On this segment of The Morning Update, host Jeff Chidester talks with Patty Nieberg, Senior Reporter at Task & Purpose, to break down two of her latest investigative reports on Pentagon policy.

First, they discuss the Department of Defense’s move toward stricter standards regarding medical shaving waivers, examining the impact on service members suffering from conditions like pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) and what driving factors lie behind the policy changes.

Then, Patty sheds light on a persistent systemic issue within defense reporting: how the Pentagon counts—and leaves out—troops killed in war. They examine the gaps in how combat casualties and related fatalities are officially documented and what it means for transparency across the armed forces.