Axios

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday proposed a pitch-off between states to see who should host America's newest military base.

Why it matters: New military infrastructure is a major economic driver for states and can lead to political tug-of-wars, like the years-long fight between Colorado and Alabama to claim U.S. Space Command's headquarters.

• "If your state wants the honor of hosting 15- to 25,000 of America's great troops, show us why and how you're going to do it," Hegseth said during a speech in Quantico, Virginia.
• America's newest military installation is Colorado's Schriever Space Force Base, which was opened in 1985.

Zoom in: A memo from Hegseth called it a "joint military installation within the Homeland."

• The new base, Hegseth said in his speech, will sit on "hundreds of thousands of acres" and serve as a "dynamic, self-sustaining power projection platform" with modern air defenses and updated technology.
• He also said it should align with President Trump's preferred building style and be "a proud fortress of our Republic, built with timeless classical architecture."

Zoom out: Military construction is a "lengthy and complex process" and can take anywhere from five to seven years or more, according to the Congressional Research Service.

• The Defense Department and lawmakers must prioritize construction, budget funds and conduct additional legal and environmental reviews.
• Most military construction funding is appropriated by Congress, but CRS notes that there "are certain authorities that allow DOD to use funds" from other accounts for military construction activities "in certain situations."
• Hegseth said the process is aimed at avoiding "backroom Washington deals."

What they're saying: It's not clear how Hegseth can avoid Congress, said Katherine Kuzminski, the Center for a New American Security's director of studies.

• "It needs to be led not by the Pentagon, but by Congress because Congress holds the ultimate constitutional and budgetary authority to authorize and fund the establishment of a new military base," she said. "It presents a good opportunity for the secretary to work with Congress in a selection process of where we might want to see it located."

Bottom line: In the Sept. 30 memo, Hegseth's directed the assistant secretary for energy, installations, and environment to come up with an evaluation plan and timeline within two weeks.

• "We are calling on every governor and adjutant general across the country to step up to the plate and bring us your best sales pitch," he wrote.

A FlyDubai flight bound for Israel erupted into chaos after a pilot stabbed another pilot and sent the plane spiraling thousands of feet.

The big picture: The midair emergency triggered a multinational security response, but key details about what happened inside the cockpit remained unclear.

The Justice Department filed a complaint against a group of federal judges from Minnesota for speaking to The New York Times about the impact of the immigration enforcement surge on their court.

The big picture: The complaint opens a new front in the Trump administration's standoff with federal judges, bolstered by a loyal Justice Department.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took aim at the U.S. media during a speech at a Marine Corps base in Virginia on Wednesday, saying, "Our so-called press makes Iranian state media look reasonable."

Why it matters: Hegseth cast news outlets as a threat to U.S. troops, escalating his attacks on journalists over reporting based on classified information.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) sued former special counsel Jack Smith Wednesday, alleging he unlawfully obtained her cellphone toll records during his investigation of Trump and the 2020 election

Why it matters: The lawsuit escalates Republicans' efforts to challenge Smith's investigation more than a year after his probe ended.

The Massachusetts attorney general released a report Wednesday documenting more than 270 Catholic clerics accused of sexually abusing 944 children across three dioceses — but the investigation will result in no new indictments.

Why it matters: The dioceses created an illusion of safety while church leaders repeatedly exploited loopholes to protect the institution's reputation, systematically concealing staggering levels of abuse.

President Donald Trump nominated a new general to lead U.S. Space Command, just weeks after officials revealed the military has orbital weapons ready for battle.

Why it matters: U.S. Space Command oversees all military operations in space. If confirmed, Trump's new pick, Space Force Lt. Gen. David Miller Jr., will be tasked with navigating a growing orbital arms race and the combatant command's move from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Huntsville, Alabama.

A criminal investigation into allegations that a Cornell University student was gang raped by seven fraternity members in 2024 is fueling a new push by House Democratic women to strengthen federal protections against sexual violence on college campuses.

Why it matters: The Democratic Women's Caucus is calling on congressional Republicans and the Trump administration to strengthen Title IX protections, arguing that the administration's changes to the civil rights law could leave students more vulnerable.

The U.S. Supreme Court said Wednesday night that Tennessee could move forward with death row inmate Christa Pike's execution, reversing a last-minute stay issued earlier in the day by a federal appeals court.

The latest: The high court cleared the way for the execution in a two-sentence order that capped a rapid-fire legal battle. The three liberal justices dissented.

• It wasn't immediately clear when the state would move forward with the execution, which was initially set to take place Wednesday morning.

The most significant congressional action on college sports in decades is about to hit a wall in the House of Representatives.

Why it matters: The House has already scrapped one major overhaul of college sports this Congress, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has a huge priority — government funding — to get passed during the lame-duck session.