☕ The Pentagon v The News

Good morning!

A very happy Global Handwashing Day to all!

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• President Trump posthumously awarded conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Monday, months after Kirk was assassinated on a university campus. The medal was presented to Kirk's wife Erica, who now leads his organization Turning Point USA, on what would have been his 32nd birthday. Trump called Kirk "a fearless warrior for liberty" during the ceremony at the White House. The award follows Trump's recent return from ceasefire celebrations in Egypt.

• Hamas returned four bodies it identified as deceased Israeli hostages on Tuesday, but Israel's military said one body does not belong to a hostage. The exchange brought the total bodies repatriated to seven as part of the ongoing ceasefire agreement. Israel responded by halving the agreed aid deliveries into Gaza, citing slower-than-expected returns. Hamas officials attributed delays to extensive destruction and the killing of senior commanders who knew hostage locations. Separately, reports emerged of Hamas conducting public executions in Gaza City as it attempts to regain control from smaller local armed groups.

• Madagascar's elite military unit CAPSAT has declared itself in power, one day after President Andry Rajoelina fled the country, claiming the military planned to assassinate him. The constitutional court named CAPSAT leader Col. Michael Randrianirina as president and suspended democratic institutions, though CAPSAT pledged to hold elections within two years. The coup follows weeks of protests driven by young Madagascans frustrated with government performance and ongoing power and water shortages. International observers are monitoring the situation as the country transitions leadership.

• The U.S. government seized $14 billion in bitcoin and charged UK-Cambodian national Chen Zhi with running a massive cryptocurrency fraud scheme involving forced labor camps in Cambodia. Zhi, founder of the Prince Group business empire, faces wire fraud and money laundering charges filed in New York for allegedly luring victims to transfer funds based on false investment promises. U.S. prosecutors called it the largest bitcoin seizure in history, totaling 127,271 bitcoin, while UK authorities froze 19 London properties owned by his network including one worth $133 million. Zhi remains at large as authorities investigate what they describe as one of Asia's largest transnational criminal operations.

I’ve got 1 minute

Infowars host Alex Jones must pay $1.4 billion to the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims after the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal on Tuesday. The decision ends Jones' legal challenges to defamation verdicts from courts in Texas and Connecticut.

Jones' lawyers say he cannot pay the damages and that both he and his company have declared bankruptcy. A court-appointed administrator now controls his company and will likely sell it to collect the judgment. Here's what you need to know.

The Sandy Hook Conspiracy

In 2012, a 20-year-old gunman killed 20 elementary-aged children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history.

Jones claimed on his show Infowars that the shooting was a hoax and that victims' families were paid actors. He said this was done to manufacture sympathy for gun control legislation.

Families suffered threats and harassment from Jones' followers who believed the conspiracy theory.

Jones found liable for defamation

Sandy Hook victim families successfully proved to courts in Texas and Connecticut in 2022 that Jones perpetuated the conspiracy theory despite knowing it was causing the families harm.

Courts also found that Jones spread these falsehoods for financial gain, with Jones acknowledging that the high controversy drove traffic to his site.

The $1.4 billion in damages is thought to be the largest defamation award in U.S. history. Jones has not paid any damages after requesting a stay until the appeal process concluded.

Infowars

Earlier this year, a court order placed Jones' company, Free Speech Systems, under control of a court-appointed administrator. The administrator will likely now sell the company to pay the damages.

Satirical media outlet The Onion revived its bid earlier this year to buy Infowars, seeking to turn it into an outlet for satirical comedy.

Reactions

Lawyers representing the families said the justices had "properly rejected Jones's latest desperate attempt to avoid accountability for the harm he has caused."

Jones appeared on Infowars following the ruling, calling the lower courts a "kangaroo court to an absurdist level."

I’ve got 2 minutes

Almost every major American news organization refused to sign a new Pentagon information policy on Tuesday that would require official approval before publishing any Defense Department information. In response, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth barred these journalists from accessing Pentagon grounds, including offices historically maintained for reporters inside the building.

The Pentagon has been plagued by information leaks since the beginning of the year. The move eliminates the Pentagon Press Corps' traditional access to non-classified areas and marks an unprecedented restriction on defense journalism. Here's what you need to know.

The status quo

More than 100 credentialed journalists form the Pentagon Press Corps, which has maintained unrestricted access to non-classified Pentagon areas. The Defense Department provides office space for these reporters inside the building, and they are represented by the Pentagon Press Association.

The Policy

Hegseth announced last month that journalists would be barred from the Pentagon as of 5 PM Monday unless they agreed not to release any information without prior approval from a Defense Department official.

The 17-page policy document states the Pentagon "remains committed to transparency to promote accountability and public trust" but that "DoW information must be approved for public release by an appropriate authorizing official before it is released, even if it is unclassified."

"The press is no longer allowed to roam the halls of a secure facility," Hegseth wrote on X.

Journalists refuse to sign

Fox News, ABC, CBS, and NBC released a joint statement Tuesday saying they join "virtually every other news organization in declining to agree to the Pentagon's new requirements, which would restrict journalists' ability to keep the nation and the world informed of important national security issues."

"The policy is without precedent and threatens core journalistic protections," the statement continued.

CNN initially joined the statement but later signed the policy.

Major publishers across the ideological spectrum also refused, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsmax, The Washington Times, The Daily Caller, and The Washington Examiner.

Loose Lips Sink Ships

The Pentagon has experienced information leaks since the beginning of the year. Reports indicate Hegseth is increasingly frustrated by these leaks, which have included stories about his wife and billionaire Elon Musk attending top-secret security briefings where Musk could gain information relevant to his business holdings.

Hegseth has threatened to mandate lie detector tests for Defense Department employees suspected of leaking and fired several top staff members during leak investigations.

"We're trying to make sure national security is respected, and we're proud of the policy," Hegseth said at a Tuesday press conference, denying that leak frustrations influenced the policy decision.

The Pentagon Press Association has asked the Defense Department to reconsider the policy.

TDU asks