Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a "State of the Force" speech to military members at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia, on Wednesday, focusing largely on the cultural shifts President Donald Trump's administration has aimed to achieve.

New Goals in the Military: Hegseth introduced Project Meridian, a project led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), and Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey that will research the future of warfare. He also announced an effort to make every US base independent from national power grids to protect them from sabotage or cyberattacks; an office called the Autonomous Warfare Command to lead the purchasing of new autonomous drones and robotics; and an Office of Religious Affairs to ensure budgets for religious infrastructure, like chapels.

Culture Shifts in the Military: Unlike last year's speech, in which Hegseth addressed high-ranking members like admirals and generals, his audience Wednesday comprised lower-ranking officers and enlisted leaders. Hegseth repeated a version of his refrain from his 2025 speech, saying the military would have "no fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals. Just warriors." He went on to say that "the ideological clowns are out. The patriotic cowboys are in, with testosterone testing on top."

How the Media Covered It: Left outlets more than outlets on the right or in the center highlighted Hegseth's refrain about overweight or transgender military members, with NPR (Lean Left bias) quoting it in the second paragraph. It also touched on criticism Hegseth has received for his methods of reducing the flag-officer corps, reporting that "many of the notable firings were of Black or female officers, let go without explanation despite excellent service records." Daily Wire (Right) wrote that Hegseth "declared that the military has officially abandoned woke policies." Daily Wire wrote that Hegseth was "taking a victory lap on standardizing physical fitness tests and stripping away identity-based initiatives" when he "fired off" his refrain. Wall Street Journal (Center) reported that those in attendance received a compilation of Hegseth's past speeches bound in a book called "The War Department Field Manual," which also contained a forward from Trump.

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President Trump on Wednesday announced that South Korea plans to invest roughly $54 billion in a natural gas project in Alaska. The South Korean government denied finalization of an investment until certain conditions are met.

The Details: Trump said that under the agreement, South Korea would subsidize the construction of an 807-mile liquefied natural gas pipeline across Alaska. It's part of a larger $200 billion US energy infrastructure plan with South Korea announced Wednesday, which also includes an $120 billion investment on eight nuclear plants across four states and roughly $20 billion on a natural gas power plant in Texas. The National Desk (Right bias) reported the project would create about 12,000 construction jobs and up to 1,000 long-term operations jobs.

South Korea Pushes Back: Outlets on the left and in the center generally emphasized that South Korea and Glenfarne, the Alaska LNG project developer, haven't announced a final approval for the deal yet. The New York Post (Right) also noted Korea's pushback. They all cited South Korea's interior ministry as saying, "No decision has been made on whether to invest or on the size of the investment." On X, Korean President Lee Jae Myung also wrote that South Korean investment in the pipeline is based on two conditions: 1. its commercial viability is confirmed and 2) it complies with the legal procedures of the Republic of Korea. Wall Street Journal (Center) said the joint fact sheet made no mention of the size of an investment and that the Korean Industry Ministry said both countries had agreed to "initiate a review" of the deal. It did note, however, that Korea wasn't disputing its interest in Trump's "pet project."

Boosting Republican Candidates: Outlets across the political spectrum said Trump's announcement was a way to boost Alaskan Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan ahead of midterms. Politico (Lean Left) described it as "a flashy Oval Office funding announcement." Associated Press (Lean Left) said the announcement was "the second time in three days that the president used promises of big projects to try to elevate Senate candidates in states…where Republicans are now in surprisingly competitive races." New York Post said that Sullivan's seat "is critical for Republicans to keep control of the Senate." Fox News (Right) highlighted celebration from Republican lawmakers over the deal.

Construction and Jobs: Outlets on the left more often omitted potential job growth compared to outlets on the right, which highlighted benefits of the project. The New York Times (Lean Left) highlighted skepticism from experts about whether South Korea would be able to fulfill its commitment. It also emphasized potential challenges the project could face and the time it would take to construct the pipeline. The New York Post mentioned construction will take "at least five years" once construction begins.

For Context: The investment comes from a trade deal in July 2025 where South Korea committed to investing $350 billion in the US. In exchange, South Korea gets a 15% tariff rate on South Korean goods. On Monday, Trump also announced plans to build a $15 billion steel plant in Minnesota.

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The Trump administration has begun mailing one-time $500 checks to more than 950,000 Affordable Care Act enrollees in 30 states, alongside letters from President Donald Trump.

The Details: The administration said the payments refund excess "user fees" that insurers passed on to consumers through higher premiums. Eligibility generally applies to people who paid full premiums without federal assistance and live in states using the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchange, according to the White House. In his letter, Trump blamed the Biden administration for overcharging users and said the money "belongs to hard-working Americans, not the Government, and now I'm returning it to you!"

For Context: CNBC (Lean Left bias) reported that those enrolled in the ACA, also known as Obamacare, experienced spikes in their health insurance premiums after ACA enhanced premium subsidies lapsed in 2025. A White House official said that most recipients earn about 400% of the poverty line -- $64,000, or $129,000 for a family of four.

Giving Back to Americans: The Daily Caller (Right) and The New York Post (Right) focused on Trump's claims that American households were "massively overcharged, to put it mildly," by the Biden administration. The Daily Caller emphasized Trump's quotes that the administration was "doing the right thing and giving the money back to the people who were wrongly ripped off." The Post reported that the federal government was saving the ACA about $2.2 billion by removing 750,000 users suspected of fraudulent enrollment.

'Misleading Claims': Newsweek (Center) quoted an MIT economics professor and former healthcare official who called Trump's explanation "misleading" and said the checks were "an effort to score political points." CNBC quoted a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who said the policy was a form of "damage control" to distract from higher healthcare costs ahead of the midterms. The professor also told CNBC the announcement is "part of a broad effort by President Trump to buy continued Republican control of the House and Senate via promises of direct government payments to voters."

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New reporting and media framing have emerged on Flydubai flight FZ1073, which made an emergency landing on Wednesday after one pilot stabbed the other.

The Pilot: ​​Captain Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was stabbed by his co-pilot, who was reportedly an Omani national. Outlets across the spectrum and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Machchhar was the one who opened the door, though CNN (Lean Left bias) offered more cautious wording and said, "During the struggle the cockpit door was opened." Most outlets framed Machchhar as a "hero." The Indian embassy in Riyadh said Machchhar was in stable condition on Thursday.

Other Heroes: Other passengers stormed the cockpit and subdued the attacker. According to The Guardian (Left), one of them was Dr. Shota Musaev, a dentist who said, "[Machchhar] was covered in cuts – his head, his hands – they were practically sliced open, almost severed in two… he had lost a lot of blood and was in bad shape." The Guardian said other crew members and an off-duty British pilot helped land the plane. Another passenger, maintenance man Yaniv Hayoun, told The Free Press (Lean Right) he was motivated to intervene after glancing at his wife and children. Hayoun said, "I managed to open the cockpit door with the help of another crewmember. We physically fought with the co-pilot; he was going wild. I put him in a chokehold, took control of him, and dragged him out of the cockpit. Then I called for other Israelis to help restrain him."

Act of Terror?: Israel, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia have all opened their own investigations into the incident. Flydubai has paused flights to Israel while investigations take place. The Guardian highlighted that Israel's ambassador to the UN described it as a "terror attack" while Netanyahu has said it's still too early to confirm that. Netanyahu told Fox News (Right), however, that the attacking pilot "underwent Islamist radical indoctrination." Some, including The Telegraph (Center), Hungarian Conservative (Lean Right), and Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), have described the event as "Israel's 9/11." Qatari outlet Al Jazeera (Lean Left) described the incident as a "diverted Flydubai flight." Conversely, The Jerusalem Post (Center) described it as an attempted "terror hijacking."

RELATED: Hey Ladies, Come to Dubai! | AllSides

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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other officials from President Donald Trump's administration addressed the second-ever Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) summit about issues like affordability, food, and the use of technology in healthcare. Outlets on the left tended to emphasize Kennedy's comments about artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, while right outlets more broadly covered the range of topics discussed at the summit.

Who Attended the Summit? The Hill (Center bias) reported that the summit featured nine publicly traded companies in insurance, AI, retail, and pharmaceuticals, alleging that some members of the MAHA base feel the movement is "selling out." The Hill quoted Robert Malone, a MAHA activist and former member of the Centers for Disease Control vaccine advisory panel, who wrote on X, "Nothing screams medical freedom like UnitedHealth, Elevance Health, Walmart, GRAIL, ResMed, Compass Pathways, Definium Therapeutics, Hims & Hers, Noom, Advocate Health, Sutter Health, Anthropic and OpenAI."

AI in Healthcare: New York Times (Lean Left) highlighted Kennedy's endorsement of AI for medical purposes. During a "fireside chat" with Vice President JD Vance, Kennedy said that AI can provide patients with "a second opinion that is much better informed than any doctor in the country" and has the power to "free us from medical tyranny." He also said that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes it would be "malpractice for a doctor to make a diagnosis or to make a prescription without at least checking AI." During his Tuesday address at the summit, Kennedy told the audience, "One of the things that is going to change is that we're never ever again going to be able to be dominated by public officials who tell us, 'Trust the experts,'" and instead suggested that people should consider taking advice from AI over medical professionals.

Other Advances in Health: Just the News (Lean Right) reported on innovations that were shared at the summit in the fields of mental health, cancer screenings, and AI-assisted medical care. Researchers on a panel about psychedelics shared psychedelic-based treatments they are researching for depression that aim to give patients options other than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to treat their mental health conditions. Just the News also highlighted several representatives from businesses that attended the summit, such as Sword, GRAIL, and Candid Health, that argued that AI should continue to be integrated into every facet of healthcare.

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President Donald Trump announced a revamped America.gov website that is powered by an artificial intelligence (AI) portal that can answer questions about various government agencies. Some outlets on the left and center highlighted ways that the AI provides information that may contradict claims the president has made, while right outlets emphasized how the site will make accessing some government information easier.

The Details: The Trump administration said that the AI-powered site condensed 29,000 government websites into the model, which will allow people to ask questions in one place and receive answers the AI pulls from official government sources. Officials said the system can help guide individuals through government processes like Medicare enrollment, federal job applications, disaster assistance, and more.

For Context: Though some industry leaders have called for a slowing of AI development and warned of its potential dangers, the Trump administration has pushed for its continued development so the US can remain ahead of countries like China.

How the Media Covered It: Newsweek (Center) asked the chatbot questions about some of Trump's "controversial claims," including questions about who won the 2020 election, election fraud, climate change, Trump's felony charges, and other "politically sensitive topics." Associated Press (Lean Left) also reported that "President Donald Trump probably won't like some of the answers his new site says are sourced from government information," citing similar questions to Newsweek. However, Associated Press alleged that the site began modifying its answers as Trump was still speaking at the launch event on Tuesday. It reported that when asked a second time about the 2020 election, the site replied that it "couldn't answer 'political questions.'" Deseret News (Lean Right) included Trump's argument that the AI site "was restoring a promise from the country's founding by putting power and control 'back into the hands of the people.'" Deseret also included context about the ongoing debate about the need for AI guardrails.

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A Tel Aviv-bound flight from Dubai made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday after a violent incident that Israel is investigating as a terror attack.

The Details: An unnamed Israeli official reportedly told Channel 12 that on Flydubai flight FZ1073, one pilot stabbed the other and tried to use the passenger plane in a terror attack. The plane plunged 17,000 feet as crew members and passengers worked together to apprehend the violent pilot. Several videos and photos have emerged online, showing the assailed pilot and other passengers bloodied. An unnamed Israeli official told CNN (Lean Left) that the attacker was Omani. An unnamed Israeli official and a "second regional official" told Associated Press (Left) that a fight broke out between the two pilots.

Key Quotes: The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said, "The incident is under control, and all measures are currently being deployed in order to return the Israeli passengers safely to Israel." Flydubai said, "The aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight, who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk Airport (TUU). All passengers and crew are safe and accounted for."

How The Media Covered It: The story was widely covered as news broke on Tuesday. Live coverage from BBC News (Center) included an analysis that described the Israeli government's suspicions that it may have been a terror attack as "expected," with "tightly contested elections just weeks away."

This is a developing story and may be updated. Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday announced a strategy to combat antisemitism in the city. Outlets across the political spectrum aligned in their framing by including Mamdani's past critiques of Israel. Many also emphasized concerns from Jewish communities that the strategy isn't enough.

The Details: CNN (Lean Left bias) reported that Mamdani allocated $30 million in funding prevention efforts and restarting the interagency security infrastructure working group to help agencies identify threats to Jewish New Yorkers. The strategy also includes $7.4 million for Jewish cultural centers and non-profits and education campaigns. Other aspects of the strategy include highlighting contributions of Jewish New Yorkers on LinkNYC kiosks and expanding training programs for city workers to "understand Jewish experiences."

For Context: According to data released by the New York Police Department in September, antisemitic hate crimes are up 8% this year and make up about 53.9% of hate crime incidents. Mamdani has previously called for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza. He also chose not to attend the city's Israel Day Parade in May.

Criticism of Israel: Outlets across the political spectrum contextualized the announcement within Mamdani's criticism of Israel and its actions in Gaza. CNN and Wall Street Journal (Center) both described Mamdani as having faced accusations of antisemitism from some Jewish groups. The New York Times (Lean Left) described him as "a longtime critic of Israel," while The Wall Street Journal included that in its headline. The Washington Free Beacon (Right) called him "a boycott-Israel activist since his college days." The New York Times also reported that the strategy was missing mention of the Israel-Gaza war, writing the "omission…reflects the sensitive and fraught politics around the issue."

Response from Jewish Community: The Wall Street Journal quoted some Jewish leaders calling the strategy a "step in the right direction," but focused more on accusations from Jewish community members that Mamdani's rhetoric has made them feel less safe. Many also called the strategy "underwhelming" and noted the strategy didn't include a definition of antisemitism. The Free Press (Lean Right) and the Washington Free Beacon also included criticism from Jewish Leaders over Mamdani's rhetoric. The Free Beacon reported on a joint statement from Jewish organizations denouncing Mamdani's plan for failing "to address a central issue that the mayor himself has perpetuated: rhetoric that demonizes and delegitimizes Israel inevitably leads to the targeting of Jewish New Yorkers."

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