NYTIMES (John Ismay) - Cost of Trump’s Namesake Warships Likely to Rise by 50 Percent or More
President Trump’s goal of building a “golden fleet” of 15 battleships could cost $275 billion, according to a government estimate.
NPR (Steve Walsh) - The $13 billion carrier with a plumbing problem is home. Now come the costly repairs
With 4,600 sailors finally home, USS Gerald R. Ford will finally receive some much needed repairs and an upgrade to its beleaguered sewage system.
NPR (Steve Walsh) - 'I'd wait forever, but 334 days is crazy.' USS Ford finally comes home
The USS Ford came home to a hero's welcome. Sailors had been away from home for nearly a year, through two conflicts, a fire and problems with the sewage system.
NPR (Steve Walsh) - A nearly year-long deployment at sea takes a toll on military families
Families in Norfolk, Va., await the return of roughly 15,000 sailors and Marines as the USS Ford continues a deployment that started more than 10 months ago.
NPR (Steve Walsh) - USS Ford has seen war, fire and plumbing woes as it nears a record long deployment
The Ford's crew left Norfolk, Va., on June 24, initially bound for the Mediterranean. More than nine months later, the crew is now in the Red Sea for the war with Iran with no clear return date.
NYTIMES (Helene Cooper) - Fire on the U.S. Aircraft Carrier Gerald R. Ford Raged for Hours, Sailors Say
The Ford is now entering its 10th month of deployment after arriving in the Middle East from the Caribbean.
NYTIMES (John Ismay) - Inside the USS Ford, the Navy’s Newest Aircraft Carrier, as It Heads to Mideast
The carrier has had mechanical problems throughout its eight-month deployment, but officials now say it is ready for battle. Take a look inside the ship.
YOUTUBE (The Hill) - U.S.-Iran Hold Indirect Talks, Hillary Clinton Testifies In Epstein Probe - The Hill | NEWSNATION
Host Blake Burman discusses the indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran in Geneva about a nuclear deal. The day ended with no deal, but talks are expected to continue. As those talks were happening, the USS Ford left Greece for the Middle East. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton testified for hours behind closed doors in the Jeffrey Epstein probe.
AXIOS (Barak Ravid) - Trump says he'll decide whether to bomb Iran in next 10-15 days
President Trump said Thursday that he would decide in the next 10 or 15 days whether to continue diplomacy with Iran or order a military strike. Why it matters: U.S. and Israeli officials tell Axios a military operation against Iran would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign — and could begin within days. What he's saying: "Now we may have to take it a step further or we may not. Maybe we are going to make a deal [with Iran]. You are going to be finding out over the next probably 10 days," Trump said during the Gaza Board of Peace meeting in Washington on Thursday. - Several hours later Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to Georgia that 10 days "would be enough time. Ten, fifteen days, pretty much maximum." State of…