Today’s Headlines and Commentary

Benjamin Pollard
Thursday, June 9, 2022, 5:29 PM

Lawfare’s daily roundup of national security news and opinion.

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The House passed a bill prohibiting the sale of large-capacity magazines and banning the sale of semi-automatic weapons to people under 21, writes the New York Times. The vote, which split along party lines, came two weeks after the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in which a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers.

The Finnnish government said it intends to implement legislation to permit the construction of barriers on its border with Russia, reports Reuters. The move comes as Finland strengthens its security measures in response to concerns that Russia may send migrants to its eastern frontier to increase pressure on the country, amid its pending application to NATO . The legislation would permit the government to build fences and roads to support border patrolling.

Water is now flowing in a previously defunct canal from southern Ukraine to the Crimean peninsula, according to the New York Times. The canal is reportedly central to the Kremlin’s vision of building a “land bridge” that connectsRussia to the peninsula. The waterway was blocked by Ukrainian forces after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 to restrict the use of vital freshwater in the arid region.

Iran announced it is removing 27 of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s surveillance cameras at domestic nuclear sites, writes the Wall Street Journal. The UN atomic energy agency’s director called the move a “fatal blow” to the 2015 nuclear accord and urged the government to reinstall the cameras in three to four weeks. The decision comes as talks to resuscitate the 2015 deal have stalled between Tehran and the Biden administration.

Brazilian authorities are searching for a missing British journalist and Indigenous official in the Amazon rainforest, reports the Associated Press. They were reportedly last seen Sunday after having been threatened by a group of armed men on Saturday. Authorities have a suspect in custody who was arrested for allegedly carrying a firearm without a permit, but they do not currently have concrete evidence connecting the man to the disappearances.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Jen Patja Howell shared an episode of The Lawfare Podcast in which Jack Goldsmith sat down with Mitt Regan to discuss the effectiveness of targeted strikes outside of active theaters of combat against al-Qaeda and affiliates and their impact on civilians.

Renee Adler and Haley Ryan discussed China’s growing influence over mineral resources in Latin America in light of the Summit of Americas.

Stewart Baker shared an episode of the Cyberlaw Podcast that featured conversations with Dave Aitel, Jane Bambauer, and Mark MacCarthy about weaknesses in Chinese national security, Cyber Command operations in support of Ukraine, the politics of national privacy legislation, and more.

Katherine Pompilio posted the Supreme Court decision in Egbert v. Boule.

Jane Bambauer argued that Europe’s new Digital Markets Act may unintentionally hurt privacy and competition due to its lack of coherence with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Howell also shared an episode of Rational Security in which Alan Rozenshtein, Quinta Jurecic, and Scott R. Andersonwere joined by Molly Reynolds to discuss Russia’s attempt to hold eastern Ukraine, the upcoming House select committee on the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol public hearing, and the prosecutions of those allegedly involved in the Jan. 6 attack.

Email the Roundup Team noteworthy law and security-related articles to include, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for additional commentary on these issues. Sign up to receive Lawfare in your inbox. Check out relevant job openings on our Job Board.


Benjamin Pollard is a student at Brown University studying history and political science. He is a former intern at Lawfare.

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