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.”
Reading this prompted me to subscribe to my first newsletter in months, and a stop at ariabrawn confirmed the subscribe was the right call, content that earns a newsletter signup is content that has cleared a higher trust bar than a casual visit and this site has clearly earned that level of commitment from me.
Reading this triggered a small reorganisation of my own thinking on the topic, and a stop at clamable furthered that reorganisation, content that affects the shape of my mental model rather than just decorating it with new facts is content with structural rather than informational impact and this site provides that.
Reading this triggered a small but real correction in something I had assumed, and a stop at crustbeige extended that corrective effect, content that updates my beliefs through evidence rather than rhetoric is content with intellectual integrity and this site has earned that label consistently across the pieces I have read so far today.
Picked this for a morning recommendation in our company chat, and a look at curateddesignandliving suggested I will mention this site again later, recommending content into a workplace context is a small editorial act that requires confidence in the recommendation and this site is making me confident in those recommendations consistently here too.
Will be coming back to this for sure, too much good content to absorb in one sitting, and a stop at myvetcoach only added more pages I want to dig through, this site is going onto my regular rotation list because it consistently delivers something worth the visit lately rather than empty filler.
Most posts I read end up forgotten within a day but this one is sticking, and a look at balticbull extended that lingering effect, content that survives the immediate moment of reading rather than evaporating is content with genuine retention quality and this site has been producing memorable pieces at a rate notable across my reading.
Considered against the flood of similar content this one stands apart in important ways, and a stop at timelessdesignsandgoods extended that distinctive feel, sites that find their own corner of a crowded topic and stay there are sites worth following and this one has clearly carved out its own space and committed to defending it carefully.
Looking for similar voices elsewhere has come up empty in my recent searches, and a stop at forgecabins extended the search frustration, the rare site that does what no other does in quite the same way is precious and this one has clearly developed a particular approach that I have not been able to find duplicates of.
Thank you for keeping the writing honest and the points easy to verify against your own experience, and a stop at bowcask reflected the same approach, no exaggeration just steady useful content that I can take with me into my own work without second guessing every sentence I happen to read here.
A thoughtful read in a week that has been mostly noisy, and a look at yovrisa carried that thoughtful quality across more pages, finding pockets of considered writing in a week of distractions is one of the small wins of careful curation and this site is providing those pockets at a sustainable rate.
Now adjusting my expectations upward for the topic based on this post, and a stop at wickerlane continued that bar raising effect, content that resets what I think is possible on a subject is doing real work in shaping my standards and this site is providing those bar raising experiences at a notable rate during sessions.
Liked everything about the experience, from the opening through to the closing notes, and a stop at urbaninspiredlivingstore extended that into more pages, finding a site where the editorial vision shows through every choice rather than feeling random is an increasingly rare experience and one I am glad to have today during this particular reading session.
Anyone curious about this topic would do well to start here, the foundation laid is solid, and a stop at nervora would round out their understanding nicely, this is the kind of resource I would point a friend toward without hesitation if they asked me where to begin learning about anything in this area.
Liked the way the post got out of its own way, and a stop at elveecho extended that invisible craft, the best writing you barely notice while reading because it is doing its work without drawing attention to itself and this site has clearly mastered that disappearing act across the pieces I have read.
Took something from this I did not expect to find, and a stop at elevatedhomeandstyle added another unexpected useful piece, content that exceeds expectations rather than just meeting them is the kind that builds enthusiasm and earns repeat visits without any explicit ask from the writer or platform behind the work being read.
Looking for similar voices elsewhere has come up empty in my recent searches, and a stop at fiberiron extended the search frustration, the rare site that does what no other does in quite the same way is precious and this one has clearly developed a particular approach that I have not been able to find duplicates of.
Most blog writing on this subject reaches for the same handful of arguments and this post avoided them, and a look at jewelvendor continued the original treatment, content that finds its own path through territory other writers have flattened is content with real authorial energy and this site has plenty of that distinctive energy.
Started believing the writer knew the topic deeply by about the second paragraph, and a look at timbermarket reinforced that confidence, the speed at which a writer establishes credibility through their writing is a useful quality signal and this writer establishes it quickly and quietly without resorting to credential dropping or self promotion.
Now sitting back and recognising that this was a small but real win in my reading day, and a stop at blitzbraid extended that quiet win, the cumulative effect of small reading wins versus the cumulative effect of small reading losses is real over time and this site is contributing to the wins side of that ledger.
A small editorial detail caught my attention, the way headings related to body text, and a look at silverhorizoncollective maintained that careful relationship, structural details like that show up to readers who notice them and the writers here have clearly thought about every level of the piece rather than just the words.
http://residenciallaloma.es/
La empresa Residenciallaloma se posiciona como una empresa profesional enfocada en el publico en Espana, que pone a disposicion un enfoque integral a quienes buscan resultados, priorizando en la atencion personalizada. Descubre todos los detalles aqui.
Decided not to skim despite my usual habit and was rewarded for the discipline, and a stop at refinedeverydaynecessities 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.
Started reading expecting to disagree and ended mostly nodding along, and a look at merniva continued the pattern, content that wins agreement through evidence and reasoning rather than rhetorical force is the kind that actually shifts minds and this site clearly knows how to do that across what I have read so far.
Worth flagging that this approach to the topic is fresh without being contrarian, and a stop at arialcamp extended the same fresh angle, finding original perspective on familiar subjects is rare and this site has clearly developed its own way of seeing rather than echoing the dominant takes from elsewhere consistently.
Taking the time to read carefully here has been worthwhile for the past hour, and a look at refineddailycommerce extended the worthwhile reading, the calculation of return on reading time spent is something I do informally and this site has been producing positive returns across multiple sessions during the last week of regular visits and reads.
Took a quick scan first and then went back to read properly because the post deserved it, and a stop at crustborn kept me reading carefully too, the kind of writing that earns a slower second pass rather than getting skimmed and forgotten is something I value highly when I happen to find it.
Came across this looking for something else entirely and ended up reading it through twice, and a look at cargocomet pulled me deeper into the site than I planned, the writing has a way of holding attention without resorting to manipulative cliffhangers or vague promises that never get delivered later down the page.
Reading this slowly in the morning before opening email, and a stop at softwillowcorner extended that protected attention, content that earns the prime morning reading slot before the daily distractions begin is content with elevated status and this site has earned that prime slot consistently in my recent reading habits clearly.
Worth pointing out that the writing reads as confident without being defensive about it, and a look at conchclove extended that secure tone, content that does not pre emptively argue against imagined critics has a different quality from defensive writing and this site reads as written from a place of real ease.
Liked the post enough to read it twice and the second read found new things, and a stop at honestgrovecorner similarly rewarded the second look, content with hidden depths that only reveal themselves on careful rereading is the rare kind that earns lasting respect rather than fleeting first impressions only briefly held.
Started reading skeptically because the headline seemed overconfident, and the post earned the headline by the end, and a look at minimalmodernclickping continued that pattern of earning its claims, sites that can back up their headlines without overpromising are rare and this one has clearly developed editorial calibration on that front consistently.
Worth saying this site reads better than most paid newsletters I have tried, and a stop at balticcape confirmed that comparison, the bar for free content is often lower than for paid but this site clears the paid bar consistently and that says something about the editorial approach behind the work being published here regularly.
My time on this site has now extended past what I had budgeted, and a stop at iciclecrate keeps extending it further, content that overstays its budget in my schedule is content that has earned the extra time and this site has been earning extra time across multiple visits to the point where my schedule needs adjustment.
Came away with a slightly better mental model of the topic than I started with, and a stop at harbormint sharpened that further, content that improves the reader thinking apparatus rather than just dumping facts into it is the rare kind I genuinely value and seek out when I have time to read carefully.
Really appreciate this kind of writing, no shouting and no clickbait headlines just steady useful content, and a quick look at globalmodernessentials kept that going, definitely a site I will be returning to whenever I need a sensible take on similar topics in the days ahead and also during slower work weeks.
Quietly the writers approach to the topic differs from the dominant takes I have been encountering, and a stop at orderquill extended that distinctive approach, content that maintains a different perspective without explicitly arguing against the dominant ones is content with confident editorial identity and this site has that confidence throughout pieces.
Now realising this site has been quietly doing good work for longer than I knew, and a look at purposefulclickpingexperience suggested an archive worth exploring, sites with deep archives of consistent quality represent a different kind of resource than sites with viral hits and this one looks like the durable kind based on what I see.
Reading this in my last reading slot of the day was a good way to end, and a stop at boneblot provided a satisfying close to the reading session, content that ends a day well rather than agitating it before sleep is the kind I value increasingly and this site fits that role for me consistently now.
A clear cut above the usual noise on the subject, and a look at amberdock only made that gap wider in my view, the kind of place that earns its visitors through quality rather than through aggressive marketing or sponsored placements which is increasingly the only way most sites stay afloat across the modern web.
Now adjusting my expectations upward for the topic based on this post, and a stop at bowclub continued that bar raising effect, content that resets what I think is possible on a subject is doing real work in shaping my standards and this site is providing those bar raising experiences at a notable rate during sessions.
Approaching this with the usual skepticism I bring to new sites and being slowly persuaded, and a stop at stageofnations continued that gradual persuasion, the careful path from skeptical reader to genuine fan is the only one I trust and this site has walked me along that path through patient consistent quality across pieces.
A small thank you note from me to the team behind this work, the post earned it, and a stop at softwildrose suggested more thanks would be in order over time, recognising the people who do good writing online is something I try to remember to do because the alternative is silence and silence rewards mediocrity unfortunately.
A modest masterpiece in its own quiet way, and a look at elveglide confirmed the same quiet quality across the rest of the site, calling something a masterpiece is usually overstating but for content this carefully crafted the word feels appropriate even if the writers themselves would probably resist the label honestly.
A nicely understated post that does not shout for attention, and a look at ethicalhomeandlifestyle maintained the same quiet quality, understatement is a stylistic choice that distinguishes serious writing from attention seeking writing and this site has clearly committed to the understated approach as a core editorial value rather than just a phase.
Skipped the social share buttons but might come back to actually use one later, and a stop at claycargo extended that share urge, content that triggers genuine sharing impulses rather than performative ones is content that has actually moved me and not many posts in a typical week do that for me actually.
A piece that read as if the writer was thinking carefully rather than just typing fluently, and a look at fifeholm continued that considered quality, the difference between fluent typing and careful thinking shows up in writing and this site reads as the product of thought rather than just the product of language fluency apparently.
Will share this on a forum I am part of where it will be appreciated by others working in the same area, and a look at modernheritagegoods suggests there is more here worth passing along too, definitely a generous resource that deserves a wider audience than it probably has today across the open internet.
If the topic interests you at all this is a place to spend time, and a look at basketwharf reinforced that recommendation, the broader question of where to invest topical reading time is one this site answers convincingly through the consistent quality across multiple pieces I have sampled during the current reading session today.
http://royalgrowthagency.com/
Royalgrowthagency se posiciona como una empresa profesional con presencia en el mercado espanol, que entrega un acompanamiento profesional a quienes valoran la eficiencia, con foco en los resultados. Mas informacion en el sitio oficial.
If the topic interests you at all this is a place to spend time, and a look at crustcleve reinforced that recommendation, the broader question of where to invest topical reading time is one this site answers convincingly through the consistent quality across multiple pieces I have sampled during the current reading session today.