John Ismay
@johnismay.bsky.social
Reporter, The New York Times. Former U.S. Navy EOD & Iraq vet. Reach me securely via Signal at: johnismay.01 or by email at: [email protected]
Reposted by John Ismay
US military averaged just under one air strike per day in Somalia in the first month of 2026. The highest or second-highest monthly Somalia strike numbers ever, rivaled only by Dec 2025.
2025, the highest year for Somalia strikes yet, had 140+ strikes (10-15 most months).
2025, the highest year for Somalia strikes yet, had 140+ strikes (10-15 most months).
Major Somalia strikes update.
Our data now has a fully accounted for and confirmed strike count for Jan 2026 and to date. 26 strikes in Jan and 28 to date.
This includes two strikes w/o press release (1/20 and 1/26) and clarification of all multiple strikes.
www.newamerica.org/future-secur...
Our data now has a fully accounted for and confirmed strike count for Jan 2026 and to date. 26 strikes in Jan and 28 to date.
This includes two strikes w/o press release (1/20 and 1/26) and clarification of all multiple strikes.
www.newamerica.org/future-secur...
February 9, 2026 at 9:07 PM
US military averaged just under one air strike per day in Somalia in the first month of 2026. The highest or second-highest monthly Somalia strike numbers ever, rivaled only by Dec 2025.
2025, the highest year for Somalia strikes yet, had 140+ strikes (10-15 most months).
2025, the highest year for Somalia strikes yet, had 140+ strikes (10-15 most months).
Reposted by John Ismay
“Authorities traced one of the .50-caliber guns used in the assault to a store in Texas. The owner, investigators found, had sold nearly 500 guns that ended up in the hands of the C.D.N., including a .50-caliber machine gun and at least six .50-caliber rifles.”
Mexican Cartels Overwhelm Police With Ammunition Made for the U.S. Military
www.nytimes.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:37 AM
“Authorities traced one of the .50-caliber guns used in the assault to a store in Texas. The owner, investigators found, had sold nearly 500 guns that ended up in the hands of the C.D.N., including a .50-caliber machine gun and at least six .50-caliber rifles.”
Reposted by John Ismay
So uh Ring just up and said they've got a huge centralized private surveillance network they can leverage all at once huh
February 9, 2026 at 2:10 AM
So uh Ring just up and said they've got a huge centralized private surveillance network they can leverage all at once huh
Reposted by John Ismay
In praise of librarians
February 7, 2026 at 9:00 PM
In praise of librarians
Reposted by John Ismay
MK-84 2,000-pound bomb with a JDAM kit hitting a building in Gaza after an IDF notice.
Bellingcat recently asked the IDF about the lack of evacuation distances in public evacuation notices in Gaza, which are included in notices in Lebanon, so interesting to see a 100m distance in the notice here.
Bellingcat recently asked the IDF about the lack of evacuation distances in public evacuation notices in Gaza, which are included in notices in Lebanon, so interesting to see a 100m distance in the notice here.
February 6, 2026 at 6:05 PM
MK-84 2,000-pound bomb with a JDAM kit hitting a building in Gaza after an IDF notice.
Bellingcat recently asked the IDF about the lack of evacuation distances in public evacuation notices in Gaza, which are included in notices in Lebanon, so interesting to see a 100m distance in the notice here.
Bellingcat recently asked the IDF about the lack of evacuation distances in public evacuation notices in Gaza, which are included in notices in Lebanon, so interesting to see a 100m distance in the notice here.
Reposted by John Ismay
Our updated tracker of the Trump administration boat strikes is here. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Tracking U.S. Military Killings in Boat Attacks
In four months, the Trump administration has killed scores of people it accused of smuggling drugs aboard boats. Here are the acknowledged strikes so far.
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 7:18 PM
Our updated tracker of the Trump administration boat strikes is here. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by John Ismay
The latest U.S. strike on a suspected drug smuggling boat has killed two people in the Pacific, this one authorized by the Marine general who took command of military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean earlier in the day.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/u...
Latest U.S. Boat Strike Kills 2 in Pacific
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:38 PM
The latest U.S. strike on a suspected drug smuggling boat has killed two people in the Pacific, this one authorized by the Marine general who took command of military operations in Latin America and the Caribbean earlier in the day.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/06/u...
Reposted by John Ismay
REPORT: National Guard members deployed to Washington, D.C., have broken up fights, administered opioid overdose medication and helped deliver a baby, but they have not had a measurable impact on crime reduction.
Read more:
www.stripes.com/theaters/us/... #Flashes
Read more:
www.stripes.com/theaters/us/... #Flashes
February 5, 2026 at 10:31 PM
REPORT: National Guard members deployed to Washington, D.C., have broken up fights, administered opioid overdose medication and helped deliver a baby, but they have not had a measurable impact on crime reduction.
Read more:
www.stripes.com/theaters/us/... #Flashes
Read more:
www.stripes.com/theaters/us/... #Flashes
Reposted by John Ismay
“So to say there are terrorists — when they actually worked alongside our military and intelligence community to kill terrorists — doesn’t make any sense,” Mr. McCaul said.
via www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
via www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
Congress Nixes Visas for Afghan Partners, Closing Off a Key Path
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 7:45 PM
“So to say there are terrorists — when they actually worked alongside our military and intelligence community to kill terrorists — doesn’t make any sense,” Mr. McCaul said.
via www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
via www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
Reposted by John Ismay
Add the CIA World Factbook to the long and growing list of disappearing government datasets: www.cia.gov/stories/stor...
February 5, 2026 at 2:18 PM
Add the CIA World Factbook to the long and growing list of disappearing government datasets: www.cia.gov/stories/stor...
Reposted by John Ismay
Kenyan forces, in partnership with the United States, broke ground this week on a $71 million upgrade project at a strategic airfield that plays a key role in U.S. Africa Command's Somalia operations.
$71 million upgrade starts at Kenyan airfield that plays key role in AFRICOM’s Somalia operations
The Kenya Defense Forces, in partnership with the United States, broke ground on the runway expansion at the Manda Bay airfield.
www.stripes.com
January 31, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Kenyan forces, in partnership with the United States, broke ground this week on a $71 million upgrade project at a strategic airfield that plays a key role in U.S. Africa Command's Somalia operations.
Reposted by John Ismay
For the 40th anniversary, I interviewed six Black journalists who covered it in some capacity. BTW, the PPD dropped the bømb from a PA state helicopter.
www.phillytrib.com/news/local_n...
www.phillytrib.com/news/local_n...
January 30, 2026 at 1:53 AM
For the 40th anniversary, I interviewed six Black journalists who covered it in some capacity. BTW, the PPD dropped the bømb from a PA state helicopter.
www.phillytrib.com/news/local_n...
www.phillytrib.com/news/local_n...
Reposted by John Ismay
Had no idea how *small* the RQ-170 (stealthy batwing drone used over places like Iran and North Korea, and during JSOC’s Abbottabad and Caracas raids) is. Crazy to see it with a Reaper and pickup trucks in the background for size comparison.
January 29, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Had no idea how *small* the RQ-170 (stealthy batwing drone used over places like Iran and North Korea, and during JSOC’s Abbottabad and Caracas raids) is. Crazy to see it with a Reaper and pickup trucks in the background for size comparison.
Reposted by John Ismay
Images of the immigration crackdowns in Minneapolis and across the U.S. have been compared to those from the country’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The helmets, camouflage and tactical gear all look straight from the battlefield. nyti.ms/4a9SH22
January 28, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Images of the immigration crackdowns in Minneapolis and across the U.S. have been compared to those from the country’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The helmets, camouflage and tactical gear all look straight from the battlefield. nyti.ms/4a9SH22
Reposted by John Ismay
Former Marine infantry NCO T.M. Gibbons Neff breaks down the remarkable amount of expensive stuff DHS agents in Minneapolis have on their rifles and what it is supposed to be for
The Height of Close-Combat Weaponry Is on This Woman’s Doorstep
www.nytimes.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Former Marine infantry NCO T.M. Gibbons Neff breaks down the remarkable amount of expensive stuff DHS agents in Minneapolis have on their rifles and what it is supposed to be for
Reposted by John Ismay
Breaking News: The number of Russian and Ukrainian troops killed, wounded or missing during nearly four years of war has reached nearly two million, a study says.
Troop Casualties in Ukraine War Near 2 Million, Study Finds
The number of deaths, injuries and missing is approaching a grim milestone after nearly four years of fighting.
nyti.ms
January 27, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Breaking News: The number of Russian and Ukrainian troops killed, wounded or missing during nearly four years of war has reached nearly two million, a study says.
Reposted by John Ismay
“There are two types of people to whom these messages will quickly look familiar,” Oren Segal, a vice president for counterextremism at the Anti-Defamation League, said of the panoply of postings, “white supremacists, and those who study white supremacists.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/u...
Administration Social Media Posts Echo White Supremacist Messaging
www.nytimes.com
January 27, 2026 at 4:58 PM
“There are two types of people to whom these messages will quickly look familiar,” Oren Segal, a vice president for counterextremism at the Anti-Defamation League, said of the panoply of postings, “white supremacists, and those who study white supremacists.” www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/u...
Reposted by John Ismay
Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved the deportation of five student activists last year after receiving memos describing their participation in pro-Palestinian protests and their writings about the war in Gaza, according to government documents unsealed by a federal judge on Thursday.
D.H.S. Cited Foreign Students’ Writings and Protests Before Their Arrests
Documents unsealed by a federal judge on Thursday include dossiers that investigators prepared on pro-Palestinian student activists before they were targeted for deportation.
nyti.ms
January 23, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved the deportation of five student activists last year after receiving memos describing their participation in pro-Palestinian protests and their writings about the war in Gaza, according to government documents unsealed by a federal judge on Thursday.
Reposted by John Ismay
I know people are looking for digital security guides and checklists in light of the FBI seizing devices of a Washington Post reporter. Here’s a guide I wrote for @gijn.org in 2024, which remains up to date and relevant. gijn.org/resource/int...
Introduction to Investigative Journalism: Digital Security
Digital security may seem a little daunting at first, but increased security will help investigative journalists build trust with — and protect — current and future sources.
gijn.org
January 23, 2026 at 1:50 PM
I know people are looking for digital security guides and checklists in light of the FBI seizing devices of a Washington Post reporter. Here’s a guide I wrote for @gijn.org in 2024, which remains up to date and relevant. gijn.org/resource/int...
Reposted by John Ismay
Newly unsealed evidence makes it even clearer that Rubio and Noem knew they were targeting students based solely on their political speech and that they knew this policy was unconstitutional. They just didn’t care. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/u...
January 23, 2026 at 11:30 AM
Newly unsealed evidence makes it even clearer that Rubio and Noem knew they were targeting students based solely on their political speech and that they knew this policy was unconstitutional. They just didn’t care. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/u...
Reposted by John Ismay
The House Armed Services Committee has sent two bipartisan requests to the Pentagon seeking answers about its plan for Stars and Stripes and how it will ensure the outlet's congressionally mandated independence amid efforts to "refocus" its content. (from @svetashko.bsky.social)
House Armed Services Committee seeks answers on Pentagon plan for Stars and Stripes
The House Armed Services Committee has asked the Pentagon how Stars and Stripes will be able to keep its congressionally mandated independence.
www.stripes.com
January 23, 2026 at 1:25 AM
The House Armed Services Committee has sent two bipartisan requests to the Pentagon seeking answers about its plan for Stars and Stripes and how it will ensure the outlet's congressionally mandated independence amid efforts to "refocus" its content. (from @svetashko.bsky.social)
Reposted by John Ismay
Detail I learned today about the Caracas raid: more than 20 of the Delta Force operators earned their Combat Infantryman Badges on the raid (as in, they did not previously have them). An illustration of how GWOT combat experience has aged out of the force, even JSOC units.
January 21, 2026 at 11:34 PM
Detail I learned today about the Caracas raid: more than 20 of the Delta Force operators earned their Combat Infantryman Badges on the raid (as in, they did not previously have them). An illustration of how GWOT combat experience has aged out of the force, even JSOC units.
Reposted by John Ismay
The conduct of ICE agents during the government's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis evokes the attacks by police officers in Birmingham, Alabama, on civil rights protesters in 1963, experts said following a federal judge's ruling on the agency's behavior.
In Minneapolis, a Pattern of Misconduct Toward Protesters
Legal and criminal justice experts said a ruling by a federal judge last week revealed conduct by immigration agents that evokes the civil rights era.
nyti.ms
January 20, 2026 at 5:55 PM
The conduct of ICE agents during the government's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis evokes the attacks by police officers in Birmingham, Alabama, on civil rights protesters in 1963, experts said following a federal judge's ruling on the agency's behavior.