resolution, such as when presidents can strike first, why it rarely stops presidents, and why presidents often ignore them. Readers can also explore how presidents justify “imminent threats” through the lack of a legal definition, social media announcements, and unauthorized cyberattacks. The section also covers key showdowns, including whether Congress can stop a president, the Venezuela vote template, and the constitutional showdown over the Venezuela strike.

Defense Budget, Procurement, and Industry

Defense and Military coverage helps make sense of how hundreds of billions of dollars in military spending are proposed, debated, and approved. It shows who decides how much the Pentagon gets and how that money flows to troops, weapons, and contractors, including how Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense budget request gets approved.