Happy Wednesday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I’m Ellen Mitchell, and here’s your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. CLICK HERE to subscribe to the newsletter.

 

THE TOPLINE: Hurricane-ravaged bases in Florida, North Carolina and Puerto Rico are among the military sites that will lose funds because of the Trump administration’s decision to redirect $3.6 billion from military construction projects to a wall on the Mexican border.

The Pentagon on Wednesday announced the specific cuts that will take place because of the redirection of funds, though it cast the changes as delaying projects, not ending them.

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“We’ve got an emergency on the Southwest border that we need to address. All of these projects are important,” a senior defense official told reporters at the Pentagon.

What the Pentagon is banking on: They added that the Defense Department will work with Congress to replenish or “backfill” funding to finish the projects, but admitted that such a move wasn’t guaranteed.

“We’re very focused right now on working with Congress to get the backfill that we need… If there’s things that progress that don’t work out we’ll adjust and we’ll plan as we need to.”

The GOP-controlled Senate has already agreed to fund the deferred projects in its annual National Defense Authorization Act, but the Democratic-led House said it will not do the same in its version of the bill.

The official acknowledged that with this divide the department has “a lot of work ahead of us.” 

The details: A total 127 military construction projects are being put on hold due to the administration’s decision, half of which are overseas and half of which are planned U.S. projects. 

The list, released a day after Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperAmerica should not ask South Korea to host intermediate-range missiles Bipartisan senators urge Trump administration to release Ukraine aid Trump ramps up Twitter offensive as Dorian approaches Florida MORE formally approved the decision to divert billions away from the construction plans to pay for 175 miles of barrier on U.S.-Mexico border, includes projects across 23 states, 19 countries and three territories.

About $1.1 billion would be cut from projects in the continental United States, while $700 million would come from efforts in U.S. territories and $1.8 billion from projects for overseas bases.

Most targeted are those that would tackle less pressing needs including parking areas, roads, and a dining facility, but the list also includes planned schools, target ranges, a missile field expansion, maintenance facilities and even a crash rescue station and a cyber operations facility.

The hurricane impacted bases: Impacted at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida is a $17 million crash rescue station project.

Two projects worth a combined $41 million at Camp Lejeune, N.C., will also be deferred, as will 10 projects worth more than $402.5 million across five Puerto Rico bases.

Tyndall, Camp Lejeune and the Puerto Rico bases were all devastated in hurricanes in the past two years and are still rebuilding billions of dollars worth of damage.

The senior defense official stressed that the projects on the list for the three locations “are not going to be delayed because of how far out into the future they are,” and that clean-up efforts at the bases are still funded and ongoing.  

Lawmaker pushback: The official said that earlier in the day the Pentagon finished notifying lawmakers of the specific projects in their districts that will be ransacked to free up the billions of dollars, as well as the governments of countries that house U.S. bases abroad.

Lawmakers on Wednesday voiced their displeasure with the administration’s decision, though the GOP was hesitant to call on Trump to find alternative means to pay for his promised wall.

“We continue to face a very real crisis at the southern border. I regret that the president has been forced to divert funding for our troops to address the crisis,” House Armed Services Committee ranking member Mac ThornberryWilliam (Mac) McClellan ThornberryGOP lawmakers call for provisions barring DOD funds for border wall to be dropped Pentagon chief denies White House hand in ‘war cloud’ contract probe U.S. and U.K. divide increases on Iran MORE (R-Texas) said in a statement.

Esper is mum: Esper, who is traveling to Stuttgart, London and Paris this week, sidestepped questions on the topic when asked by reporters traveling with him.

He declined to comment on concerns from lawmakers on construction projects in their states being sidelined, citing ongoing talks with lawmakers.  

 

IRAN TO RELEASE CREW MEMBERS OF SEIZED UK SHIP: Iran will release seven of the 23 crew members of the seized British-flagged Stena Impero tanker, though no release date has been set, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday.

Reuters first reported that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi had told the Iranian outlet that the seven released crew members would include Indian citizens and that they would be permitted to leave the tanker on humanitarian grounds.

“We have no problem with the crew and the captain and the issue is violations that the vessel committed,” Mousavi said.

What happened: The Stena Impero, owned by a Swedish company but sailed by the United Kingdom, was detained on July 19 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz. It has 23 crew members of Indian, Russian, Latvian and Filipino nationality.

The Iranians cited marine violations when they seized the ship, which came two weeks after the U.K. had detained an Iranian tanker off the coast of Gibraltar. The British released the Iranian ship in August.

Timing up in the air: Stena Bulk, the Swedish owner of the vessel, said in a statement that the company is “very pleased that for seven crew members their ordeal may soon be over,” though it is also cautious as it awaits official confirmation.

“We view this communication as a positive step on the way to the release of all the remaining crew, which has always been our primary concern and focus,” Erik Hanell, the company’s president and chief executive, said in a statement.

The additional 16 crew members would stay onboard to safely operate the vessel, according to the company.

The background: The incident is one of several seizures or interceptions in the past few months by Iranian forces of vessels they often accuse of smuggling fuel.

The actions have added to already high tensions between Washington and Tehran, which began deteriorating last year when President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Obama-era nuclear pact, leading Iran to surpass the deal’s limits on its uranium enrichment.

The administration has since adopted a “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran, slapping sanctions on Iran’s oil industry, metals sector, foreign minister and supreme leader to force it back to the negotiating table.

The U.S. has also sought to build a Western coalition to counter what it calls Iranian aggression in the Strait of Hormuz, with several countries signing on including the U.K. and Australia.

Adding fuel to the fire, the Trump administration on Tuesday announced sanctions against the Iranian Space Agency.

 

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW:

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford will discuss the U.S. military and defense strategy in conflict areas around the world and the current state of cooperative efforts with U.S. allies at 6:30 p.m. at the Council on Foreign Relations. 

 

 

ICYMI

— The Hill: House Democrats unveil bill to ensure citizenship for children of service members

— The Hill: Pentagon readies response, evacuates military personnel ahead of Hurricane Dorian

— The Hill: Trump administration offering $15M for information to disrupt financing for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards

— The Hill: Afghan official: Government ‘concerned’ by some parts of US-Taliban peace pact

— The Hill: Bipartisan senators urge Trump administration to release Ukraine aid

— The Hill: Mattis: ‘I’ll speak out’ about policy issues ‘when the time comes’

— The Hill: Top IT official names China as main cyber threat to US

— The Hill: Trump leaves door open for Iran meeting at UN session this month

— The Hill: Opinion: Enemy missiles are a mounting worry — so why isn’t Washington reacting?

— The Hill: Opinion: Open up the ‘iron triangle’ that stultifies vets policy

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Nick Carter is mourning the loss of his baby girl.

The Backstreet Boys band member, 38, revealed his wife Lauren Kitt suffered a miscarriage. “God give us peace during this time. I really was looking forward to meeting her after 3 months. I’m heartbroken,” Carter tweeted on Monday.

“It was a little sister for Odin,” the singer added.

Carter and Kitt, who wed in April 2014, are parents to 2-year-old son Odin Reign.

A rep for Carter did not immediately respond to People‘s request for comment.

The father of one, who is currently on a solo tour in South America and Mexico, nearly canceled his concert at Barranco Arena in Lima on Monday.

“I don’t think I can perform tonight. I’m sorry Lima,” Carter tweeted before posting a follow-up tweet that read: “This will be hard, but for the love of my fans here in Lima I’ll be on the stage tonight.”

The couple previously spoke about their struggles to have children in November 2015, when Carter was competing on Dancing with the Stars.

During a pre-taped video package, he announced he was expecting his first child and detailed the year-long pregnancy journey that included going through a painful miscarriage.

“It’s been rocky, to be quite honest with you. There have been times when we thought it wouldn’t happen,” Carter told viewers about losing the baby before revealing that Lauren was 16 weeks along.

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“It was really hard on Nick,” Lauren tearfully said in the footage. “Just watching him get so excited about something, and then see him so hurt. That was hard.”

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Ben Affleck’s 46th birthday seemingly had it all: fast food, a trip to a car dealership, and dinner with a Playboy model. But where was girlfriend Lindsay Shookus? 

On Thursday, the SNL producer was noticeably missing from Affleck’s celebrations at Nobu, where 22-year-old Shauna Sexton joined Ben and his friends. Lindsay’s absence instantly sparked breakup rumors, and three days later, she deleted her Instagram account, adding even more suspicion that there’s trouble in paradise.

Getty Images

Shookus’s handle now directs fans to a page that reads: “Sorry, this page isn’t available. The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed.” Hmmm, OK. 

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According to People, Affleck’s outing with Sexton “looked like maybe a first date,” adding that “she looked very cute, and he seemed interested.” 

NGRE / BACKGRID

Nothing is for sure, but it’s important to note that Ben and Lindsay haven’t been spotted out together since July 22 in Puerto Rico — which was nearly a month ago. However, during that time an insider commented that the couple appeared “happily in love.”

Whether Ben and Lindsay called it quits or are still together, the dad of three is reportedly in a good mental state. Earlier this month, a friend of the actor told People: “Ben is doing well. He is in a good place mentally and has worked really hard to get here. He continues to focus on himself and the health of his relationships.” Color us confused. 

Do you hear that? Is that the sound of tap dancing in the distance? Or maybe it’s bars from a romantic Viennese waltz? 

Correct answer: All of the above, because it’s the sound of Dancing With the Stars coming back this fall. 

We have gone three entire months without DWTS on our TV screens, but fans needn’t fear, because season 27 returns to ABC on Sept. 24. But before the pros lace up their dancing shoes, there’s one final point to sort out: The cast.

Adam Taylor

The DWTS cast has always given viewers a feel for the season to come, hinting at possibilities of champions, dancing duds, and drama (of course), and this season is no different. The newcomers present a strong list of contenders, from Olympians to Harry Potter actors, and reality TV stars to country singers.

Check out the who is competing for the Mirror Ball trophy this time around, below. 

Joe Amabile (“Joe the Grocer”), reality TV star from Bachelor in Paradise (paired with Jenna Johnson)

Bobby Bones, radio personality (paired with Sharna Burgess)

Juan Pablo Di Pace, Fuller House actor (paired with Cheryl Burke)

Nikki Glaser, comedian and podcast host (paired with Gleb Savchenko)

Evanna Lynch, Harry Potter actress who played Luna Lovegood and activist (paired with Keo Motsepe)

Milo Manheim, Disney actor (paired with Witney Carson)

Nancy McKeon, The Facts of Life actress (paired with Valentin Chmerkovskiy)

Alexis Ren, model and social media personality (paired with Alan Bersten)

Mary Lou Retton, former Olympic gymnast (paired with Sasha Farber)

John Schneider, actor and country music singer (paired with Emma Slater)

Tinashe, singer and songwriter (paired with Brandon Armstrong)

Danelle Umstead, paralympic skier (paired with Artem Chigvintsev)

DeMarcus Ware, former NFL linebacker (paired with Lindsay Arnold) 

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Nick Jonas has been living with type 1 diabetes for over a decade.

Reflecting on his health journey, the 26-year-old singer shared a side-by-side shot on Instagram of himself just a few weeks after being diagnosed in 2005, when he was just 13, juxtaposed with a shot of him looking happy and healthy as an adult.

“13 years ago today I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The picture on the left is me a few weeks after my diagnosis. Barely 100 pounds after having lost so much weight from my blood sugar being so high before going to the doctor where I would find out I was diabetic,” he wrote on Friday.

“On the right is me now. Happy and healthy. Prioritizing my physical health, working out and eating healthy and keeping my blood sugar in check,” he continued. “I have full control of my day to day life with this disease, and I’m so grateful to my family and loved ones who have helped me every step of the way.”

Jonas also shared an encouraging message to his fans, as well as those who have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. “Never let anything hold you back from living your best life. Thank you to all my fans for your kind words and support. Means more than you know. Love you all,” he said.

In a sweet show of support, his fiancée Priyanka Chopra, whom he proposed to in July, commented on the image with a heartwarming message.

“Everything about you is special. With or without diabetes,” she wrote, adding a kiss emoji.

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Jonas co-founded the nonprofit organization Beyond Type 1 in 2015 to help provide education about type 1 diabetes and empower those living with the autoimmune disease to manage their health effectively.

RELATED: Priyanka Chopra Jokes She’ll Wear Sweats or Go Naked for Date Night

Throughout their relationship, Jonas and Chopra have never been shy about showing affection for one another on social media.

After the former Quantico actress, 36, posted a series of stunning photos in her bridal-like Georges Chakras ensemble at her bachelorette bash earlier this month, Jonas admitted he still gets mesmerized by his love’s beauty — and Instagram stalks her!

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Instagram account @commentsbycelebs spotted the pop star’s reaction to Chopra’s post which read, “I am fully insta stalking you…. you are so beautiful.”

Chopra has also commented on some of her fiancé’s Instagram posts with an adorable message.

“Who is cuter? Lol,” the actress wrote on a selfie Jonas took with a koala while visiting Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.

This article originally appeared on People. For more stories like this, visit people.com.

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Is Carrie Underwood thinking pink?

Although the pregnant country singer, 35, and husband Mike Fisher know the sex of their second child on the way and have even picked out a name, they are keeping it under wraps for now.

But a source tells People that those close to her are placing their bets.

“Everyone is super hoping for a girl and there’s a lot of speculation that it’s going to be a girl,” the insider tells People of Underwood and Fisher, 38, who are already parents to 3½-year-old son Isaiah Michael.

Jason Merritt

The source adds, “They’re wondering if she’ll ‘accidentally’ announce the sex again at the CMA Awards,” which the mother-to-be will be co-hosting with Brad Paisley on Nov. 14 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Underwood revealed Isaiah was a boy while onstage at the show in 2014.)

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Last month, the “Cry Pretty” singer made her first red-carpet appearance since announcing her pregnancy in August, attending the American Music Awards in a floor-length, baby-bump-hugging black dress with gold detailing.

Underwood won the award for favorite female country artist and took the stage to perform her new substance-abuse-inspired track “Spinning Bottles.”

The country star opened up about her expanding family on the AMAs red carpet pre-show — and son Isaiah’s reaction! “I’m not sure if he quite realizes how his life is going to change, but right now he’s very sweet,” she said.

RELATED: Carrie Underwood Is The Most Fired Up We’ve Ever Seen Her Over This Country Music Issue

Fan speculation on the sex of the baby began when Underwood announced her pregnancy via Instagram video, wearing a shiny pink jacket as she told her followers the exciting news while the camera panned upward to focus on silver balloons spelling out “BABY.”

Two weeks after her pregnancy reveal, Underwood wore a blush-colored dress by Ted Baker, matching velvet Raza heels by Monika Chiang and the silver Swirl ring from Anuja Tolia Jewelry to posed for photos with CMT host Cody Alan and fiancé Trea Smith.

Despite insisting in an interview with The Tennessean that she didn’t know the sex of her baby on the way, the latter was at least the second time the soon-to-be mother of two sported the color pink since revealing her pregnancy.

This article originally appeared on People. For more stories like this, visit people.com.

On days like this, we’re all just nostalgic for the simple life. Sorry, The Simple Life. 

Just yesterday, Paris Hilton’s reps confirmed to People that she had ended her engagement to actor Chris Zylka after 11 months. After we dried our tears, however, we couldn’t help but wonder. Uh, what about that ring? 

The $2 million, 20 carat ring blinded us all back in January, when Hilton shared a video of Zylka proposing to her atop a mountain in Aspen. Now, post-split, TMZ reports that Zylka would like the sparkler back. But regardless of the salacious reports, there is a legal precedent for who is entitled to the ring after an engagement is terminated. 

Greg Doherty/WireImage

According to The Law Offices of Bamieh & Erickson, it’s Zylka who gets to keep the ring if the engagement was ended in California — even if, as TMZ pointed out, it was Hilton’s jewelry connections that helped him get a screaming deal. 

“The law states that when either party gives a gift that is made in contemplation of marriage, in the event that the receiver of the gift refuses to enter into the marriage, the giver of the gift may recover the gift or its value,” reads their site. To put it more simply, “if a man gives a woman an engagement ring and the woman calls off the marriage, the man is legally entitled to take back the ring.” It has been reported that Hilton instigated the split. 

RELATED: Paris Hilton Splits with Fiancé Chris Zylka After 11-Month Engagement

Though California used to entitle the woman to keep the ring in the case that the man terminated the engagement, that is no longer the accepted case law, as the Golden State is now considered a “no-fault” state.

Hilton resides primarily in Los Angeles, though she owns a penthouse in New York as well — but that won’t make a difference here. The laws in New York are similar, as the engagement ring is seen as a “conditional” gift. 

Considering Hilton’s successful career as a DJ, with regular gigs in Ibiza and Saint Tropez, not to mention her multi-billion dollar (yes, billion with a “b”) perfume business, we think she’ll be just fine.

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More than two-thirds of American voters want the U.S. to confront Beijing over its trade policies despite believing that they are suffering more from tariffs than China, a Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey released exclusively to The Hill found.

The poll showed 63 percent of registered voters said that tariffs imposed on Chinese products ultimately hurt the U.S. more than China, while 74 percent said that American consumers are shouldering most of the burden of those tariffs.

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But 67 percent said that it is necessary to confront China over its trade practices, which President TrumpDonald John Trump Poll: 40 percent of voters don’t think Trump will win reelection Mattis: ‘I’ll speak out’ about policy issues ‘when the time comes’ China contests Trump claim it is fentanyl source MORE and his allies have deemed unfair to the U.S. 

“President Trump has the strong support of the American public when it comes to standing up to China,” Mark PennMark PennWomen voters spell trouble for Trump in 2020 2020 caucuses pose biggest challenge yet for Iowa’s top pollster Mark Penn: Trump should push China but drop Twitter MORE, the co-director of the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll, said. “They realize that the tariffs may have negative impacts on jobs and prices, but they believe the fight here is the right one.”

Trade tensions between the U.S. and China have worsened in recent weeks as negotiations between the two economic powerhouses stalled and as both countries have ramped up tariffs on one another’s goods.

Overall, Americans are split on the Trump administration’s tariffs. Fifty percent of respondents in the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey said they disapprove of the current 25 percent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, while the other 50 percent said they approve of those measures.

The same goes for the Trump administration’s plans to impose an additional 10 percent in tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese goods. Fifty percent said they approve of that plan, while the other 50 percent disapprove, according to the survey.

There are few signs that tensions between the U.S. and China will ease soon. In a tweet on Tuesday morning, Trump insisted that the trade war would cost China businesses, jobs and money, and insisted that negotiations “would get MUCH TOUGHER” for China if he wins a second term in the White House in 2020.

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A majority of voters say they expect negotiations over a trade deal to continue past next year’s presidential election. Fifty-three percent said that they do not think Trump will be able to sign a trade deal before Election Day in 2020, while 47 percent said they believe he will get it done, according to the Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll.

What’s more, most U.S. voters think a Democratic president would be either more effective or just as effective as Trump in confronting Beijing over its trade policies. Thirty-three percent said that a Democrat would be more effective, while 23 percent said they would be just as effective.

The Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll surveyed 2,531 registered voters from Aug. 26-28. The poll is a collaboration of the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University and The Harris Poll. The Hill will be working with Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll throughout 2019.

Full poll results will be posted online later this week. The Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll survey is an online sample drawn from the Harris Panel and weighted to reflect known demographics. As a representative online sample, it does not report a probability confidence interval.

Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamNetanyahu, Trump discussing diplomatic gesture before Israeli election: report Congress set for chaotic fall sprint Report highlights Instagram, deepfake videos as key disinformation threats in 2020 elections MORE (R-S.C.) last week wrote to Attorney General William BarrWilliam Pelham BarrTrump suggests watchdog report shows Mueller probe was ‘illegal’ Justice Department drafts legislation to expedite executions of convicted mass murderers in shooting aftermath Comey’s classified misconduct and the media’s flawed coverage of it MORE asking him to declassify documents relating to the Justice Department inspector general’s investigation into the handling of the Russia probe. 

Inspector General Michael Horowitz has been looking into the conduct of the FBI and Justice Department in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant process, although, according to Graham’s letter, the review is “nearing completion.” 

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“In order for the Inspector General to be able to present the most complete results of his investigation to Congress and the American people, certain documents will need to be declassified and released to the public,” Graham wrote. 

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He specifically asked for the declassification of nine documents, including the FISA warrants for former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page and other members of the Trump campaign. He also requested that documents relating to former British spy Christopher Steele and his dossier be released.

 

In a recent tweet, Graham said he expected “ugly and damning rebukes of senior [Department of Justice] and FBI officials” after a different inspector general report found that former FBI Director James ComeyJames Brien ComeyTrump suggests watchdog report shows Mueller probe was ‘illegal’ Trump tweetstorm dominates presidential weekend Does Comey deserve an apology? Not if you read the IG’s report MORE‘s handling of memos was in violation of bureau policies.

The Justice Department declined to comment. 

 

The department Friday night told a federal judge that neither Trump nor Barr had ordered that the Page FISA warrants be declassified, according to CNN.