Mattis attempts to reassure NATO allies as the Trump administration deals with fallout from Flynn’s ouster; In first under Trump, Russian jets buzzed a U.S. destroyer at close range; Who is Michael Flynn? 5 stories to understand the past controversies of the embattled retired general.; ‘Nuclear football’ photo taken at Trump’s golf resort puts the Pentagon in an awkward position; Syrian forces used gas attacks as key part of campaign to retake Aleppo, Human Rights Watch says;   A military blog by Dan Lamothe   Defense Secretary Mattis issues new ultimatum to NATO allies on defense spending 'Americans cannot care more for your children's security than you do,' he said. By Dan Lamothe and Michael Birnbaum  •  Read more » ADVERTISEMENT   Mattis attempts to reassure NATO allies as the Trump administration deals with fallout from Flynn’s ouster The issue is sensitive for NATO allies, who are concerned about Russian interference in elections and aggression that includes the 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. By Dan Lamothe  •  Read more »   In first under Trump, Russian jets buzzed a U.S. destroyer at close range It is unclear if the jets were armed. By Thomas Gibbons-Neff  •  Read more »   Who is Michael Flynn? 5 stories to understand the past controversies of the embattled retired general. The general faced criticism even before he became national security adviser. By Julie Vitkovskaya  •  Read more »   ‘Nuclear football’ photo taken at Trump’s golf resort puts the Pentagon in an awkward position Defense officials described reaction to the photograph as exaggerated. By Dan Lamothe  •  Read more »   Syrian forces used gas attacks as key part of campaign to retake Aleppo, Human Rights Watch says The attacks killed nine, including four children. By Thomas Gibbons-Neff  •  Read more »   ADVERTISEMENT   Recommended for you   World news alerts Get immediate updates in your inbox on breaking news from around the world. Visit washingtonpost.com/newsletters for more breaking news alerts and newsletters. Sign Up »         Share Checkpoint:       Twitter      Facebook Trouble reading? Click here to view in your browser. You received this email because you signed up for Checkpoint or because it is included in your subscription. For additional free newsletters or to manage your newsletters, click here. We respect your privacy. If you believe that this email has been sent to you in error or you no longer wish to receive email from The Washington Post, click here. Contact us for help. ©2017 The Washington Post, 1301 K St NW, Washington DC 20071