Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has come under fire for his service as an Air Force Reserve colonel sitting as a judge on the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals. Attorneys for A1C Charles Lane are trying to throw out Lane’s cocaine conviction, arguing that Graham (one of three judges who reviewed Lane’s case) is disqualified to serve due to his being “politically accountable” to his constituents for his decisions and cannot therefore be impartial. According to USA Today, Lane’s attorneys requested that Graham recuse himself, but he did not and joined the other two judges in upholding the airman’s sentence. Now, Graham’s position is up to the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. The decision could have ramifications for the few other lawmaker-reservists.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.
