Morning Brief: Judge Blocks Tennessee Guard Deployment, US Government Watchdog Warns Pentagon Faces Major Cyber Risks

  GAO Warns Pentagon’s Digital Exposure Puts Missions and Personnel at Risk A US government watchdog recently warned that the Pentagon’s operations and personnel face rising risks from “malicious actors” exploiting publicly available digital data. The Government Accountability Office’s 18-month audit found that nine of 10 Defense Department components failed to consistently train staff or assess threats related to online information exposure. The report said criminals, terrorists, and foreign adversaries can piece together digital profiles from data brokers, social media, and fitness devices to compromise safety and military operations. It cited a scenario in which an aircraft carrier could be targeted using open-source data and online activity. Information Environment: DOD Needs to Address Security Risks of Publicly Accessible Information https://t.co/rC7nlCGUfi — U.S. GAO (@USGAO) November 17, 2025 The GAO issued 12 recommendations, urging the military services and key defense agencies to strengthen training and conduct threat assessments in areas such as force protection, insider threats, and operational security. The Department of Defense agreed to implement nearly all the recommendations.   Defense Contractors Fight Senate ‘Right-to-Repair’ Rule in Pentagon Funding Bill Major US defense contractors are lobbying to block a Senate proposal in the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act that would force them to share key technical data with the Pentagon, giving the military the ability to repair and maintain its own equipment. The measure, co-authored by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), aims to reduce costs and prevent “vendor lock,” where contractors control access to repair information. Industry groups, including the Aerospace Industries Association and the Professional Services Council, argue the provision would undermine innovation and compromise proprietary technology worth billions. They favor a competing House plan that would let the Pentagon access such data “as a service” rather than owning it outright. U.S. defense contractors have launched a lobbying blitz to defeat a right-to-repair provision in the Senate-passed National Defense Authorization Act that would set strict new rules for how the Pentagon accesses their intellectual property. https://t.co/ewhkTfjMZr — Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) November 18, 2025 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the White House have expressed conditional support for the Senate version but called for refinements to balance military needs with intellectual property protections. The dispute has emerged as one of the final sticking points in reconciling the House and Senate defense bills before year’s end.   Trump Welcomes Saudi Crown Prince to White House, Reviving Ties Once Strained by Khashoggi Killing US President Donald Trump will host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House on Tuesday, marking the prince’s first visit since the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The meeting signals a full restoration of US-Saudi relations, with Trump set to announce major arms and investment deals, including the sale of F-35 fighter jets. Talks will focus on stabilizing Gaza after the war, countering Iran, and defining US security commitments to the kingdom. The visit also comes as Trump pushes Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords and normalize ties with Israel, though Riyadh continues to insist on progress toward Palestinian statehood. 🇸🇦 🇺🇸 #SaudiArabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to receive an unusually grand welcome at the White House on Tuesday for his first #US visit since Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder. Our correspondent @FrazJ has the details ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/BRTEd9nVtg — FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) November 18, 2025 The trip will conclude with a White House dinner and precede a high-profile US-Saudi investment summit featuring major American corporations.   South Africa Probes Arrival of Charter Flight Carrying 150 Palestinians South Africa’s foreign minister Ronald Lamola recently questioned the arrival of a chartered plane carrying 153 Palestinians from Israel, calling it part of a “broader agenda” to remove Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. The plane landed in Johannesburg last week, and authorities temporarily barred passengers from disembarking over missing travel documents before eventually granting entry. Lamola said South Africa suspects an organized effort to relocate Palestinians to multiple countries and vowed to investigate who arranged the flight. Israel’s civilian authority confirmed that Gaza residents had left under a policy permitting departures with third-country approval but did not identify the destination country. Some evacuees reportedly paid $2,000 per seat for the flight, raising concerns over the irregularities of the process. 160 Palestinian refugees from Gaza arrived in South Africa amidst a controversial evacuation operation. Arriving refugees faced complications due to missing… pic.twitter.com/iCpmhVwHtI — Business Insider Africa (@BusInsiderSSA) November 18, 2025 The incident follows a similar flight in late October and comes amid allegations by South African groups that a Jerusalem-based organization, Al-Majd, coordinated the transfers. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered an intelligence probe, warning against further such flights.   Ukraine Drone Strikes Hit Russian-Controlled Power Plants in Donetsk, Cutting Electricity A major Ukrainian drone attack damaged two thermal power plants in Russian-occupied parts of Donetsk, leaving large areas without power, Moscow-installed regional head Denis Pushilin said Tuesday. The strikes targeted the Zuivska and Starobesheve plants, forcing shutdowns of boiler houses and water facilities. Pushilin called the assault “unprecedented,” saying about 500,000 people lost electricity on Monday. Ukraine has not commented on the attack. 👀 Explosions and fire broke out overnight at the Zuivska Thermal Power Plant in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region following a drone strike. 🔗 https://t.co/mwbTCJ1RlS pic.twitter.com/kWFBzwcLyS — UNITED24 Media (@United24media) November 18, 2025 The strikes are part of Kyiv’s broader campaign to disrupt Russian logistics and weaken its war infrastructure in occupied regions.   Pakistani Forces Kill 15 Militants in Raids Near Afghan Border Pakistani security forces killed 15 militants in two intelligence-led raids near the Afghan border, the military said Tuesday. Ten militants were killed in Dera Ismail Khan district and five more in North Waziristan, both in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Authorities described the dead as members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which Islamabad accuses of receiving support from Afghanistan and India — a claim both countries deny. The Pakistani Taliban, allied with Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, have intensified cross-border tensions since the latter seized power in Kabul in 2021.   Philippines Completes South China Sea Resupply Mission Despite Chinese Communication Jamming Philippine forces successfully delivered food, fuel, and personnel to their outpost on Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea last week, despite Chinese coast guard ships jamming communications during the mission, two senior officials said Tuesday. The supply run to the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded warship serving as a military outpost, was completed without confrontation under a nonaggression agreement signed with China in 2024. Beijing, which claims nearly the entire South China Sea, has long demanded that Manila remove the vessel. The communication jamming appeared aimed at preventing foreign surveillance during the resupply, the officials said. The operation marked the 12th successful mission since last year, reflecting fragile stability in the disputed area despite continued Chinese patrols and increased military presence.   North Korea Condemns South Korea-US Nuclear Submarine Pact as ‘Dangerous Provocation’ North Korea on Tuesday condemned a new agreement between South Korea and the United States to develop nuclear-powered submarines, warning it would trigger a “nuclear domino effect” in Asia. Pyongyang’s state media called the deal a “dangerous attempt at confrontation” that would destabilize regional security and vowed “realistic countermeasures.” The pact, announced last week by President Lee Jae Myung, expands Seoul’s authority over uranium enrichment and nuclear fuel reprocessing. The criticism comes as South Korea seeks to reopen military talks with Pyongyang, while China also cautioned that the deal could undermine global non-proliferation efforts. North Korea has criticized Washington’s recent approval for South Korea to develop nuclear-powered submarines, saying the move risks igniting a global arms race https://t.co/ht2NQm13oo — Bloomberg (@business) November 18, 2025   Sources: News Agencies