Microsoft not backing out of US Army contract despite protesting workers

Microsoft is pushing ahead with the delivery of the mixed reality technology to the U.S. Army—worth $479 million—despite protesting employees. NEWSREP reported that last Friday a group of 50 Microsoft employees wrote an open letter addressed to CEO Satya Nadella and President Brad Smith. The group, calling themselves “Microsoft Workers 4 Good” demanded in the […]

NITRO ZEUS: Will Trump dust off the plan to topple Iran that Obama torpedoed?

Night fell over the desert. U.S. Air Force aircraft soared overhead, lowering their ramps and emptying their cargo into the night sky. Vehicles were heavy dropped on pallets while operators assigned to 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta parachuted out into the darkness, conducting a military free-fall jump. Hitting their assembly area below, the operators quickly […]

Microsoft employees refuse to work on HoloLens contract with US Army

Approximately 50 Microsoft personnel so far stated in a petition they “do not want to become war profiteers.” This comes after the software company signed a $480 million contract to provide the U.S. army with HoloLens, an augmented reality system. After a copy of the petition appeared on Twitter Friday afternoon, a Microsoft employee told […]

Effective tech option for border security tested but terminated due to lack of budget

How to secure the southern border of the U.S. will command the spotlight in the coming weeks as President Trump and Congress again seek a compromise to prevent another government shutdown or a national security emergency declaration. The president continues to demand expansion of physical barriers. Others are convinced technology provides more cost-effective means to […]

While America moves on, the Kurdish struggle in Syria continues

In New York City’s Union Square this Sunday, a group of American activists and Kurdish expats gathered together for a “Defend Rojava” rally. Speakers took turns talking about Rojava, the portion of northern Syria currently under control by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Kurdish YPG and YPJ militias were the primary players in northern […]

Breaking: FBI arrests three men in Michigan over links to ISIS

The three men were arrested Monday afternoon for “conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS),” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. The men face a jail sentence of up to 20 years for the conspiracy charge. […]

If Trump gets his wall, these companies might be building it

A local construction company in Galveston, Texas is preparing to start construction on a portion of the border wall at the beginning of next month. According to a press release from the Department of Defense (D0D), SLS Company (SLSCO) won a DoD contract valued at $166,835,700 in December for the design and construction of the […]

Tax season arrives, partial government shutdown may delay refunds

The partial shutdown of the federal government may delay refunds of income tax payments, but taxes are still due April 15th. In addition, the tax reform enacted in 2018 is now in effect which brings numerous changes for everyone filing. Important things to know as employers begin sending out W-2 and 1099 forms: The standard […]

Opinion: ‘The Punisher’ and the social utility of killing

With the release of season two of “The Punisher” just days away, I thought I would get a bit ahead of the power curve given the inevitable deluge of rival op-eds inbound—articles from major news outlets that will no doubt repeat the hoary old scare tactics that have long surrounded comic books, video games, and […]

Key updates on several NEWSREP stories about US Special Forces

In 2017, NEWSREP published an open letter titled “Careerism, Cronyism, and Malfeasance in SWCS: The End of SF Capability,” which had been sent out anonymously to nearly everyone on Special Operations Command’s internal email list. The letter outlined, in detail, with specific examples, how Special Forces training has been watered down for political reasons. The […]