March 26, 2026 Coast Guard operates with unpaid bills and ‘grim uncertainty’ in ongoing government shutdown By Svetlana Shkolnikova/Stars and Stripes Security News Adm. Thomas Allan, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, testifies during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing on Wednesday. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) 40-day shutdown of Department of Homeland Security has led to missed paychecks for civilian employees, threatens potential missed pay for servicemembers. The 40-day...

March 19, 2026 By Linda F. Hersey/Stars and Stripes Veterans-Healthcare-News Bills span improving health care access, government accountability, and benefits for education and workforce readiness.   A whopping 27 bills for reauthorizing specific veterans programs and policies were presented Wednesday at an unusual hearing of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee that focused on eventually combining many of the initiatives into a single omnibus package for a vote in Congress.   The bills...

American Legion Post 32 in Nebraska makes 446 Buddy Checks on March 15.  Around February of 2025, American Legion Post 32 in Papillion, Neb., staged a Buddy Check effort that went well enough the post decided to make it an annual effort.   They chose March 15 of this year for their next effort, which also happened to fall on the start of The American Legion Birthday. In addition to making 446 Buddy Check calls over the course of the day, those who showed up to make the calls also got to enjoy...