In another Thursday night vote, the Senate approved the nomination of James Clapper to be director of national intelligence, overseeing the nation’s 16 major intel organizations. Clapper, a retired Air Force lieutenant general with years of experience in the intelligence realm, succeeds Dennis Blair, who resigned from the position in May. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) earlier this week had temporarily blocked Clapper’s vote, pending receipt of a classified intelligence report that was subsequently provided. Clapper previously served as under secretary of defense for intelligence. (For more, see Politico report and Associated Press report.)
Army Building Up New Space Operations Branch
Oct. 15, 2026
The Army has long been dependent on space capabilities to navigate terrain, communicate in hard-to-reach areas, and identify and strike targets. Now, the service wants to deepen its space operations expertise and is making plans to expand its own cadre of operators in the coming years.