Why didn't Biden know about Austin?

USA TODAY Opinion newsletter: Lloyd Austin

Advertisement Read in browser Today's Opinions Mon Jan 8 2024 Did you see the news around Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over the weekend? It's honestly pretty shocking. But just in case you missed it, columnist Ingrid Jacques has a look at what happened and why it's a sign of a bigger problem. This is a sample of the column, which you can read here. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP via Getty Images "One of the most important Biden administration Cabinet members – Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin – has been hospitalized since the beginning of the year. The Pentagon noted Sunday that Austin, suffering from severe pain while recovering from a medical procedure performed in late December, was admitted on Jan. 1 to intensive care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. And not only was the public kept in the dark until Friday, but Biden, who after all is the commander in chief, had no clue for three days that the person he appointed to run the Pentagon was out of commission. At a time when the world is increasingly dangerous, and thousands of U.S. military personnel are perched on the edge of a war zone, it would be nice to think that the United States is ready to confront those challenges in a competent way." Who's in the NFL playoffs? Gen Z doesn't care. That's a bad thing. Generation Z doesn't seem to care about sports. It's part of an overall problem of us choosing isolation over communal experiences. READ MORE Advertisement 'Epstein list' is a reminder that we need to talk about consent As someone who has experienced sexual violence, as a mother and as an attorney, I am constantly reminded of how we fail on the issue of consent. READ MORE Get excited. Republicans will finally begin picking their candidate. I'm not a Republican voter, but I am very excited about the start of presidential primary season. 2024 is here. Let the voting begin. READ MORE Sign up for the news you want Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don't miss out! We're always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS ➔ Advertisement Newsletters   |    eNewspaper   |   Crosswords Follow Us Problem viewing email? View in browser Unsubscribe  •  Manage Newsletters  •  Terms of Service  •  Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights  •   Privacy Notice  •  Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy  •  Feedback