Biden picks history-making pilot to serve as JCS chair

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will announce Thursday that he is tapping Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., a history-making fighter pilot with deep knowledge of China, to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Brown’s confirmation would mean that, for the first time, both the Pentagon’s top military and civilian positions would be held by African Americans. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the first Black Pentagon chief, has been in the job since the beginning of the administration. The only other Black person to serve as Joint Chiefs chairman was Army Gen. Colin Powell. The nomination has been long expected. If confirmed by the Senate, Brown would replace Army Gen. Mark Milley, whose term ends in October, as the nation’s next top military officer. The president plans to unveil Brown as his pick during a Rose Garden event Thursday afternoon.

Biden saw Brown as the right person for the job because of his work modernizing the U.S. fleet of aircraft and its nuclear arsenal and his years of experience in shaping U.S. defenses to meet China’s rise, a senior administration official said. He’s also been deeply involved in the Pentagon’s efforts to equip Ukraine with billions of dollars in U.S. weaponry as Kyiv tries to fend off Russia’s 15-month old invasion.

Brown, 60, has commanded at every possible level in the Air Force and in joint commands, including in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He also helped build and lead the U.S. air campaign against the Islamic State militant group. Brown is a career F-16 fighter pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours and command experience at all levels. He has broken barriers throughout his career. He served as the military’s first Black Pacific Air Forces commander, where he led the nation’s air strategy to counter China in the Indo-Pacific as Beijing rapidly militarized islands in the South China Sea and tested its bomber reach with flights near Guam. Three years ago he became the first Black Air Force chief of staff, the service’s top military officer.

Target defensive after removing LGBTQ+-themed products

NEW YORK — Target once distinguished itself as being boldly supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. Now, it has tarnished that status after removing some LGBTQ+-themed products and relocating Pride Month displays to the back of stores in certain Southern locations. The company is addressing online complaints and in-store confrontations that it says were a threat to employees’ well-being. Target is facing a second backlash from customers who are upset by the discount retailer’s reaction to aggressive, anti-LGBTQ+ activism, which has also been sweeping through Republican state legislatures. Civil rights groups chided the company for caving to anti-LGBTQ customers who tipped over displays and expressed outrage over gender-fluid bathing suits.

Man shot roomie after accusing him of eating last Hot Pocket LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky man is facing criminal charges after allegedly shooting his roommate in a dispute over a Hot Pocket. Louisville Metro Police Department officials told WLKY that Clifton Williams was arrested on assault charges Sunday after he accused his roommate of eating their last Hot Pocket and became violent. According to police, Williams threw tiles at the man after he realized their last microwaveable turnover was gone. The television station reported Williams then shot the man in the buttocks as he tried to escape. Williams is prohibited from contacting the victim, who was taken to the UofL Hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Gorman’s poem for Biden’s inauguration banned in Fla. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A poem written for President Joe Biden’s inauguration has been placed on a restricted list at a South Florida elementary school after one parent’s complaint. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, poet Amanda Gorman vowed to fight back. Her poem, “The Hill We Climb” was challenged by the parent of two students at Bob Graham Education Center in Miami Lakes, along with several books. While book bans aren’t new, they’re happening much more frequently, especially in Florida where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has championed policies that allow the censorship of books some have deemed inappropriate for children in schools.

Rapper Fetty Wap sentenced to 6 years for drug-trafficking

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — Rapper Fetty Wap has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for his role in a New Yorkbased drug-trafficking scheme. The sentence was handed down in federal court on Long Island on Wednesday. It came after the rapper pleaded guilty to a conspiracy drug charge that carried a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. The rapper’s legal name is Willie Maxwell. He was arrested in October 2021 on charges of participating in a conspiracy to smuggle heroin, fentanyl and other drugs into the New York City area.