Veterans Administration Secretary Eric Shinseki has added three illnesses to the list of those ailments presumed to have been caused by a Vietnam War veteran’s exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange. They are Parkinson’s disease, ischemic heart disease, and B-cell leukemias such as hairy-cell leukemia. Shinseki’s decision, based on the findings of an independent study, means that these veterans do not have to prove an association between these illnesses and their military service, thereby simplifying their applications for benefits, the VA said Oct. 13. The total number of presumed illnesses now recognized by the VA in connection with Agent Orange exposure is 15. (VA release, including full list of presumed illnesses.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
