Category Archives: Military

VA Backs off Promise to Catch Up on Veterans' Claims

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by Aaron Glantz, Center for Investigative Reporting The Department of Veterans Affairs has systematically missed nearly all of its internal benchmarks for reducing a hulking backlog of benefits claims and has quietly backed away from repeated promises to give all … Continue reading »


California Homebuying Program for Veterans Hands Out Few Loans

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by Aaron Glantz, Center for Investigative Reporting A state program designed to help California veterans buy homes granted just 83 loans last year, despite more than $1.1 billion in available funding. The California Department of Veterans Affairs employed 87 staff … Continue reading »


Speier Slams 'Antiquated' Military Justice System

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Rep. Jackie Speier sounded pretty frustrated when I talked to her on Wednesday. The South Bay Democrat has been trying for two years to reform the way the military handles sexual assaults. Her bills on the issue have yet to … Continue reading »


SF Pride Board Says Bradley Manning Can't Be Grand Marshal Because He's Not Local

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The San Francisco Pride Board has a new rationale for keeping former U.S. soldier and whistleblower Bradley Manning out of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Parade as a grand marshal: He's not local enough. The position in Manning's case … Continue reading »


San Francisco Gay Activists Split Over Bradley Manning Pride Role

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A grand marshal in the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Parade doesn't do very much. Mostly the job requires waving at onlookers while riding in a convertible. And Bradley Manning, imprisoned on charges of leaking U.S. military documents through … Continue reading »


VA Rewarded Top Officials with Bonuses, Despite Growing Claims Backlog

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by Aaron Glantz, Center for Investigative Reporting The Department of Veterans Affairs handed out millions of dollars in bonuses to top officials over five years, even as the number of veterans facing long waits for disability benefits ballooned. Internal VA … Continue reading »


Nuclear Byproduct Levels on Treasure Island Higher than Navy Disclosed

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by Matt Smith and Katharine Mieszkowski, Center for Investigative Reporting Land slated for development on Treasure Island contains elevated concentrations of cesium-137, a byproduct of nuclear fission associated with an increased risk of cancer, according to an independent analysis commissioned … Continue reading »


No Blue Angels at This Year's Fleet Week. Savings? About $1 Million

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The Blue Angels will not soar and roar and boom over the Bay Area this October. They will not jet and pirouette, and many fans of the Navy's demonstration squadron will be sad when Fleet Week rolls around. It's not … Continue reading »


California Vies for Drone-Testing Contracts

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By Aarti Shahani It looks like the skies are going to become a lot more crowded. The Federal Aviation Administration wants to put unmanned aerial vehicles operated by joysticks in the same air with planes operated by pilots. Last month … Continue reading »


Oakland VA Office Makes Veterans Wait 618 Days for Disability Pay

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by Aaron Glantz, The Bay Citizen The Department of Veterans Affairs has failed to provide key information to Congress and the public that shows the agency’s ability to quickly provide service-related benefits has virtually collapsed under President Barack Obama. Infographic: … Continue reading »