分类： 未分类

Pentagon fires U.S. military newspaper leadership

August 21, 2026 10:50 PM UTC Updated 1 hour ago / Reuters

WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) – The editor-in-chief of the Stars and Stripes U.S. military newspaper said on Friday that he was being fired for insubordination and a source familiar with the matter confirmed ​to Reuters that the Pentagon had sent notices to the paper’s leadership informing ‌them that they would be let go.

“According to the notice, I am being fired for stating in a CBS interview that hypothetical censorship of news for service members would constitute a personal red line,” Erik ​Slavin said in a statement.

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

The source familiar with the matter, who was not authorized ​to speak publicly, said that Max Lederer, the long-time publisher of the ⁠newspaper who was set to retire at the end of September, was also removed.

In his ​email this week announcing his retirement, Lederer wrote that it was clear that the Pentagon had ​a new vision for the newspaper that was different from his own.

Lara Korte, who covered the Middle East for the newspaper, said on social media on Friday that she had also been fired. She said ​it was because she had told CBS News that she works for Stars and Stripes ​and not the Pentagon.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Stars and Stripes, which has ‌published ⁠a newspaper continuously since World War Two and provides news to U.S. troops around the world, receives funding from the Defense Department but has historically been editorially independent.

The Pentagon recently appointed a military deputy to the publisher for the newspaper. In a post on X, Pentagon spokesperson ​Sean Parnell quoted from ​an open letter the ⁠military deputy had written.

“We may never be able to have the same impact for our service members digitally that our paper had during ​World War II in a vastly different media environment, but I ​also believe ⁠that we can do better — that we must do better for our most important constituency, the men and women who make up the U.S. Armed Forces,” the letter said.

blob:https://www.reuters.com/fc74a6e5-b85d-49d5-98c6-a3257945f51a

In his first administration, President ⁠Donald ​Trump reversed a decision by the Pentagon to shut down ​the newspaper all together.

Press freedom advocates have criticized broader policy changes under the Trump administration that have limited journalists’ access ​to the Pentagon, saying they suppressed freedom of speech.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

Reporting by Idrees Ali, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien

Trump makes rare campaign appearance after Darline Graham flub

Published 7:49 PM EDT, Fri August 21, 2026 / CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/21/politics/video/ebof-betsy-klein-trump-south-carolina-rally-darline-graham

President Trump is scrambling to save his handpicked replacement for Senator Lindsey Graham ahead of next week’s runoff. He’s campaigning for his sister Darlene Graham after his endorsement sparked outrage among some Republicans. Betsy Klein reports on OutFront.

2:07 • Source: CNN

Politics of the Day 11 videos

Trump makes rare campaign appearance after Darline Graham flub

2:07

Now playing
• Source: CNN

‘My Guardian and Protector’: Natalie Harp’s letters to Trump revealed

2:40

Now playing
• Source: CNN

Great nephew of Black WWII hero: ‘a shock’ to hear ship may be renamed

6:30

Now playing
• Source: CNN

The Odds: The spending backlash

3:26

Now playing
• Source: CNN

Questions grow over why Trump and Cohen reunite after massive rift

3:43

Now playing
• Source: CNN

US debt reaches grim $40T milestone sooner than expected

1:07

Now playing
• Source: CNN

Dem nominee for Florida governor: ‘If the election were tonight, we’d win’

1:10

Now playing
• Source: CNN

Priorities for GOP Rep. Byron Donalds in his race for FL governor

1:34

Now playing
• Source: CNN

Rep. Jimmy Gomez accuser told House Ethics Committee he sexually assaulted her, attorneys say

2:13

Now playing
• Source: CNN

The Odds: The unpopular vote

4:01

Now playing
• Source: CNN

Tankers shift toward Oman route through Strait of Hormuz

3:01

Now playing
• Source: CNN

See more videos

Fauci’s lawyers set up legal defense fund as US probes multiply

2026-08-21T20:40:02.909Z / Reuters

Anthony Fauci, the former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and medical advisor to several U.S. presidents, attends a U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 29, 2026. Anthony Fauci declined to answer questions,… Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabRead more

• Summary

• Fund aims to cover defense against federal and state investigations, Fauci’s lawyers say
• Fauci receives no payments from fund, which is managed by an independent trustee and adviser, lawyers say
• Rand Paul seeks Justice Department prosecution, while three states have launched their own probes

WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) – Lawyers for Anthony Fauci have launched a

legal defense fund, opens new tab
for the former top U.S. infectious disease ​expert, saying that the need to respond to a growing number of state and federal investigations related to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic will require ‌substantial resources.

In January 2025, then-President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon to Fauci, amid accusations from Republican lawmakers that he played a role in research that contributed to the pandemic and later sought to cover up its origins, claims that have not been independently substantiated.

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Report Ad!

Fauci, who led the U.S. response to COVID-19, has denied the allegations.

U.S. Republican Senator Rand Paul has asked the Department of Justice to prosecute Fauci after he refused to answer questions about ​the pandemic at a congressional hearing last month. Three state attorneys general have since launched their own probes against him.

The defense fund underscores how Fauci, once the public ​face of the U.S. response to COVID-19, has become a central target of Republican efforts to revisit the origins of the pandemic and ⁠scrutinise government decision-making during the health crisis. His lawyers say the mounting investigations could result in lengthy and costly legal proceedings despite Biden’s pardon.

“Dr. Fauci is facing an unprecedented legal ​barrage for a retired civil servant, and he deserves a robust defense against these unfounded and frivolous actions,” David Schertler, counsel to Fauci, said in a statement to Reuters. “Dr. Fauci has not ​done anything wrong, and we are prepared to fight back against this shameful harassment of an honorable man who dedicated his career to saving lives.”

The launch of a legal defense fund has not been previously reported.

Fauci, 85, led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for nearly 40 years and advised seven U.S. presidents. He retired in 2022.

During the pandemic, he was a leading proponent of lockdown measures, mask requirements and ​vaccine development that ultimately helped the United States and other countries emerge from COVID. Such recommendations against a novel virus were endorsed by many global health officials and governments worldwide. ​Scientists and intelligence agencies remain divided over whether COVID was caused by a leak from laboratory experiments in China, or from transmission from animals to humans.

TORRENT OF ATTACKS

Yet Fauci has faced a torrent of attacks ‌over the ⁠U.S. response to COVID, largely from Republicans, both during President Donald Trump’s first term and then Biden’s. Paul has repeatedly called for Fauci to be jailed and blamed him for the U.S. death toll from the pandemic, which exceeded 1 million.

Fauci invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination and refused to answer questions during the July hearing in Congress, citing Paul’s “unhinged” campaign to see him imprisoned.

Allegations about Fauci’s role in the pandemic have proliferated among Republican lawmakers. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote a book about Fauci and has helped Paul’s inquiries.

Kennedy said health department staff spent ​eight months locating Fauci’s private diary on multiple ​government servers and gave the records to ⁠Paul, who publicly released them. Paul and Republican Senator Ron Johnson have also begun to release private text messages from a copy of Fauci’s government cell phone.

David Morens, a former adviser to Fauci, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to conspiring to evade public records laws and conceal government documents related to ​grant research funding and the COVID pandemic. Paul has referred to that case multiple times this week, asking whether it could implicate ​Fauci.

Florida Attorney General James ⁠Uthmeier issued a subpoena to Fauci and said he would investigate whether the infectious disease expert “personally profited off the COVID ‘guidance’ he issued.” West Virginia and Louisiana said they would support Uthmeier’s effort. Fauci will have to secure legal assistance in at least those three states, his lawyers said, in part for document review and production in response to the subpoena.

Fauci will not receive any payment or other form ⁠of distribution ​from the legal defense fund, his lawyers said. It is set up as a trust with an independent corporate ​trustee, according to Fauci’s legal team.

Neither Fauci nor his lawyers have control over how the money will be distributed or how the fund will be managed, his lawyers said. Invoices submitted by Fauci’s attorneys will be reviewed by ​an independent expert adviser, they said.

Once all of Fauci’s litigation concludes, any remaining funds will be distributed to charity, his lawyers said.

Reporting by Yasmeen Abutaleb; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Sanjeev Miglani

新闻人间：资本狂欢与王兴兴的表情管理

2026年08月22日 05:00 / 李政辉 联合早报

顶着“中国人形机器人第一股”的光环，宇树科技星期三（8月19日）风光上市。但在资本市场一片欢腾之际，CEO王兴兴的神情却显得格外平静，仿佛只是一个如常到岗的“打工人”。

在上海证券交易所举行的上市仪式上，不少媒体和网民留意到，王兴兴在和领导嘉宾及承销团合影留念时表情极为平静，脸上没有笑容，几乎看不到企业家敲钟上市时惯有的意气风发姿态。

在上市仪式结束后，王兴兴和一众高管乘电梯离开时，也和普通上班族一般低头看手机。面对记者上前询问他对开盘表现的看法，他也只低声回了一句“不好意思”，便匆匆离开。

Vance unloads on El-Sayed over Sharia remarks: ‘That’s not my grandpa’s Democratic Party’

Vance cites El-Sayed linking Sharia opposition to White supremacy as proof the Democratic Party has lost its way

August 21, 2026 5:35pm EDT / Fox News

By Elaine Mallon, Fox News

Vance torches ‘party of graduate students,’ singling out El-Sayed’s radical Sharia law take

Vance singled out Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed while arguing the Democratic Party has abandoned working-class voters, pointing to El-Sayed’s past comments linking criticism of Sharia law to White supremacy.

NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

blob:https://www.foxnews.com/c438ae03-a8df-4b3c-8554-7509c50bcf42

Listen to this article

3 min

Vice President JD Vance put Abdul El-Sayed at the center of his attack on the modern Democratic Party, pointing to the Michigan Senate nominee’s past remarks linking criticism of Sharia law to White supremacy as evidence that the party has abandoned its working-class roots.

Vance delivered the remarks Friday at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works steel plant in his Ohio hometown as neighboring Michigan gears up for one of the midterms’ most competitive Senate races.

El-Sayed is facing Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in a contest that could help determine control of the Senate.

Vance spoke about his late grandfather, who worked as a welder for 40 years and voted Democrat because he believed it was “the party of union men.” But Vance argued the Democratic Party has strayed from its working-class identity.

DEMOCRATS’ CIVIL WAR HEADS TO MICHIGAN WHERE PROGRESSIVES FACE BIGGEST TEST YET IN HIGH-STAKES SENATE SHOWDOWN

“This is the party, the Democrat party of graduate students, rather than the union and nonunion workers who make this facility run,” Vance said.

“It’s sometimes actually hard to understand what these modern Democrats actually stand for. But look what they say. Pay close attention, and they’ll leave these little hints of what they actually care about.”

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, left, and Vice President JD Vance(Jim Lo Scalzo-Pool/Getty Images; Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

Vance then turned his attention to El-Sayed, the son of Muslim Egyptian immigrants.

“He once argued, not too long ago, that criticisms of Sharia law were rooted in White supremacy,” Vance said.

“I’d love to go back in time and tell my papa that there is a man who claims to stand for working people who says not only should we have Sharia law, but if you criticize it you’re a White supremacist. That’s not my grandpa’s Democratic Party, my friend.”

Vance was referring to a speech El-Sayed gave at the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) 2022 annual banquet in Oklahoma, where he was the keynote speaker.

El-Sayed criticized a 2010 ballot measure known as State Question 755, which sought to amend the state constitution to ban courts from considering Sharia law in their decisions. The measure was approved by 70% of voters but was ultimately blocked by federal courts.

“The same exact forces that drove native peoples from their land two centuries ago, destroyed Black Wall Street a century ago, bombed a building decades ago and tried to ban Sharia law not a decade ago, those forces are alive and well today,” El-Sayed said.

EL-SAYED’S AGENDA PUTS ‘PERMANENTLY’ CHANGED AMERICA ON THE LINE IN MICHIGAN SENATE RACE, GOP FIREBRAND WARNS

Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during a unity rally at Renaissance High School in Detroit Aug. 7.(The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“The reason I wanted to go all the way back to the 1830s is because you can’t understand a Shariah ban without understanding the Trail of Tears,” El-Sayed continued. “You can’t understand the efforts to uproot Muslim Americans without understanding the Tulsa massacre. You cannot understand the challenges we face today without understanding White supremacy.”

El-Sayed’s remarks at the CAIR banquet are among several statements that have drawn criticism from conservatives and Republicans who accuse the Senate candidate of viewing politics through the lens of race and religion.

Other remarks generating criticism include El-Sayed accusing Israel of committing “genocide” and describing the Jewish state as an “apartheid,” while prompting concerns from members of the Jewish community.

MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE CONFRONTED REPEATEDLY OVER ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO EXIST, DEFUNDING THE POLICE

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a congressional roundtable on anti-fraud initiatives in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2026.(Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER

However, after his primary victory, El-Sayed said, “My commitment to Jewish safety is the same as my commitment to the safety of my own kids. We have a responsibility to take on antisemitism in all of its forms, wherever we see it.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Elaine Mallon is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business covering national politics.

Walmart to let shoppers use Apple Pay, other tap-to-pay methods starting in August

August 21, 2026 / 4:42 PM EDT / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

Read Full Bio

Megan Cerullo

Walmart will soon let its customers make purchases using Apple Pay and other tap-to-pay methods, the retail giant said on Friday.

Beginning on Aug. 24, customers at select Walmart stores will be able to choose a tap-to-pay option at checkout, allowing them to make purchases with Apple Pay, Google Pay and other digital payment technologies.

Walmart intends to roll out tap-to-pay at all Walmart and Sam’s Club locations by the end of 2026, while the service will be available at the retailer’s gas stations by mid-2027, the company said.

“It all comes back to giving customers and members more choice and making everyday shopping a little easier — from how they manage their money to how they pay at checkout,” the company said in a statement.

Walmart held off on accepting commonly used digital payment methods to encourage customers to use its Walmart Pay system, which required QR codes.

Walmart shoppers had often complained that they couldn’t use Apple Pay, which is accepted at more than85% of U.S. retailers, at the company’s stores.

Edited by Alain Sherter

陈婧：许家印“全剧终”后的未完待续

2026年8月22日 05:00 / 联合早报

中国法院本周公布的庭审画面显示，即将68岁的前中国首富许家印满头白发、一脸疲态地聆听判决。 （中新社）

时隔多年再次出现在公众眼前的中国前首富许家印，和人们记忆中的形象已判若两人。

不少人认识许家印，是在2012年的中国“两会”期间。当时身为全国政协委员的许家印为冲出记者包围，在人民大会堂外一路小跑，脸上挂着标志性微笑，腰间露出金灿灿的爱马仕皮带扣。

那年54岁的许家印，和他创办的房地产巨头恒大集团一样意气风发。而在本周公布的庭审画面中，即将68岁的许家印满头白发、一脸疲态，恰似近年来陷入泥潭的中国楼市。

订户专享，请登录解锁全文

Alfalfa sprouts recalled after E. coli, salmonella outbreak sickens dozens in 15 states

August 21, 2026 / 6:56 PM EDT / CBS News

By Faris Tanyos News Editor
Faris Tanyos is a news editor for CBSNews.com, where he writes and edits stories and tracks breaking news. He previously worked as a digital news producer at several local news stations up and down the West Coast.

Read Full Bio

An outbreak of E. coli and salmonella that has sickened dozens of people across 15 states has been linked to an alfalfa grower in Minnesota, federal health officials said Friday.

The Food and Drug Administration said in a news release that the outbreak was linked to alfalfa sprouts distributed by Minneapolis-based Everything Sprouts and sold under the Everything Sprouts and Calco brands. The sprouts were sold to restaurants and grocery stores, the FDA said.

Everything Sprouts announced later Friday that it was voluntarily recalling certain lots of alfalfa sprouts that could potentially be contaminated with the Shiga toxin that can produce E. coli and salmonella.

The recalled alfalfa sprouts were supplied starting on May 27 to third-party distributors and retail grocery stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Everything Sprouts said. Some of the recalled sprouts come in 5-ounce plastic containers with a lid, the company said.

Everything Sprouts said in a statement that it has conducted daily tests since the outbreak began and has “not received any positive lab results.”

“To date, no reports of illnesses involving Everyday Sprouts Alfalfa Sprouts have been reported to the company,” Everything Sprouts said.

At least 55 cases of E. coli and salmonella have been confirmed in the outbreak so far, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, four patients have been hospitalized.

The FDA said that of the 55 people with confirmed illnesses nationwide linked to the outbreak, 46 were infected with E. coli and seven with salmonella, while two people were infected with both illnesses.

The illnesses were reported from May 31 to Aug. 8, the FDA said.

Minnesota and Wisconsin appear to have experienced the most cases so far. The Minnesota Department of Health reported its own numbers Thursday, saying there have been at least 23 cases of salmonella or E. coli in the state between July 8 and Aug. 8 linked to alfalfa sprouts, with two of those cases resulting in hospitalization.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services reported Thursday at least 17 cases of E. coli and salmonella, with one hospitalization.

Other states with cases linked to the outbreak are Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota and Washington, according to the FDA.

According to the CDC, symptoms of E. coli caused by the Shiga toxin can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that could be bloody and vomiting.

Symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps.

This follows an ongoing salmonella outbreak first reported in June linked to jalapeño peppers grown in Sinaloa, Mexico, that has so far sickened more than 400 people across 32 states, according to the CDC.

US Army Secretary Driscoll is expected to step down by year’s end, WSJ reports

August 21, 2026 9:10 PM UTC / Reuters

U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll testifies during a U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S, May 19, 2026. REUTERS/Tom Brenner Purchase Licensing Rights

Aug 21 (Reuters) – U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is expected to ​step down from his role by the ‌end of the year after months of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Wall Street Journal ​reported on Friday, citing people familiar ​with the discussions.

Reuters could not immediately verify ⁠the report.

The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.

Driscoll’s departure would leave the Army ​without a Senate-confirmed leader as the U.S. looks ​to resolve a war it began alongside Israel nearly six months ago.

Advertisement · Scroll to continue

It would also add to upheaval ​at all levels of leadership at the ​Pentagon under President Donald Trump’s second term, including the ‌firing ⁠of U.S. Army Chief of Staff Randy George in April, the previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the ​chief of ​naval operations ⁠and Air Force vice chief of staff.

The Wall Street Journal ​reported that Driscoll and his family ​this ⁠summer moved out of the house reserved for the Army Secretary.

Driscoll’s spokesperson did not ⁠immediately ​respond to a request for ​comment.

Reporting by Fabiola Arámburo in Mexico City, Daphne Psaledakis and ​Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Trump defends pause on beef tariffs amid criticism from US cattle producers

2026-08-21 7:14 PM ET / CNN

By Kit Maher

45 min ago

PUBLISHED Aug 21, 2026, 7:14 PM ET

Donald Trump Agriculture Tariffs

See all topics

Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads

Link Copied!

Ground beef for sale at a grocery store on July 9, 2026, in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Al Drago/Getty Images/File

President Donald Trump on Friday defended his decision to temporarily pause tariffs on imported beef, despite criticism from some US cattle producers.

“We want to get the beef prices down, so we’ll get them down a little bit, and that’s what people want. That’s what the voters want, and that’s what I want,” Trump told reporters on his way to South Carolina.

Calling ranchers his “people,” Trump said, “They’ve done a fantastic job. But they admit that we need a little help.”

Trump announced earlier Friday that the US would allow up to 300,000 metric tons of ground beef to be imported for the next 90 days without out-of-quota tariffs. He wouldn’t tell reporters which countries he’d made a deal with. “I don’t want to say which countries, but there are a few countries, but they’re going to be sending in the highest quality beef, and it’s something that we need,” Trump said.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association pushed back on Trump’s announcement, writing on social media, “No cow-calf producer in America is asking for increased imports. Undercutting American farmers and ranchers with inferior product from foreign competitors does nothing to create market confidence or encourage rebuilding the herd.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley said he was “concerned for the cattle markets,” given theclosure of a Tyson beef plant in Joslin, Illinois, earlier this month and the latest temporary action from the White House.

“After Tyson closure in Illinois last wk I’m concerned for the cattle markets +now Pres Trump’s decision to temporarily open up subsidized beef imports,” the Iowa Republican posted on X, using abbreviations for words due to the character limits. “USA cattlemen shld always be put 1st thru America 1st policies Need 2keep up progress fighting screwworm+ expanding domestic herd.”

GOP Sen. Tim Sheehy of Montana also came out against the action, which he said he advised Trump not to take for the past year.

“I’ve advised President Trump against this course of action for a year because American ranchers have been struggling against the packer monopoly for decades, and this will further harm them – most of whom are MAGA Republicans,” Sheehy wrote on X, adding that Trump’s “heart is in the right place” for wanting to lower prices for US consumers and noted that the screwworm is impacting prices.

“But the reality is this action will make it more difficult for American ranchers to rebuild our herd and bring prices down for the American people. And most importantly, this will harm our ranching families who feed the nation,” Sheehy said.

Pressed by CNN on Sheehy’s comments, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said, “No administration has been more pro-rancher than this administration taking extraordinary actions under USDA to protect and ensure the security of our food supply chain — but again, there’s been, there was an outbreak of screwworm in Mexico.”

And he emphasized that this is “a specific, temporary deal to address an acute issue.”