Quill Lawrence
Appearances
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-19-2025 3PM EDT
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said the Trump administration's attempt to prevent trans Americans from serving in the military violates their constitutional rights, which she called a cruel irony since, quote, "...thousands of transgender service members have sacrificed, some risking their lives, to ensure for others the very equal protection rights the military ban seeks to deny them."
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-19-2025 3PM EDT
The judge's order temporarily blocks the Pentagon's policy from going into effect. The ban stems from a White House executive order that denies any difference between gender and sex and calls trans people dishonest for claiming otherwise. Of the nearly 1.3 million active duty U.S. troops, 1% or less identify as trans. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-25-2025 4PM EDT
In the military, sending classified data over insecure channels is called slippage when it's considered minor, but even that can be a career ender for a military officer. There's almost no precedent for the heads of defense, state, and national security to be sharing such sensitive military intelligence in a forum that was known to be unsecure. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-25-2025 4PM EDT
In a group chat that inadvertently included journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, the Trump administration's top intelligence officials discussed sensitive attack plans over the Signal app. But NPR has seen an internal memo sent only last week to the entire Department of Defense that reads, "...a vulnerability has been identified in the Signal messenger application."
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-12-2025 8PM EST
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has claimed that high numbers of Americans joined the Army in December and January because of President Trump's leadership and a new emphasis away from diversity initiatives. That may be true, but Army data show that after a slump in 2022 and 2023, recruiting goals have been met over the past year, with a surplus from 2024 to start off this year.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 02-12-2025 8PM EST
One reason is an Army program for future soldiers that helps Americans get physically fit or academically caught up so they can qualify to serve. Another factor is a growing number of women enlisting over the past three years. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 01-23-2025 8PM EST
In the meantime, doctors and nurses nationwide who thought they had VA job offers got the news their offers were rescinded. After two days of mixed messages, the administration has now exempted the majority of health care positions at VA from the hiring freeze. Senate Democrats have urged Trump to protect all VA staff positions from the freeze. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 01-23-2025 8PM EST
Doug Collins, an Air Force Reserve colonel and former Georgia congressman, was endorsed by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee 18 to 1, almost guaranteeing he'll be the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs. During his confirmation hearing this week, he was pressed on whether President Trump's federal hiring freeze would apply to VA. He said he needed to study it.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-21-2025 5PM EDT
U.S. officials had told NPR and other media outlets that Musk was scheduled for a briefing in a secure facility known as the Tank, normally used by the Joint Chiefs, and that he'd be informed of sensitive Pentagon plans regarding China, including by the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-21-2025 5PM EDT
Instead, Musk met with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in his office to discuss cost-cutting and innovation, according to Hegseth. Speaking at the White House soon after, President Trump said he would never show U.S. war planning to anybody, especially a businessman like Musk with interests in China.
NPR News Now
NPR News: 03-21-2025 5PM EDT
Trump called reports to the contrary false and said they're meant to undermine the relationship between the Pentagon and Musk. Quill Lawrence, NPR News.