New Study Links Gulf War Illness to Cellular Energy Failure, Opening Path to Treatment
A new medical study published Thursday in Scientific Reports concludes that Gulf War illness (GWI) stems from a failure of cells to produce enough energy, a finding that may bring researchers closer to identifying effective treatments.
Led by Dr. Robert Haley of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the study analyzed brain scans from veterans of the 1991 Gulf War and found evidence of dysfunctional mitochondria, the structures that power cells.
The illness affects more than a quarter of the 700,000 US service members who served in the Gulf War and causes symptoms such as fatigue, memory problems, pain, and gastrointestinal issues.
Haley’s earlier research linked the condition to low-level exposure to sarin nerve gas. The study, funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Army, found that the veterans’ brain cells showed energy imbalances rather than irreversible damage, suggesting the potential for recovery through targeted therapies.
VA’s Office of Research and Development recently published three News Briefs highlighting research advances on new spinal disc replacement advances, Gulf War illness and a caregiver support program.https://t.co/7ll5KYdQrj
— Veterans Affairs (@DeptVetAffairs) November 15, 2025
The findings come weeks after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially recognized Gulf War illness as a distinct, service-related medical condition and created a diagnostic code to improve tracking and treatment.
Bow Section of Future USS District of Columbia Departs for Final Assembly in Connecticut
The bow of the future USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826), the US Navy’s first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, departed Huntington Ingalls’ Newport News Shipbuilding this week for General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, where final assembly and testing will take place.
The move marks the completion of most of Newport News’ work on the vessel, according to Navy officials.
The Columbia-class program, valued at $136 billion for 12 submarines, is the Navy’s top acquisition priority and will replace the aging Ohio-class fleet. The District of Columbia is about 60 percent complete and scheduled for delivery in fiscal 2028, though it remains up to 16 months behind schedule due to supply chain and turbine delays.
Future USS District of Columbia (SSBN 826) Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine with front section heading out of Newport News, Virginia heading to Connecticut – November 18, 2025 SRC: FB- Hampton Roads & Chesapeake Bay Ship Watchers pic.twitter.com/jGB0fQNN8b
— WarshipCam (@WarshipCam) November 19, 2025
Under the modular construction plan, Electric Boat builds the central hull sections while Newport News constructs the bow and stern. Northrop Grumman provides the steam turbines, and Electric Boat will integrate all components during final assembly.
The Navy is also considering further extending Ohio-class submarine service lives to maintain its nuclear deterrence schedule amid the production delays.
US Envoy Says Germany Could One Day Lead NATO Forces, But Change Remains Distant
US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said he hopes to see a German general eventually assume command of all allied forces, a role held exclusively by American officers since NATO’s founding nearly 80 years ago.
Speaking at the Berlin Security Conference, Whitaker called the idea a long-term goal but said he looks forward to future discussions about Germany taking over the position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).
Whitaker’s comments follow internal US discussions earlier this year about potentially transferring NATO’s top command to a European leader, though the appointment of US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich to the post in July signaled no immediate change.
The ambassador also pressed allies to meet new defense spending targets of five percent of GDP.
U.S. NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker is pushing Europe to take a harder line on Russia and use frozen Russian funds to sustain Ukraine long-term, telling leaders: “I think it would also point to a new step, a more aggressive Europe. The time for them to act boldly is now.”
EU… pic.twitter.com/B5mbYyXmuK
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 20, 2025
Analysts remain divided over the proposal: supporters see European leadership as a natural step toward shared defense responsibility, while critics warn it could be seen as US disengagement and undermine NATO’s deterrence credibility.
US Coast Guard to Downgrade Swastika and Noose From Hate Symbols Under New Policy
The US Coast Guard will reclassify the Nazi swastika, nooses, and the Confederate flag as “potentially divisive” symbols rather than hate symbols under new regulations set to take effect December 15, according to internal documents reviewed by The Washington Post.
While display of the Confederate flag will remain banned, certain historical depictions will be permitted. The new policy eliminates the term “hate incident” from Coast Guard regulations and introduces a 45-day reporting limit for symbol-related complaints.
The changes align with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive to narrow military harassment and extremism policies, which he criticized as overly broad.
Critics, including Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), condemned the move, saying it weakens anti-hate standards at a time of rising antisemitism.
Nazi swastikas are not “divisive.” They are antisemitic.
They represent a regime responsible for the murder of six million Jews and insult the hundreds of thousands of Americans who gave their lives to defeat the Nazis 80 years ago.
Nooses are also not “divisive.” They are… pic.twitter.com/53fZmmUfZY
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) November 20, 2025
A Coast Guard official described the shift as “chilling,” warning it could discourage personnel from reporting offensive displays, particularly during long deployments at sea.
The policy overhaul comes amid broader Trump administration efforts to reshape military culture and follows the firing of former Commandant Admiral Linda Fagan, who had emphasized diversity and sexual assault prevention.
Acting Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday, who suspended the prior hate-symbol rules, is awaiting Senate confirmation as the service’s new leader.
US Coast Guard Cutter Stone Makes Record $362 Million Cocaine Seizure in Eastern Pacific
The US Coast Guard Cutter Stone offloaded 49,010 pounds of cocaine worth more than $362 million at Port Everglades, Florida, this week, marking the largest cocaine haul ever seized by a single cutter during one patrol.
The drugs were intercepted in 15 separate operations across the Eastern Pacific as part of Operation Pacific Viper, which targets narcotics smuggling routes from South America to the United States.
#Breaking USCGC Stone offloaded 49,010 lbs of cocaine worth $362M in @PortEverglades, the largest single-patrol haul in @USCG history. ❄️
“This offload shows our strengthened posture in the fight against narco-terrorism.” — Capt. O’Connell, USCGC Stonehttps://t.co/9IKEE50j3W pic.twitter.com/0BWH7zijku
— U.S. Coast Guard Southeast (@USCGSoutheast) November 19, 2025
Captain Anne O’Connell, the cutter’s commanding officer, credited the crew’s “incredible performance” and coordination with multiple Coast Guard and interagency units, including the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron, Joint Interagency Task Force–South, and regional watch centers.
The Stone, a 418-foot Legend-class national security cutter based in Charleston, South Carolina, operates under the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area Command.
Israel Moves to Seize West Bank Heritage Site as Settlers Build New Outpost and Rights Groups Allege War Crimes
Israel plans to seize about 450 acres of land around Sebastia, a major archaeological site in the northern West Bank, according to a Civil Administration document obtained and reported by The Associated Press.
Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog, called it Israel’s largest land seizure of an archaeologically significant area. The move follows plans to develop the site into a tourist destination, with over $9 million allocated for construction. Palestinians have 14 days to challenge the order.
Meanwhile, Israeli settlers established an unauthorized outpost near Bethlehem, further escalating tensions as international pressure mounts on Israel to curb settler violence. The Israeli government, led by pro-settlement ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, has expanded settlement activity despite internal and global criticism.
BREAKING: Israel seizes 445 acres of Palestinian land near Nablus in the occupied West Bank
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/SZUb7IUPTh pic.twitter.com/WQwpLji2r9
— Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) November 20, 2025
In a separate development, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing war crimes for forcibly expelling about 32,000 Palestinians from three refugee camps in the West Bank earlier this year.
The group’s report said Israeli military operations destroyed or heavily damaged over 850 buildings and displaced residents indefinitely, describing the actions as “crimes against humanity.”
Israel maintains that the raids targeted militant infrastructure following the October 2023 Hamas attacks.
Israeli Strikes Kill 33 in Gaza, Threatening Fragile Ceasefire as Tensions Rise in Lebanon
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis and other areas killed at least 33 people over a 12-hour period, making them among the deadliest attacks since the US-brokered ceasefire took effect on October 10.
Hospital officials said the strikes hit tents sheltering displaced families and residential buildings, killing women and children. Israel said the attacks came in response to gunfire toward its troops in Khan Younis, though no soldiers were injured. Hamas denied firing on Israeli forces and called the strikes a “shocking massacre.”
The renewed violence comes days after the United Nations Security Council endorsed President Donald Trump’s plan to establish an international force to administer Gaza and pave the way toward a potential Palestinian state, a proposal rejected by Hamas.
Despite the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported more than 300 deaths since the truce began.
Israel continues to kill Palestinians in Gaza and violate agreed Gaza, and HRW says expulsion of tens of thousands of Palestinians by Israel from three refugee camps in occupied West Bank amounts to war crimes
Live updates👇 pic.twitter.com/kf3W5b9nVc
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) November 20, 2025
At the same time, Israel launched airstrikes in southern Lebanon, targeting what it said were Hezbollah weapons sites. The strikes followed an earlier attack that killed 13 people in a Palestinian refugee camp, the deadliest Israeli action in Lebanon since last year’s ceasefire.
The escalation in both Gaza and Lebanon has raised fears of renewed regional conflict.
Russian Hacker Wanted by FBI Arrested in Thailand, Faces Possible Extradition
Thai police arrested a 35-year-old Russian man on the resort island of Phuket earlier this month after receiving an Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tip linking him to cyberattacks on US and European government agencies.
Authorities identified the suspect as Denis Obrezko, a native of Stavropol, according to Russian state media. He was detained at his hotel on Nov. 6 and later transferred to Bangkok, where he remains in custody pending possible extradition to the United States.
During the arrest, police seized laptops, mobile phones, and digital wallets, with FBI officials present at the scene.
More details are emerging about a 35-year-old Russian man arrested by Thai police in Phuket earlier this month with reported help from the FBI https://t.co/YQYLM14WBX
— The Record From Recorded Future News (@TheRecord_Media) November 18, 2025
The US Department of Justice and State Department declined to comment on the extradition process, while Russian diplomats confirmed they had visited the suspect in prison.
Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau described Obrezko as a “world-class hacker” and said his capture followed an international warrant and intelligence provided by the FBI.
Japan Faces Record Bear Attacks as Officials Deploy Troops and Authorize Shootings
Japan is confronting a record surge in bear attacks that have killed at least 13 people and injured more than 180 this year, the highest death toll from such incidents since at least 1980.
The rise in attacks has prompted the government to deploy troops, authorize police to shoot bears, and issue widespread warnings as the animals increasingly appear in populated areas, from rural roads to supermarket aisles.
Experts attribute the spike to Japan’s shrinking rural population, expanding bear habitats, and a poor acorn harvest that has driven bears closer to human settlements in search of food. The most affected regions, including Iwate, Akita, and Fukushima prefectures, have seen the steepest population declines.
Troops have been deployed to trap bears in parts of northern Japan, after more than 100 bear attacks that have killed a record 12 people since April https://t.co/riB8jgXSxq pic.twitter.com/hp4Cb2hsdz
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 5, 2025
The US Embassy and several other foreign governments have issued alerts urging visitors in Japan to stay alert for bears. Japan’s government estimates the country now has about 12,000 brown bears and 42,000 Asiatic black bears.
In response to the crisis, authorities are increasing cage traps, electric fences, and even using drones that mimic barking dogs to deter the animals.
Sources: News Agencies
Evening Brief: Coast Guard Reclassifies Swastika Symbol, Study Links Gulf War Illness to Cell Energy Loss, Japan Faces Surge in Bear Attacks
Trump demands arrests over “seditious” video, Coast Guard shifts hate-symbol policy, and Israel expands strikes in Gaza and Lebanon. Here’s what’s making headlines this Thursday evening.
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