Pentagon Fires Leaders of Military Newspaper Stars and Stripes

On August 21, 2026, the Pentagon fired three leaders of Stars and Stripes, the newspaper for U.S. service members: editor Erik Slavin, reporter Lara Korte, and publisher Max Lederer. Slavin said he was fired for defying orders after telling CBS that censoring troops' news would cross a "red line" — a limit he would not accept. The firings finish a months-long Pentagon takeover of the paper's news decisions.