WASHINGTON (AP) — In a sharp escalation of the Trump administration’s ongoing clashes with the press, the Pentagon has banned a major military news outlet from coverage and abruptly fired the editor‑in‑chief of Stars and Stripes , the congressionally funded newspaper that has served service members since the Civil War. Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, dismissed Stars and Stripes editor‑in‑chief on Friday, according to multiple defense officials familiar with the decision. The firing came hours after the publication was barred from attending briefings and accessing routine military information, a move press‑freedom advocates say is unprecedented in modern Pentagon history. The Pentagon has not publicly detailed the reason for the ban, but officials inside the department say senior leaders were angered by recent reporting that scrutinized military spending, internal morale issues, and political influence on defense policy. The decision effectively cuts off one of the few i...
Andre DeShields, Brandon J. Dirden, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Cheryl Wills Headline the 5 th Annual Luncheon (New York, NY) -- The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) returns to New York City for the fifth edition of AAFCA Goes to Broadway Luncheon, celebrating the artists, creatives and cultural leaders across the theater landscape. The event is set for Monday, October 12, 2026 at Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse in the heart of New York’s Theater District. The annual ceremony has earned a strong reputation for creating an elegant afternoon that has honored a distinguished list of Broadway luminaries like James Monroe Inglehart, LaTanya Jackson Richardson, Wendell Pierce and Kara Young; producers Debra Martin Chase and Kenny Leon and writer Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, among others. “AAFCA Goes to Broadway has created an important space where the artistry, history, and cultural impact of theater are celebrated with the attention they deserve,” said Ca...