The Restraining Order Against Federalizing the California National Guard Highlights Trump's Lawlessness
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer concluded that the president failed to comply with the statute he cited—and violated the 10th Amendment too.
Military
Israel Attacks Iran—and Burns Down the Off-Ramp With America
The Trump administration, which was ready to negotiate on Sunday, is now gambling on an all-out war.
Are We Going to War With Iran or Not?
Americans shouldn’t have to read the tea leaves to know about life-and-death decisions made by their government.
Trump's L.A. National Guard Deployment Stands on Shaky Legal Ground
Plus: When Stalin Meets Star Wars.
Why Donald Trump and Josh Hawley Are Wrong To Call for Jailing People Who Burn the American Flag
The Supreme Court ruled decades ago that burning the flag is protected by the First Amendment, no matter how offensive that act may be.
Gavin Newsom Defends Federalism Against Trump's Unilateral National Guard Deployment
In a federal lawsuit, California's governor argues that the president's assertion of control over "the State's militia" is illegal and unconstitutional.
The Tom Cotton Do-Over
Trump and the right are living out their fantasies of rewriting the awful summer of 2020.
Trump Deploys Marines to L.A.
Plus: RFK Jr. tackles vaccine advisory board, menswear influencer might be deportable, and more...
ICE, the LA Protests, and Trump's Domestic Use of the Military
Trump's domestic use of the military to counter anti-deportation protests in LA is so far very limited. But that could change. A big part of the root of the problem is the lawless behavior of federal immigation-enforcement agencies.
The Latest Escalation Between Russia and Ukraine Isn't Changing the Course of the War
Neither Russia nor Ukraine has a clear path to victory. The Ukrainian drone attack last week and the Russian air raids on Friday don't change that.
Buyer's Remorse
Plus: Harvey Milk was kind of libertarian, deporting Zohran, public schools shy away from transparency, and more...
Growing Ranks of Military Homeschoolers Get Defense Department Support
Military families have long chosen homeschooling at twice the rate of the general population.
Ukraine's Drones Just Took Down a Chunk of Russia's Bomber Fleet. What Does That Mean for America?
When anyone can have an air force, superpowers aren't as powerful as they used to be.
The Pentagon Is Getting $150 Billion From the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Giving the Defense Department even more taxpayer money is a recipe for waste, not security.
In Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, Tom Cruise Does What the U.S. Government Can't
To protect America, maybe what we really need to fund is more Tom Cruise.
When the U.S. Military Gave People Radiation Poisoning
"We did a lot of field studies and got nothing to show for it," said one U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory researcher.
Trump's New Budget Is Another Blueprint for Big Spending
We don't need more of the same. We need evidence of a serious turnaround.
Trump Wants To Increase Military Spending by $113 Billion
The president wants to develop the F-47 fighter jet 60 years before the F-35 is scheduled to retire.
U.S. Navy Accidentally Throws $64 Million Jet Overboard Off the Coast of Yemen
Washington is dumping valuable resources—literally—into a Middle Eastern war of choice.
How Far Will the Trump Administration Go Against Mexican Drug Cartels?
Using the military to wage the drug war in Mexico raises practical and constitutional issues.
Who Is the 'Top Missile Guy' the U.S. Killed in Yemen?
For an administration that likes to show off successful assassinations, the Trump team has been surprisingly tight-lipped about the Houthi commanders they targeted.
To Remain Canadian, Our Northern Neighbors Should Become a Little More American
Canada long relied on the U.S. for protection. Now it needs to rediscover self-reliance.
Pete Hegseth's Carelessness and Dishonesty Mirror Hillary Clinton's
The defense secretary, who shared information about imminent U.S. air strikes in a manifestly insecure group chat, thought Clinton should be prosecuted for her careless handling of sensitive information.
It's Not Journalists' Job To Protect Government Secrets
With the controversy over the leaked White House group chat, mainstream media have been treating secrecy as a virtue and disclosure as a vice. That’s a dangerous game.
Allies Cancel Orders of F-35s, the Fighter Jets That Will Cost $2 Trillion
The U.S., in turn, should cancel the F-35 program altogether.
Trump Attacked Biden's 'Crazy' Yemen War. Now He's Reopening It.
The U.S. is back to bombing the Houthi movement.
Has Trump Cut a Deal To Get U.S. Troops Out of Syria?
Syrian Kurdish rebels and the new Syrian government have agreed to reunite peacefully. The U.S. military may have helped broker the agreement.
If You Want To Cut Government Spending, You Can't Ignore the Pentagon
Since Congress began requiring annual audits in 2018, the Department of Defense has never passed.
Trump Pauses Military Aid to Ukraine
Plus: Tariffs go into effect, inside the fact-checker industrial complex, and more...
Meaningful Pentagon Cuts Will Require Rethinking What 'Defense' Means
If Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is serious about reducing military spending, he will need to embrace a narrower understanding of national security.
The Best of Reason: The Pentagon Keeps Losing Equipment and Buying Stuff It Doesn't Need
How the U.S. military busts its budget on wasteful, careless, and unnecessary "self-licking ice cream cones."
Neocons Wage a Rearguard Action Against Trump's Middle East Peace Drive
Trump wants to negotiate instead of bombing Iran. Jilted war hawks are blaming his advisers.
Trump's Orders Feature Nonexistent Emergencies, Illegal Power Grabs, and Blatant Inconsistencies
But at least he restored respect for a tariff-loving predecessor by renaming a mountain.
Can the Private Sector Really Replace All Government Functions?
I can't stand big government, but I think we need something. Michael Malice says I'm wrong.
Hegseth on Defense
Plus: Who's on deck for the next round of confirmation hearings, Trump wants to create a second IRS, Cuba is no longer doing terrorism, and more...
Hegseth Faces the Senate
Plus: L.A.'s price gouging crackdown, more Rachel Maddow in your life, and more...
The Pentagon Keeps Losing Equipment and Buying Stuff It Doesn't Need
How the U.S. military busts its budget on wasteful, careless, and unnecessary 'self-licking ice cream cones.'
We Could Use a Man Like Grover Cleveland Again
The last president to serve two non-consecutive terms stood against imperialism. Donald Trump could learn from his example.
America's Arctic Troops in Greenland Go To Diversity Training
The U.S. already has a base in one of the territories Trump covets. Here’s how the Americans stationed there are told to deal with the people who are actually from there.
Was the Las Vegas Bombing a Case of the Afghan War Coming Home?
Matthew Livelsberger’s alleged manifesto highlights an infamous U.S. drug raid.
No, an Iranian 'Mothership' Isn't Attacking New Jersey With UFOs
The wave of drone sightings is sparking sci-fi speculation mixed with war fever.
Review: A True Crime Podcast About a Massacre in Iraq
Season three of the In the Dark podcast divulges new details about U.S. Marines' killings of 24 Iraqis in 2005.
Trump Targets Birthright Citizenship and Calls for Military Role in Deportations
Both plans are an affront to America’s image as a nation of immigrants.
Mass Deportations
Plus: New York's transit authority needs cash, baristas don't understand economics, and more...
Pentagon Fails 7th Audit in a Row but Hopes To Pass by 2028
Congress required all federal agencies to submit annual financial reports in 1990. The Pentagon finally got around to complying in 2018, and it still hasn't passed an audit.
The Math Does Not Favor Avoiding Senate Scrutiny of Trump's Bizarre Cabinet Picks
Several Republican senators have said they are not inclined to abdicate their "advice and consent" role in presidential appointments.
