It’s the Rage—for Pets: We suppose it was inevitable that the craze to implant an identifying microchip on dogs and cats would shift over to humans. VeriChip Corp., which gained FDA approval for its radio frequency identification chips for humans, is lobbying the Pentagon to implant chips, carrying ID and medical info, in military personnel. This is no fly-by-night operation, since the former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, is a director. The Washington Examiner reports that there is some concern from veterans groups and Congress. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) questions whether there might be “less invasive alternatives” and would urge some kind of Congressional oversight into the program. A Pentagon spokesman told the Examiner that the chips are “the size of a grain of rice.” The Examiner notes, though, that Thompson does not yet have an implanted chip.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.