Free Republic

Geoff Morrell, the chief corporate affairs officer who helped architect Disney’s public response to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, has decided to leave the company. “After three months in this new role, it has become clear to me that for a number of reasons it is not the right fit,” Morrell said in a letter to his team that CNBC has obtained. “After talking this over with [Disney CEO] Bob [Chapek], I have decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities.” Kristina Schake, who Disney hired earlier this month, will lead Disney’s communications efforts and report directly to...

Time managing editor Rick Stengel (pictured above) is leaving journalism to go work for the State Department, making him at least the 15th 21st reporter to go to work for the Obama administration. Stengel will be the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Politico and Capital New York report. The last high-profile journalist to leave Time for the Obama administration is Jay Carney, who is currently White House press secretary (pictured at right). Update: Thanks to a few tipsters, we've updated with a bigger count. They're listed below. A wave of reporters went to work for...

The Pentagon shrugged off a threat from North Korea Wednesday to wipe the United States off the map. "I don't even know how to respond to that. It's silliness," said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell."For what and with what?" But even as the spokesman discounted the threat from the communist nation, which reportedly may fire a Taepodong-2 toward Hawaii in early July, he defended Defense Secretary Robert Gate's decision to move the THAAD system to Hawaii along with the massive SBX radar system. "I don't think he would have deployed that THAAD if he didn't think there was a reason to...