Pentagon fires Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief and publisher after they defended editorial independence

The Department of Defense fired Erik Slavin, editor-in-chief of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, and publisher Max Lederer, along with reporter Lara Korte, citing 'insubordination' after they publicly opposed Pentagon interference in the outlet's editorial independence. The dismissals occurred days after the paper reported on mental health crises aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and followed months of escalating pressure, including the rescission of a regulation protecting editorial freedom and the installation of a Navy captain as deputy publisher. The firings drew condemnation from press freedom groups and Democratic lawmakers as part of a broader Trump administration crackdown on independent military journalism.