South China Sea - The commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102 completed his 1,000th carrier arrested landing aboard the Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) August 6.

Washington, DC - Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule that clearly defines long-standing law to better ensure that aliens seeking to enter and remain in the United States - either temporarily or permanently - are self-sufficient and rely on their own capabilities and the resources of family members, sponsors, and private organizations rather than on public resources.

Washington, DC - U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service Administrator Chad Rupe today announced that USDA is investing $181 million to upgrade rural electric systems in 10 states (PDF, 98 KB). The funding includes $7.7 million to finance smart grid technologies that improve system operations and monitor grid security.

Escondido, California - Edward, a 13-day-old southern white rhino calf at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, got his first chance to experience a true mud wallow this morning, under the watchful eye of his mom, Victoria. Rhino keepers decided to create a wallow for the youngster to provide him the opportunity to experience an instinctive behavior for rhinos.

Washington, DC - The Navy announced a series of forthcoming administrative changes meant to foster a culture of excellence and assist the service achieve best-ever performance in NAVADMIN 188/19, released August 9.

Washington, DC - The governments of France, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States welcome the announcement of a truce in Libya on the occasion of Eid el-Adha in response to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) with the support of the Security Council, and invite all parties to effectively cease hostilities across Libya. We stand ready to assist the UN Mission in monitoring the observance of the truce and address any attempt to break it.