Politics & World Affairs — October 1, 2026

Musk to lead Pentagon study. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Elon Musk, Anduril founder Palmer Luckey, and Newt Gingrich will lead a 120-day Pentagon study of the future of warfare dubbed 'Project Meridian.'

Axios · Read more →

FAA sets controller hiring record. The agency hired a record 2,235 air traffic controller trainees this fiscal year after its chief warned the system was 'chronically understaffed.'

The hiring push follows years of staffing shortfalls across the national airspace system, which the agency's own leadership had publicly flagged as a persistent problem. The figure covers trainees brought on during the fiscal year, meaning new hires must still complete training before they can fully staff control facilities, so the effect on day-to-day operations will not be immediate.

Fox News Politics · Read more →

UAE opens flydubai attack probe. The United Arab Emirates launched a hijacking and terrorism investigation into a co-pilot's stabbing of his captain aboard a Tel Aviv-bound jet. Netanyahu said Iranian involvement cannot yet be ruled out.

Israeli officials have characterized the stabbing as an apparent attempt to bring down the aircraft, according to Reuters, though the co-pilot's motive remains unresolved and is a central question in the inquiry. Israel has pledged to determine what drove the attack, while the Emirati investigation will treat it under hijacking and terrorism statutes. Netanyahu's comments disclosed new details but stopped short of assigning responsibility to Tehran.

Reuters · Read more →