The central motivation behind Israel’s bombing campaign in Syria appears to be that a power vacuum inside the country could result in Islamic extremists or other bad actors getting their hands on chemical and conventional weapons. The White House also fears such a power vacuum, and Biden administration officials are keenly aware of just how crucial the next few days will be.

Military Correspondent Mike Glenn is tracking all the latest developments, including the administration’s pleas for calm and calls for a peaceful transition to a representative government in Syria after the sudden fall of the Assad government.

“The Syrian people deserve respect for their human rights and fundamental freedoms, the resumption of key services, and the protection and participation of marginalized populations, including members of minority groups,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Monday.

And one more note on Syria: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv deserves some credit for the rapid collapse of the Assad regime. He said that Russia’s military struggles in Ukraine left it unable to come to the defense of its ally, Mr. Assad.

Some of Mr. Trump’s more unconventional Cabinet picks are on Capitol Hill again this week and are facing their critics head-on. Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard met Monday with the key Senate Republicans. Some of her more controversial positions — such as her support for infamous NSA leaker Edward Snowden, her 2017 visit with Mr. Assad, and past comments that some critics cast as Russian propaganda — were among the topics of discussion.

Ms. Gabbard isn’t the only nominee still under the Capitol Hill microscope. Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, Mr. Trump’s choice to be the next defense secretary, seems like he may be winning over some skeptical Republicans after his bid seemed all but doomed just a few days ago.

Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican, signaled Monday she is finding common policy ground with Mr. Hegseth after an “encouraging” meeting between the two. In a statement, Ms. Ernst did not say specifically that she would vote for his confirmation but indicated she had won some concessions from Mr. Hegseth, or at least agreements.

Mr. Glenn also has a deep dive into Mr. Hegseth’s military background, and specifically what it means that he was twice awarded the Bronze Star for his service.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and congressional lawmakers are pressing federal agencies for answers over a rash of mysterious drone sightings in the state’s skies.

Rep. Tom Kean, New Jersey Republican, told the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration to “investigate and address this escalating issue.” He also wants an in-depth public briefing from authorities. Mr. Murphy, a Democrat, said there were more than 50 sightings on Sunday alone.

The FBI is investigating the New Jersey drone incidents. But there are much broader questions at play here. Threat Status has been tracking a host of other troubling UFO and drone sightings across the country, including at some of America’s most sensitive military sites.

A recent Pentagon report said that strange drones were seen flying over U.S. nuclear infrastructure, weapons and launch sites at least 18 times between May 2023 and June 1 of this year. And earlier this year, an unexplained drone swarm also flew over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

Such incidents have fueled fear that U.S. adversaries, perhaps China or Russia, are routinely flying drones over American military facilities as part of an intelligence-gathering operation that could involve groundbreaking technologies.

A pair of senators are teaming up to help smaller companies compete for Defense Department contracts.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat, and Eric Schmitt, Missouri Republican, have issued a bipartisan call for “meaningful regulation” to encourage smaller companies to compete for Pentagon contracts acquiring new artificial intelligence and cloud computing tools. Lead Tech Reporter Ryan Lovelace has all the details on the duo’s new legislation. Ms. Warren said it’s necessary because of her concern that “all of our eggs are in one giant Silicon Valley basket.”

The bill would require the Department of Defense to administer competitive award processes for contracts, publish regular reports on competition in the AI sector and protect government data stored in vendors’ systems.

Entrepreneur and astronaut Jared Isaacman, Mr. Trump’s nominee to lead NASA, is exactly the kind of leader that the space agency needs today.

That’s the argument from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who writes in a new piece for The Times that Mr. Isaacman can chart a new course at a pivotal moment for America’s ambitions in space.

“As NASA’s leader, Mr. Isaacman will transform the slow, cautious, bureaucratic culture that has grown up since Apollo into a dynamic, risk-taking, entrepreneurial system,” Mr. Gingrich writes. “NASA will accelerate rather than hinder the growth of a new generation of diverse American space activities. These include occupying the moon and colonizing Mars, as well as developing space tourism and manufacturing in weightless environments.”

• Dec. 10 — The Turning Point? U.S.-China Relations, Economic Growth and the Race for Technology Leadership, Center for Strategic and International Studies

• Dec. 10 — Trade & Technology: The Arms Trade Treaty at 10, Stimson Center

• Dec. 11 — The future of U.S. counterterrorism policy, Atlantic Council

• Dec. 11 — Relations with Turkey under Trump 2.0, Brookings Institution

• Dec. 11 — Hearing on Infiltration of U.S. Telecom Systems, Senate Commerce Committee