Pentagon Fires Top Staff of Military Newspaper Stars and Stripes

On August 21, 2026, the Pentagon fired Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, Middle East reporter Lara Korte, and publisher Max Lederer. Slavin said he was cited for insubordination after telling CBS that censoring service members' news would be a "red line." The firings complete a months-long consolidation of editorial control over the military newspaper by the Defense Department's communications office.