Florida residents braced for Tropical Storm Idalia as it develops into a potential hurricane, and paper straws may not be the better option over plastic after all. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, Aug. 28. Tropical Storm Idalia expected to hit Florida as hurricane Florida residents have begun bracing for impact as…

Ukraine’s current counteroffensive strategy depends on good infantry fighting vehicles. U.S.-supplied Bradley IFVs are nothing to shake a stick at, but the Swedish-made Stridsfordon 90 may be in a class of its own. The Stridsfordon, or combat vehicle, is manufactured by BAE Systems Hägglunds. Ukraine already has at least 50 in its inventory. However, that…

Call it a sign of the times for the Russian economy. A shopping mall is being turned into a factory to make kamikaze or suicide drones. At the same time, teenagers are being forced to build the weapons of war. Russia is using unmanned aerial vehicles like the Lancet and Shahed-136 in Ukraine to a…

Is the U.S. dollar really at risk of losing its reserve currency status? Dedollarization talks are heating up as more countries look to cut the U.S. dollar out of trade transactions. What would a move away from the U.S. dollar mean for the U.S. economy and what currency could replace it? Geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan…

The United States and its allies are preparing for a war where runways may not be an option. That doesn’t mean a flat stretch of dirt won’t do, though. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) successfully tested its Mojave unmanned aerial system in early August. The rugged expeditionary drone completed several takeoffs and landings on…

Zoom and Amazon are just two of the companies attempting to navigate a business landscape that is growing in its reliance on artificial intelligence (AI). The former has gotten caught up in a controversy regarding the use of customer content in training generative AI. Zoom announced on Friday, Aug. 11, it has changed its terms…

Pilots, power your drones. The United States Air Force is going all-in on first-person view (FPV) drone racing. After years of partnering with the Drone Racing League, the Air Force will sponsor a pilot and flight deck for the league’s 2023-2024 season. Founded in 2015, the Drone Racing League (DRL) touts itself as the world’s…

After months of training and weeks of waiting, Ukraine is committing thousands of troops, armed with Western weapons and tactics, in the fight against Russia. Military bloggers are reporting heavy clashes in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in early June but has been bogged down by the defenses Russia had months…

The United States Marine Corps has a new ride to get from ship to shore. It’s called the amphibious combat vehicle (ACV), and production on the different variants of the ACV is ramping up. It’s not a tank. The 8×8 platform is a mix between an armored personnel carrier and a boat. The company that…

The tech trade wars between the U.S. and China are heating up again. China is restricting U.S. access to two key metals — germanium and gallium — that are used to make solar panels and computer chips for mobile phones, cars and other products. China’s move is in response to the export controls the Biden…