Checked Out
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Military
Trump Says His 'Armed Conflict' With Drug Traffickers Does Not Involve 'Hostilities'
The government is tying itself in knots to cast murder as self-defense and avoid legal limits on the president's use of the military.
Trump's National Guard Plan Edges the U.S. Closer to a Permanent Federal Police Force
A newly revealed Pentagon directive instructs every state to train riot-control units within their National Guards—raising questions about federal overreach and the growing militarization of domestic emergencies.
According to Trump, He Has Already Saved 350,000 Lives by Murdering Suspected Drug Smugglers
There are several problems with the president's math, which suggests he has accomplished an impossible feat.
Trump's 'Golden Dome' Missile Defense Could Cost $3.6 Trillion: Report
The pie-in-the-sky space system promises to be a government spending bonanza—and might be a very bad idea.
Let Europe Defend Europe
Debt-ridden and challenged around the world, the U.S. should encourage Europe to defend itself.
9th Circuit Court Upholds Trump's Deployment of National Guard in Portland
The decision “erodes core constitutional principles, including sovereign States’ control over their States’ militias and the people’s First Amendment rights,” Judge Susan P. Graber warned in her dissent.
Trump Allegedly Misidentified a Colombian Fisherman as a Venezuelan 'Narcoterrorist'
The potential for deadly error underlines the lawlessness of the president’s bloodthirsty anti-drug strategy.
On National Guard Deployments, Trump Tells SCOTUS His Power Is 'Unreviewable'
Will the Supreme Court grant Trump the overwhelming judicial deference he demands?
Does Argentina's Bailout Prove Libertarians Wrong?
Plus: the “No Kings” protests, Trump pays troop salaries during government shutdown, and the continued bombing of drug boats in Venezuela
Did the U.S. Just Kill a Random Fisherman?
Plus: Karl Marxing my neighborhood, No Kings, the limits of tariff revenue, and more...
Pentagon's Foolish Press Policy Might Encourage Tougher Journalism
The military establishment’s efforts to quash leaks could encourage them instead.
Seventh Circuit Rules Against Trump's Use of National Guard in Chicago
The Court of Appeals unanimously refused to stay a trial court ruling against Trump, signaling the judges believe his use of the Guard is illegal.
Trump Erroneously Thinks Killing Suspected Smugglers Is the Key to Winning the Drug War
Until now, the president concedes, interdiction has been "totally ineffective." Blowing up drug boats won't change that reality.
How the Military Exposed the Tools That Let Authorities Break Into Phones
The Marine Corps is trying to close a no-bid contract with Cellebrite, a company that helps police get into locked phones. The specs weren’t supposed to be public.
The Pentagon's New Press Policy Is Absurd
Mainstream and conservative news outlets were correct to reject it.
We're Not Talking About It
Plus: Law and order in Philly, SCOTUS audience, Ackman drops some dough, and more...
Trump Says Tariffs Are About National Security. Pentagon Officials Say They Need a Tariff Exemption.
It turns out that free trade is essential for the military too.
Deference Due? Trump, the National Guard, and the Misuse of Martin v. Mott
A guest post by Joshua Braver and John Dehn.
The U.S. Military Is Helping Arab Dictatorships Run Psyops
The Pentagon spends a lot of taxpayer money on propaganda worldwide. Some of it is coordinated with Middle Eastern dictators, The Washington Post revealed.
Trump Won't Invoke the Insurrection Act—As Long As He Can Use the National Guard However He Wants
If the courts try to enforce legal limits on the president's military deployments, he can resort to an alarmingly broad statute that gives him more discretion.
Deploying Troops to American Cities Is an Assault on the Constitution
Federal troops are also ill-suited to handle local policing issues.
The Constitution Does Not Allow the President To Unilaterally Blow Suspected Drug Smugglers to Smithereens
If the Trump administration wants to use military power, it should seek authorization from Congress, says Sen. Rand Paul.
Why a Trump Appointee Ruled That His National Guard Deployment in Portland Was Illegal
U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut concluded that the president's description of "War ravaged Portland" was "simply untethered to the facts."
Trump Sued—Again—for Unlawful and Unconstitutional Deployment of National Guard
This is the second lawsuit in a week challenging the Trump administration's National Guard deployments absent a qualifying emergency.
Defending the Summary Execution of Suspected Drug Smugglers, Trump Declares an 'Armed Conflict'
The president thinks he can transform murder into self-defense by executive fiat.
Deploying Federal Troops Is Not a Sustainable Solution to Crime in American Cities
Federal officers policing Washington, D.C., on Trump's orders appear to be driving crime down, but the plan is neither constitutionally sound nor viable in the long term.
How the U.S. Sold Its Longest War with a Bodyguard of Lies
Filmmaker Dan Krauss explains how U.S. leaders misled the public about Afghanistan, why the media failed to push back, and how money and power kept America’s longest war alive long after it was lost.
Why Does Trump Want U.S. Troops Back in Afghanistan?
Mike Waltz is no longer national security adviser, but his plans for Bagram Air Base seem to have stuck in the president's head.
The Government Was Lying to You About Afghanistan. Dan Krauss Has the Receipts.
Reason is sharing an exclusive clip from Bodyguard of Lies, an upcoming documentary about the failed war in Afghanistan.
Americans Like Drugs. Killing Drug Traffickers Won't Change That.
Most U.S. drug traffickers are Americans, but the president is ordering extrajudicial maritime killings while ignoring the domestic demand that drives the market.
Trump Has a Habit of Asserting Broad, Unreviewable Authority
Whether he is waging the drug war, imposing tariffs, deporting alleged gang members, or fighting crime, the president thinks he can do "anything I want to do."
Another Military Strike on a Speedboat Confirms Trump's Policy of Murdering Suspected Drug Smugglers
The president's new approach to drug law enforcement represents a stark departure from military norms and criminal justice principles.
Reality Winner Got 5 Years in Federal Prison for Leaking 5-Page Document
In her memoir, the former NSA contractor details her journey from top secret security clearance to federal prison.
Trump Calls His Drone Strike on an Alleged Drug Boat 'Self-Defense.' It Looks More Like Murder.
Equating drug trafficking with armed aggression, the president asserts the authority to kill anyone he perceives as a threat to "our most vital national interests."
Trump's 'Department of War' Rebrand Might Be His Most Honest Move Yet
A billion-dollar rebrand won’t change the fact that defense hasn’t meant defense in decades.
Americans Don't Actually Like Trump's Bad Guy Posturing on Immigration and the Military
Shows of force and mass deportations play well to the base, but they’re falling flat with the public.
Trump Keeps Casting Himself as the Bad Guy
From Apocalypse Now memes to a re-named War Department, the second Trump administration is in love with authoritarian aesthetics.
Perils of the Pentagon's Plan to Use Military Lawyers to Adjudicate Immigration Cases
The plan is illegal for multiple reasons, is likely to lead to poor decisions, and could undermine military readiness.
Navy SEALs Reportedly Killed North Korean Fishermen and Mutilated Their Bodies To Hide a Failed Mission
It’s impossible to tell how many other times U.S. special operations failed and killed innocent bystanders in the process.
Trump's Drug Boat Drone Strike Shows How 'Terrorism' Makes Everyone Killable
The logic of the war on terror means infinitely expandable government power.
Trump Orders Strike on Suspected Venezuelan Gang Boat in Caribbean
The attack follows the largest U.S. military buildup in Latin America since 1989, as Washington escalates its campaign against cartels tied to Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
When It Comes to Fighting Crime With the National Guard, Trump Says, He Can Do 'Anything I Want To Do'
The president's plan to promote public safety by deploying troops in cities across the country is hard to reconcile with constitutional constraints on federal authority.
Forget MAGA, Trump Is Making America Canada
Turning the National Guard into a nationwide police force betrays the Founders’ vision and erodes the freedoms that make the U.S. exceptional.
