Source: Axios
“U.S. and Ecuadorian forces announced drug-trafficking military crackdown operations in Ecuador on Tuesday. U.S. Southern Command in a Tuesday night statement said the operations targeted ‘Designated Terrorist Organizations’ and hailed the cooperation as ‘a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism.'” (03/04/26)
Source: bloggingheads.tv
“Will the Iran War Spiral Out of Control? | Robert Wright & Nikita Petrov.” (03/03/26)
Source: The Atlantic
by Jonathan Chait
“After the president of peace, a man who felt deserving of the Nobel Prize, authorized a massive aerial bombardment of Iran last summer, the task of explaining away the contradiction fell to J. D. Vance. … The difference was simple: Other wars were bad because they were led by dumb presidents, but a Trump war would be good because Donald Trump is smart. Yet after the administration’s second wave of air attacks on Iran, the president’s strategy seems more sundown than Sun Tzu.” (03/03/26)
Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
by Matthew Guariglia
“The U.S. military has officially ended its $200 million contract with AI company Anthropic and has ordered all other military contractors to cease use of their products. Why? … Anthropic had made it clear since it first signed the contract with the Pentagon in 2025 that it did not want its technology to be used for mass surveillance of people in the United States or for fully autonomous weapons systems. Starting in January, that became a problem for the Department of Defense, which ordered Anthropic to give them unrestricted use of the technology. Anthropic refused, and the DoD retaliated. There is a lot we could learn from this conflict, but the biggest take away is this: the state of your privacy is being decided by contract negotiations between giant tech companies and the U.S. government—two entities with spotty track records for caring about your civil liberties.” (03/03/26)
Source: The Bulwark
“Sen. Kaine Forces Vote on Iran War Powers Resolution.” (03/03/26)
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
“Gaining knowledge is critical. Not just about the presence and use of cameras, but what is done with the images and other data as well. (Examples: who it is provided to (first- and second-hand), how it can be used to track purchases and movements, and whom we have contact with.) Knowing how they work and how to avoid and disable them is also important. For example, the QR code or magnetic strip on many cards (such as driver’s licenses) allows linking to online databases, both for getting information about us and for providing info about us to others. Opting out, whenever that opportunity is available, is also an important action.” (03/03/26)
https://thepriceofliberty.org/2026/03/03/surveillence-state-time-to-opt-out/
Source: The New Arab [UK]
“A UK judge on Tuesday put on hold all trials of people charged with supporting Palestine Action, scheduling a blanket review of cases for July 30. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring’s decision, made at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court, comes after the High Court last month ruled the government’s ban on the group unlawful — though the government has been granted leave to appeal. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation last July, making it a criminal offence to belong to or support the protest group, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The move was slammed by rights groups as a government overreach and breach of civil liberties. Since then, there have been nearly 3,000 arrests, mainly for carrying placards, according to the activist group Defend Our Juries. Hundreds of people are facing charges.” (03/03/26)
https://www.newarab.com/news/uk-judge-pauses-palestine-action-trials-schedules-review
Source: Parallax Views w/ JG Michael
“The Meaning of the Iran War: Tehran Challenges Trump’s Muscular Foreign Policy w/ James Dorsey.” (03/03/26)
Source: Roads Go Ever On
by Bekah Graham
“Today is the first primary of the 2026 midterm elections. Voters in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Texas are kicking off the selection of Republican and Democratic candidates who will be facing off up and down the ballot in November. Polls indicate that Americans are motivated to voice their concerns, particularly surrounding rising costs (especially in healthcare and housing), threats to our democracy, political corruption, and unemployment. So, naturally, the Republican candidates running for Senate in Texas are competing to prove who is more anti-Muslim. The irony is that nearly every accusation they level at Islam mirrors the political agenda I embraced as an Evangelical Christian.” (03/03/26)
https://bekahgwen.substack.com/p/every-christian-nationalist-accusation
Source: Expression
by Sean Stevens
“MAGA Hardliners are mostly evangelical Trump supporters who believe a ‘deep state’ runs politics and that ‘the Left’ hates America. About 25% hold college degrees. Anti-woke Conservatives say American identity is fading and ‘woke’ ideology has ruined American education, news, and entertainment. They are the least religious group (31% atheist, agnostic, or unaffiliated) and about 40% hold college degrees. Mainline Republicans are the most optimistic about the American dream and least likely to say the country is in decline. About 25% have some college experience but no degree, and 38% hold only a high school diploma. Reluctant Right voted for Trump because he seemed ‘less bad’ than Kamala Harris. They are the least likely to identify as Republican, the least hopeful about the next four years, and the most likely to say they vote across party lines. Those distinctions aren’t just academic. They predict meaningful differences in how Trump voters weigh rights, institutions, and presidential power.” (03/03/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/the-four-kinds-of-trump-voters