Stars and Stripes journalists sue Pentagon over firings

Three journalists from the military newspaper Stars and Stripes filed a lawsuit on Thursday, August 27, 2026, against the Pentagon and top Defense Department officials, alleging their firings were unconstitutional retaliation for defending the publication's editorial independence and for reporting on poor conditions aboard a Navy aircraft carrier. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks to immediately halt the terminations of editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, publisher Max Lederer, and reporter Lara Korte. The plaintiffs received notices of separation on August 21, charging them with insubordination.