OpenSecrets data reveals that $141,778,649 was spent on lobbying in the defense sector in 2023. This significant lobbying expenditure points to efforts to shape defense policy, consolidating military-industrial influence which may support authoritarian tendencies in policymaking.

The U.S. Army has updated its policies to more clearly define and discipline extremist behavior among soldiers, including social media activities and display of extremist symbols. Signed by Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, the new guidelines aim to curb internal extremist activities that have been linked to previous events such as the January 6 Capitol breach.

The Department of Defense published its long-delayed internal report on extremist activity within its ranks following a USA TODAY investigation. Commissioned by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after the Jan. 6 insurrection, the 262‐page study reveals that while extremist activity remains rare, the military's security clearance process is outdated and fails to adequately screen for domestic extremism, potentially placing sensitive positions at risk.

A Pentagon-funded study on prohibited extremist activities in the U.S. military was published nearly 18 months late and relied on outdated data, leading it to undercount extremist incidents and recommend that the military not overreact. Critics argue this muted response could enable extremist elements within the armed forces.

An investigation by major news outlets uncovered allegations of labor abuse on U.S. military bases, where migrant workers employed by private contractors reportedly faced human trafficking, intimidation, and poor working conditions. The Pentagon has been criticized for its lack of transparency and failure to disclose the identities of contractors involved in these violations.

An investigative report details systemic labor abuses on U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf where migrant workers face exploitative conditions, including passport confiscation, exorbitant recruitment fees, and lack of freedom of movement. These practices, carried out by defense contractors under the oversight of the U.S. military, raise serious concerns about inadequate enforcement of U.S. labor and human trafficking regulations.

The article highlights how the establishment of a U.S. military base on Diego Garcia contributed to the forcible displacement of Chagossian indigenous people, an action criticized by Human Rights Watch as an entrenched colonial injustice.