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‘Very outdated’: Trump’s directive to revert to steam catapults on new aircraft carrier baffles naval experts

2026-08-14T18:34:40.715Z / CNN

By Kaanita Iyer

Updated 1 hr 22 min ago

Updated Aug 14, 2026, 2:37 PM ET

PUBLISHED Aug 14, 2026, 2:34 PM ET

A sailor signals the launch of an F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford while operating in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 2, 2026 in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

From US Navy/Getty Images

President Donald Trump has directed the US Navy to scrap the modern electromagnetic launch system on an upcoming aircraft carrier and instead revert to an older, steam-powered catapult method — potentially adding billions to its price tag and delaying its deployment into the late 2030s.

The directive, outlined in a White House memo and fact sheet released Thursday, orders Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to submit a plan within 60 days to install the catapult systems on on a carrier being built that is slated to take on the name the USS Doris Miller.

While the White House argues the move will “fix critical long-term issues,” naval experts tell CNN the sudden shift is highly unusual.

The newest US aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, was built with an electromagnetic launching system known as EMALS. However, the US Navy’s 10 older carriers, the Nimitz class, still rely on steam-powered catapults.

Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, added that the move would require the USS Doris Miller, which is already under construction, to be redesigned. The cost of that, he told CNN, “will probably be into the billions” and it could delay the carrier — which was expected to be in service around 2034 — “until the end of the next decade.”

The electromagnetic system is similar to a high-speed rail train, making it “a lot simpler,” according to Clark. Meanwhile, the steam catapult has a lot more parts, such as valves, pressure regulators and pistons, he said.

“The electromagnetic ones have proven themselves to be easier to operate and less expensive in terms of personnel and maintenance. So the Navy has saved $100 million a year on the Ford class carrier,” Clark said.

When reached for comment, a White House spokesperson directed CNN to the fact sheet, which argues that the memorandum aims to “fix critical long-term issues in Navy shipbuilding and ship repair programs.”

An F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft lands on the deck of USS Gerald R. Ford while operating in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 2, 2026 in the Mediterranean Sea.

From US Navy/Getty Images

Chris Cavas, a veteran journalist and the host of a podcast on naval issues who said he’s been on launches that have used EMALS and steam catapult, argued that the memo “is very old thinking, very outdated.”

“I can tell you firsthand, you can feel the difference and the difference is that it’s smoother,” Cavas said of the electromagnetic system. “It’s much less stress on the aircraft.”

Cavas and Clark also said that the Navy now faces the logistical issue of finding a manufacturer of steam catapults. Cavas told CNN that while EMALS are contracted, the Navy used to build steam catapults itself.

“They haven’t had to make new steam catapults since the George H. W. Bush,” Cavas said, referring to the aircraft carrier that entered service in 2009. “That’s a long time ago and all that infrastructure is gone.”

Similarly, Clark said, “Nobody builds them anymore. There’s no steam catapult manufacturers in the … US anymore so they’d have to restart that production line, which would cost tens of millions of dollars to get going and that’ll be, it’ll take years to start that up again and build the first catapult.”

The USS Doris Miller’s delay, along with the retirements of carriers in the Nimitz class, could mean the US Navy will “be very short on carrying capacity” next decade, Clark added.

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain, criticized the memo in a post on X on Thursday, saying, “I’ve launched off the front of aircraft carriers hundreds of times, have a Master’s degree in aeronautical engineering, and am a test pilot and even I wouldn’t suggest to the Navy how to engineer specific systems on its ships.”

“Donald Trump should stick to what he knows best — ballrooms, bankruptcy, and bullshit,” he added.

CNN has reached out to General Atomics — which made EMALS for the USS Gerald Ford and was set to do the same for the USS Doris Miller — for comment.

Inside “the Pool”: Fugitive arrested in alleged scheme to control cross-border car trade

August 14, 2026 / 1:00 PM EDT / CBS News

By

Along the Texas-Mexico border, it’s known as “the Pool.” And this week, federal authorities say they caught one of the men accused of helping run it.

Every year, drivers known as transmigrantes transport used cars bought in the United States through Mexico to be resold in Central America. Federal prosecutors say a group of South Texas businessmen found a way to monopolize the industry that took those cars across the border — fixing the fees, pooling their revenues and squeezing businesses that refused to comply.

At the center of the scheme, authorities say, was Carlos Martinez, a Mission, Texas, businessman known as “Cuate” who controlled the transmigrante forwarding agency near the Los Indios border crossing in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. Prosecutors allege Martinez — the son-in-law of a former notorious Gulf Cartel leader — helped turn a cluster of supposedly competing businesses into a tightly controlled network of fixed prices, shared revenue, cash payments and intimidation. He pleaded guilty to federal charges and was sentenced to prison time.

Working alongside him, prosecutors allege, was Rigoberto Brown, a dual U.S.-Mexican citizen who served in managerial roles on Martinez’s behalf, helping him pull off the alleged scheme. Brown was charged in November 2022 with conspiring to fix prices and divide the market and with conspiring to monopolize the transmigrante forwarding business. Then he disappeared.

For nearly four years, authorities say, Brown lived as a fugitive in Mexico. This week, they caught him near McAllen, Texas. He is set to be arraigned Friday in federal court in Houston.

An alleged price-fixing “empresa”

For years, much of the traffic moved by transmigrantes was funneled through one place.

Before March 2021, Mexican regulations required commerce to enter Mexico through the Los Indios Port of Entry in South Texas, according to the federal indictment. That created a concentrated industry around the crossing, where forwarding agencies helped drivers handle the customs paperwork and other requirements needed to get their vehicles into Mexico.

Thousands of vehicles moved through the system, generating millions of dollars a year in forwarding agency revenue, according to prosecutors. Federal authorities allege a group of operators found a way to control it.

Beginning as early as 2011, prosecutors say, forwarding agencies agreed on prices instead of competing for customers, choosing to inflate prices and divide the market among themselves.

Participating businesses allegedly collected their revenues centrally and divided the money according to agreed-upon percentages. Prosecutors say the operation was so organized, participants used charts and spreadsheets to keep track of the arrangement and communicated about prices and revenues throughout meetings and in calls, texts and exchanges on social media and messaging applications.

Some participants referred to the collective enterprise as the “empresa” — Spanish for “the company” — according to the indictment. But prosecutors say controlling prices was only one part of the operation.

Vehicles carrying secondhand cars and other goods line up in Los Indios, Texas, as they prepare to go through Mexico on Dec. 19, 2006. Many of the transmigrantes come from as far as Washington, New York and California. AP/Valley Morning Star, Gabe Hernandez

The “piso”

According to federal prosecutors, alleged conspirators also controlled relationships with licensed Mexican customs brokers whose services were required to process the transmigrante paperwork. The special arrangement allegedly gave them leverage over businesses outside the group.

Agencies without the special broker relationships were allegedly coerced into operating through agencies controlled by members of the conspiracy, according to the indictment, while some outsiders were also pushed into the Pool, forced to follow its prices and revenue-sharing rules.

The term “piso” — Spanish for “floor” — is used in the case to describe an alleged extortion payment imposed on vehicles crossing the Los Indios bridge.

Prosecutors allege one forwarding agency owner was forced to pay more than $80,000 after operating outside the Pool and failing to pay the alleged tax.

Those who resisted faced more than economic pressure, according to the government.

The indictment alleges that threats and intimidation were used to enforce the arrangement — including acts of violence directed against industry participants, their families, employees, associates and businesses.

Prosecutors add that the goal was fear: discouraging businesses already in the market from breaking ranks and dissuading outsiders from posing a challenge to the group.

A fugitive returns

Brown was charged in November 2022 with conspiring to fix prices and allocate the market, which is considered a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, as well as conspiring to monopolize the market in violation of Section 2. The Sherman Antitrust Act was passed in 1890 to give federal authorities a tool to target large corporate monopolies, and the law is primarily used for that purpose today.

After he was indicted more than three years ago, Brown hid out in Mexico, authorities say, until his arrest this week near McAllen. His capture comes after so much of the case has played out in federal court, and eight of Brown’s co-defendants have already been sentenced.

Martinez, for instance, received the harshest punishment: 11 years in federal prison and a $2 million criminal fine after pleading guilty to conspiring to fix prices and allocate the market, conspiring to monopolize, conspiring to interfere with commerce through extortion and conspiring to launder money.

Other defendants received lesser prison sentences, home detention or time served after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the sweeping investigation.

Two defendants, Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart and Diego Ceballos-Soto, remain fugitives, according to the Justice Department.

Investigators from the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI led the law enforcement operation, while the case has been prosecuted by attorneys from the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, the department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

If convicted, Brown faces up to 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine on each Sherman Act charge.

It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

花旗新加坡国家主管李龙年 当选我国高球总会新会长

2026年8月14日 23:19 / 联合早报

花旗新加坡国家主管李龙年（图）接替陈聪发，当选新加坡高尔夫球总会新会长。 （取自新加坡高尔夫球总会官网）

新加坡高尔夫球总会星期五（8月14日）举行年度会员大会，资深银行业及体育领袖李龙年当选新任会长，接替任期届满的陈聪发。

陈聪发担任新加坡高尔夫球总会会长四年，在任期间推动本地高尔夫球运动发展，李龙年将在未来带领新加坡高尔夫球总会继续推动这项运动的发展。

李龙年是一名资深的商业及体育界领袖，在银行业、企业管理和体育治理领域拥有超过30年的国际经验。他在花旗集团任职36年，目前担任花旗新加坡市场主管，过去也曾在亚洲多个市场担任高级领导职务，包括花旗私人银行南亚区主席及花旗马来西亚首席执行官。

李龙年当选后说，能够受托领导新加坡高尔夫球总会让他深感荣幸，并感谢会员及各利益相关者的信任与支持。他透过官方文告说：“近年来，新加坡高尔夫球运动取得了显著进步，从参与人数和青少年培养，到高水平竞技实力的提升，以及在国际舞台上日益增强的影响力。

“我们拥有坚实的基础，我期待与各俱乐部、运动员、教练、志愿者、合作伙伴和利益相关者携手合作，共同推动新加坡高尔夫球运动的发展。”

李龙年同时向陈聪发及即将卸任的执行委员会成员致敬，感谢他们过去为推动新加坡高尔夫球运动发展所作出的贡献。

首届三人篮球女子系列赛新加坡站 荷兰U25队加时险胜夺魁

2026年8月14日 23:43 / 新明日报

在投进绝杀球助荷兰队（橙衣）惊险取胜后，昆塔（中）和队友兴奋庆祝夺冠。 （主办方提供）

在星期五（8月14日）于SCAPE举行的一场扣人心弦的决赛中，荷兰25岁以下队（U25）在加时赛中以16比14险胜斯洛文尼亚，成功捧起首届国际篮联三人篮球女子系列赛新加坡站（FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series Singapore）的冠军奖杯。

荷兰U25队在本站赛事中表现完美，以不败战绩笑到最后。在淘汰赛阶段，她们先后击败巴西队和头号种子乌兰巴托亚马逊队（Ulaanbaatar Amazons），随后在决赛中通过加时赛力克斯洛文尼亚。

比赛的制胜一击由23岁的昆塔·范斯海因德尔（Quinta van Schijndel）完成。值得一提的是，在荷兰U25队一天前于首场小组赛以9比8险胜中国队的加时赛中，同样是她投中了绝杀球。

范斯海因德尔加时一击制胜

决赛中，斯洛文尼亚在比赛的大部分时间里占据优势，并曾一度取得12比7的领先，但荷兰U25队并未放弃，在把分差缩小至仅剩一分后，她们在常规时间结束前将比分扳为14比14，将比赛拖入加时赛。

加时赛中率先攻下两分的队伍获胜，而昆塔仅用了一次出手机会，便在外线稳稳命中两分球，以16比14终结了这场戏剧性的对决，将新加坡站的桂冠收入囊中。

昆塔赛后兴奋地说：“教练总是告诉我们：‘继续投，球总会进的’。在这球之前我也投失过，但当机会再次降临时，我把握住了。”

她补充说：“我认为我们在比赛中越打越好，大家精诚团结，通过观看录像不断改进。这是一次美妙的赛事，新加坡对我们非常友好，我很享受在这里度过的时光。”

荷兰U25队此次以五战全胜的傲人战绩结束新加坡站的征程。她们在首场小组赛加时险胜中国后，以21比14战胜新加坡队，随后在八强赛中以19比6轻取巴西队，半决赛以18比16险胜头号种子乌兰巴托亚马逊队。

新加坡挑战赛星期六展开

随着女子系列赛的落幕，本次在新加坡连续四天举行的一系列国际三人篮球赛已过半。

接下来的重头戏将是8月15日和8月16日举行的新加坡挑战赛。这是新加坡今年举办的第二场挑战赛，将吸引来自15个国家的16支男子球队一决高下，前三名将获得西班牙马拉加世界巡回赛的参赛资格。

我国男队将由徐端阳、钟镇宇、奥法和扎希德（Zahid）携手出战。这四名本土好手近期代表我国参加了格拉斯哥共运会，同时也是去年泰国东运会为我国历史性夺得银牌的功臣。

将自己反锁屋内与警对峙逾三小时 64岁男子被扣押

2026年8月14日 23:49 / 新明日报

读者发来的照片显示，警方在周围拉起封锁线，大批警力聚集在组屋底层。新加坡民防部队也到场，并设置气垫。 （读者提供）

64岁男子将自己反锁屋内超过三小时，当局到场铺气垫，出动灾难拯救队、特别行动指挥处和危机谈判组到场。男子后来送院，并在精神法令下被扣押。

这起事故发生在星期五（8月14日）下午2时40分左右，地点是中峇鲁金殿坊（Kim Tian Place）第124座组屋。

《联合早报》读者发来的照片显示，警方在周围拉起封锁线，大批警力聚集在组屋底层。新加坡民防部队也到场，并设置气垫。

警方答复早报询问时说，当局星期五下午2时40分左右接到求助电话，到场后确认一名64岁男子将自己反锁在一个住宅单位内，评估后担心男子有自残风险。

来自特别行动指挥处、危机谈判组和民防部队的人员随后到场。警方最终在傍晚约6时05分成功进入单位内，男子随后在清醒情况下被送入医院接受治疗，并在精神法令下被扣押（apprehended）。

民防部队受询时则说，当局到场后部署一个气垫，灾难拯救队人员也到场待命。救护人员过后将一人送往新加坡中央医院接受治疗。

塞尔维亚多瑙河水位达新低 二战沉船重见天日

2026年8月14日 23:35 / 联合早报

8月13日，在塞尔维亚普拉霍沃附近，一艘二战时期沉没的德国军舰露出水面，人们登船拍照留念。 （REUTERS）

由于水位创历史新低，塞尔维亚东部多瑙河上的沙洲和搁浅船只重见天日，一艘第二次世界大战德国军舰残骸也随之浮出水面。

路透社报道，这艘船自1945年以来一直沉睡在普拉霍沃（Prahovo）的水下，如今锈迹斑斑的船体重现眼前。在普拉霍沃以北的诺维萨德（Novi Sad），许多停泊在码头的小船仍然搁浅。

普拉霍沃渔民卡拉利奇（Ljubisa Karalic）告诉记者：“这种情形前所未见，我们现在看到的这些沉船残骸以前从未像这样显露出来。”

今年夏天，欧洲接连遭遇破纪录的热浪，导致欧洲部分地区严重干旱，多瑙河和莱茵河等主要水道也受到影响。塞尔维亚境内的多瑙河水温徘徊在历史最高值28摄氏度左右。

塞尔维亚水文气象局的耶里尼奇（Jelena Jerinic）说：“多瑙河的流量已经打破纪录。鉴于上游河段预计会有降雨，我们希望这就是最低流量，降雨应该有助于改善水温状况。”

5月以来第五波 欧洲本周料再遭热浪袭击
欧盟机构：7月全球海洋表面温度创新高

她警告，河流的生物多样性也正受到威胁。“高温加上低水量，会加速微生物和细菌的繁殖，同时消耗水中的溶解氧。”

第二届世界人形机器人运动会参赛机器人数量较去年翻两番

2026年8月14日 23:51 / 联合早报

第二届世界人形机器人运动会星期四（8月13日）举行新闻发布会，会上介绍本届赛事吸引了六大洲、16个国家的666支队伍，共有2056台机器人同台竞技。图为运动会吉祥物“智宝”在发布会上亮相。 （中新社）

第二届世界人形机器人运动会将于8月下旬举行，参赛机器人数量较去年首届赛会翻了两番。

综合北京日报和新华社报道，第二届世界人形机器人运动会星期四（8月13日）举行新闻发布会介绍本次赛会情况。

今年的运动会将于8月22日至26日在北京国家速滑馆“冰丝带”举办。赛事吸引了六大洲、16个国家的666支队伍、2056台机器人同台竞技，参赛队伍数量较首届激增138%，机器人数量翻了两番。

据悉，美国、德国、日本等机器人传统强国的参赛队伍积极参与，巴西还集结五支机器人足球世界杯队伍，组建国家联队参赛。中国157家企业、200所院校和科研机构的641支队伍、1975台机器人齐聚赛场，第一梯队企业悉数到场，27所985高校踊跃参赛。

本届运动会场景赛将赛项延伸到真实环境，覆盖工业、酒店、家庭、物流等领域，还专门设置了灵巧手赛项，比如装配上料、家政服务、消防救援、图书整理等赛项。

北京市体育局局长于庆丰在会上介绍，赛项从首届的26项增加至51项，其中竞技赛30项、场景赛21项。本届运动会取消外围赛，将武术、体育舞蹈等对抗性、观赏性更强的项目纳入竞技赛。

于庆丰说，开幕式当晚将安排7v7足球表演赛及400米、100米田径赛事预赛，闭幕式前将安排自由搏击决赛和足球5v5决赛。8月23日将产生12枚金牌，金牌数仅次于闭幕日。

禁令明年生效 韩国人赶在最后一刻合法吃狗肉

2026年8月14日 20:25 / 联合早报

狗肉曾经是韩国的夏季美食，当地政府2024年通过的禁食狗肉法案，明年2月正式生效。现在正是禁令生效前，韩国人能合法吃到狗肉的最后一个夏季。

在曾是韩国最著名狗肉市场之一的城南市牡丹市场，餐馆林立的巷子里挤满了午餐食客。然而，许多商家已转而经营黑山羊炖肉或其他替代菜品，仍点“补身汤”，即狗肉汤的顾客少之又少，且绝大多数都是老年人。

有店主反映，这种变化让他们百感交集。一些则说，转卖其他菜品过程艰难，且新业务的收入并无法完全弥补停售狗肉带来的损失。

不过民调显示，韩国有超过80%的人支持这项禁令。一名71岁的老食客就说，对于狗肉从菜单上消失，他并不感到遗憾，因为“我可以吃别的。”图为8月14日，城南市一家仍在卖狗肉的餐馆内，一名员工正在为食客烹煮菜肴。（路透社）

禁令明年生效 韩国人赶在最后一刻合法吃狗肉

2026年8月14日 20:25 / 联合早报

狗肉曾经是韩国的夏季美食，当地政府2024年通过的禁食狗肉法案，明年2月正式生效。现在正是禁令生效前，韩国人能合法吃到狗肉的最后一个夏季。

在曾是韩国最著名狗肉市场之一的城南市牡丹市场，餐馆林立的巷子里挤满了午餐食客。然而，许多商家已转而经营黑山羊炖肉或其他替代菜品，仍点“补身汤”，即狗肉汤的顾客少之又少，且绝大多数都是老年人。

有店主反映，这种变化让他们百感交集。一些则说，转卖其他菜品过程艰难，且新业务的收入并无法完全弥补停售狗肉带来的损失。

不过民调显示，韩国有超过80%的人支持这项禁令。一名71岁的老食客就说，对于狗肉从菜单上消失，他并不感到遗憾，因为“我可以吃别的。”图为8月14日，城南市一家仍在卖狗肉的餐馆内，一名员工正在为食客烹煮菜肴。（路透社）

USS Abraham Lincoln sailor’s dad worries about crew: “They should not be deployed this long”

August 14, 2026 / 10:04 AM EDT / CBS News

By Charlie D’Agata, Kerry Breen

The father of a sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln said he’s worried for his son and the rest of the ship’s crew as the aircraft carrier’s deployment to the Middle East stretches on.

The ship has been at sea for nine months, much longer than the typical deployment of six months. Combat aircraft have launched from the carrier more than 10,000 times in the past eight months, U.S. officials say. Meanwhile, the 5,000 sailors and Marines on board the carrier have had to defend against Iranian missiles and drones. Family members say they worry about conditions aboard the ship, and fear the long deployment and grueling pace are worsening mental health issues.

“They should not be deployed this long,” said Jefferson Kelley, whose son Jackson is aboard the Lincoln on his first-ever deployment. “These are old ships. It’s not like they’re even state-of-the-art. And they take a lot of maintenance, a lot of work. It’s around the clock.”

Elected officials have demanded answers about the conditions aboard the vessel. Sen. Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, citing “widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues … and deteriorating mental health.”

U.S. Central Command says reports of increased suicidal ideation among the crew are false, and said there have been no deaths aboard the vessel. The circumstances of an incident on Aug. 3 where a sailor fell overboard and was recovered remain under investigation, according to a Navy statement.

The U.S. Navy said in a statement that sailors aboard the ship have access to clean water, air conditioning and healthy meal options, even as “traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions.” Hegseth said this week that reports of poor conditions aboard the carrier are “completely misrepresented,” and that he has “more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody.”

CENTCOM noted the ship has one of the highest crew reenlistment rates of the carriers in the U.S. Navy, and said the sailors and Marines aboard “remain resilient and resolved after more than 260 days at sea.” The Navy also said it “has not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship,” and noted that crew members are being provided with resources including counselors, chaplains and medical professionals.

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Still, Kelley said he fears he can’t trust what he’s hearing from officials. Sailors’ families relayed their concerns directly to the Navy’s acting secretary, Hung Cao, in a contentious meeting last week. Family members including Kelley have also written letters to officials voicing their concerns. Kelley said in his message, he begged officials to find any way to send his son home, even offering to volunteer in his place.

“What’s going through my mind as a parent is that need to want to be there, to want to be there for your child,” Kelley said. “I would get on a plane or helicopter tonight to get shipped out to the Lincoln if it meant bringing him home to his mom and his siblings and his family.”

There may be some relief in sight. The USS George Washington aircraft carrier departed Vietnam last week and is headed to the Middle East to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. official told CBS News. However, there is usually an overlap in carrier rotations, meaning it may still be weeks before the Lincoln returns to its home port in San Diego. The Washington’s movements also leave a gap in the Indo-Pacific region, including China, for the first time since 2024.