Army officer who wanted 'more average looking women' in PR materials steps down

a There has been a shakeup in the Unites States Army. One female colonel has stepped down from her job after suggesting attractive women should not be portrayed in promotional materials. NBC's Kristen Welker reports.By Courtney Kube and Jim Miklaszewski, NBC NewsA U.S. Army colonel who wrote an email suggesting attractive women should not be portrayed in U.S. Army promotional materials stepped down from her job Friday.Col. Lynette Arnhart recently sent an email arguing that an attractive woman shown in a photo in an Army magazine sent the wrong signal. Arnhart argued that unattractive women are perceived as competent while attractive women are perceived as having used their looks to get ahead.She went on to argue that the Army should use "more average looking women" or women who are willing to do the dirty work. Arnhart said that photos of attractive women in uniform lead people to ask if breaking a nail is considered hazardous duty.Until she stepped down, Arnhart was in charge of the Army research project examining women's transition into combat roles."In order to protect the integrity of the ongoing work on gender integration in the Army, Col. Lynette Arnhart agreed to step down as the gender integration study director," an Army spokesperson said tonight.The public affairs officer at the Army Training and Doctrine Command -- the recipient of Arnhart's email -- has also been suspended, pending the outcome of an investigation.That officer, Col. Chris Kubik, sent NBC News a statement about the email earlier this week, saying that it "was an internal discussion; nothing more.""This discussion was not and is not reflective of Army policy. The intent of the message was to help ensure that images depict professional female soldiers as they are, and to ensure they are recognized based on their hard-earned achievements as members of the profession of arms," Kubik wrote.

DC insurance commissioner fired a day after criticizing Obamacare steps

a By Kristen Welker and Ali Weinberg, NBC NewsWashington, D.C.'s insurance commissioner confirmed Sunday that he was fired after questioning President Barack Obama's proposed fixes to his troubled health-care law. William White told NBC News that Mayor Vincent Gray's office didn't explicitly link his dismissal to his comments. But he strongly suggested it wasn't a coincidence."Anyone who looks at this can draw their own conclusions. My statement came out on Thursday, and by Friday [at] 4:15 I was out," he said.White's deputy, Chester McPherson, takes over as acting insurance commissioner. Gray's office didn't respond to a request for comment.Watch US News videos on NBCNews.comIn a statement Thursday, White criticized Obama's announcement earlier in the day that insurance plans scheduled to be canceled next year under the new law could be extended for a year.White said the extensions would create problems for health-care exchanges because they contradict legislation the District and many states passed to implement the law. "The action today undercuts the purpose of the exchanges, including the District's DC Health Link, by creating exceptions that make it more difficult for them to operate," he said Thursday.White told NBC News that he was disappointed "that I won't be able to complete all of what I was trying to do." "I understand the mayor has every right to change his mind, and I respect that," he said.Related: