Pete Hegseth 'backtracks' on controversial religious policy

Pete Hegseth makes screeching U-turn on Pentagon religious codes after Mormon outrage

Pete Hegseth's Department of War (DOW) has issued a new listing of religious codes after facing a furious backlash.

'These may be criminal acts': Controversial DOJ official implicated in tainted case

A controversial Justice Department official whose conduct has drawn scrutiny in courts across the country has been implicated in a high-profile prosecution that was tossed out by a judge, according to a new report. Sources told the Chicago Sun-Times that Associate Attorney General Aakash Singh was in contact with the office of Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros during Operation Midway Blitz, and defense attorneys for the “Broadview Six” are seeking records that could tie him to the tainted case against protesters arrested during the immigration crackdown.Six protesters — most with connections to local Democratic politics — were charged following a September protest outside a suburban immigration detention facility in Broadview.Prosecutors alleged the group damaged a federal agent's vehicle during the demonstration, but the case collapsed last month after U.S. District Judge April Perry uncovered what she described as apparent prosecutorial misconduct during grand jury proceedings. She found that transcripts submitted to her by federal prosecutors had been altered to conceal what had actually taken place, and the U.S. attorney's office subsequently dropped all charges.Defense attorneys are now seeking records of any communications between Singh and the Chicago office related to their clients' case, including cell phone records. Boutros's office has previously stated that no communications with outside parties influenced investigative or charging decisions in the case.Singh has faced scrutiny in at least one other federal court related to the human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was charged criminally after he successfully challenged his removal from the United States to El Salvador.A judge in Tennessee last month dismissed that indictment on selective prosecution grounds, citing Singh's role in pressuring a prosecutor and calling a politically sensitive case a "priority."A Justice Department spokesperson said Singh's role coordinating with U.S. attorney's offices is standard across administrations and that charging decisions are made by career prosecutors consistent with the law.The judge has not ruled on the defense attorneys' records request, but a legal expert flagged the claims against Singh as significant and possible evidence of criminal action. "Aakash Singh, a member of the Maryland bar, was involved pressuring prosecutors in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case in TN and 'rushing the fraud indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center' case," said Scott Horton, a contributing editor for Harper's Magazine and a lecturer at Columbia Law School."Now he has been revealed to be the man behind efforts to corrupt the grand jury in the "Broadview Six' case by telling the grand jury falsehoods and kicking jurors who voted 'no true bill' off the grand jury," Horton added. "These may be criminal acts, and certainly would warrant his disbarment from law practice."

Graham Platner's Billionaire-Bashing Message Resonates in Maine Senate Race, Despite Controversies

Voters are casting ballots in primary elections Tuesday in Maine, one of a handful states that could decide which party controls the Senate after this year’s midterm elections. Democrats believe they have their best shot in years to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins, but their presumptive nominee has been mired in controversy. Graham Platner is a 41-year-old oyster farmer and Marine veteran who entered the race as a populist progressive. Democratic Governor Janet Mills, who was urged to run by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, suspended her campaign in April amid polls predicting Platner would easily beat her — though she remains on the ballot. Platner’s past, however, has cast a shadow on his campaign. The initial controversies focused on offensive posts Platner made on Reddit years ago and on a tattoo on his chest that resembled a Nazi symbol, which he has since apologized for and covered up. In recent weeks, sexually explicit text messages came to light that Platner had sent to women after getting married in 2023. The New York Times then reported that several women who had dated Platner recalled “unsettling” and abusive behavior by him, which he has denied. For more, we speak with Kim Villanueva, national president of the National Organization for Women PAC, which supports Mills in the primary, and Maine resident Shay Stewart-Bouley, executive director of Community Change, Inc., who says Platner is speaking to people’s material concerns and that voters may be “forgiving” for his “messy” personal life.

Scott Pelley sparks controversy with dramatic ‘murdered family’ analogy over firings

The latest stop on Scott Pelley’s victimhood tour found him touting time spent in “literal combat” while likening his job loss to a particularly heinous personal tragedy. […]

THE ESSEX FILES: The New Battle for the West - Pete Hegseth Brings Uncomfortable Truths to Normandy

Hegseth and the future of professional military education

What should constitute the proper education of U.S. military officers? Who should be teaching at the war colleges and command and staff colleges? Until it was knocked out of the headlines by the Iran war, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s criticism of professional military education (PME) unleashed a debate among members of the national security […]

House Republican criticizes Hegseth ‘inappropriate’ D-Day remarks

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on Sunday criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for making “inappropriate” remarks during a speech for the 82nd commemoration of D-Day.  “I think it should have been about their sacrifice, their service to their country, and what they did to protect the free world at a time of great peril against Nazi…

Republicans mock Fox News for 'embarrassing' and fawning Hegseth birthday post

Fox News posted a glowing birthday tribute to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday — complete with a saluting photo and celebratory graphics — and the mockery from conservatives was swift."HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Secretary of War Pete Hegseth turns 46 today," Fox News wrote. "From serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to leading the Pentagon, Hegseth has spent decades advocating for America's warfighters and national defense."Douglas Heye, a Republican strategist and former RNC communications director, didn't mince words in responding. "The next time I'm on Fox, I will call this out. Embarrassing." His post was reposted by Gregg Nunziata, the Republican lawyer who had already spent the day publicly criticizing Trump officials' conduct.Jonah Goldberg, the conservative commentator and co-founder of The Dispatch who left Fox News over its 2020 election coverage, responded with a twist on the network's old slogan: "Fair, Balanced, and Unafraid. Wink."Jay Nordlinger, a senior editor at National Review, was equally dry: "Is this the kind of thing a news network does? Manifestly (as Bill Buckley would say)."Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger replied without a word — just a photo of President Trump appearing to sleep at a Cabinet meeting.Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson asked the obvious question: "This is from a news outlet?"The next time I'm on Fox, I will call this out.Embarrassing. https://t.co/VHI9N56Qka— Douglas Heye (@DougHeye) June 7, 2026