State Department names former Fox & Friends anchor as spokeswoman


The State Department has named former Fox News Channel anchor Heather Nauert as its spokeswoman, filling a position that had been left vacant for nearly 100 days, The Associated Press reports. Mark Toner, the department's deputy spokesman under former President Barack Obama, had previously filled the role on an acting basis.
The State Department stopped its sporadic on-camera press briefings in late March, with officials saying Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would resume the briefings once the department hired a permanent spokesperson. It is unclear when Nauert, a Fox & Friends alumna, will restart briefings. The State Department has been criticized since President Trump took office for its inaccessibility.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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