Bowe Bergdahl pleading guilty to desertion

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl told a military judge today he will plead guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, per the Associated Press. "I understand that leaving was against the law," he said. "At the time, I had no intention of causing search and recovery operations."

Why it matters: Bergdahl, who was captured by the Taliban in 2009 and spent five years in captivity, chose to be tried by a judge instead of a military jury for walking off his post in Afghanistan, as the AP notes. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 23, at which former comrades may testify he endangered their lives through his actions.