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Controversial defense program tied to DEI-laden contractor could be in crosshairs of DOGE: ‘Poster child’
FIRST ON FOX: One of the top defense contractors in the United States, which has a history of pushing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), is facing heat over a massive government contract that critics say should be a prime target for Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts.
The Air Force’s Sentinel program, a massive intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) project serving as the successor to the Minuteman III program ensuring the future viability of the land-based leg of America’s nuclear triad, has been mired in controversy and slowdowns as Northrop Grumman was awarded the development contract and the endeavor has gone from a $96 billion program to at least $141 billion in recent years.
The Pentagon ordered Northrop Grumman to pause development earlier this year due to «evolving launch facility requirements», Defense One reported. Air & Space Forces Magazine reported last year that the intercontinental ballistic missile program survived a Pentagon review, but it was found that the cost overrun jumped from 37% to 81%.
Northrop Grumman, which had not previously designed an ICBM, was awarded a $13 billion contract in September 2020 for full-scale development of the program to replace the Minuteman III, and the Pentagon has estimated that the total cost of developing its new ICBM program could cost up to $264 billion over the next few decades, Bloomberg reported.
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Northrop Grumman has attempted to distance itself from DEI after promoting it for years. (Getty)
The awarding of the contract was controversial in its own right, after Boeing dropped out of the bidding, claiming that the process was rigged against it, Responsible Statecraft reported.
«The massive expansion of costs for Northrop Grumman’s Minuteman III program is the case example for why poorly-scoped, blank check programs are a bad idea,» a senior Republican Congressional official who works on defense policy told Fox News Digital.
«This is bad for national security, bad for taxpayers, and Republicans will fix this mess that Biden’s team created,» the official added.
Questions have also been raised by some in recent years about whether the Sentinel program is even necessary, including at a Congressional Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group press conference last year, when former Democratic Congressman John Tierney said that Sentinel «does not add to our security» and could «actually make us less safe.»
DOGE INITIAL FINDINGS ON DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DEI SPENDING COULD SAVE $80M, AGENCY SAYS
The U.S. flag flies near the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber «Spirit of Georgia» at the Northrop Grumman Corp. facility at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California. (Getty)
«When will the blank checks to cover spiraling costs end?» Tierney said. «The Sentinel ICBM program is just the latest in a long list of Pentagon programs that are over budget, behind schedule and of questionable utility.»
Tierney added that he believes the «only value» of recent ICBM development is «to the defense contractors who line their fat pockets with large cost overruns at the expense of our taxpayers.»
«It has got to stop,» he said.
An Air Force spokesperson told Fox News Digital that it is taking «deliberate» steps to ensure that the Sentinel program is running as cost-efficiently as possible while enhancing oversight at the same time. «We continue to advance the engineering design and maturity of the program with Northrop Grumman, working closely with the company to drive down costs and improve schedule performance,» the spokesperson added.
The Air Force also pointed to a previous comment from Gen. David Allvin, Air Force chief of staff, during a symposium in March that stressed the importance of the Sentinel program.
«We own two-thirds of the triad and three-fourths of the nuclear command and control of communications,» Allvin said. «We own the nuclear deterrence. So more Air Force means more nuclear deterrence…We have to have the most reliable, the most safe, the most effective nuclear deterrent. That means sentinel, yes…I believe we need more nuclear deterrence for our nation. It’s a solemn responsibility. It’s not an option.»
Amid the cost overruns and headaches from the ICBM program, Northrop Grumman adopted and promoted an agenda focused on DEI in recent years and was one of several defense contractors that have attempted to scrub their websites of DEI in the wake of the Trump administration’s pledge to rid the government of the ideology.
Northrop Grumman’s 2023 annual report mentions DEI as «vital to our culture and our company’s success. Our ability to leverage the power of our diverse workforce enhances employee engagement and enables us to innovate, perform and deliver on quality, which results in value for our shareholders, customers, and employees.»
The report also touted its minority hiring practices and stated that 25% of its employees are female, 37% people of color, 18% veterans and 8% people with disabilities.
Elon Musk’s Tesla showroom locations have faced repeated protests over his role in DOGE. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
«Diversity Has a Home at Northrop Grumman,» a YouTube video from ClearanceJobs says in a post that features Northrop Grumman employees discussing the diversity of the company.
«Northrop’s Sentinel Program is a DOGE poster child,» a person close to the Trump administration told Fox News Digital. «Not only did they practice DEI, the program is ineffective, delayed, and wasting billions of taxpayer money. Musk would have a field day.»
DOGE’s cost-cutting efforts have affected essentially every area of government, including the Defense Department, which recently announced that over $580 million worth of contracts have been canceled as Democrats continue to blast the efforts and make the case that DOGE cuts are detrimental to the country.
«I’ve seen it with my own eyes, billions of dollars spent on pricey consulting firms, grants and NGO‘s—the self-serving bureaucrats in Washington DC have found a million different ways to rip-off the American taxpayer,» special advisor to the United States Agency for Global Media Kari Lake told Fox News Digital.
«I’m working very closely with DOGE at the agency President Trump asked me to oversee. Our DOGE team is not political, they are practical. They know that it’s not practical for the U.S. government to continue spending the way it has been. Our country won’t survive unless we cut back right now, and the hard-working men and women across this country support that.»
Kari Lake, former U.S. Republican Senate candidate for Arizona, speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference Argentina in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (Anita Pouchard Serra/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Northrop Grumman touted recent progress in the program.
«We continue to make substantial progress on the Sentinel Weapon System,» the spokesperson said. «On March 6, we completed the missile’s stage one static fire test, the latest of many test events that validate the rocket motor’s performance and digital design. We continue to mature the design and reduce risk as we prepare for production and deployment of this essential national security capability.»
Regarding DEI, the spokesperson said, «We have reviewed our policies and processes and continue to take the steps necessary to ensure compliance with the orders for the work entrusted to us. Northrop Grumman is committed to our customers’ missions, delivering technologies they need to deter threats, prevail in conflicts, and strengthen national security. Underpinned by our values, we hire, promote, and pay based on merit and performance resulting in the best team to deliver for our customers.»
Politics,U.S. Defense & Military Politics,DOGE
La madre de Chen Tianming ve la televisión en el primer piso de su casa en Xingyi. Foto: Andrea Verdelli/The New York Times
Un mercado de productos agrícolas entre los rascacielos residenciales a los que se mudaron los vecinos de Chen. Foto: Andrea Verdelli/The New York TimesINTERNACIONAL
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from defunding some Planned Parenthood facilities
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A judge on Monday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from stripping some Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood after Congress and President Donald Trump agreed to partially defund the nonprofit through passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts said in her order partially granting a preliminary injunction that the bill unconstitutionally punishes Planned Parenthood member organizations that do not provide abortions.
The injunction will risk «at most minimal harm—financial or otherwise» to the Trump administration while the lawsuit proceeds, Talwani, an Obama appointee, wrote.
The judge’s order appears to apply to some but not all Planned Parenthood facilities. The nonprofit said in a statement that it viewed Talwani’s order as a partial win and remained «hopeful» that the judge would take further judicial action down the line.
«This isn’t over,» the organization said. «While we’re grateful that the court recognized the harm caused by this law, we’re disappointed that not all members were granted the necessary relief today.»
SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN OKS BAN ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERAL FUNDING IN TRUMP MEGABILL
Pro-life demonstrators gather in front of the Supreme Court building as the Court hears oral arguments over Medina vs Planned Parenthood in Washington D.C. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
Talwani’s order arose from a lawsuit brought by Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a massive budget bill that passed Congress this month with no Democrat support. Trump signed the bill into law on July 4.
A provision in the bill stripped Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood, which the nonprofit said could force it to close about 200 of its 600 facilities and deprive about half of its customers, more than one million people, of services that do not include abortion.
Planned Parenthood attorneys noted in court filings that Medicaid typically does not cover abortion.
JUDGE TORCHED FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD ORDER: HER COURT LOOKS ‘LIKE A FAST FOOD DRIVE-THRU’
A Planned Parenthood sign (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
The attorneys argued that the bill would cause cancer and sexually transmitted infections to go undetected, especially for low-income people, and that more unplanned pregnancies would occur because of a lack of contraception access. They said the consequences of losing Medicaid funding «will be grave.»
Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys had previously argued in court filings that the purpose of the budget provision was to stop «federal subsidies for Big Abortion» by freezing federal funds for certain Medicaid recipients who provide abortions. Weakening Planned Parenthood has been one of the pro-life movement’s leading priorities since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Talwani granted a temporary restraining order two weeks ago in favor of Planned Parenthood. The judge initially offered no explanation for her decision, a move that led to widespread backlash among Republicans who described it as judicial overreach. Days later, Talwani offered more context in a subsequent order.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD USING ‘LOOPHOLE’ TO GET MINORS GENDER TRANSITIONS WITHOUT PARENTS’ OK: WATCHDOG
Anti-abortion activists march across the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol during the 50th annual March for Life rally on January 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The preliminary injunction will partially leave in place the pause on defunding Planned Parenthood indefinitely, but the Trump administration is likely to appeal the order to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
The judge noted that her injunction applied to Planned Parenthood entities that do not provide abortion services or receive less than $800,000 in annual Medicaid reimbursements.
DOJ attorneys had previously argued to the court that blocking a measure that was passed by Congress and signed by the president was an extraordinary move and unjustified.
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«Beyond the futility of the claims on the merits, Planned Parenthood fails to demonstrate imminent irreparable harm to justify an injunction, asserting only classically reparable economic injury and irrelevant potential harm to patients, who are third parties not before this Court,» DOJ attorneys wrote.
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“La democracia está amenazada”: la advertencia de Boric en una cumbre de mandatarios de izquierda
El presidente de Chile, Gabriel Boric, aseguró este lunes que “la democracia está amenazada y esa amenaza no se reduce solamente a la fuerza militar”, durante la inauguración en Santiago de una cumbre que reúne a sus pares progresistas de España, Brasil, Colombia y Uruguay.
“Hoy, en muchas partes del mundo, la democracia está amenazada y esa amenaza no se reduce solamente a la fuerza militar, como sucedió en América Latina durante la segunda mitad del siglo 20, sino que hay elementos más sutiles que atentan contra ella y que terminan naturalizándose”, indicó Boric al inicio del encuentro bautizado “Democracia Siempre”.
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Entre esos elementos, el mandatario chileno destacó “la desinformación, el extremismo de cualquier signo, el avance del odio, la corrupción, la concentración del poder y una desigualdad que socava la confianza en lo público y el estado de derecho”.
Boric recibió este lunes en el palacio de La Moneda a los jefes de Estado o de Gobierno de España, Pedro Sánchez; Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; Colombia, Gustavo Petro; y Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, para debatir sobre el avance ultra y los autoritarismos.
Las propuestas que resulten de la cumbre se presentarán en otra reunión que se dará en el marco del 80° período de sesiones de la Asamblea General de Naciones Unidas, prevista para septiembre, en Nueva York.
Gabriel Boric cuestionó el extremismo
En su discurso, Boric afirmó: “Algunos, de diferentes signos políticos, presentan el extremismo y el autoritarismo como una solución eficiente, como si bastara solamente con mano dura o con acallar voces, prohibir el disenso, ridiculizar al adversario como una vía para resolver los problemas de fondo”.
Este camino, añadió, “solo asegura retrocesos, margina las mayorías, impone la ley del más fuerte, amenaza a los más vulnerables y sacrifica la tranquilidad por la incertidumbre”.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva y gabriel Boric se saludan en el Palacio de la Moneda, en Santiago (Foto: REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza)
Boric pidió “identificar esas amenazas y no sencillamente apuntarlas con el dedo” y aseguró que “el objetivo de esta cumbre es remarcar la esperanza y ofrecer una alternativa a esas visiones de mundo”.
Además, anunció que los mandatarios de México, Honduras, Reino Unido, Canadá, Sudáfrica, Dinamarca y Australia decidieron unirse a la alianza internacional en defensa de la democracia.
Lula afirmó que el sistema político cayó en el descrédito
En la cumbre, Lula da Silva dijo que “el sistema político y los partidos cayeron en descrédito”, lo que a su juicio fortaleció a la ultraderecha global.
“En este momento en que el extremismo intenta reeditar prácticas intervencionistas, precisamos actuar juntos”, dijo Lula.
Tras una reunión a puerta cerrada en el palacio de La Moneda, los cinco comparecieron ante la prensa, ocasión en la que Lula denunció que el mundo vive “una nueva ofensiva antidemocrática” que, desde su punto de vista, los Gobiernos progresistas deben enfrentar “con acciones concretas y urgentes”.
A su vez, Petro dijo que el progresismo tiene que “encender la luz cuando las tinieblas llegan y empiezan a atemorizar el alma”.
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Petro aseguró que durante el encuentro los líderes “profundizaron aún más nuestros acuerdos básicos y no tan básicos que tienen que ver con la crisis climática, la inteligencia artificial, la paz del mundo, rehacer la multilateralidad o defender palabras tan básicas como la libertad y la democracia”.
En tanto, Orsi pidió “aterrizar la propuesta de democracia a cuestiones que los pueblos sientan”.
“En la convicción de poner a la democracia por delante y como centro de la futura discusión, muchos más países se van a unir si el objetivo es fortalecer esta forma de convivencia que tiene de tan lejos y tantas vidas y sacrificios nos ha costado”, afirmó.
(Con información de EFE y AFP)
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