This story appeared in The Logoffa daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news rule your life. Register here.
Welcome to The Logoff: Dear readers – Donald Trump announced a last-minute extension to the ceasefire between the United States and Iran on Tuesday, just hours before the agreement was due to expire. It’s good news, but it doesn’t provide much clarity about what comes next: The status of the talks is still up in the air, and Trump has said that US sanctions against Iranian ships and ports will remain in place.
We’ll have more for you on that story once we know more, but for now, here’s another Tuesday story from the Trump administration that shouldn’t be ignored: Pete Hegseth’s Department of Defense is ending mandatory flu vaccinations for soldiers.
What happened? On Tuesday, Hegseth announced the end of the U.S. military’s decades-old mandate to require all DOD personnel to receive an annual flu vaccine, which he described as “restoring independence for our Joint Force.”
Why the change? In a video announcement, Hegseth linked the flu vaccine mandate to the now-defunct policy requiring a Covid-19 vaccine for service members, which he described as “denying them simple medical freedom and freedom to express their religious beliefs.”
“If you, an American hero charged with protecting this nation, believe that the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you are free to take it. You should,” he said. “But we won’t force you. Because your body, your faith, and your faith are non-negotiable – your health.”
what is the main picture? Hegseth’s statement of “freedom” is uncontroversial. There is a long list of standards and requirements the military places on soldiers, including some of the drills and physical fitness that have been enhanced under Hegseth.
The changes also appear to have measurable effects on the health of service members. According to the Military Times newspaperthe order has been “a major factor in lower hospitalization rates among service members than US national rates.”
And so, it’s time to leave…
I enjoyed how NPR approached it this recent story about NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe, which recently had to shut down another spacecraft to continue.
Obviously, it’s not exactly good news for the little ship, which is now more than 15 billion miles from Earth and slowly running out of power – but it’s also a welcome reminder that it’s still there and accomplishing something amazing, nearly 50 years after its launch and many decades past its intended five years.
