TVG Daily Brief 14 July 2025
Stay informed and ahead of the curve with today’s top headlines, breaking stories, and the latest updates shaping our world. Get the BLUF (bottom line up front!) on defense, national security, economy, business development, technology, American manufacturing, school safety, 2A issues - and more. Prep for the whiplash and stay engaged. Know better - do better. Be the somebody!
14 July 2025
DoD
Exit light, enter gripe: Metallica forces US Department of Defense to withdraw social media video
Heavy metal band Metallica successfully compelled the US Department of Defense to remove a social media video that featured their song 'Enter Sandman' without authorization. The video, posted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, promoted military drone capabilities. Metallica promptly issued a copyright notice, leading the Department of Defense to withdraw the original video and re-upload a version without the track. This incident is part of a larger trend of the Trump administration using artists' work without permission, drawing objections from numerous musicians.
The U.S. Military Officially Enters the Drone Age
The US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently announced a significant increase in the production and operational deployment of small, weaponized drones across all military branches, aiming to accelerate their use by treating them as consumable items, much like artillery shells, and streamlining their procurement. This strategy emphasizes three key areas: quickly integrating lessons from the ongoing Ukraine conflict, categorizing smaller attack drones as expendable, and decentralizing procurement to allow lower-level commanders to acquire and deploy them directly. The initiative also prioritizes American-made drones and plans to integrate drone warfare into all combat training by next year, with the overarching goal of equipping every squad with low-cost, expendable drones by the end of 2026, particularly focusing on units within the Indo-Pacific Command.
The FY26 NDAA Advances to the Senate Floor
The Senate Armed Services Committee has advanced the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a $913.9 billion budget, prioritizing modernization and efficiency in a challenging global threat environment. A significant focus is on space initiatives, including studies on launch capacity, transferring anti-satellite systems to Space Force, and increased funding for military satellites, missile interceptors, and the X-37B space plane. This comes alongside the recently passed "One Big Beautiful Bill" (OBBB) Act, which injects an additional $150 billion for defense, pushing total spending requests past $1 trillion. Both legislative efforts underscore a strong administrative commitment to national defense and space superiority.
Veterans
VA Expands Burial Benefits for Veterans Receiving Hospice Care at Home
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced a temporary expansion of burial benefits for eligible veterans receiving VA-provided hospice care at home after being discharged from a VA medical or nursing facility. This change, stemming from the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, ensures full VA burial allowances for veterans who pass away between July 1, 2025, and October 1, 2026. VA Secretary Doug Collins stated this expansion aims to better support veterans who choose to spend their final days at home. Families and caregivers of potentially eligible veterans are encouraged to contact their local VA offices for more information.
Facing Painful Cuts, the V.A. Reported Dubious Savings to DOGE
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Trump administration cost-cutting initiative, has been criticized for inaccurate claims of savings, particularly from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). A New York Times analysis revealed the VA inflated its reported savings by claiming credit for contracts that were still active, expired naturally, or ended due to vendor issues, not direct cuts. Despite initial aggressive cost-cutting efforts by VA Secretary Doug Collins, many proposed reductions were reversed due to their detrimental impact on veteran services. This consistent misrepresentation of data on DOGE's "Wall of Receipts" has led to questions about the group's overall effectiveness and transparency.
American Manufacturing
Opinion: We Warned About the First China Shock. The Next One Will Be Worse.
Between 1999 and 2007, China's economic shift, dubbed "China Shock 1.0," led to a nearly 25% reduction in U.S. manufacturing jobs as inexpensive Chinese goods flooded the market, severely impacting manufacturing-dependent towns. While U.S. manufacturing employment has since rebounded, many of the new jobs are in low-wage industries, and the affected workers have not fully recovered. Experts now warn of "China Shock 2.0," which poses a greater threat as China increasingly dominates innovative sectors like AI, advanced communications, and renewable energy, where the U.S. traditionally led. This shift is driven by China's agile innovation ecosystem, where private companies collaborate with the state, fostering rapid advancements in critical technologies. To counter this, the U.S. needs to move beyond broad tariffs and instead pursue a strategy of allied action, domestic investment in strategic industries, targeted long-term commitments, and robust support for displaced workers.
American manufacturing is in a 3-year rut despite Biden subsidies and Trump protection
Despite bipartisan efforts to support American manufacturing, including President Biden's subsidies and President Donald Trump's tariffs, the sector has been in a slump for nearly three years, with job losses continuing. High inflation and rising interest rates have contributed to increased factory expenses. While Biden's incentives initially spurred a factory-building boom, this investment has reportedly faded with the prospect of a new Trump administration and the end of green energy subsidies. Trump's tariffs, while providing some domestic advantage, also raise costs for U.S. manufacturers by taxing imported materials and creating market uncertainty, leaving the industry in a holding pattern
Artificial Intelligence
AI in K-12 Education: Partners in Progress, Not Replacements
Educators at the Neag School of Education are exploring how artificial intelligence can transform teaching and learning, viewing AI as a partner to enhance, not replace, human educators. AI tools can personalize learning by generating differentiated resources, helping teachers address diverse student needs, and improving assessment efficiency by focusing on the learning process. While AI offers significant benefits, challenges such as transparency, bias, the risk of cognitive offloading, and the inability to replicate human emotional intelligence must be carefully addressed. Ultimately, AI can foster creativity by overcoming initial roadblocks and is poised to reshape educational priorities, emphasizing critical thinking and interdisciplinary connections while maintaining the essential human element of teaching.
How we can harness AI for a healthier, more equitable world
During the 2022-2023 Mpox outbreak, which spread globally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerged as a crucial tool in the fight against infectious diseases. In Rwanda, an AI-powered skin image detection tool was deployed at border entry points, enabling early detection and complementing traditional screening methods. This success highlights AI's potential to personalize healthcare, improve efficiency, and expand access in resource-constrained regions, building on prior applications in tuberculosis management. However, scaling AI in global health requires careful consideration of digital infrastructure, data quality, and ethical deployment. Funders and governments are urged to adopt a phased approach, aligning AI adoption with a country's digital maturity and financial readiness, ensuring sustainable integration. This strategy involves public-private co-investment and clear ownership plans to transition from pilot programs to scaled, interoperable national health platforms, ultimately aiming for smarter, more equitable health systems worldwide.
Creating deepfakes with malicious intent will soon be a crime in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has signed new legislation classifying deepfakes as digital forgeries, making non-consensual digital impersonation punishable by law. This measure targets malicious uses of AI, such as financial scams, reputational damage, and disruption of political processes, with penalties ranging from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony for fraudulent intent. The law aims to provide law enforcement with tools to combat this evolving threat while explicitly protecting First Amendment rights, including parody and satire. This builds on previous legislation in Pennsylvania banning deepfake pornography, which has already led to the first AI-related sexual abuse charges in the state. Across the U.S., states are increasingly introducing and passing legislation to regulate deepfakes, though some federal pushback exists due to concerns over censorship and hindering AI innovation.
Other News of Note
Boeing fuel switches safe, regulator says after Air India crash
The FAA maintains Boeing fuel control switches are safe, despite their reported involvement in a fatal June Air India crash where 260 died. A preliminary report indicated the Boeing 787's fuel was cut post-takeoff, with cockpit audio showing pilot confusion. The FAA noted a 2018 advisory about switch locking, but doesn't deem it an unsafe condition requiring mandatory action. Air India's CEO cautions against premature conclusions, stating the investigation is ongoing and found no mechanical issues.
‘Crypto Week’ kicks off in US with ‘landmark’ digital asset legislation in global spotlight
The U.S. House of Representatives is dedicating July 14-18 to "Crypto Week," aiming to advance three key digital asset bills. These include the Clarity Act for a comprehensive cryptocurrency framework, the GENIUS Act to regulate payment stablecoins, and the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act to block a retail central bank digital currency. This legislative push aligns with President Donald Trump's ambition to make the U.S. the "crypto capital of the world," a shift from his previous anti-crypto stance, and follows a recent all-time high for Bitcoin. Lawmakers emphasize the need for regulatory clarity to safeguard consumers and foster innovation, with global stakeholders closely watching these developments
Boys & Girls Club programs threatened by Trump grant freeze serve thousands of families
The Trump administration has frozen over $6 billion in federal education grants, including funds for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers that support after-school and summer programs for 1.4 million children, primarily from low-income families. While some summer programs have found temporary state or local funding, many after-school programs are at risk of closing in the fall if the funds aren't released within weeks. The administration states the freeze is to ensure programs align with presidential priorities, citing concerns about services for undocumented immigrants or LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts. This decision impacts school districts nationwide, with a disproportionate effect on those in Republican congressional districts, and has prompted criticism from educators and organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA, and Save the Children, who stress the critical role these programs play in providing child care, academic support, and enrichment
ICE memo outlines plan to deport migrants to countries where they are not citizens
A new ICE memo, following a Supreme Court ruling, permits deporting immigrants to third countries with as little as six hours' notice, even without safety assurances from those nations. This policy, a departure from past practice, has raised significant concerns among immigration lawyers who warn it jeopardizes thousands of lives. While Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem defends it as necessary for removing dangerous individuals, critics argue it risks persecution and torture, lacking adequate due process.