Defense Department

Biden reverses Trump ban on transgender people in military

11:59 pm January 25, 2021

Washington: President Joe Biden signed an order Monday reversing a Trump era Pentagon policy that largely barred transgender individuals from serving in the military. The new order, which Biden signed in the Oval Office during a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, overturns a ban ordered by President Donald Trump in a tweet during his first year in office. It immediately prohibits any […]

Feds outline sweeping plan to provide free COVID-19 vaccine

8:06 pm September 16, 2020

Washington: The federal government outlined a sweeping plan Wednesday to make vaccines for COVID-19 available for free to all Americans, even as polls show a strong undercurrent of skepticism rippling across the land. In a report to Congress and an accompanying “playbook” for states and localities, federal health agencies and the Defense Department sketched out complex plans for a vaccination […]

Pentagon orders shutdown of Stars and Stripes newspaper

11:01 pm September 4, 2020

Washington: The Pentagon has ordered the military’s independent newspaper, Stars and Stripes, to cease publication at the end of the month, despite Congressional efforts to continue funding the century-old publication. The order to halt publication by Sept. 30, and dissolve the organization by the end of January, is the latest salvo in the Pentagon’s move earlier this year […]

Pompeo says China's policies on Muslims amount to 'genocide'

House committees subpoena top Pompeo aides over IG firing

11:43 pm August 3, 2020

Washington: House Democrats have subpoenaed four top aides to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, saying that the Trump administration is stonewalling their investigation into the firing of the State Department’s top independent watchdog earlier this year. Former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick appeared for a closed-door interview in the probe in June and told investigators that top department officials tried to bully him […]

Pentagon told witness not to testify in impeachment inquiry

4:31 am October 25, 2019

WASHINGTON: A Defense Department official who testified in the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump did so in defiance of the Pentagon, which told her not to cooperate. A letter to Laura Cooper’s attorney obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday cites an administration-wide policy against participating in the impeachment probe. The directive underscores Trump […]