Today's Headlines and Commentary

Prosecutors for the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York subpoenaed documents and records from President Donald Trump’s inauguration committee, including information on its funding, benefits given to attendees and the involvement of foreign donors, ABC News reports.

Russian lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin received $500,000 in round-number payments around the time he attended the 2016 Trump Tower meeting in which a Russian lawyer with links to the Kremlin offered “dirt” on Hillary Clinton to senior Trump campaign officials, according to Buzzfeed News.

The Pentagon’s inspector general issued a new report saying that the Islamic State will leverage the U.S. withdrawal from Syria as a victory, noting that the terrorist group could regain territory absent sustained counterterrorism operations, CNN details.

The U.S. special representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, will travel to Pyongyang on Wednesday to advance denuclearization talks in anticipation of a second summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, the Washington Post reports.

Following allegations of high noncombatant death tolls in Iraq and Syria, the Pentagon has initiated a major investigation of its civilian-casualty policy, including a study commissioned by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, according to the Post.

American weaponry sold to the Saudi coalition fighting in Yemen has been transferred to fighters linked to al-Qaeda, Salafi militias and Iranian proxies in Yemen, in violation of the terms of U.S.-Saudi arms deals, CNN reports.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Sasha Romanosky proposed a scoring system for government decision-making during Vulnerability Equities Processes.

Nathan Swire continued his monthly Water Wars series, summarizing recent maritime developments in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mikhaila Fogel shared an episode of the Lawfare Podcast Shorts featuring Chuck Rosenberg’s reading of his Lawfare post on the FBI tactics used in the arrest of Roger Stone.