The briefing for Friday, April 3.

President Trump abruptly removed Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr. as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, along with two other senior officers including Army Chief of Staff Randy George. Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, had spent 16 months in the role consumed by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also fired Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Air Force Vice Chief Gen. Jim Slife.

The removals represent the latest Pentagon upheaval under the Trump administration, which has made eliminating diversity programs in the military a priority. Brown's public support of Black Lives Matter after George Floyd's death had made him a target for administration critics of 'wokeism' in the ranks. According to the AP, Trump praised Brown's 40 years of service while announcing retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan Caine as his replacement.

The shakeup comes as the Pentagon plans to cut 5,400 civilian probationary workers starting next week and identify $50 billion in potential program cuts. George, a career infantry officer who served in the Gulf War and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, was asked to step down with Defense Secretary Hegseth citing the need for 'a leadership change in the Army.' He will be replaced by Army Vice Chief Gen. Christopher LaNeve as acting chief.

President Trump removed Attorney General Pam Bondi from her position Friday, replacing her with former personal lawyer Todd Blanche as acting attorney general. Bondi, a longtime Trump ally who served less than two months in the role, will transition to an unspecified private sector position. The move comes after mounting tensions over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and file releases.

Bondi had vowed transparency on the Epstein case when sworn in February, promising to release an alleged client list that the Justice Department later said didn't exist. Millions of files were eventually released under congressional pressure, but the department faced bipartisan criticism for both failing to properly redact victims' information while simultaneously being accused of inappropriately withholding other documents. Trump reportedly grew increasingly frustrated with her handling of the matter.

Blanche, 51, rose to prominence representing Trump in criminal cases including the New York hush money case that ended in conviction on 34 felony counts. As deputy attorney general, he managed Justice Department day-to-day operations and oversaw the Epstein files release. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a critic of Bondi's handling of the files, posted that he hopes 'the next AG will release all the Epstein files according to the law and follow up with investigations, prosecutions and arrests.'

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo Thursday directing base commanders to allow service members to carry personal weapons onto military installations, reversing decades of policy. The directive establishes a presumption that requests to carry privately owned firearms are necessary for personal protection, with any denials requiring detailed written explanation. Hegseth cited the Second Amendment and recent base shootings in his announcement.

Current Defense Department policy, enacted under President George H.W. Bush, prohibits military personnel from carrying personal weapons on base without senior commander permission and requires strict storage protocols. Military police have typically been the only armed personnel on base outside of training areas and shooting ranges. Hegseth referenced incidents including last year's Fort Stewart shooting where an Army sergeant injured five soldiers with his personal handgun.

Gun violence prevention groups immediately raised concerns about the policy change. The Brady organization's Tanya Schardt noted that most active duty service members who die by suicide use personally owned weapons, not military-issued ones, and warned the change will 'undoubtedly be an increase in gun suicide and other gun violence.' A Pentagon report released Tuesday showed suicide rates among active duty troops have gradually increased between 2011 and 2024, though 2024 saw fewer deaths than the prior year.

Iran's two largest steel plants have completely shut down following multiple rounds of U.S.-Israeli air strikes, with company officials estimating restart times of six months to one year. Mehran Pakbin, deputy head of operations at Khuzestan Steel Company, told Iranian media the initial estimate for restarting units is 'at least six months and up to one year.' Mobarakeh Steel Company confirmed its production lines had 'completely shut down following the high volume of attacks.'

The shutdowns could deliver major damage to Iran's economy, as the country ranks as the world's 10th largest steel producer. Iran uses steel domestically for construction and manufacturing while also exporting globally, meaning production halts will ripple through supply chains and businesses already affected by comprehensive Western sanctions. Israeli media reported that an Israeli security source said the strikes were expected to cause billions of dollars in economic damage.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Israel hit 'two of Iran's largest steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure,' claiming Israel acted in coordination with the U.S. The strikes are part of an escalating campaign that has also targeted pharmaceutical companies and medical research facilities. A highway bridge linking Tehran to Karaj was hit Thursday, killing two people, with Trump posting that 'the biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again.'

President Trump signed an executive order Thursday imposing pharmaceutical tariffs up to 100% on patented drugs from companies that don't reach pricing deals with his administration or build U.S. manufacturing facilities. Companies with 'most favored nation' pricing agreements and active U.S. facility construction will face 0% tariffs, while those building facilities without pricing deals face 20% tariffs rising to 100% over four years.

A senior administration official said companies have 120 to 180 days to negotiate before the maximum tariffs take effect, and the administration has already reached 17 pricing deals with major drugmakers, 13 of which have signed. The order arrives on the first anniversary of Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs that sent markets reeling. Several countries including the EU, Japan, Korea and Switzerland secured 15% rates through trade frameworks, while the U.K. obtained 10% rates.

Pharmaceutical trade group PhRMA CEO Stephen Ubl warned that taxes 'on cutting-edge medicines will increase costs and could jeopardize billions in U.S. investments,' noting that medicines from other countries 'overwhelmingly come from reliable U.S. allies.' Trump also updated his metal tariffs Thursday, changing how rates are calculated on steel, aluminum and copper to prevent importers from escaping higher payments, with new calculations based on 'full customs value' starting Monday.

Bahrain significantly revised its proposed U.N. Security Council resolution on reopening the Strait of Hormuz after Russia, China and France opposed language allowing countries to use force to secure the waterway. The final draft obtained Thursday by the AP authorizes defensive action only, eliminating references to offensive military operations. One-fifth of the world's oil typically passes through the strait, where Iran's blockade has sent energy prices soaring.

The original draft would have allowed countries to use 'all necessary means' - U.N. language including possible military action - in the strait and surrounding waters. The revised proposal now authorizes countries to use 'all defensive means necessary and commensurate with the circumstances' for at least six months, with advance Security Council notification required. The vote, originally scheduled for Friday, was postponed to Saturday to give diplomats more time to avoid a veto.

China's U.N. Ambassador Fu Cong opposed the original draft's force authorization as 'unlawful and indiscriminate,' warning it 'would inevitably lead to further escalation.' Russia's Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said ending hostilities would solve the problem, not the resolution. The proposal comes after Trump said Wednesday that America and Israel will continue bombing Iran 'extremely hard' over the next two to three weeks but gave no definitive end date for the conflict.