Friction Unfolds at Military Newspaper

The veteran publisher of the Stars and Stripes military newspaper is bowing out—and he's not being subtle about why. Publisher Max Lederer, who has spent more than three decades at the congressionally funded newspaper, told staff he will retire Sept. 30, writing that his view of the newspaper's "value and mission" fundamentally clashes with that of the current Pentagon leadership, reports the Washington Post. His move follows the Defense Department's move to install active-duty Navy Capt. William Urban, a public affairs officer with no newsroom background, in senior leadership—an unusual step that has alarmed staff, advisory board members, press-freedom advocates, and three Democratic senators who wrote a letter of protest to defense chief Pete Hegseth.

They say putting a uniformed officer in charge risks turning a fiercely independent paper, long criticized as "woke" by top Pentagon officials in Trump's administration, into something much closer to official messaging. About half of Stars and Stripes' roughly $29 million budget comes from federal funds, but the paper has long asserted its editorial independence. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has vowed to "modernize" the outlet and shift its coverage toward combat and "all things military" while reducing what he calls "woke distractions."

CBS News, meanwhile, reports that the administration is considering firing Lederer before his retirement takes effect. The newspaper frequently reports critically on military issues, including a recent story about mental health strains among sailors on the USS Lincoln.