CHRISTOPHER MILLER

Trump keeps claiming he requested 10,000 troops to protect the Capitol on Jan. 6, but interviews show that's not true.

The DOJ hopes to squeeze testimonies out of key witnesses for its probe into Trump's handling of White House documents, The New York Times reported.

None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. CLAIM: Former President Donald Trump signed an order to deploy 20,000 National Guard troops before his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but was stopped by the House sergeant at arms, at the behest of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. THE FACTS: While Trump was involved in discussions in the days prior to Jan. 6 about the National Guard response, he issued no such order before or during the rioting.

The House Jan. 6 committee has interviewed former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and is in negotiations to talk to several other former members of Donald Trump’s Cabinet.

The House Jan. 6 committee tweeted a clip featuring former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller's testimony.

The House Jan. 6 committee tweeted a clip featuring former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller's testimony.

The committee investigating the insurrection will focus on what Trump was doing on Jan. 6, 2021. This is the story of what happened without him.

Ben & Jerry's has called on its 8 million Facebook fans and 515,000 Twitter followers to lobby lawmakers for stronger gun safety laws.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated Kalush Orchestra’s win in the Eurovision song contest as the war raged at home.

Russia wants some form of victory before backing down from the war in Ukraine, and escalation in the war is still possible at this point, political analysts say.

Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander also spoke to the panel for nearly 8 hours.

The subpoenas compel four former officials to produce sought-after documents, relevant to the Jan. 6 attack, by Oct. 7 and then sit for a deposition the following week.

One Administration agreed to and the other completed a full withdrawal of U.S. troops without securing the release of a Navy veteran held captive by the Taliban.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has agreed to restart 16 defense advisory boards, after halting activity by all the Pentagon panels in February and essentially purging a number of members who were appointed in the final days of the Trump administration.

Experts dispute Donald Trump's assertion that things would have turned out differently in Afghanistan if he were still in charge.

Former president claims Biden able announce Afghanistan troop withdrawal because he ‘built train that couldn’t be stopped’

As the city's luxury real estate market reaches new heights, these high-end homes won't be around for long Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest

Attorney General Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas say white supremacist extremists pose the biggest threat to the U.S.

Attorney General Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas say white supremacist extremists pose the biggest threat to the U.S.

Republican House members downplayed the attack and denied that it was an insurrection.

A House hearing on the Capitol insurrection has wrapped up after harsh words from lawmakers.

Former Trump officials testified before Congress for the first time on the Jan. 6 insurrection. The proceedings were dominated by the role of former President Donald Trump and his supporters that day.

In testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen sought to defend their response to the deadly insurrection.

The former leaders of the Pentagon and Justice Department defended their response to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, despite delayed deployment of troops.

A House hearing on the federal response to the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection has concluded after more than five hours of testimony that exposed stark partisan divisions.

Former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen won't answer questions from Congress about whether then-President Donald Trump instructed him to take any action to try to advance Trump’s unfounded claims of election fraud. Rosen would not answer Wednesday in response to questions from Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia at a hearing on the deadly Capitol insurrection. Rosen was asked specifically whether Trump had asked or instructed him to take any action at the Department of Justice "to advance election fraud claims or to seek to overturn any part of the 2020 election results.”

The Associated Press obtained prepared remarks by former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen.

Sparks flew between Democrats on the House Oversight Committee and the Trump appointees.

Christopher Miller will tell a House committee he was concerned sending troops to the building could fan fears of a military coup and cause a repeat of the deadly Kent State shootings.

Republicans are seeking to rewrite the history of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.

Two senior Trump administration officials plan to defend their actions during the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol when they appear before Congress, with former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller standing behind every decision he made that day. Miller will tell the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that he was concerned before the insurrection that sending troops to the building could fan fears of a military coup and cause a repeat of the deadly Kent State shootings, according to a copy of prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press. Miller will be joined by former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, who is also testifying for the first time about the Justice Department's role in the run-up to the riot.

Former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller is set to testify that he was cautious about allowing military intervention during the siege on Jan. 6.

Ex-Deputy Atty. Gen. Jeffrey Rosen and ex-acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller will testify before a congressional panel examining the Capital insurrection.

President Donald Trump's acting defense secretary during the Jan. 6 Capitol riots is defending his response to the attack.

The Capitol Police force was hurt by inadequate intelligence gathering ahead of the Jan. 6 siege at the U.S. Capitol.

“If this plays out and somebody is attacking Americans [even] with a nonlethal weapon … we owe it to our folks that are out there,” said Christopher Miller.

As Congress pushes for a return to normalcy months after the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, an internal report about the deadly siege is painting a dire picture of the Capitol Police’s ability to respond to threats against lawmakers.

New details from the deadly riot of Jan. 6 are in a previously undisclosed document prepared by the Pentagon for internal use.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks to reporters after arriving on the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, at sea. Austin told sailors on the USS Nimitz Thursday that he hopes to avoid long ship deployments like the more than 10 months they just spent at sea. (AP Photo/Lolita Baldor)Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told sailors on the USS Nimitz Thursday that he hopes to avoid long ship deployments like the more than 10 months they just spent at sea. Standing in the ship's hangar bay, Austin said he will make a decision soon on whether to send a carrier back to the Middle East, where the Nimitz had been. The Nimitz’s lengthy deployment was largely due to decisions to keep it in the Middle East last year and this year to serve as a deterrent to Iran.

FLINT, MI - Bishop International Airport has its next police chief. The Flint airport announced Thursday, Feb. 4 that Lieutenant Wayne McIntyre will take the reins as chief of public safety from Christopher Miller, who retired in January after 20 years on the job. McIntyre retired from the sheriff’s office in 2009 to work full-time at the airport. “I am truly honored to be able to continue my career at Flint Bishop in this new role,” McIntyre said. “I look forward to leading both our police and fire departments as we work together to better serve the community.”Read more on MLive:Surprise parade sends off retiring Flint Bishop Airport Police Chief Christopher MillerBishop Airport Police Chief Christopher Miller retiring after 20 years on the jobPassenger traffic inching closer to normal at Flint Bishop AirportFlint mayor grants key to the city to 6 city leaders in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

During the last two months of his tenure, former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller removed a number of longtime members from several defense policy, health, science and business boards and replaced many with loyalists of former President Donald Trump. And he ordered all committee members who were appointed by the defense secretary to resign no later than Feb. 16. In November, however, Trump appointed him to that same post, just days after firing then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper and putting Miller in the job. Miller appointed Tata to the Defense Policy Board on Jan. 19, his last full day on the job. AdOne new congressionally mandated commission is also being purged of the four members that Miller appointed in early January.

He was hired as police chief at Bishop Airport in 2000, shortly before 9/11, when he said airport security changed forever. Read more: Flint airport stabber sentenced to life in prison, says he doesn’t regret actions“That was a tough day. That was a tough day,” Miller said. Airport security made sure officials who visited were safe. Miller was awarded a key to the city of Flint Friday, Jan. 15, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Michael Ellis, the recently installed general counsel at the National Security Agency, was placed on administrative leave Wednesday because his appointment is now the subject of an investigation by the Defense Department Inspector General, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Last week, acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller directed that the position be filled by Ellis, a last-minute move that quickly sparked criticism from Democrats. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday denounced the hire in a letter to Christopher Miller, the acting Defense Secretary under former President Trump. "The efforts to install him or 'burrow' him into a highly sensitive intelligence position 72 hours prior to the beginning of a new Administration manifest a disturbing disregard for our national security," Pelosi wrote. A spokesperson for the NSA said, "It's not our policy to comment on personnel issues."

Michael Ellis, the recently installed general counsel at the National Security Agency, was placed on administrative leave Wednesday because his appointment is now the subject of an investigation by the Defense Department Inspector General, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Last week, acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller directed that the position be filled by Ellis, a last-minute move that quickly sparked criticism from Democrats. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday denounced the hire in a letter to Christopher Miller, the acting Defense Secretary under former President Trump. "The efforts to install him or 'burrow' him into a highly sensitive intelligence position 72 hours prior to the beginning of a new Administration manifest a disturbing disregard for our national security," Pelosi wrote. A spokesperson for the NSA said, "It's not our policy to comment on personnel issues."

Rehearsal resumed not long afterward, accompanied by frequent passes by a helicopter patrolling the skies over the Capitol. Law enforcement officials said there was no threat to the public and the fire was not believed to be a threat to the inauguration. Still, the Secret Service issued a bulletin over the weekend about what it sees as an “uptick” in National Guard troops posting pictures and details of their operations online. The Associated Press obtained the “all concerned” message sent to all the National Guard troops coming to Washington. People involved in the rehearsal said security officials yelled “this is not a drill.”The lockdown was lifted about an hour later.

FLINT, MI -- In recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley “bestowing the highest honor,” granting six keys to the city. “With these City of Flint Lifetime Achievement Awards, we honor the trail-blazing and dedicated Flint men and women who have contributed to the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and his commitment to justice,” Mayor Neeley said. Lewis Randolph, accepts a key to the city for his father from Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley on Friday, Jan. 15, 2021 at Flint Development Center on the city's north side. She spearheaded efforts to bring resources to Flint in the wake of the Flint water crisis and then to coordinate community-wide COVI-19 testing.

“If anybody is to be called a hostage taker, it is the South Korean government that has taken our more than $7 billion hostage under a futile pretext,” spokesman Ali Rabiei said. As the vessel's captain spoke to company security officials back in South Korea, armed Iranian troops stormed the tanker as an Iranian helicopter flew overhead, the official said. The crew included sailors from Indonesia, Myanmar, South Korea and Vietnam, according to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. South Korea’s presidential office said Tuesday it views Iran’s ship seizure “very gravely.”Foreign Ministry's spokesman Choi Young-sam said Iranian officials have assured South Korea that the ship’s crew were all safe. He said an Iran-based South Korean diplomat has been dispatched to the location of the detained ship.

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller said Sunday he'd reversed his decision to bring the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz home from the Persian Gulf. He cited "recent threats" from Iran. The Nimitz has been patrolling Gulf waters since late November, but Miller said Friday he'd ordered the vessel to "transit directly home to complete a nearly 10-month deployment." "Due to the recent threats issued by Iranian leaders against President Trump and other U.S. government officials, I have ordered the USS Nimitz to halt its routine redeployment," he said. "The USS Nimitz will now remain on station in the U.S. Central Command area of operations.

WASHINGTON – Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller made an unannounced trip to Afghanistan on Tuesday, meeting top leaders during the American troop withdrawal. The Pentagon said Miller met Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Gen. Scott Miller, the top U.S. commander in the country. There are now about 4,000 U.S. troops in the country, and military leaders say they will reach the 2,500 target on time. The Pentagon said the acting secretary met his military leaders to discuss the Taliban violence and the continuing U.S. mission there. He visited U.S. troops and military leaders at RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath.

A U.S. official confirmed Saturday that the Pentagon has a plan for separating the National Security Agency and Cyber Command. In his letter to Miller, Smith said the Pentagon has not met conditions set by the 2017 defense bill for severing the NSA from Cyber Command. The notion of splitting NSA from Cyber Command goes back to the Obama administration, which proposed to elevate the status of Cyber Command by making it a unified military command, taking it from under the purview of U.S. Strategic Command. That move was approved by President Donald Trump in 2017, and it was foreseen that at some point Cyber Command would split away from the NSA, although such a move had strong opponents in Congress. It's not clear who the Trump administration might install as head of the NSA if it were split from Cyber Command before President-elect Joe Biden takes office Jan. 20.

FILE - This March 27, 2008 file photo shows the Pentagon in Washington. – President-elect Joe Biden's transition team expressed frustration Friday with the level of cooperation they're getting from political appointees at the Department of Defense, saying there has been “an abrupt halt in the already limited cooperation there." Yohannes Abraham, executive director of the transition, told reporters that Biden agency review teams at DOD learned Thursday of meetings “being pulled down" and immediately reported it. Abraham made it clear that Biden's transition team was not satisfied with that decision. “There have been many agencies and departments that have facilitated the exchange of info and meetings over the past few weeks,” Abraham said.

WASHINGTON – Tensions between President-elect Joe Biden's transition team and political appointees at the Pentagon erupted on Friday over acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller's abrupt decision Thursday to cancel transition team meetings with Pentagon officials for the rest of the year. But a spokesman for the Biden transition team said that no such mutual agreement had ever existed. "Let me be clear: there was no mutually agreed upon holiday break," transition spokesman Yohannes Abraham told reporters on Friday afternoon. Miller, however, insisted that at no time had the Pentagon "canceled or declined any interview" with Biden transition officials. Miller was named acting secretary of Defense on Nov. 9, after Trump abruptly fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

FILE - This March 27, 2008 file photo shows the Pentagon in Washington. – President-elect Joe Biden's transition team expressed frustration Friday with the level of cooperation they're getting from political appointees at the Department of Defense, saying there has been “an abrupt halt in the already limited cooperation there." Yohannes Abraham, executive director of the transition, told reporters that Biden agency review teams at DOD learned Thursday of meetings “being pulled down" and immediately reported it. Abraham made it clear that Biden's transition team was not satisfied with that decision. “There have been many agencies and departments that have facilitated the exchange of info and meetings over the past few weeks,” Abraham said.

The Pentagon has endorsed a new slate of initiatives to expand diversity within the ranks and reduce prejudice, including in recruiting, retention and professional development across the force. After extensive wrangling and debate, Esper this summer issued a directive that banned the display of the Confederate flag, without mentioning the word “ban” or that specific flag. Confederate flags, monuments and military base names became a national flashpoint in the weeks after Floyd's death. Ten major Army installations are named for Confederate Army officers, mostly senior generals, including Robert E. Lee. Among the 10 is Fort Benning, the namesake of Confederate Army Gen. Henry L. Benning, who was a leader of Georgia’s secessionist movement and an advocate of preserving slavery.

The Pentagon has authorized nearly 50 top civilian and military leaders to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks to prove to the shots are safe and effective. Indoor restaurant dining will continue to be barred under the new state health department order that takes effect Monday. Laura Kelly is expressing little concern over a smaller-than-expected second shipment of a coronavirus vaccine for the state. The state also reported total 2,341 COVID-19 deaths, adding 88 to the tally since Wednesday. ___BERN — The Swiss government is ordering the closure of restaurants, bars, cultural venues and sports facilities next week because of increasing coronavirus cases.

FLINT, MI -- Twenty years after becoming the top cop at Bishop Airport, Chief Christopher Miller is stepping down from the post. Miller, a former sergeant for the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department and Flint Northwestern graduate, told members of the Bishop Airport Authority Board of Directors that he will retire effective Jan. 23, during their meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 16. It was always my goal to to leave the position -- leave the airport public safety department -- better than what I found it. Several members of the Airport Authority praised Miller after hearing from him Wednesday. I’ve enjoyed being art of the authority with you.”Read more:‘Smart Helmets’ get their U.S. test flight at Flint’s Bishop Airport scanning temps, recognizing facesUnsung hero of Bishop Airport attack applauded for life-saving actions3 firefighters awarded for life-saving efforts in Bishop Airport stabbing

Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller told CBS senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge in his first network television interview that he's getting directly involved in the case. Miller said he hopes to provide help for K-2 veterans by January 20, 2021 by drafting an executive order for President Trump's consideration. Miller, who is working with the Veterans Affairs Department, said the executive order he drafted would add Uzbekistan to the toxic exposure registry, alongside Afghanistan. This would allow K-2 veterans, like Jackson and Miller, to access preventive screenings and financial support. Both Jackson and Wilson told CBS News they would support an executive order.

White House weighs executive order for veterans who served at toxic Uzbek base Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller has drafted an executive order after a CBS News investigation revealed new evidence of toxic exposure at a remote military base in Uzbekistan that was used after September 11. CBS News senior investigative correspondent Catherine Herridge, who spoke to Miller, has the details.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool, File)KANSAS — A western Kansas mayor announced Tuesday that she is resigning, effective immediately, because of threats she has received after she publicly supported a mask mandate. Brian Kemp and Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey visited Savannah as the first four shots were administered to local health care workers. ___TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida’s largest hospital system said it was on track to immunize nearly 20,000 health care workers against COVID-19 as Gov. He traveled to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., on Monday and was given the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine. Several health care workers at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in the eastern part of the state also received injections.

The vaccinations will be voluntary because the Pfizer vaccine initially is to be made available on an emergency use basis. The Pentagon is to received slightly fewer than 44,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine initially, Hoffman said. The timing depends on when the FDA gives the go-ahead for distribution and use of the Pfizer vaccine. The initial 16 sites are:—Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, Texas. —Walter Reed National Military Medical Center at Bethesda, Maryland (which will distribute to the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C).

Former Trump 2016 campaign officials Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie are among the 11 new members. WASHINGTON — Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller dismissed nine Defense Business Board members and replaced them with 11 new appointments on Friday, the latest shakeup in the Pentagon aimed at installing Trump loyalists. "However, board members receive reimbursement of travel and per diem during dates of travel for board business," the official added. Last month, the Pentagon elevated three Trump loyalists to powerful positions a day after the sudden termination of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. Replacing Jen Stewart, the chief of staff to the Defense secretary, is Kash Patel, a member of the National Security Council.

FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2020, file photo Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller walks down the steps at the Pentagon during a ceremony welcoming in Washington. The Pentagon said in a statement that Miller, on Monday, Nov. 30, accepted the resignation of Christopher Maier, who had provided policy oversight of the military's counter-IS effort since March 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)WASHINGTON – The civilian official overseeing the Pentagon's campaign to defeat the Islamic State group in the Middle East was forced to resign in the latest jolt to Pentagon leadership in the waning weeks of the Trump administration. The Pentagon said in a written statement that the acting defense secretary, Christopher Miller, on Monday accepted the resignation of Christopher Maier, who had provided policy oversight of the military's counter-IS effort since March 2017. The counter-IS campaign began during the Obama administration and in some respects was accelerated by Trump.

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon's acting defense secretary has made a rare visit to Somalia, a conflict-plagued nation in the Horn of Africa where American forces have been assisting in the fight against al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabab. Just hours after Miller's visit, the Somali government announced that a suicide bombing in Mogadishu killed at least seven people, and the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group claimed responsibility. Trump is expected to order a withdrawal of most or all of the 700 U.S. troops based in Somalia before he leaves office Jan. 20. Miller has been in the Middle East and parts of north Africa this week on his first international trip as acting defense secretary. Miller, who previously headed the National Counterterrorism Center, has not been nominated by Trump for Senate confirmation as Pentagon chief.

WASHINGTON – A Pentagon official installed in a top policy job last week has tested positive for COVID-19, the Pentagon said Thursday, just days after he met with the Lithuanian defense minister, who had contracted the virus. Jonathan Hoffman, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, said Anthony Tata, who is serving as the undersecretary of defense, was tested Thursday after learning that Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis had tested positive. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows tested positive after attending an election night party at the White House. Others who were at the party also tested positive, including White House political director Brian Jack, former White House aide Healy Baumgardner and Trump campaign advisers David Bossie and Corey Lewandowski. The assistant commandant of the Marine Corps later also tested positive, and all the chiefs were forced to quarantine at home for at least 10 days.

Trump has refused to concede his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, who takes office Jan. 20, just five days after the troop withdrawals are to finish. Miller, who refused to take questions from reporters after reading a prepared statement before TV cameras at the Pentagon, said the U.S. will reduce troop levels in Afghanistan from more than 4,500 to 2,500, and in Iraq from about 3,000 to 2,500. It also runs counter to his guidance that troop withdrawals be based on the conditions on the ground, not a date on the calendar. He has accused his predecessor, Barack Obama, of setting a timetable for troop withdrawals in Iraq and Afghanistan that worked against the achievement of military goals. Biden has sounded less absolute about troop withdrawal.

WASHINGTON — Acting Pentagon chief Christopher Miller said Tuesday that the United States will reduce its military presence in Afghanistan to 2,500 troops and 2,500 troops in Iraq by Jan. 15. The United States has approximately 4,500 troops currently in Afghanistan and more than 3,000 in Iraq. And ISIS could rebuild in Afghanistan the terror caliphate it lost in Syria and Iraq," the NATO chief said, referring to Islamic State militants. In 2003, NATO joined the international security effort in Afghanistan and currently has more than 7,000 troops in the country. Last week, Miller ascended to the Pentagon's acting Secretary of Defense role after President Donald Trump's sudden termination of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper.

At President Trump’s direction, the Pentagon on Tuesday ordered U.S. troop levels reduced to 2,500 in both Iraq and Afghanistan, accelerating a planned drawdown but stopping short of the departing president’s promise to end America’s involvement in the two lengthy conflicts. He initially increased troops in Afghanistan from 8,600 to roughly 14,000 on the advice of military advisers in 2017. Still, Trump often found his orders slow-rolled by Pentagon brass or even reversed as he sought to exit not only from Iraq and Afghanistan but also from Syria and Somalia. “By May, it is President Trump’s hope that they will come home safely and in their entirety,” O’Brien said in a brief statement to reporters at the White House. “Make no mistake: President Trump is salting the earth on his way out,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller speaks during a meeting with Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis at the Pentagon, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020. “We support the Afghanistan peace process, and as part of it, we continue to adjust our presence,” Lungescu said. At least two government security troops were killed and four others wounded on Friday in a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul. Last week, Trump fired U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, installing three staunch loyalists in top defense jobs, with Miller, who mostly recently served as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, as acting defense secretary. Esper had worked with military leaders to talk Trump out of complete troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Syria.

WASHINGTON — In his first message to U.S. military forces, acting Pentagon chief Chris Miller said he was "weary of war" and that it was time to end America's conflicts in the Middle East. On Monday, Miller ascended to the Pentagon's acting Secretary of Defense role after President Donald Trump's sudden termination of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. "We are not a people of perpetual war — it is the antithesis of everything for which we stand for which our ancestors fought. All wars must end," he added, writing that the U.S. was "on the verge of defeating Al Qaida and its associates." Now, it's time to come home," Miller wrote.

Flournoy, a politically moderate Pentagon veteran, is regarded by U.S. officials and political insiders as a top choice for President-elect Joe Bide to choose to head the Pentagon. Michele Flournoy, a politically moderate Pentagon veteran, is regarded by U.S. officials and political insiders as a top choice for the position. If confirmed, Flournoy would face a future that is expected to involve shrinking Pentagon budgets and potential military involvement in the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine. She has been outspoken on American foreign and defense policy, particularly over the past year. The Defense Department is one of three Cabinet agencies — the others being Treasury and Veterans Affairs — that have never been led by a woman.

Esper also had worked with military leaders to talk Trump out of complete troop withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan. And top military leaders — including Milley — are counseling patience and stability. But on other policy matters, Pentagon leaders saluted and marched forward. The abrupt personnel changes this week, however, have amped up the anxiety of civilian and military staff in the five-sided building. James Anderson, who had been acting undersecretary for policy, and Joseph Kernan, who was undersecretary for intelligence, both resigned Tuesday.

Replacing Jen Stewart, the chief of staff to the Defense secretary, is Kash Patel, a member of the National Security Council. Over their careers each has contributed greatly to the national defense and the future of the Department of Defense. We wish them the best in their next endeavors," acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller said in a statement. The Acting Secretary of Defense has delegated the responsibilities of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy to Mr. Anthony Tata. Over their careers each has contributed greatly to the national defense and the future of the Department of Defense.

(Tom Williams/Pool via AP, File)WASHINGTON – A day after President Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper, three staunch loyalists to the president were named to top defense jobs. Patel and Cohen-Watnick are both considered staunchly loyal to Trump and previously worked at the National Security Council. He also is a former prosecutor in the national security division of the Department of Justice and former staff member on the House Intelligence Committee. Cohen-Watnick was a protégé of Trump’s initial national security adviser, Michael Flynn, but was replaced in the summer of 2017 by Flynn’s successor, H.R. McMaster, as part of a string of shakeups at the White House and National Security Council.

President Donald Trump has fired Esper. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday, an unprecedented move by a president struggling to accept election defeat and angry at a Pentagon leader he believes wasn't loyal enough. I would like to thank him for his service.”In a letter to Trump, Esper referred to his efforts to keep the Pentagon apolitical -- a resistance that often angered Trump. Esper didn't thank Trump, but he also did not openly criticize the president or his policies. “President Trump’s decision to fire Secretary Esper out of spite is not just childish, it’s also reckless.”Former military leaders also weighed in.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday became the first high-profile Cabinet member fired by President Trump in what is expected to be a purge of security officials following the election of former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump reportedly had to be talked out of firing Esper at the time. “Mark Esper was an outstanding secretary of Defense,” Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, said in a statement Monday. James N. Mattis, his first Defense secretary, and John Kelly, his first secretary of Homeland Security and later chief of staff. OK, some people call him Yesper,” Trump said, to laughter.

(Greg Nash/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON WASHINGTON (AP) Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says he is blocking two Trump administration nominees until the White House provides adequate reasons for the termination of two inspectors general. Grassley has been seeking answers on President Donald Trump's recent firings of several inspectors general, including Michael Atkinson, inspector general for the intelligence community, and State Department Inspector General Steve Linick. Atkinson, who was fired as intelligence community inspector general in April, advanced a whistleblower complaint that resulted in the presidents impeachment. A 2008 law requires the president to provide Congress with a written explanation at least 30 days prior to removing an inspector general. The law is intended to prevent politically motivated terminations, although there is little Congress can do to block an IGs firing.

An Illinois father went on a rampage, screaming "Are you all ready to die today?" as he beat his wife and their 9-year-old daughter and shot to death his toddler son before turning the gun on himself, authorities said. Colton Miller, just 18 months old, was shot several times and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Kendall County Coroner's Office. The anguished mother said her husband, from whom she was separated and not living with, was smiling and shouting, "Are you all ready to die today? Christopher went back to the baby's room, fired several more rounds and then shot and killed himself, she said.

Monroe County judges are seeking equal pay for all bailiffs working in the county court system. Christopher Miller, a retired Monroe police officer, made comments at the beginning of the meeting about the disparity between hourly wages of Tier 1 and Tier 2 bailiffs. A May 31 letter signed by seven judges requested a pay increase for six bailiffs who currently are paid at the Tier 2 level, which is a lower rate. Out of 15 bailiffs currently employed in the courts, six are paid at a Tier 2 level, the judges said. Retired County employees who are re-hired by the county as part-time employees are placed on the tier wage schedule that they retired under, he said.