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President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, will face questions from senators during his confirmation hearing Tuesday about his qualifications to become the top U.S. military officer.Caine is a decorated F-16 combat pilot who served in leadership positions in multiple special operations commands and in some of the Pentagon’s most classified programs. He does not, however, meet the prerequisites for Joint Chiefs chairman, although they can be waived by the president.Caine was nominated by Trump in February, one day after the president fired the former chairman, Gen. CQ Brown Jr., in a purge of general officers whom he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth viewed as endorsing diversity, equity and inclusion in the ranks.Caine met Trump when the president visited troops in Iraq in 2018 during his first term. Trump has told political supporters the encounter left an impression on himand that Caine put on a red “Make America Great Again” hat at the time, something Caine’s inner circle has said is not true.Caine has been described by former military colleagues as a deeply serious career officer who has spent the past few weeks meeting with both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, said a former U.S. official who has helped Caine prepare for the confirmation process and spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details on Caine’s nomination. Hegseth notably refused to meet with many Democrats when he was going through the confirmation process.Because he retired in December, Caine would need to be sworn back into active duty. That would take place after he is confirmed, and then he would be promoted to four-star general, the official said.Caine’s nomination following the ouster of Brown is likely to raise questions from some Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committee about whether he will remain independent of Trump.During Trump’s first term, his relationship with then-Chairman Gen. Mark Milley soured as Milley pushed back and took steps to try to prevent what he saw as an attempt to politicize the office, such as by reminding military service members they take an oath to the Constitution, not to a president.The relationship soured to the extent that within hours of Trump being sworn in office in January, Milley’s portrait as chairman of the Joint Chiefs was removed from the Pentagon. Trump and Hegseth have subsequently stripped Milley of his security clearance and security detail.Caine does not meet prerequisites laid out in a 1986 law, such as being a combatant commander or service chief. The law, however, allows presidents to waive those requirements to fill the position with someone they are most comfortable with.While Caine would be the military’s top uniformed officer, his chief duty would be serving as the president’s top military adviser.But Caine has spent time inside the Pentagon, leading its Special Access Programs Central Office, which oversees what classified information on weapons programs is shared with foreign governments.He also served as the commander of the joint special operations task force in Iraq in 2008 and as the assistant commanding general of joint special operations command at Fort Bragg. From 2018 to 2019, he was the deputy commanding general of the special operations joint task force for Operation Inherent Resolve, countering the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.He also was associate director for military affairs at the CIA from 2021 until he retired in December.Caine transferred into the National Guard in 2009 and began working in the private sector, including as an adviser at an investment firm run by the brother of Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.He has more than 2,800 flying hours in the F-16 and has earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bronze Star Medal with bronze oak leaf cluster, among other awards. Tara Copp, Associated Press
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A bitcoin investor who bought a SpaceX flight for himself and three polar explorers blasted off Monday night on the first rocket ride to carry people over the North and South poles.Chun Wang, a Chinese-born entrepreneur, hurtled into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX’s Falcon rocket steered southward over the Atlantic, putting the space tourists on a path never flown before in 64 years of human spaceflight.Wang won’t say how much he paid Elon Musk’s SpaceX for the 3 -day ultimate polar adventure.The first leg of their flightfrom Florida to the South Poletook barely a half-hour. From the targeted altitude of some 270 miles (440 kilometers), their fully automated capsule will circle the globe in roughly 1 hours including 46 minutes to fly from pole to pole.“Enjoy the views of the poles. Send us some pictures,” SpaceX Launch Control radioed once the capsule reached orbit.Wang has already visited the polar regions in person and wants to view them from space. The trip is also about “pushing boundaries, sharing knowledge,” he said ahead of the flight.Now a citizen of Malta, he took along three guests: Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge, and Australian polar guide Eric Philips.Mikkelsen, the first Norwegian bound for space, has flown over the poles before, but at a much lower altitude. She was part of the 2019 record-breaking mission that circumnavigated the world via the poles in a Gulfstream jet to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing.The crew plans two dozen experimentsincluding taking the first human X-rays in spaceand brought along more cameras than usual to document their journey called Fram2 after the Norwegian polar research ship from more than a century ago.Until now, no space traveler had ventured beyond 65 degrees north and south latitude, just shy of the Arctic and Antarctic circles. The first woman in space, the Soviet Union’s Valentina Tereshkova, set that mark in 1963. Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, and other pioneering cosmonauts came almost as close, as did NASA shuttle astronauts in 1990.A polar orbit is ideal for climate and Earth-mapping satellites as well as spy satellites. That’s because a spacecraft can observe the entire world each day, circling Earth from pole to pole as it rotates below.Geir Klover, director of the Fram Museum in Oslo, Norway, where the original polar ship is on display, hopes the trip will draw more attention to climate change and the melting polar caps. He lent the crew a tiny piece of the ship’s wooden deck that bears the signature of Oscar Wisting, who with Roald Amundsen in the early 1900s became the first to reach both poles.Wang pitched the idea of a polar flight to SpaceX in 2023, two years after U.S. tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman made the first of two chartered flights with Musk’s company. Isaacman is now in the running for NASA’s top job.SpaceX’s Kiko Dontchev said late last week that the company is continually refining its training so “normal people” without traditional aerospace backgrounds can “hop in a capsule . . . and be calm about it.”Wang and his crew view the polar flight like camping in the wild and embrace the challenge.“Spaceflight is becoming increasingly routine and, honestly, I’m happy to see that,” Wang said via X last week.Wang said he’s been counting up his flights since his first one in 2002, flying on planes, helicopters, and hot air balloons in his quest to visit every country. So far, he’s visited more than half. He arranged it so that liftoff would mark his 1,000th flight. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer
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You know the feelingyour calendar is packed, your inbox is overflowing, and every decision, big or small, lands on your desk. Leadership today isnt just about managing teams and making strategic calls; its about navigating an endless stream of meetings, emails, and expectations. While burnout is widely recognized, most solutions focus on time management rather than cognitive bandwidth management. The real issue isnt just being overworkedits being oversaturated. Leaders are drowning in information, decisions, and interruptions, leaving little room for the deep thinking required for creativity, strategic foresight, and high-quality decision-making. A study from the University of California found that it takes an average of 23 minutes to refocus after an interruption. Multiply that by dozens of daily distractions, and its clear why many leaders struggle to see the bigger picture. The ability to make sound, high-impact decisions isnt about working harder; its about creating space for deep thought. The Hidden Costs of Constant Busyness Many leaders equate productivity with busyness, believing that the more they do, the more they accomplish. However, excessive cognitive load leads to decision fatigue, diminishing the quality of choices over time. The constant need to process information can also limit strategic foresight, causing leaders to operate reactively rather than proactively. Without time to reflect, innovation suffers, and leaders struggle to connect disparate ideas or generate fresh insights. Perhaps most importantly, the mental strain of constant cognitive overload erodes the ability to inspire, connect, and energize teams, leading to emotional exhaustion. Through my work advising leaders, I have seen the biggest shift happen when they gain clarity on what is most important for them to focus on. When they create space to think, they move from reactive firefighting to intentional, high-impact leadership. To support this shift, I developed a structured approach that helps leaders pause, reflect, and see things differently before diving into the next wave of demands. By making reflection a habit, they regain control over their time and amplify their ability to lead with purpose. White space isnt a luxuryits a strategic imperative. But how can leaders reclaim time for deep thinking when everyone wants a piece of them? Scheduling Uninterrupted Blocks for Reflection If you dont protect your time, no one else will. Blocking thinking time on your calendar isnt just about setting aside hoursits about creating the right conditions for meaningful reflection. Some CEOs, like Bill Gates, take “Think Weeks” to immerse themselves in strategic visioning. While a whole week might not be feasible, micro-retreatssuch as two-hour deep-thinking sessions once a weekcan significantly improve clarity and decision-making. To implement this, designate a specific time each week when you are completely unreachable. Use this time to tackle complex problems, review long-term strategies, or explore innovative ideas. Changing your environment can also enhance deep thinking; a walk, a quiet room, or a retreat space can be instrumental in shifting your mindset from reactionary to strategic. Reducing Decision Fatigue by Delegating and Automating Not every decision requires your input. Barack Obama and Steve Jobs famously simplified their daily choiceswearing the same outfit dailyto preserve mental energy for high-stakes decisions. Leaders should similarly identify which decisions they must own and which ones can be delegated or automated. Start by categorizing your decisions: strategic ones require deep thinking, operational ones can often be delegated, and administrative ones are best automated. Empowering your team to take ownership of decisions within their expertise frees up cognitive space for you to focus on higher-impact areas. Batching smaller decisions into designated review sessions can also prevent constant context switching. Automation tools can also help eliminate repetitive tasks, allowing leaders to focus their energy on what truly matters. Creating “No-Meeting Zones” for Deep Work While necessary, meetings often disrupt the ability to engage in strategic work. Some companies, like Shopify, have introduced “Meeting-Free Wednesdays” to give employees uninterrupted time for deep work. Leaders can implement a similar approach by establishing specific time blocks where meetings are off-limits, enabling more focused thinking. Redesigning meeting culture is another way to protect deep work. Encouraging asynchronous collaborationthrough well-documented memos, video updates, and shared decision logscan reduce the need for real-time discussions. Adopting a “50-minute meeting rule” also helps ensure that meetings dont consume an entire hour and allows for short breaks to reflect before diving into the next task. Another interesting approach I have implemented with my clients to enhance strategic discussions is to hold a silent meeting to allow leaders to read and reflect on strategic plans before engaging in a dialogue. Being Selective About Information Intake In an era of constant connectivity, leaders must be intentional about the information they consume. Too much input can be just as damaging as too little. Instead of passively absorbing every report, email, or industry update, curate your information sources carefully. Limiting the number of newsletters, reports, and updates you follow can help reduce cognitive clutter. Setting specific times during the day to check emails and newsrather than reacting to every notificationprevents constant distractions. Another helpful practice is maintaining a “Reverse To-Do List.” Instead of listing tasks to complete on the list, you instead identify habits, commitments, or information sources you can eliminate to free up mental space. Structured reflection rituals, such as weekly reviews of key learnings rather than endless content consumption, can further sharpen decision-making. Great leadership isnt about being the busiest person in the roomits about making the best decisions. The leaders who thrive in complexity arent those who power through every request but those who create the mental space necessary for clarity and innovation. If youre constantly overwhelmed, it may not be a workload problem but a thinking-time problem. Designing intentional white space isnt about stepping back; its about stepping into your most strategic, creative, and high-impact leadership self.
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