Pete Hegseth

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Hegseth Forces Out Army's Chief of Staff

Defense secretary asks Gen. Randy George to take retirement immediately

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday removed Gen. Randy George as Army chief of staff—another in more than a dozen firings of senior military leaders by Hegseth since he took office last year and the first during the Iran war. He asked George to step down and retire immediately....

'God Squad' Gives Gulf Drilling a Big Exemption

Citing national security, Trump administration exempts new drilling from endangered species rules

(Newser) - The Trump administration on Tuesday exempted oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from the Endangered Species Act after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said environmentalists' lawsuits threatened domestic energy supplies as the US wages war against Iran. Critics say the move by the Endangered Species Committee could doom...

Hegseth: No Punishment for Pilots Who Hovered Near Kid Rock's Home

'Carry on, patriots,' defense secretary posts

(Newser) - The Army pilots who hovered two helicopters near Kid Rock's Tennessee home during a training run while he clapped and saluted have had their suspension lifted, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday. "No punishment. No Investigation. Carry on, patriots," Hegseth said in a social media post cited...

US Might Use Controversial Anti-Drone Lasers in DC

FAA safety concerns complicate the issue

(Newser) - Earlier this month, reports surfaced about unidentified drones buzzing near the residences of Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio at Fort McNair in DC. Now, the New York Times reports that the Pentagon might deploy a fancy new laser system at the military base to shoot down such drones. But what...

Report: Hegseth Broker Sought Defense Investment Before War

Pentagon denies it, demands a retraction from the Financial Times

(Newser) - The Pentagon is denying a potentially volatile report about Pete Hegseth's finances. The Financial Times on Monday reported that a broker for the defense chief tried to make a multi-million-dollar investment in major defense companies just ahead of the Iran war. Hegseth's broker at Morgan Stanley reached out...

God Isn't Interested in Justifying War, Pope Says

Palm Sunday sermon answers leaders who have brought their faith into debates

(Newser) - While airstrikes cross the Middle East and the Pentagon makes plans for ground operations there, Pope Leo XIV used his Palm Sunday address to warn that God does not heed the prayers of those who initiate war. Speaking to crowds in St. Peter's Square, the first American pope cited...

Iran Hits Saudi Military Base, Injuring 10 US Service Members

Two of those service members are seriously hurt, officials say; planes also reportedly damaged

(Newser) - An Iranian missile attack on Friday wounded at least 10 US service members and damaged several planes at a military base in Saudi Arabia, according to two US officials familiar with the situation. Two of the troops were seriously wounded, one of the officials said. The attack on Prince Sultan...

In Unusual Move, Hegseth Blocks 4 Officers' Promotions

New York Times reports two are women and two are Black, raising bias concerns

(Newser) - The New York Times reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the "exceedingly rare" decision to block the promotion of four Army officers to the status of one-star generals. Defense secretaries rarely get involved in such relatively nitty-gritty decisions, and the move in this case is especially sensitive: Two...

Hegseth Takes Rank Off Chaplains' Uniforms

Defense secretary says changes are to emphasize religious identity as Pentagon streamlines faith codes

(Newser) - Military chaplains' uniforms will soon send a new message. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said chaplains will stop wearing rank insignia and instead display only their religious symbols, a shift he framed as elevating their "divine calling" and making them less intimidating to approach, USA Today reports. Chaplains will keep...

Judge: Pentagon May Be Illegally Retaliating Against Anthropic

Judge weighs Anthropic's retaliation claims against Pentagon security risk label

(Newser) - A federal judge suggested the Pentagon may have crossed a constitutional line in its fight with Anthropic, the Washington Post reports. At a Tuesday hearing in San Francisco, US district judge Rita Lin said the Defense Department's move to label the AI company a "supply-chain risk" "looks...

Hegseth's Religious Rhetoric Alarms Extremist Experts

Defense chief's hard lean into Christianity risks alienating troops, gets new look amid Iran war

(Newser) - Since becoming defense secretary, Pete Hegseth has found no shortage of ways to bring his strand of conservative evangelicalism into the Pentagon. He hosts monthly Christian worship services for employees. His department's promotional videos have displayed Bible verses alongside military footage. In speeches and interviews, he often argues the...

'Ghost in the Skies' Apparently Hit by Iranian Fire

US stealth F-35 makes emergency Mideast landing during combat mission; investigation is underway

(Newser) - An American F-35 stealth jet flying over Iran was forced to make an emergency landing at a US base in the Middle East after being hit by what US officials believe was Iranian fire, sources tell CNN . A US Central Command spokesperson said the aircraft was on a combat mission...

Drones Seen Over DC Base Housing Rubio, Hegseth

Sightings spur heightened security at Fort McNair and beyond

(Newser) - Unidentified drones recently appeared over the DC Army base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth live, triggering heightened security talks and fresh concern about targeting by Iran, according to multiple people briefed on the incident who talked to the Washington Post . The aircraft were spotted...

Military: 'No Definitive Answer' on Show's Live-Fire Accident

Malfunction during demonstration rained shrapnel on California highway in October

(Newser) - A "one in a million" malfunction during a live fire demonstration over Camp Pendleton last October led to a misfire that rained shrapnel on Interstate 5, striking two California Highway Patrol vehicles, a US Marine Corps investigation found. An artillery shell exploded over the highway that serves as the...

'Doomsday Plane' Training Over California Fuels Jitters
2 Months After One 'Doomsday
Plane' Over California, Another
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Mar 15, 2026 1:54 PM CDT

2 Months After One 'Doomsday Plane' Over California, Another

Military nuclear command jet spotted doing routine drills in Fresno sparks jitters, online speculation

(Newser) - Residents in California's Central Valley got an unsettling reminder of global tensions over the weekend, courtesy of a military jet with a grim nickname. A US Navy E-6B Mercury —one of the aircraft that can serve as an airborne command center in a nuclear crisis—was spotted on...

Hegseth: I Can't Wait for CNN's New Owner

Pentagon chief suggests network will be more supportive of the White House

(Newser) - During a briefing on the Iran war Friday, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ventured into unexpected territory: ownership of CNN. "The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better," Hegseth said in complaining about the network's war coverage, reports the Hill . Ellison's Paramount Skydance is poised...

Hegseth: Khamenei Is 'Wounded,' 'Likely Disfigured'

As Trump says Iran's new leader is 'damaged,' 'probably alive in some form'

(Newser) - Iran's new supreme leader is alive but apparently not unscathed, according to top US officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Mojtaba Khamenei has been injured in the ongoing US-Israeli campaign, telling reporters the "so-called, not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured." He added that Washington is "on plan to defeat,...

Report: Pentagon Blocks Press Over 'Unflattering' Hegseth Photos

Outside photographers have been banned from recent Iran war briefing

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's team appears to have decided that bad angles are a national security threat. The Pentagon has blocked outside press photographers from recent briefings on the US-Israeli conflict with Iran after major wire services published images of Hegseth that aides didn't like, the Washington Post...

Hegseth: Iran Is in for 'Most Intense Day'

Defense secretary promises heavy action as Iran missile launches continue to decline

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Tuesday's action against Iran will mark the heaviest US aerial assault since the conflict began 10 days ago. Speaking at the Pentagon alongside Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine, Hegseth said Iran "stands alone" and is "badly losing," claiming Tehran has launched its fewest missiles...

Anthropic Sues Over Hegseth's Security Blacklist

AI firm challenges Pentagon's designation of it as a 'supply chain risk'

(Newser) - Anthropic just took its fight with the Trump administration to federal court. The AI firm sued on Monday after the Pentagon branded the company a security risk and moved to cancel its government contracts, reports the Wall Street Journal . In a complaint filed in the Northern District of California, Anthropic...

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