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Trump at West Point graduation lauds "Golden Age" as anti-DEI and pro-defense

President Trump gave the commencement address for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on Saturday, in his speech refusing to cut the $1 trillion military budget and praising who he called the "first West Point graduates of the Golden Age."

The big picture: The speech follows the president's directive via Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to launch a nationwide review of military academies targeting for cuts any initiative perceived to enhance diversity, equity and inclusion.


What he's saying: Trump referenced his anti-DEI focus, bragging that he's "liberated our troops from divisive and demeaning political trainings."

Zoom in: He also championed building up the Armed Forces, "a build up like we've never had before," Trump called it.

  • He promised new "stealth planes" and again publicized his mass deportation plan and promised Golden Dome missile defense shield to be completed before he leaves office.
  • Then, he moved on to promoting his trade policies, accusing other countries of "ripping off" America.
  • "You have to watch what we're doing on trade," he said.

See other moments from the commencement:

"You chose honor and you chose sacrifice," President Trump told graduates earlier during the commencement address. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/ Getty Images
Trump told graduates later during his commencement address: "Hold on to your cultures and your traditions." Photo: Michael M. Santiago/ Getty Images
Trump arrives to deliver the commencement address. Photo: Charly Triballeau/ AFP via Getty Images
Trump shakes hands with U.S. Military Academy West Point superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven W. Gilland. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/ Getty Images
Trump arrives at West Point. This year's graduating class included honorary member Peter Wang, a junior ROTC cadet who was killed in the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/ Getty Images
Cadets watch ahead of commencement ceremonies. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/ Getty Images
More than 1,000 cadets are expected to graduate in the same year that the U.S. Army celebrates its 250th birthday. Photo: Charly Triballeau/ AFP via Getty Images

Go deeper:

See inside the E-4B 'Nightwatch,' nicknamed the 'doomsday plane' for its ability to help US presidents survive nuclear war

An E-4B plane.
The E-4B "Nightwatch" is also known as the "doomsday plane."

Justin Oakes/US Air Force

  • The E-4B "Nightwatch" is nicknamed the "doomsday plane" because it can survive a nuclear attack.
  • In the event of nuclear war, it would serve as the US military's command and control center.
  • It is the US Air Force's most expensive plane to operate, at $159,529 per hour.

Air Force One is known as the "flying Oval Office," but there's another lesser-known presidential plane that can operate as a "flying war room": the E-4B "Nightwatch."

Nicknamed the "doomsday plane" for its ability to survive a nuclear blast, the E-4B is designed to protect the president and other senior officials and function as a military command center in worst-case scenarios. It also transports the Secretary of Defense on international trips.

Many of the E-4B's features are classified, but the US Air Force has shared some glimpses into its capabilities. Take a look inside the top-secret aircraft.

The E-4B "Nightwatch" is a militarized version of a Boeing 747-200.
An E-4B plane.
A US Air Force E-4B "Nightwatch" plane.

Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The US Air Force's fleet of four E-4Bs comprises the National Airborne Operations Center at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.

It costs $159,529 per hour to operate, making it the Air Force's most expensive plane.
An E-4B plane takes off.
An E-4B at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Skovo

Each E-4B costs $223.2 million to build, according to the US Air Force.

A standard crew consists of 60 people with 15 different specialties.
An E-4B flight simulator.
An E-4B simulator training mission.

US Strategic Command

In 2022, the Air Force debuted a $9.5 million E-4B simulator to train pilots, flight engineers, and other crew members to operate the aircraft, according to the US Strategic Command.

The E-4B can refuel while in flight, allowing it to fly for several days at a time.
An E-4B plane is refueled in flight.
An E-4B can refuel in flight.

US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Codie Trimble

The E-4B can fly for 12 hours straight without refueling.

Its communications technology is kept in a bulge on top of the plane called the ray dome.
Air Force E-4B
An E-4B aircraft on the tarmac at Travis Air Force Base, California, September 11, 2017.

US Air Force/Louis Briscese

The E-4B possesses more communications capabilities than Air Force One with around 67 satellite dishes and antennas in the ray dome.

The plane's exterior also features thermal and nuclear shielding, and its electrical system can withstand electromagnetic pulses.

The plane's main deck features six functional areas.
Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper speaks to reporters on board an E-4B plane.
Then-Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper met with reporters on board an E-4B in 2019.

DoD photo by US Army Sgt. Amber I. Smith

The layout includes a command room, conference room, briefing room, operations team work area, communications room, and a rest area, according to the US Air Force.

The plane can seat up to 112 people.

In the briefing room, officials update members of the press and conduct meetings with staff.
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter speaks with members of the media on board an E-4B aircraft.
Then-Secretary of Defense Ash Carter met with members of the press while traveling to Europe in 2015.

Master Sgt. Adrian Cadiz/US Secretary of Defense

The E-4B isn't just a "doomsday plane." The Secretary of Defense occasionally uses it to travel overseas and hold press briefings.

Located in the center of the plane, the battle staff room is where officers would gather to strategize in a national emergency.
The battle staff room on board an E-4B.
The battle staff room on board an E-4B.

Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo/US Secretary of Defense

In the event of a nuclear attack or other apocalyptic scenario, the president, secretary of defense, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would use the plane as a secure command and control center similar to the Pentagon.

The rest area has 18 crew bunks, while the Secretary of Defense occupies private quarters on international trips.
A flight attendant on an E-4B plane wipes down a table.
The private quarters on the E-4B.

Lance Cheung/US Air Force photo

The Secretary of Defense's private quarters are furnished with a bunk and a desk with chairs.

The E-4B is staffed and on alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A simulated alert mission on an E-4B Nightwatch plane.
E-4B crew members carry out simulated alert missions.

US Air Force photo by Lance Cheung

At least one E-4B has been on continuous alert since 1975, ready to deploy at a moment's notice.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Planned Parenthood to close 8 centers across Iowa, Minnesota amid federal funding cuts

Planned Parenthood North Central States said Friday that it plans to close over a third of its health centers across Minnesota and Iowa and lay off dozens of staff members in light of looming federal funding cuts and other budget constraints.

State of play: The announcement from Minnesota's largest abortion provider came just one day after the U.S. House passed a reconciliation bill that it says would "defund" Planned Parenthood and make deep cuts to Medicaid funding.


Driving the news: Leaders of the regional affiliate cited that move, along with the Trump administration's decision to freeze $2.8 million in Title X funds used for birth control and cancer screenings and a proposal to cut teen pregnancy prevention aid as key factors in the decision to consolidate its centers.

  • Shifting patient preferences and broader challenges facing the health care sector, including stagnant reimbursement rates and staff shortages, also contributed, it said in a release.

By the numbers: Planned Parenthood North Central States (PPNCS) says it provides sexual and reproductive health care, including abortions, to an estimated 93,000 people across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota each year.

  • Over 30% of its patients rely on Medicaid, per a release.

Between the lines: While federal funds generally cannot be used for abortions, critics of abortion rights have long sought to prevent any taxpayer money from flowing to the organization.

What they're saying: PPNCS president Ruth Richardson said the "heart wrenching" decision to consolidate operations was meant to "ensure Planned Parenthood is here for years to come."

  • "We have been fighting to hold together an unsustainable infrastructure as the landscape shifts around us and an onslaught of attacks continues," she said in a statement.

Zoom in: The list of eight sites slated to close in the coming year includes several in the Twin Cities metro. Four Iowa health care centers β€” including its only facility that provides abortions in that state β€” and two in Greater Minnesota will also shutter:

  • Ames Health Center (Ames, Iowa)
  • Alexandria Health Center (Alexandria, Minnesota)
  • Apple Valley Health Center (Apple Valley, Minn.)
  • Bemidji Health Center (Bemidji, Minnesota)
  • Cedar Rapids Health Center (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
  • Richfield Health Center (Richfield, Minnesota)
  • Sioux City Health Center (Sioux City, Iowa)
  • Urbandale Health Center (Urbandale, Iowa)

Plus: PPNCS will also lay off 66 staff members and offer 37 others the opportunity to be reassigned as part of the reorganization.

Zoom out: Minnesota has seen an increase in both abortions and out-of-state patients seeking abortion care in the wake of the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

The bottom line: Planned Parenthood said its 15 remaining health centers across the chapter's region, including about a dozen in Minnesota and Iowa, will remain open.

  • Those sites, combined with virtual care, serve about 80% of its current patient population.
  • "Make no mistake: care may look different but Planned Parenthood North Central States is here to stay," Richardson said.

Video footage shows the moment OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush's wife heard the apparent sound of the Titan sub imploding

Screenshot from footage showing Stockton Rush's wife,  Wendy Rush.
Screenshot from footage shared by the US Coast Guard.

US Coast Guard

  • New video shows the moment the wife of the late OceanGate CEO heard the apparent sound of the Titan sub imploding.
  • "What was that bang?" Wendy Rush said after a slamming noise could be heard through a monitor on the sub's support ship.
  • All five passengers on the sub were killed as it descended to view the Titanic wreck in June 2023.

Video footage released by the US Coast Guard shows the moment the wife of the late OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush heard the apparent sound of the Titan submersible imploding.

In the video, Wendy Rush, a director at the ocean tourism company β€” which has since suspended all operations β€” can be seen attempting to contact the sub from the Polar Prince support vessel when a loud slamming sound can be heard through her monitor.

"What was that bang?" she said, before receiving a message saying the sub had dropped two weights, seeming to give her the impression the trip was going to plan. Analysts say the message may have been sent shortly before the sub imploded but a delay may have caused it to come through later.

The Titan sub imploded while descending to view the wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean in June 2023, killing all five people on board.

The Titan lost communication with the Polar Prince around one hour and 45 minutes into its dive, sparking a frantic search effort involving US, Canadian, and French rescuers.

The vessel's wreckage was discovered by a remotely operated vehicle four days after it went missing, around 500 meters (roughly 1,640 feet) from the bow of the Titanic, per the Coast Guard.

OceanGate cofounder Stockton Rush, pilot and adventurer Hamish Harding, businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and former French Navy diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet were the passengers in the vessel.

OceanGate charged up to $250,000 per ticket to see the Titanic, which lies at a depth of around 12,500 feet.

A passenger waiver form for the Titan viewed by Business Insider in 2023 said the sub had successfully completed "as few as 13" out of 90 dives to the depth of the Titanic.

A new Netflix documentary scheduled to be released in June will take a closer look at what caused the tragedy.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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