Fired 'Stars and Stripes' Journalists Sue Pentagon, Seeking to Block Their Terminations 27AUG26

Lt. Col. Sean P. Klimek, commander Stars and Stripes Europe and Expeditionary, Office of Secretary of Defense, Kaiserslautern, Germany, Max D. Lederer, jr., Publisher Stars and Stripes and Lt. Col. Richard E. McClintic, Commander of Stars and Stripes Pacific headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, pose for a group photo with Public Affairs personnel from U.S. Army Central

 NOT fired for publishing actual military secrets that would put American military members and the nation at risk, no, these people were fired for doing their job and reporting truth and facts much to the chagrin of neo-nazi fascist fotze trunt petie lola hegseth and that no class neo-nazi fascist drippings ( meaning the best of him, it there actually was any, ran down something's leg ) c-i-c bone spurs NOT MY pres drumpf/trump. It is a very sad commentary on the lack of commitment to defending the US Constitution, especially the First Amendment by the drumpf/trump-vance administration, their ass licking cabinet and the gop / greed over people-republican party. This from Military.com.....

Fired 'Stars and Stripes' Journalists Sue Pentagon, Seeking to Block Their Terminations

"Our goal is to protect the rights of service members and their families to a free and independent press," the plaintiffs said.

Published Aug 27, 2026, 6:23 PM EDT

By Adam Gramegna

Three Stars and Stripes journalists fired by the Pentagon last week have sued the Department of Defense, seeking to block their terminations.

Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, Middle East reporter Lara Korte, and publisher Max Lederer filed the 45-page lawsuit Thursday in Washington. Among the defendants named were the Defense Department, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and two of the department's public affairs officials, according to their now former employer.

The suit asks the court to halt the terminations as unlawful, arguing they amounted to retaliation over unflattering coverage of a Navy deployment as part of a broader attempt to censor the press. The three plaintiffs are represented by Democracy Defenders Fund, Lawyers for Good Government, Government Accountability Project and the Yale School Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic

"Our goal is to protect the rights of service members and their families to a free and independent press," the three journalists said in a joint statement provided to Military.com. "This lawsuit is about safeguarding that mission and ensuring our civilian and military journalists can do their jobs without retaliation."

Colonel Christopher M. Coglianese, facing left, deputy chief of staff, U.S. Army Central (Forward), meets with Max D. Lederer Jr., center, publisher, Stars and Stripes

Credit: U.S. Army Reserve photo by Staff Sgt. Justin Hardin

The three were issued separation notices last Friday, each charged with insubordination. Stars and Stripes is owned by the Defense Department and its employees are federal workers, but the paper operates as an editorially independent news organization. It has been in continuous circulation since World War II.

Military.com asked the Defense Department whether it intends to contest the lawsuit and about the status of the employees' appeals. No response was received by press time.

The Firings

Separation notices for Slavin and Korte cited a CBS News interview in which each defended the First Amendment principles behind their work and said censorship of news for service members would be a red line.

Slavin joined the publication in 2005 and became its top editor in September 2025. Korte began reporting for the paper in 2024.

Lederer, who spent 30 years with Stars and Stripes and had announced his retirement days before the firings, was terminated because he refused a request from Pentagon leadership to fire Slavin and Korte, according to the lawsuit.

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sails in the Arabian Sea, May 29, 2026

Credit: [null Courtesy], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

He was also cited for insubordination over comments he made in his resignation.

Attorneys for Slavin and Korte claim they are being fired merely for saying on the CBS Sunday Morning TV show that Stars and Stripes should remain independent of Pentagon and political influence.

“The Pentagon is trying to punish journalists for defending the established mission of Stars and Stripes,” said Taryn Wilgus Null, senior counsel at Democracy Defenders Fund, in a statement provided to Military.com. “We are asking the court to stop these unconstitutional terminations. Service members and their families need reporting that is independent of the officials it covers and is unafraid to criticize them when they deserve it.”

Lederer had said he was stepping down because his understanding of the mission of Stars and Stripes differed in "fundamental ways" from the direction the Defense Department had set for the paper. He was scheduled to leave Sept. 30.

A Warning Over the USS Abraham Lincoln

The firings are tied directly to the newspaper's reporting, per the complaint.

The demand that Lederer fire Slavin and Korte came the day after Stars and Stripes published an article on deteriorating conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, according to the suit.

That news coverage described an aircraft carrier that had been deployed for a historic 270 days without a port call, as part of the ongoing war with Iran that will mark the six-month mark of the conflict on Friday.

“These retaliatory firings at Stars and Stripes are precisely why these First Amendment protections matter," Amy Powell, litigation director, Lawyers for Good Government, said in a statement shared with Military.com. "The government cannot preserve an independent press while punishing the people who insist that its independence is paramount to a functioning democracy.

"We are proud to stand with these employees in defending their rights and the principle that government officials cannot use their power over federal workers to silence protected speech.”​​​​​​​

The dispute over the paper's independence predates the firings. In March, the Pentagon outlined an overhaul of Stars and Stripes that barred it from using some newswire services and running comics and other syndicated features.

They required that its content be consistent with "good order and discipline," a phrase drawn from the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Its ombudsman, whose role Congress created to protect its editorial independence, was fired in April.

This week's lawsuit is separate from a suit filed in June by two members of the paper's advisory board, who alleged the Pentagon's overhaul violated federal law. That case remains pending.

Another state PBS network goes down, it's not the first and it will not be the last & Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board Votes to Dissolve Organization in Act of Responsible Stewardship to Protect the Future of Public Media 7&5JAN26

 

I just watched the PBS NewsHour nightly broadcast and am so angry it was announced at the end of the broadcast it was announced PBS NewsHour Weekend has been canceled due to the drumpf / trump-vance administration with fascist fotze trunt elon musk, doge, and the gop / greed over people-republican party controlling congress rescinding all federal funding for the CPB, NPR and PBS. The CPB board of directors voted to disband the organization since it has not been operational since the funding cut rather than leave the organization in tact for the drumpf / trump-vance administration to turn it into a neo-nazi propaganda organization controlled by fascist fotze trunt stephen goebbels-miller and the fascist heritage / fourth reich foundation disguised as the CPB. fox faux news has always been an extreme right wing fascist media organization, cbs has now joined them as very active members of this government's Orwellian propaganda machine. Multiple NPR and PBS stations in red and blue states have closed due to lack of funding. Please consider becoming a sustaining member of your local NPR and / or PBS station or donate whatever you can afford to either or both. Please join the Demand Progress campaign to save public media and e mail your representative and senators telling them to include funding for NPR and PBS in the federal FY 2026 budget. My e mails to my representative and senators are at the end of this post.

It's now been over five months since Donald Trump signed legislation defunding public broadcasting — and the blows to public media just keep on coming.1 Last month, Arkansas' public television network officially broke ties with PBS, citing the loss of federal funding. Going forward, shows like Sesame Street, Antiques Roadshow, and PBS News Hour will no longer be available to viewers in the state.2 This comes after PBS laid off 15% of its staff, New Jersey PBS announced it would go off the air next summer, and over 50 local stations around the country announced layoffs.3,4,5 Without renewed federal support, more than 115 other stations could cease operations in the year ahead.6 But this fight is NOT over. The U.S. Senate is about to take up legislation that could restore funding for public broadcasting, and we're mobilizing tens of thousands of people to demand that Congress restore funding now! Will you make a donation to help save public radio and television, and push for other key reforms? If you've stored your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation to Demand Progress will process immediately. DONATE $12 DONATE $17 DONATE $23 DONATE $27 DONATE $35 DONATE OTHER AMOUNT Trump's defunding of public broadcasting has nothing to do with saving taxpayer money. The entire federal contribution to public broadcasting was around $550 million a year — or less than $1.60 per American.7 For comparison, the cost of Trump's ballroom renovation alone is $300 million.8 The reason Trump wants to kill off public broadcasting is because it's a threat to his authoritarian takeover. Every autocrat knows that in order to suppress dissent, they must control the news and information that people receive. With MAGA billionaires in control of the biggest social media platforms and buying up major news outlets like CBS, he's well on his way.9 But if we act now, we can save public broadcasting. The U.S. Senate will soon begin debate on appropriations bills for FY2026, and funding for local public radio and TV stations absolutely must be included. We've already mobilized more than 100,000 people to contact Congress in support of protecting public media this year, and now we need to ramp it up. Will you make a donation to help support our work, including restoring funding for public radio and television? Thanks for taking action, Joey and the team at Demand Progress Action DONATE Sources: 1. PBS, "Trump signs bill canceling $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding," July 24, 2025. 2. Arkansas Times, "RIP, Arkansas PBS," December 11, 2025.  3. Axios, "PBS slashes 15% of its staff after federal funding cuts," September 5, 2025. 4. Corporation for Public Broadcasting, "The Impact of the Federal Rescission on Public Media," October 9, 2025. 5. WHYY, "NJ PBS, New Jersey's only dedicated public television channel, will cease operations in the Garden State next summer," September 23, 2025. 6. Protect My Public Media, "Urge Congress: Save Our Stations," accessed December 17, 2025. 7. Protect My Public Media, "About Protect My Public Media," accessed December 5, 2025. 8. ABC News, "New images show White House East Wing leveled for $300 million ballroom," November 17, 2025. 9. Zeteo, "The MAGA Moguls' Media Takeover," December 9, 2025. Contributions to ActBlue Civics and Demand Progress Action are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Join our online community on Instagram or Twitter. Corporation for Public Broadcasting Board Votes to Dissolve Organization in Act of Responsible Stewardship to Protect the Future of Public Media After 58 Years of Service, CPB Closure Comes Following Congressional Defunding, Marks New Era for Public Media Washington, D.C. (January 5, 2026) — The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress to steward the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting, announced today that its Board of Directors has voted to dissolve the organization after 58 years of service to the American public. The decision follows Congress’s rescission of all of CPB’s federal funding and comes after sustained political attacks that made it impossible for CPB to continue operating as the Public Broadcasting Act intended. “For more than half a century, CPB existed to ensure that all Americans—regardless of geography, income, or background—had access to trusted news, educational programming, and local storytelling,” said Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of CPB. “When the Administration and Congress rescinded federal funding, our Board faced a profound responsibility: CPB’s final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks.” “What has happened to public media is devastating,” said Ruby Calvert, Chair of CPB’s Board of Directors. “After nearly six decades of innovative, educational public television and radio service, Congress eliminated all funding for CPB, leaving the Board with no way to continue the organization or support the public media system that depends on it. Yet, even in this moment, I am convinced that public media will survive, and that a new Congress will address public media’s role in our country because it is critical to our children's education, our history, culture and democracy to do so.” First authorized by Congress under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, CPB helped build and sustain a nationwide public media system of more than 1,500 locally owned and operated public radio and television stations. Through CPB’s stewardship, public media became a trusted civic resource—delivering educational programming like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Sesame Street that helped generations of children learn and grow, providing lifesaving emergency alerts during natural disasters and crises, and supporting rigorous, fact-based journalism that uncovers issues impacting people’s daily lives, connects neighbors to one another, and strengthens civic participation. CPB’s Board determined that without the resources to fulfill its congressionally mandated responsibilities, maintaining the corporation as a nonfunctional entity would not serve the public interest or advance the goals of public media. A dormant and defunded CPB could have become vulnerable to future political manipulation or misuse, threatening the independence of public media and the trust audiences place in it, and potentially subjecting staff and board members to legal exposure from bad-faith actors. While CPB’s chapter is ending, the mission of public media endures. Local stations, producers, journalists, and educators across the country will continue serving their communities, informing the public, and elevating local voices. As part of its orderly closure, CPB will complete the responsible distribution of all remaining funds in accordance with Congress’s intent. CPB will also provide support to the American Archive of Public Broadcasting to continue digitizing and preserving historic content, and CPB’s own archives—dating back to the organization’s founding in 1967—will be preserved in partnership with the University of Maryland and made accessible to the public. “Public media remains essential to a healthy democracy,” Harrison said. “Our hope is that future leaders and generations will recognize its value, defend its independence, and continue the work of ensuring that trustworthy, educational, and community-centered media remains accessible to all Americans.” # # # About CPB The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967. It has helped support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is the largest single source of funding for public radio, television, and related online and mobile services. With the rescission of federal funds for FY 2026 and FY 2027, CPB is in the process of winding down operations. For more information, visit www.cpb.org.

 MY e mails to Rep Subramanyam D-VA 10th, Sen Warner D-VA and Sen Kaine D-VA

Congress will soon start federal budget negotiations for FY2026. I expect you to introduce, or at the very least co-sponsor and support full funding for NPR and PBS in these negotiations. Too many NPR and PBS stations, many in very rural areas, have ceased broadcasting and more will follow if federal funding for these non-partisan nonprofit media organizations is not restored. Please work with the entire Virginia congressional delegation to fully restore NPR and PBS funding in FY2026. And for any member of congress who opposes funding NPR and PBS, let their constituents in their district and state know through print and broadcast media.

Thank you

MOTHER JONES DAILY: It’s Time for Soft Secession, ICE will be "all over" the Super Bowl, The “dual state” theory was invented to describe Nazis. The Supreme Court could take us there., Indigenous nations plan a tariff-free trade corridor across the US-Canada border, Climate scientists raise a middle finger to Trump's censorship efforts, If you want to stay healthy and you care about humanity, here's what to eat 6OKT25

 

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October 6, 2025 Hello, I’m Clara Jeffery, editor-in-chief of Mother Jones. Like me, you’ve probably been feeling a lot of dread lately. President Trump is sending out-of-control federal agents to terrorize blue cities, with the clear intent of provoking some kind of incident he’ll use as justification to further ratchet up his authoritarianism. The government is shut down because, honestly, how can Democrats negotiate when Trump just uses rescission and the shutdown to renege on deals and claw back congressionally appropriated funds? Capitulation is not only morally unacceptable, but it doesn’t work. Just ask the universities and law firms, and media companies that cut a deal with Trump, only to have him come back and demand more tribute. So what can we do? Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push for California to counterbalance Texas’ acquiescence to Trump’s demand that it redistrict is an important step. But the reality is we can’t wait for the midterms or the markets. Trump is speed-running toward autocracy much faster than anyone thought possible. We need tougher action now. One strategy that I explore in this essay is “uncooperative federalism” or “soft secession.” Basically, some or all of the blue states would form a union, as it were, and act in their collective interest and thwart Trump. I quote Substacker Chris Armitage, who writes that soft secession is not “the violent rupture of 1861, but something else entirely. Blue states building parallel systems, withholding cooperation, and creating facts on the ground that render federal authority meaningless within their borders.” Economic clout is key here, and none more so than that of California—the world’s fourth-largest economy, fifth-largest agricultural producer, home to Hollywood and Silicon Valley. But states can coordinate legal strategies and create their own confederated policies—indeed, some of that is already happening. And our governors—especially those eyeing a presidential run—need to team up Avengers-style and flex our collective muscle.  “Soft secession,” I write, “could, should it come to that, be the proving ground of a new confederacy. Hopefully the threat of CalExit or a new Union will be enough.” I hope you can take the time to read my full thoughts on soft secession. —Clara Jeffery P.S. Three years after FTX's collapse, which sparked one of the biggest bankruptcy cases in US history, why do so many customers still feel like they're being shortchanged? Part two of Reveal's investigation is out now.

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