Sen. 
John Kerry (D-Mass.) last week became the 68th secretary of state during a swearing-in ceremony on Capitol Hill. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan administered the oath of office to Kerry on Feb. 1 in the Capitol Building, according to the State Department’s website. Kerry moves to the State Department after 28 years in the Senate, including the last four as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He is the first sitting SFRC chair to become secretary of state in more than 100 years, according to his newly posted State Department biography. Kerry replaces Hillary Clinton, who led the State Department during the Obama Administration’s first term. Clinton, in her Feb. 1 farewell message to State Department employees, thanked the members of the US foreign and civil service for helping “to elevate diplomacy and development as core pillars of American power.” Kerry is scheduled to deliver remarks to State Department employees for the first time on Monday upon his arrival at the State Department building.
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.