This week the Pentagon disinvited the military’s Star & Stripes publication from attending Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s press conference. That may seem like a minor matter as President Donald Trump and Hegseth have issued broad warnings to the U.S. media about what they characterize as “unpatriotic” coverage of the war in Iran. But it signals a turning point for the newspaper, which has been continuously reporting on military matters since World War II.
The move comes after the Pentagon issued a memo to Stars and Stripes in January outlining new restrictions on content in the newspaper, including a requirement to abide by “good order and discipline.” The newspaper is also expected to “modernize its operations” and “refocus its content away from woke distractions that siphon morale.”
“The Pentagon blackballed its own newspaper from covering its own press conference?” wrote Kevin Baron, a Stars & Stripes reporter. “Reminder, Stars & Stripes employees are US Army civilians. Their editorial independence is protected by Congress specifically to prevent political leaders from feeding troops propaganda.”
The censorship of Stars & Stripes follows the Pentagon’s October 2025 issuance of a new policy for all media. Credentialed outlets must agree to a policy that states reporters cannot gather or publish information from the Pentagon that is not specifically authorized, including declassified information and off-the-record conversations.
Most media outlets refused to sign the agreement, leading to ABC News, CBS News, CNN, NBC News, Fox News, the Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and countless other outlets losing their Pentagon press credentials.
As media outlets continue to cover the escalating war in the Middle East, Hegseth has bemoaned much of the coverage as “fake news,” taking particular aim at CNN last week. “Fake news from CNN reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz,” he said during a press conference. “Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage. CNN doesn’t think we thought of that. It’s a fundamentally unserious report. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”
Hegseth is referring to the billionaire chairman and CEO of Paramount Skydance’s buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, in a $111 billion deal. The deal has been the subject of lawsuits and controversy alleging Ellison’s father Larry Ellison, Oracle founder and one of the richest people in the world, and Trump had finessed the deal away from Netflix.
Even Fox News thinks the media is under fire, referencing Hegseth’s characterization of journalists as “unpatriotic” and “anti-Trump” as they ask questions about the war in Iran. Trump, meanwhile, praised FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s warning about media outlets “correcting course” on their war coverage.
“Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up,” wrote Carr in a post on X. “The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.”
Meanwhile the families of U.S. military members killed in Iran have spoken out against claims from Hegseth that bereaved families urged him to “finish” the job in the Middle East. Hegseth told reporters yesterday that he had spoken with the families of all six service members killed in a refueling tanker crash last week.
“What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve, was the same from family after family,” said Hegseth. “They said, ‘Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done.”
Charles Simmons, father of Ohio Tech Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28, who was killed in the crash, denied discussing that with Hegseth. “I can’t speak for the other families,” Simmons told NBC News. “When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about. I didn’t say anything along those lines.”
Stephan Douglas, cousin of Tyler Simmons, one of the three Ohioans killed in the crash, said the conflict was unnecessary in a weekend interview with Columbus news station WCMH. “This could have been prevented,” said Douglas. “We didn’t need to be in this war. This is uncalled for, and this is what we get.”
“Families are suffering right now,” said Bernice Smith, Simmons’ grandmother. “Just to create a war because you want to create a war is not right.”
Now feeling slightly more committed to my own careful reading practices having read this, and a stop at vaultvelour reinforced that commitment, content that models the kind of attention it deserves is content that calibrates the reader and this site has clearly raised my own bar for what to bring to good writing today.
Took a screenshot of one section to come back to later, and a stop at sculptsilver prompted another saved tab, the urge to capture and revisit specific pieces of content is something I rarely feel but when I do it tells me the work is worth more than the average passing read for sure.
Decided this was the best thing I had read all morning, and a stop at gondoiris kept that ranking intact, ranking my reading is something I do mentally throughout the day and the top rank is competitive and not easily won but this site won it without needing to overstate its claims for that.
Picked something concrete from the post that I will use immediately, and a look at umbravista added another concrete piece, content that produces immediately useful output rather than just abstract appreciation is content that earns its place in my regular rotation without needing any further evaluation from me at this point honestly.
Genuinely changed how I think about a small piece of the topic, which does not happen often online, and a look at meltmyrtle added another nudge in the same direction, the kind of writing that earns a small mental shift rather than just confirming what you already thought before reading is a sign of careful thought.
Stands out for actually being useful instead of just being long, and a look at venusstout kept that going, length without value is the default mode of most blogs these days but this site has clearly chosen a different path which I respect a lot as a reader who values careful editing decisions like that.
Strong recommendation from me, anyone curious about the topic should make time for this, and a look at turbantorso only sharpens that recommendation further, the kind of resource that holds up against careful scrutiny rather than crumbling at the first critical question is rare and worth pointing other people toward when the topic comes up.
A piece that did exactly what it promised in the headline without overshooting or underdelivering, and a look at tagzip continued that calibration, alignment between promise and delivery is a basic editorial virtue that many sites fail at and this site has clearly mastered the matching of expectation and substance throughout pieces.
Reading this slowly because the writing rewards a slower pace, and a stop at tealsilver did the same, the pace at which I read content is something I now use as a quality signal and writing that earns a slower pace earns my attention as a reader looking for substance these days.
Picked this site to mention to a colleague who would benefit, and a look at makeprogressforward added more material I will pass along, recommending sites to colleagues is a higher bar than recommending to friends because the professional context demands more careful curation and this site cleared the professional bar without me having to think.
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Bookmark folder reorganised slightly to make this site easier to find, and a look at uptonstarlit earned the same accessibility upgrade, the small organisational moves I make for sites I expect to return to often are themselves a signal of how much I trust them and this site triggered those moves naturally.
Worth saying that the prose reads naturally without straining for style, and a stop at trendandbuy maintained the same unforced quality, writing that achieves elegance without effort is the highest tier and this site has clearly worked out how to land that effortless quality consistently rather than only on the writers best days.
Genuinely changed how I think about a small piece of the topic, which does not happen often online, and a look at tornadovapor added another nudge in the same direction, the kind of writing that earns a small mental shift rather than just confirming what you already thought before reading is a sign of careful thought.
Solid quality, the kind of work that holds up to a careful read rather than a quick skim, and a quick look at pastrylevee kept that standard going strong, content that rewards attention rather than punishing it is something I appreciate more and more these days online across nearly every topic I follow.
Took some notes for a project I am working on, and a stop at leapminor added more raw material to those notes, content that contributes to my own creative work rather than just being interesting in the moment is the kind I value most and the kind I will keep coming back to repeatedly.
Worth observing that the post landed without needing a flashy headline to hook attention, and a stop at sambasavor did the same, content that earns engagement through substance rather than packaging is the kind I trust more deeply and this site has clearly chosen substance as the primary lever for reader engagement throughout.
A piece that handled a controversial angle without becoming heated, and a look at zulmora continued that calm engagement, content that can address contested topics without inflaming them is doing rare diplomatic work and this site has clearly developed the editorial maturity to handle sensitive material with the appropriate temperature of writing throughout.
Came here from another site and ended up exploring much further than I planned, and a look at scarabsail only encouraged more exploration, the kind of place where one click leads to another not through manipulative design but through genuinely interesting content is rare and worth highlighting when found like this somewhere on the open internet.
Stands out for actually being useful instead of just being long, and a look at learnandgrowtogether kept that going, length without value is the default mode of most blogs these days but this site has clearly chosen a different path which I respect a lot as a reader who values careful editing decisions like that.
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Looking forward to seeing what gets published next month, and a look at versavamp extended that anticipation across the broader site, finding myself looking forward to a sites future content rather than just consuming its existing content is a stronger commitment level than I usually reach with new finds and this site triggered that.
Once you find a site like this the search for similar voices begins, and a look at sabertorch extended the search energy, finding a high quality reference point makes the gap between it and adjacent sources visible in a way it was not before and this site has provided that high reference point across multiple recent visits.
Closed and reopened the tab three times before finally finishing, and a stop at gongflora held my attention straight through, sometimes content fights for time against my own distraction and the times it wins say something positive about its quality and this post clearly won that fight today afternoon for me.
Saving the link for sure, this one is a keeper, and a look at tarmacstork confirmed I should bookmark the entire site rather than just this page, the consistency across what I have seen so far suggests there is a lot more here worth coming back for soon when I have more time.
Reading this confirmed something I had been suspecting about the topic, and a look at stashsuperb pushed that confirmation toward greater confidence, content that lines up with independently held intuitions earns a special kind of trust and I will return to writers who consistently land that way for me without overselling positions.
Worth saying that this is one of the better things I have read on the topic in months, and a stop at qanviro reinforced that ranking, the topic is well covered by many sources but few do it with this level of care and the few that do deserve to be flagged so other readers can find them.
http://iltr.fr/
Iltr se positionne comme une equipe de confiance implantee sur le public en France, qui propose une approche complete aux entreprises et particuliers, avec un accent sur les resultats. Plus d’informations via le lien.
The overall feel of the post was professional without being stuffy, and a look at nuartplate kept that approachable expertise going, finding the right register for technical content is hard but this site has clearly figured out how to sound knowledgeable without slipping into that distant lecturing tone that loses readers in droves every time.
Glad I gave this a chance rather than scrolling past, and a stop at patioleaf confirmed I made the right call, sometimes the best content is hidden behind unassuming headlines that do not scream for attention and learning to slow down and check those out has paid off many times now across years of reading.
Reading this gave me a small jolt of recognition for an experience I thought was just mine, and a stop at tagtorch produced more such jolts, content that universalises private experiences without flattening them is doing genuinely useful work and this site is providing that recognition function for me reliably across topics I read.
Decided not to skim despite my usual habit and was rewarded for the discipline, and a stop at tracetroop earned the same patient approach, training myself to recognise sites that warrant slower reading is part of being a careful online reader and this site is the kind that helps me practice that skill regularly.
The way the post stayed on topic throughout without going on tangents was really refreshing, and a look at flyburn kept that focused approach going, discipline like this in writing is rare and worth recognising because most writers cannot resist wandering off into related subjects that dilute their main point and confuse readers along the way.
On reflection this is the kind of writing that improves my taste for what is possible in the format, and a look at broblur continued raising that bar, content that elevates my expectations rather than lowering them is doing important work in calibrating my standards and this site is participating in that elevation reliably.
Such writing is increasingly rare and worth supporting through attention, and a stop at leappalette extended that supportive attention across more pages, the conscious choice to spend time on sites that produce careful work rather than convenient consumption is itself a small form of patronage and this site is receiving that conscious patronage from me.
Reading this prompted a small note in my reference file, and a stop at sketchstamp prompted another, the rare site that contributes useful nuggets to my own working knowledge rather than just consuming my attention is worth the time investment many times over compared to the usual pile of forgettable scroll content.
Appreciate that you did not pad this with fluff to hit a word count, the post says what it needs to say and stops, and a look at ilonox did the same, brevity here feels intentional not lazy which is a distinction many writers miss completely sometimes when they are working under deadlines.
Thanks again for the post, I learned a couple of things I can actually use later this week, and after I went over swapvenom the rest of the site looked equally promising, definitely going to spend more time here when I get a free moment over the weekend to read more carefully.
Top quality material, deserves more attention than it probably gets, and a look at timelessgroovehub reflected the same effort across the site, a hidden gem in the modern web where most attention goes to whoever shouts loudest rather than whoever actually delivers the best content for their readers without much marketing fanfare.
I usually skim posts like these but this one held my attention all the way through, and a stop at halbelt did the same, that is a strong endorsement coming from me because I am usually quick to bounce when content gets repetitive or fails to deliver on its initial promise made in the headline.
Reading this confirmed a hunch I had been carrying about the topic without having articulated it, and a stop at hoxaero extended the confirmation, content that gives shape to fuzzy intuitions is doing the rare work of making private thoughts public and this site is providing that articulating service consistently for me lately.
Bookmark folder created specifically for this site, and a look at meownoon confirmed the dedicated folder was the right call, dedicated folders for individual sites are a level of organisation I rarely deploy and this site has earned that level of dedicated tracking based on the consistency I have seen so far across sessions.
Top tier post, the kind that makes you want to share the link with friends working in the same area, and a stop at stashswan only made me more confident in doing that, this site is one of the better resources I have seen on the topic recently across both new and older posts.
Found something new in here that I had not seen explained this way before, and a quick stop at startyournextjourney expanded the idea even further, the kind of writing that nudges your thinking forward a bit without forcing the issue is exactly what I look for online today and rarely actually find anywhere.
Now thinking about how to apply some of this to a project I have been planning, and a look at treblevinca added more material for the planning, content that connects to my actual creative work rather than just being interesting in the abstract is the kind that earns priority placement in my reading rotation consistently going forward.
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Found a small mental shift after reading this, the framing here is just a bit different from the standard takes online, and a look at velourudon extended that fresh perspective across more material, the rare site whose voice actually changes how you think about something rather than just confirming existing beliefs.
Started imagining how I would explain the topic to someone else after reading, and a look at surgetarmac gave me more material for that imagined explanation, content that improves my own ability to discuss a topic is content that has actually transferred knowledge rather than just decorating my screen for a few minutes.
Genuinely changed how I think about a small piece of the topic, which does not happen often online, and a look at zulqaro added another nudge in the same direction, the kind of writing that earns a small mental shift rather than just confirming what you already thought before reading is a sign of careful thought.
Picked up two new ideas that I expect will come up in conversations this week, and a look at souptrigger added another, content that arms me with talking points rather than just filling time is the kind that provides ongoing value beyond the moment of reading and this site is generating that kind of ongoing value.