Tom Bowman

Washington, D.C.

Reporter at NPR

NPR National Desk reporter covering the Pentagon, the war abroad and the war at home.

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Articles

Unpacking the latest controversy surrounding Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

2 days ago | boisestatepublicradio.org | Tom Bowman

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to find himself in controversy. He shared details with his wife and brother minutes after being updated on the Yemen strikes by a senior military official.
Unpacking the latest controversy surrounding Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

2 days ago | ctpublic.org | Tom Bowman

Fund the Facts You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you. If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut. SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities.
Exclusive: The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense secretary

2 days ago | southcarolinapublicradio.org | Tom Bowman |Quil Lawrence

Updated April 21, 2025 at 15:34 PM ETThe White House has begun the process of looking for a new leader at the Pentagon to replace Pete Hegseth, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. This comes as Hegseth is again mired in controversy over sharing military operational details in a group chat. The defense secretary is under fire after revelations that he shared classified information in a group chat with his wife, brother and lawyer, according to the official.
Unpacking the latest controversy surrounding Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

3 days ago | wxxinews.org | Tom Bowman

X Public media is possible thanks to your support WXXI News journalists work every day to meet the challenges of our times with trustworthy reporting and programming. But we don't do it alone - this community has always been our backbone, standing strong with us. Your financial support today determines what's possible in the year ahead. Can you please make a donation? Yes, I'll donate
He has a Purple Heart & is a convicted felon. ICE wants to deport him. : The NPR Politics Podcast

2 weeks ago | npr.org | Asma Khalid |Ximena Bustillo |Tom Bowman

Podcast: Why ICE wants to deport a decorated war vet : The NPR Politics Podcast An NPR exclusive: Deportation proceedings are underway for Jose Barco, an Iraq War veteran who was awarded a Purple Heart. Barco came to the U.S. as a child, enlisted as a teenager, and, after his discharge, was convicted of a felony. Immediately after being paroled in January, he was remanded to ICE custody, where he has remained since. Read more.
He's a decorated war vet but a convicted criminal. ICE wants to deport him

2 weeks ago | mprnews.org | Tom Bowman |Quil Lawrence

This week several dozen Venezuelan nationals were transferred from a U.S. immigration detention center in south Texas and boarded a deportation flight to their home country. Among them was 39-year-old Jose Barco, a decorated American soldier who deployed twice to Iraq, saw horrific combat and received a Purple Heart after an explosion tossed him through the air and left him with a traumatic brain injury.
As U.S. foreign aid grants get slashed, Greenland gets money for a dog race

4 weeks ago | wesa.fm | Tom Bowman

Second lady Usha Vance has scrapped a plan to attend Greenland's national dog sled race this week. But American tax dollars will help support the race anyway. NPR has learned that the State Department has provided a grant to transport the dogs, sleds and racers by air from around Greenland for the race. The State Department did not provide a cost estimate, but a U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly said it's in the range of tens of thousands of dollars.
As U.S. foreign aid grants get slashed, Greenland gets money for a dog race

4 weeks ago | npr.org | Tom Bowman |Michele Kelemen

A musher walks with his Greenlandic sled dogs after completing a dog sled race to determine which contestant attends the national competition on March 8 in Ilulissat, Greenland. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Second lady Usha Vance has scrapped a plan to attend Greenland's national dog sled race this week. But American tax dollars will help support the race anyway.
As U.S. foreign aid grants get slashed, Greenland gets money for a dog race

4 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Tom Bowman |Michele Kelemen

Usha Vance’s Greenland Trip Somehow Gets More Embarrassing for TrumpTurns out, no one wants to hang out with Usha Vance. It’s a good thing that the second lady’s trip to Greenland was cancelled, because apparently …
Ahead of the Signal leak, the Pentagon warned of the app's weaknesses

1 month ago | kpbs.org | Quil Lawrence |a Gracie Award |Tom Bowman |Tom Bowman

Days before top national security officials accidentally included a reporter in a Signal chat about bombing the Houthi sites in Yemen, a Pentagon-wide advisory warned against using the messaging app, even for unclassified information. "A vulnerability has been identified in the Signal messenger application," begins the department-wide email, dated March 18, obtained by NPR.