Axios

The Pentagon has appointed a public affairs executive as acting publisher of Stars and Stripes, the military newspaper that's long operated with editorial independence from the Defense Department, according to an Oct. 8 memo obtained by Axios.

Why it matters: The leadership shake-up at Stars and Stripes is yet another front in the Pentagon's public messaging fight.

Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) has told business and political leaders in Arizona that she chose to vote in the Republican primary — for House candidate Jay Feely, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Sinema was a Democrat less than four years ago. Now she's quietly promoting a Republican during a cycle when the GOP is on the defensive.

White evangelical Protestants and white Catholics favor Republican House candidates, while other Christian and nonreligious groups are more divided or favor Democrats, recent Pew Research Center polling finds.

The big picture: President Trump's approval has fallen sharply among white evangelical Protestants and white Catholics, even as both groups continue to favor Republican House candidates.

The Treasury Department on Tuesday announced more than $1.2 billion in penalties against Bank of America for years of failures to report suspicious transactions and address shortcomings in its anti-money-laundering program.

Why it matters: The action includes the third-largest penalty in Treasury history.

TikTok and Newsmax say they wouldn't allow livestreams or clips of a possible public execution by firing squad that the Defense Department says it plans to livestream, when asked by Axios.

• No other major platform or TV network would comment on their plans.

Why it matters: It's still unclear whether the early December event will actually be livestreamed, but if it does, it will test whether America's biggest media and tech companies are willing to enforce their content moderation policies against the U.S. government.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to livestream the December execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan by using a firing squad, one of the rarest forms of capital punishment in the United States.

Why it matters: The planned livestream would mark the first public U.S. execution in roughly 90 years, but it has already drawn scrutiny, with President Trump expressing doubt it'll happen.

President Trump's deal to lift sanctions on Russia to increase diesel supplies "is a betrayal of the people of Ukraine" and "a gift to our adversary," a bipartisan coalition of senators wrote in a letter admonishing the agreement.

Why it matters: The decision to turn to Vladimir Putin in an attempt to ease the diesel crunch is piling onto Republican headaches ahead of the midterms and fueling fresh friction between the U.S. and Ukraine.

Legal experts and press freedom advocates believe the Justice Department's White House television press pool probe could be a pretext for seeking additional records from reporters.

Why it matters: Antitrust lawyers argue the DOJ's legal case against the networks is thin.

Space Force now has its own special operations headquarters, according to an internal memo reviewed by Axios.

Why it matters: The Space Force has taken on key roles in recent military operations, and the new headquarters will further weave the service branch into future high-level missions.

• Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said in January that space assets paved the way for helicopters to land during the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
• Caine also said in March that space forces were the "first movers" during the start of Operation Epic Fury and that they disrupted "Iran's ability to see, communicate and respond" through means like jamming and electromagnetic warfare.

Zoom in: Space Force Special Operations headquarters was "activated" as a component field command on Oct. 7, according to the internal memo.

• A Space Force official confirmed the memo was authentic.
• Component field commands "integrate space activities into shared operations, activities, and investments," the service has previously said.

Zoom out: The establishment of the headquarters follows Space Force creating component field commands tied to the Middle Eastern, European, African and Pacific theaters.

• U.S. Special Operations Command is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. It wasn't immediately clear where the Space Force's new component field command will be based.

What they're saying: Charles Galbreath, a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute think tank and a former Space Force officer, said the SOCOM component "is another major milestone in the growth of the Space Force."

What's next: Space Force Gen. Douglass Schiess, the chief of space operations, said in a LinkedIn comment that there would be a "stand up ceremony in a few weeks."

Kimberly Guilfoyle, the U.S. ambassador to Greece, announced her resignation Tuesday, shortly after the White House asked her to step down and following reports alleging misconduct before and during her diplomatic posting.

Why it matters: The exit of the president's longtime political ally and former fiancée of his son Donald Trump Jr. follows a series of Wall Street Journal reports alleging she used her political connections to seek financial favors and promote private business interests.