Topics
Armed Conflict
-
Rational Security: The “Altered State” Edition
Scott Anderson, Benjamin Wittes, and Eric Ciaramella talked through the week’s big national security news stories. -
Evaluating Congressional Sentiment Toward the Iran Strike
Media commentary suggested that President Trump’s June airstrikes overrode broad congressional opposition. The truth is more nuanced. -
Lawfare Daily: Reparations for Russia's Aggression Against Ukraine with Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi and Patrick Pearsall
Discussing Ukraine's reparations strategy.
Congress
-
Evaluating Congressional Sentiment Toward the Iran Strike
Media commentary suggested that President Trump’s June airstrikes overrode broad congressional opposition. The truth is more nuanced. -
Rational Security: The “Game Changers” Edition
Scott Anderson, Molly Reynolds, and Alan Rozenshtein talked through the week’s big national security news. -
Lessons From 1955: A Framework for Navigating Technological Change
A 1955 congressional report on automation offers a blueprint for AI governance: Focus on economic growth, human development, and adaptation.
Courts & Litigation
-
Lawfare Live: Trials of the Trump Administration, July 18
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation targeting actions from President Trump. -
U.S. Court of Appeals Allows Withdrawal from 9/11 Pleas
The decision overturns two lower courts’ opinions ruling that the Defense Secretary could not lawfully back out of plea agreements that had previously been approved. -
Lawfare Daily: David Noll on Civil Contempt Against a Defiant Executive
How can courts enforce their rulings?
Criminal Justice & Rule of Law
-
The Situation: No, Don’t Release The Epstein Files
I have a better idea. -
Crossing the Rubicon: U.S. Government Cash for Human Rights Violations
With a payment to El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, President Trump appears to have hired a foreign government to arbitrarily detain hundreds of men. -
The Situation: Real Housewives of the Justice Department
A new reality show playing out before eyes.
Cybersecurity & Tech
-
Partners or Provocateurs? Private-Sector Involvement in Offensive Cyber Operations
A structured framework to evaluate the risks and benefits of authorizing private companies to “hack back.” -
The Cybersecurity Patchwork Quilt Remains Incomplete
Trump’s first executive order on cybersecurity embraced more Biden initiatives than it overturned, but still misses the mark—accountability. -
Scaling Laws: Cass Madison and Zach Boyd: State Level AI Regulation
What does state-level AI regulation look like today?
Democracy & Elections
-
Retconning ‘Russiagate’
The CIA director encourages the rewriting of history. -
Badges of Honor?
A review of Jessica Pishko, “The Highest Law in the Land: How the Unchecked Power of Sheriffs Threatens Democracy” (Dutton, 2024) and Emily M. Farris and Mirya R. Holman, “The Power of the Badge: Sherif... -
ChinaTalk: Kamil on Coups and Power
Executive Branch
-
The Situation: No, Don’t Release The Epstein Files
I have a better idea. -
Rational Security: The “Altered State” Edition
Scott Anderson, Benjamin Wittes, and Eric Ciaramella talked through the week’s big national security news stories. -
Lawfare Live: Trials of the Trump Administration, July 18
Join the Lawfare team at 4 pm ET for a discussion of the litigation targeting actions from President Trump.
Foreign Relations & International Law
-
Rational Security: The “Altered State” Edition
Scott Anderson, Benjamin Wittes, and Eric Ciaramella talked through the week’s big national security news stories. -
ChinaTalk: Xi Zhongxun: The Party’s Interests Come First
-
Lawfare Daily: Reparations for Russia's Aggression Against Ukraine with Markiyan Kliuchkovskyi and Patrick Pearsall
Discussing Ukraine's reparations strategy.
Intelligence
-
The Situation: The Investigation Is the Point
On the ghost criminal probe of two intelligence leaders -
Lawfare Daily: Michael Feinberg on Leaving the FBI
Who is accountable for this? -
The Situation: On The Resignation of Michael Feinberg
Who is accountable for this?
States & Localities
-
Scaling Laws: Cass Madison and Zach Boyd: State Level AI Regulation
What does state-level AI regulation look like today? -
The War on Nonprofits
Persecuting NGOs in the name of national security often serves as a pretense for government efforts to quiet dissent and consolidate power. -
Understanding Conflict Through Satellite Imagery
Satellite imagery is vital to better understanding the reasons for conflict and identifying the best policy options.
Surveillance & Privacy
-
ChinaTalk: Kamil on Coups and Power
-
Coming Soon? U.S. Cyber Command in Domestic Networks
There are few remaining obstacles to the U.S. military using offensive cyber operations at home against the president’s domestic “enemies.” -
Cybersecurity Risk From Kaspersky to TikTok
A new Justice Dept. rule limiting foreign access to U.S. data is the latest effort to address globalized data and technology supply chains.
Terrorism & Extremism
-
The Awkward History of Russia’s Recent Recognition of the Taliban
A little over three decades after the Soviet Union and the mujahideen fought a long and brutal war, Russia officially recognized the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan. -
A Better Way to Talk About Risk
Defense planners are prepared to accept risk to deter China, but what does that mean for counterterrorism? -
Lawfare Daily: Prosecuting the Sahel's War Influencers with Lindsay Freeman
Why are so-called war influencers posting "conflict content" online?