Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 9h

"United States will participate with four F-35s jets in the dual-capable aircraft role for the first time, with that role previously performed by the F-15E Strike Eagle.”

NATO to kick off annual nuclear deterrence exercise with more aircraft

This year's edition of Steadfast Noon, which comes at a time of heightened nuclear tension, will involve 71 aircraft from 14 countries.

www.defensenews.com

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Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 9h

The whole thread’s a great education about how China is using permission structures the US pioneered.

Abe Newman @abenewman.bsky.social · 16h

4/China has learned from US playbook. It doesn’t just limit bilateral dependence but network dependence. any firm using Chinese machines (which is almost all) have to get licenses. It is a Chinese version of US foreign direct product rule in semiconductors.
www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

The Weaponized World Economy

When Washington announced a “framework deal” with China in June, it marked a silent shifting of gears in the global political economy. This was not the beginning of U.S. President Donald Trump’s imagi...

www.foreignaffairs.com

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Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 10h

My guess is the Qatari’s threatened to close al Udeid since we didn’t protect them from the Israeli strike, and this is a placatory move. We already train the Singapore Air Force at Mountain Home.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15h

Hegseth: "I'm also proud that today we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emeri air force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho."

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Greg Jaffe @gregjaffe.bsky.social · 11h

"The public has a right to know how the government and the military are operating."

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 15h

Hegseth: "I'm also proud that today we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emeri air force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho."

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Abe Newman @abenewman.bsky.social · 16h

4/China has learned from US playbook. It doesn’t just limit bilateral dependence but network dependence. any firm using Chinese machines (which is almost all) have to get licenses. It is a Chinese version of US foreign direct product rule in semiconductors.
www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

The Weaponized World Economy

When Washington announced a “framework deal” with China in June, it marked a silent shifting of gears in the global political economy. This was not the beginning of U.S. President Donald Trump’s imagi...

www.foreignaffairs.com

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Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 1d

The precursor to the Insurrection Act, which President Washington invoked to call up militia during the Whiskey Rebellion in 1794, required concurrence of a Supreme Court Justice that an insurrection was occurring.

Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 1d

DOJ is basically arguing in Court that if the President "determines" that literal martians have landed from Mars and are attacking the United States, Trump can invoke any emergency power he wants and the judiciary can't question it.

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Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 1d

DOJ is basically arguing in Court that if the President "determines" that literal martians have landed from Mars and are attacking the United States, Trump can invoke any emergency power he wants and the judiciary can't question it.

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Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 1d

Disconcerting, but article suggests they will not enter Gaza, and the US already has troops in Israel on various missions (THAAD batteries, construction engineers, a JSOC advisory cell, the 3-star security coordinator and his staff in Jerusalem) so this would not be some crossing of a Rubicon

US sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor ceasefire deal in Gaza

The United States is sending about 200 troops to Israel to help support and monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza as part of a team that includes partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and privat...

apnews.com

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🎃 Trick or Pete 🎃 Lucier @peterlucier.bsky.social · 1d

NG lit updates:

9th Cir - arguments on appeal of TRO blocking federalization of OR NG; no decision yet, 2nd TRO blocking NG deployment in OR remains

Chicago - Judge partially grants TRO, blocks deployment of NG to in Illinois. found no credible evidence of facts to support 12406 federalization

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Martijn Rasser @martijnrasser.bsky.social · 1d

Diversifying rare earth mining is a short-term fix. The real play is making them obsolete. Fund innovations in advanced materials now to secure our tech future. 🛠️ #RareEarths #Tech #Innovation

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Securitas @securitas.bsky.social · 1d

For all the legitimate worry about the abuse of the US National Guard, we should acknowledge that leaders and soldiers have behaved incredibly professionally. Stephen Miller's hopes for escalation will not be fulfilled by them.

It's ICE we all need to worry about.

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David Ucko @ucko.bsky.social · 1d

Insightful analysis of Russia’s breaking point by Ben Connable. Despite a record of sacrifice and fatalism, history suggests key vulnerabilities that are also in play for Russia today. As Ben also notes, much will also depends on our own resolve. warontherocks.com/2024/09/russ...

Russians Do Break: Historical and Cultural Context for a Prospective Ukrainian Victory

For major wars like the one being fought between Russia and Ukraine, the military, the people, and the state interact with one another to constitute a

warontherocks.com

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Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 1d

Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, a Republican and the chairman of the National Governors Association, on Thursday criticized the deployment of Texas National Guard troops to Illinois as a violation of his beliefs in federalism and “states’ rights.”

Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Criticizes National Guard Deployment in Chicago

www.nytimes.com

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The Economist @economist.com · 1d

Without immigrants America’s medal haul would be much smaller

Which countries breed Nobel laureates, and which import them?

Without immigrants America’s medal haul would be much smaller

econ.st

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Lauren Prather @laurenrprather.bsky.social · 1d

Excited to share the launch of my new center at UCSD focused on trust and transparency in U.S. elections. We will be supporting research on election administration and voter confidence through research-practice partnerships. More to come! today.ucsd.edu/story/uc-san...

UC San Diego Launches Nonpartisan Center to Build Trust in US Elections

The Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections, with the support of a $2.5 million grant from the Election Trust Initiative, will test new ways to strengthen public confidence in U.S. elections acro...

today.ucsd.edu

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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.bsky.social · 1d

And more drones, this time over Geilenkirchen, the NATO base where the Awacs surveillance aircraft are stationed.
Detected by a detection system (good), no countermeasures employed (less good). As it is often the case, unclear whether there really was a drone, and which kind.

www.spiegel.de

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Deborah Pearlstein @debpearlstein.bsky.social · 1d

Remarkable stmt from Chicago’s chief federal trial court judge (a GWBush appointee) making clear troops aren’t needed to secure the city’s US courthouse. This, in response to DHS's request for nat'l guard troops to help protect the courthouse during cases involving ICE "activities and personnel.” /1

Bloomberg Law

news.bloomberglaw.com

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Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 1d

Butler claimed that, but could provide no evidence. He was spooling up a Senate run, so unfortunately not a great example for a non-partisan military, my friend.

Cliff W. Gilmore @cliffwgilmore.bsky.social · 1d

Marine Major General Smedley D. Butler was awarded two Medals of Honor, published a book titled “War is a Racket,” & was anti-fascist. As in, when a group of wealthy pro-Hitler industrialists approached him pre WWII to help overthrow the US government, he told them he’d fight them if they tried.

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Christopher Miller @christopherjm.ft.com · 1d

A series of massive Russian air strikes in the past week have disabled nearly 60 per cent of Ukraine’s gas production, raising fears of winter shortages.

"We need billions of cubic meters of gas more during the heating season."

Our interviews with CEOs of Naftogaz and DTEK:
on.ft.com/439o4qs

Russia destroys 60% of Ukraine’s gas production ahead of winter

[FREE TO READ] Moscow’s intensified bombing campaign seeks to ‘break our spirit’, says head of state energy group

on.ft.com

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Scott Lincicome @scottlincicome.bsky.social · 1d

Next week the US will impose 25% tariffs on cabinets & sofas - for "national security." It's insane (& costly & ineffective), but, sadly, par for the course.

My latest:

"Trump’s New Furniture Tariffs Are (Almost) Everything Wrong with U.S. Trade Policy Today" thedispatch.com/newsletter/c...

Trump’s New Furniture Tariffs Are (Almost) Everything Wrong with U.S. Trade Policy Today

There is no ‘national security’ basis for them, and they won’t accomplish the administration’s stated goals.

thedispatch.com

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Cliff W. Gilmore @cliffwgilmore.bsky.social · 1d

Marine Major General Smedley D. Butler was awarded two Medals of Honor, published a book titled “War is a Racket,” & was anti-fascist. As in, when a group of wealthy pro-Hitler industrialists approached him pre WWII to help overthrow the US government, he told them he’d fight them if they tried.

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Greg Jaffe @gregjaffe.bsky.social · 1d

The Army’s Race to Catch Up in a World of Deadly Drones.
The U.S. military had believed that drones would keep troops out of harm's way. Instead they are making war deadlier for everyone.
My story on how the Army is reckoning with this new kind of war.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/u...

The Army’s Race to Catch Up in a World of Deadly Drones

www.nytimes.com

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Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 1d

On this, from a recent IISS analysis:

"Russia’s summer offensive has failed at enormous cost in troops. Its diplomatic strategy for America has fallen short. It faces a slow tsunami of European defence spending (...)
In short, time may no longer be on Russia’s side."

The Russia–Ukraine war has entered a new phase

Recent policy choices by America, Europe and China, and domestic economic strains, are reshaping Russia’s calculus. Since time may no longer be on its side, it is challenging Western resolve in more risky and aggressive ways. This is certain to escalate unless Europe responds.

www.iiss.org

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ex-Lethality Jane @lethalityjane.bsky.social · 2d

The Army Emergency Relief web page is crashing right now as the entire military grapples with the reality that they're probably not getting paid next week.

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Alex Koppelman @alexkoppelman.bsky.social · 2d

Exclusive from @nbcnews.com: Trump administration officials seriously discussing invoking Insurrection Act, sources say www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...

Trump administration officials seriously discussing invoking Insurrection Act, sources say

A decision is not expected to be imminent, one source said, but debate within the administration has shifted recently to more deeply exploring how and when the act might be invoked.

www.nbcnews.com

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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 4d

Breaking:

The state of Illinois has filed a lawsuit to block the Trump admin from deploying federalized National Guard troops on the streets of Chicago.

"The Trump administration's illegal actions already have subjected and are subjecting Illinois to serious and irreparable harm."

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Orlando J. Pérez @perez1oj.bsky.social · 4d

I wrote in The Dallas Morning News: “Turning the armed forces toward specific domestic political targets breaches a core norm: an apolitical military. Latin American history is clear. Internal security missions make generals central actors in domestic governance.”
www.dallasnews.com/opinion/comm...

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Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · 4d

Important thread on precedents on National Guard use over state objections, from @lindsaypcohn.bsky.social, and nobody knows it better.

Lindsay P Cohn @lindsaypcohn.bsky.social · 4d

Gov will definitely appeal and will prbly rely on the 1827 SCOTUS ruling in Martin v Mott, that discretion to determine whether an insurrection or failure to enforce federal law is happening rests w the prez alone and is not reviewable.

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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 4d

A federal judge in Oregon has blocked the Trump administration from sending members of California's — or any other state's — federalized National Guard to the streets of Portland, Oregon.

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