With demise of Pentagon's 'Early Bird,' military readers hunt bootleg copies of 'Morning News' - Washington Times

"The Defense Department has terminated its daily compilation of military-related news reports and opinion articles — called the Early Bird — in favor of a more restrictive press-clipping service for only the top brass.
The demise of the million-circulation “must read” for bureaucrats, politicians, industrialists and journalists has sparked complaints.
Hundreds of thousands of loyal readers have lost a concise morning view of what is happening in national security. They can’t subscribe to its successor, Morning News, which is provided only to the 300 most powerful leaders inside the Pentagon."

Originally Posted by Guest

With demise of Pentagon's 'Early Bird,' military readers hunt bootleg copies of 'Morning News' - Washington Times

"The Defense Department has terminated its daily compilation of military-related news reports and opinion articles — called the Early Bird — in favor of a more restrictive press-clipping service for only the top brass.
The demise of the million-circulation “must read” for bureaucrats, politicians, industrialists and journalists has sparked complaints.
Hundreds of thousands of loyal readers have lost a concise morning view of what is happening in national security. They can’t subscribe to its successor, Morning News, which is provided only to the 300 most powerful leaders inside the Pentagon."

YEP, AND this admiinistration has cut the STATE department to such a small size.

Was thinking as the fiasco in Korean penninsula was happening...we do not even have an ambassador in Japan.

Originally Posted by Guest

YEP, AND this admiinistration has cut the STATE department to such a small size.

Was thinking as the fiasco in Korean penninsula was happening...we do not even have an ambassador in Japan.

Most ambassadors are political appointees, based on campaign donations. Perhaps Trump is doing things differently this time? Besides, there is ALWAYS an acting ambassador at the embassy, usually a better qualified career diplomat.

And the funding for the State Dept has not been cut YET. That is in progress and most of it will be dealing with AID, not State. AID wastes more money than any other organization in our gov. I have seen how extravagant AID lives on taxpayer money.

The State Department has over 30,000 employees!!

First step?

Get rid of every person with the word assistant in their title....no questions asked, no study required...just hand out the pink slips.

Come the following Monday AM no one will even know they are gone.

Originally Posted by Guest

The State Department has over 30,000 employees!!

First step?

Get rid of every person with the word assistant in their title....no questions asked, no study required...just hand out the pink slips.

Come the following Monday AM no one will even know they are gone.

In my experience...the "assistants" do the work...the "director" does nothing but play golf.

Originally Posted by Guest

The State Department has over 30,000 employees!!

First step?

Get rid of every person with the word assistant in their title....no questions asked, no study required...just hand out the pink slips.

Come the following Monday AM no one will even know they are gone.

The "assistants" are ALL back in D.C.
About half the employees working in embassies are local national hires.

Most of our embassies are just covers for intelligence organizations, other than the consular section. Perhaps they should chip in to pay a little more than just rental space.

There is a bit of waste in the State Dept, but considering the size of our overseas presence, the budget is small in proportion. Even our embassy perimeter security is local hires. The small USMC security detachment at each embassy is there primarily to protect the classified material.

Just my opinion based on my observation.