Source: The Realist Review
by Ivana Nikolić Hughes & Peter Kuznick
“Breaking international law seems to be a feature, and not a bug, of Trump’s actions, consistent with his admission that he is expressly not guided by international law, norms, traditions, or common decency, but by ‘My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.’ … It would be the ultimate expression of Trump’s unbounded power for him to break the one remaining international taboo — which, despite far too many close calls, has persisted for more than 80 years — detonating a nuclear weapon.” (03/09/26)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/breaking-the-nuclear-taboo
Source: US News & World Report
“Explosive drone strikes by Haitian security forces targeting gangs have killed over 1,200 people, including 43 adult civilians and 17 children, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Tuesday, adding that operations have ramped up in recent months. Since last March, Haitian security forces, with support from Vectus Global, have carried out anti-gang operations using quadcopter drones strapped with explosives, often in densely populated parts of the capital Port-au-Prince. Vectus Global is a private U.S.-based military company led by Blackwater founder Erik Prince. Haiti’s prime minister’s office, defense minister, national police, Vectus, and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The U.S. charge d’affaires in Haiti told a Senate committee last month that the State Department had licensed Vectus to export its services to Haiti. A spokesperson for the U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force in Haiti declined to comment.” (03/10/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-03-10/hundreds-killed-in-haiti-drone-strikes-including-60-civilians-human-rights-watch-says
Source: AI Summer
“Pete Hegseth’s war on Anthropic (with Alan Rozenshtein and Kevin Frazier).” (03/09/26)
https://www.aisummer.org/p/pete-hegseths-war-on-anthropic-with
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“The Mexican government wants to stop people from using cellphones anonymously. Every mobile phone number in Mexico — some 127 million — must now be biometrically tied to the owner’s identity. Cellphone owners must register their numbers by June 30 or lose signal. The ID card to which numbers must be linked will in turn be linked, via QR code, to a national registry of biometrically verified records. Who needs anonymity? Just criminals? … The safety of journalists, dissidents hiding from other governments, targets of abusers and stalkers, and anyone with good reason to keep his identity separate from his phone will be endangered by Mexico’s new mandate.” (03/09/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/03/09/the-war-against-anonymity/
Source: Niskanen Center
by Lawson Mansell
“When it comes to ensuring that America’s supply of doctors is sufficient to meet Americans’ demand for medical care, one of the most significant investments is also one of the most overlooked: Medicare’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) payments. As the largest funder of medical residency slots, GME subsidies are a powerful lever in determining whether we have enough doctors where they’re most needed. So why aren’t we making the best use of it?” (03/09/26)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/congress-is-asking-the-right-questions-about-americas-doctor-shortage
Source: SFGate
“The White House said it fired a National Transportation Safety Board member after reports of drinking on the job and harassing staff, but Todd Inman flatly denied the allegations Monday and said he plans to fight back. Inman revealed Sunday that he had been fired on Friday without explanation, though his term on the board was supposed to continue through the end of 2027. President DonaldTrump’s administration said Monday that it believes the firing is justified. ‘The White House lawfully removed Todd Inman from the NTSB after receiving highly concerning reports of inappropriate alcohol use on the job, harassment of staff, misuse of government resources, and failure to attend at least half of NTSB meetings,’ spokesman Kush Desai said. … Inman said Monday that he hadn’t initially planned to sue over his firing, but now says, ‘I look forward to defending my reputation through all legal means possible.'” (03/10/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/politics/article/white-house-says-it-fired-ntsb-member-over-21981833.php
Source: Independent Institute
by Craig Eyermann
“Americans awoke on Saturday, February 28, 2026, to discover that the United States had launched one of the largest military operations in its history. Operation Epic Fury followed the collapse of diplomatic talks purportedly aimed at ending the Islamic Republic of Iran’s efforts to build nuclear weapons and its 47-year history of aggression against the U.S. and the nations of the Middle East by Iran and its proxy forces. The effort began nearly two months after President Trump first called for a 50% increase in the U.S. defense budget, bringing it to $1.5 trillion. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the U.S. government was already on track to run a $1.9 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2026. Without any plan to reduce the government’s excessive spending, the new spending would require the U.S. government to borrow more, above and beyond that amount.” (03/09/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/03/09/fiscal-security-risk-national-debt/
Source: The American Prospect
by Henry Burke
“A group of Democratic Party moderates gathered in Charleston, South Carolina, last Sunday and Monday for an event organized by Third Way, an influential group in the party’s moderate wing. The event, entitled ‘Winning the Middle’, brought together elected officials, prominent pundits, data gurus, communication savants, and industry figures with one goal in mind: how to block a progressive from winning the party’s nomination for president in 2028. The event’s speakers celebrated their claim that a similar conference hosted by Third Way in the same location back in 2019 helped power Joe Biden (whom they touted as ‘the most conservative Democrat in the 2020 field’) to the White House, recalling that South Carolina served as both the last refuge of and launching pad for the then-former vice president’s flailing presidential campaign.” (03/10/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/03/10/centrists-better-things-arent-possible-democrats-south-carolina-third-way/
Source: ABC News
“A jury has found the Alexander brothers guilty on all counts in their federal sex trafficking trial in New York City. Jury deliberations began Thursday for the former real estate titans, Oren and Alon Alexander, 38-year-old twins, along with their brother, Tal Alexander, 39, who have denied sexually assaulting anyone or running a sex trafficking conspiracy, as prosecutors have charged. They pleaded not guilty. Throughout the five-week trial, 11 women testified that they were sexually assaulted by one or more of the brothers. At least eight of the women claimed they were drugged by one of the Alexanders.” (03/09/26)
https://abcnews.com/US/alexander-brothers-found-guilty-counts-sex-trafficking-trial/story?id=130904145
Source: Glenn Greenwald
“The US and Israel Liberate Iran by Setting It on Fire, Poisoning the Air, Bombing Schools.” (03/09/26)
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-us-and-israel-liberate-iran-by
