Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Is Reported Dead
Khamenei's rule was marked by a combination of cruelty and incompetence. His death may have unfolded much the same way.
Military
"Law Is Irrelevant to the U.S. Attack on Iran," by Prof. Jack Goldsmith (Harvard)
"And Congress is on the hook as much as the president."
An Unconstitutional War
Trump's attack on Iran is obviously unconstitutional. The moral and policy issues are a closer call.
Anthropic Labeled a Supply Chain Risk, Banned from Federal Government Contracts
OpenAI has entered a contract with the Defense Department allowing all lawful use of ChatGPT after Anthropic refused to remove its restrictions on domestic mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons systems.
Trump and Israel Start the Iran War
The war is aimed at regime change, has spread across the Middle East, and was started without the consent of the American people.
Anthropic CEO Refuses Pentagon Demands To Remove Safeguards on Military AI
Dario Amodei penned a public letter explaining the danger of the Defense Department's request to remove certain constraints from Claude, and refusing them outright.
Pentagon to Anthropic: If You Won't Let Us Use Your AI for Mass Surveillance or Autonomous Weapons, Expect Punishment
Pete Hegseth has threatened to invoke the Defense Production Act to force Anthropic to come around.
War With Iran?
Plus: the same ole hawkish lies, a familial connection to Barry Goldwater's nomination, and the future of media is prediction markets on Substack.
Trump's Blatantly Unconstitutional Attempt To Punish His Congressional Critics Hits 2 Roadblocks
A grand jury and a federal judge rejected the president’s vendetta against legislators who produced a video about the duty to refuse unlawful military orders.
A Federal Judge Explains Why Trump Can't Jail Legislators for Producing a Video That Offended Him
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon notes that Sen. Mark Kelly's comments about unlawful military orders were "unquestionably protected" by the First Amendment.
Special Immigrant Visa Program Needs Resuscitation, but It's Not Dead Yet
Our Afghan allies deserve better treatment from the Trump administration as many live under uncertainty during a visa pause.
A Grand Jury Rejects Trump's Attempt To Prosecute 6 Legislators for Saying Something He Did Not Like
The president was offended by a video reminding military personnel of their duty to disobey unlawful orders.
Alienated by Trump, Europeans Finally Take Responsibility for Defense
Spurred by a hostile U.S. president, Europe struggles against stagnant economies to rearm.
Deploying Troops to U.S. Cities Cost Half a Billion Dollars in 2025
Maintaining a uniformed domestic security force is pricey in terms of life, liberty, and dollars.
Trump Administration Insists Blowing Up Boats Is Not 'Hostilities'
The legal rationale for bombing suspected drug boats in the Caribbean doesn't stand up to scrutiny.
The Case Against Deferring to Presidential Invocations of the Insurrection Act
Prof. Josh Braver questions the conventional wisdom on this issue.
The Insurrection Act, Which Trump Keeps Threatening To Invoke, Is Alarmingly Vague and Broad
The antiquated statute arguably allows the president to deploy the military in response to nearly any form of domestic disorder.
Why Doesn't Regime Change Ever Seem To Work?
The problem is not that revolution is bad or that some cultures can’t rule themselves—it’s that social engineering is hard.
Eric Trump Congratulates His Father for a Drop in Fentanyl Deaths That Happened Before He Took Office
The president's son also claims destroying cocaine boats somehow reduces fentanyl overdoses, echoing his father's confusion.
Seizing Greenland Might Be the Least Popular Idea in American Political History
This foolish, unnecessary, bellicose idea is running up against the "Lizardman's Constant."
Iran's Inflation Protests Turned Into an Uprising. Will Trump Get Involved?
The unrest started with a merchants' strike, escalated into a bloody crackdown—and might become an American war.
The Trump Administration Owns Responsibility for Whatever Comes Next in Venezuela
By deposing Maduro but keeping his brutal regime in power, the U.S. implicitly endorses its crimes.
I Once Supported Regime Change in Iraq. That's Why Venezuela Worries Me.
When we use our military and roll the dice with the fate of nations, the consequences play out in a much longer time frame than social media trends.
A Recent Book Shows Why Invading Greenland Would Be a Dumb Idea
Polar War demonstrates how difficult it is for armies to operate in the high north—and just how far America is behind Europe in Arctic warfare.
The 'Law Enforcement' Rationale for Invading Venezuela Is an Open-Ended License for War
If an indictment is enough to justify military action, why bother seeking congressional approval?
Did Marco Rubio Lie to Congress About Venezuela?
His explanation for why the Trump administration attacked Venezuela without congressional authorization does not stand up to scrutiny.
Americans Are Increasingly Skeptical of Foreign Military Intervention
Nicolás Maduro’s removal should be welcomed by anyone who values liberty. Yet data show Americans—led by the youngest adults—are turning noninterventionist.
Donald Trump Says the U.S. Will 'Run' Venezuela After Maduro's Ouster
When asked who would be in charge, Trump said: “We’re designating those people.”
Trump Should Have Tried To Get Congressional Authorization If He Wanted To Strike Venezuela and Capture Maduro
The strikes against Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro might be popular or defensible. They were not legal.
Photos: What Is the National Guard Doing in D.C.?
Uniformed and armed men and women can be seen all over the city wielding leaf blowers, hoses, and brooms as they do municipal chores.
The DOJ Thinks Cocaine Couriers Are Not Worth Prosecuting. Trump Thinks They Deserve To Die.
Even as the president blows up drug boats, the government routinely declines to pursue charges against smugglers nabbed by the Coast Guard.
A Socialist Swearing In
Plus: the limits of Zohran Mamdani's ability to ruin New York, Trump's National Guard withdrawal, and a deadly New Year's blaze in Switzerland
3 Areas Where the Courts Pushed Back Against Trump's Attempts To Avoid Judicial Review in 2025
The president asserted broad powers to deport people, impose tariffs, and deploy the National Guard based on his own unilateral determinations.
How Politicians and Cops Tried To Dodge Responsibility in 2025
Presidents, legislators, and police officers were desperate to blame anyone but themselves.
Thoughts on the Supreme Court Ruling Against Trump in the Illinois National Guard Case
The decision is a preliminary "shadow docket" ruling. But it strongly suggests the majority believes Trump's use of the Guard is illegal.
Refusing To Let Trump Deploy the National Guard in Chicago, SCOTUS Adds a New Wrinkle To the Debate
The justices suggested the president is misinterpreting "the regular forces," a key phrase in the statute on which he is relying.
Trump's Designation of Fentanyl As a 'Weapon of Mass Destruction' Is a Drug-Fueled Delusion
The executive order does not accomplish much in practical terms, but it jibes with the president's conflation of drug trafficking with violent aggression.
Hegseth Won't Let Us See a Video That Might Undermine Support for Trump's Bloodthirsty Anti-Drug Strategy
The defense secretary claims the video, which shows a second strike that killed two floundering survivors, would compromise "sources and methods."
If the Syrian War Is Over, Why Are Americans Still Getting Killed in Syria?
The weekend’s ISIS attack came as the Trump administration is trying to expand the U.S. presence in Syria.
Congress Gives the Military $8 Billion More Than It Asked for
The version of the NDAA passed by the House is larger than the administration’s budget request.
Trump's Word Games Can't Conceal the Murderous Reality of His Anti-Drug Strategy
Calling suspected cocaine smugglers "combatants" does not justify summarily executing them.
Trump Is Still Claiming He Saves '25,000 American Lives' When He Blows Up a Suspected Drug Boat
So far, by the president's reckoning, he has prevented 650,000 U.S. drug deaths—eight times the number recorded last year.
Hegseth Mulls Releasing a Video That Illustrates the Brutality of Trump's Murderous Anti-Drug Strategy
The footage shows what happened to the survivors of the September 2 attack that inaugurated the president's deadly campaign against suspected drug boats.
Boat Strike Inquiry
Plus: Hep B vaccines, national parks nonsense, Trump involvement in Netflix deal, and more...
The 'Threat' That Supposedly Justified Killing 2 Boat Attack Survivors Was Entirely Speculative
The commander who ordered a second missile strike worried that the helpless men he killed might be able to salvage cocaine from the smoldering wreck.
