Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 09/21/26
Source: Politico
“Mike Waltz’s next moves.” (09/21/26)
Donald Rumsfeld’s New Europe Is Waiting For Its Second Act
Source: Libertarian Institute
by José Niño
“On January 22, 2003, Donald Rumsfeld stepped behind the podium at the Foreign Press Center in Washington and, with one answer to a Dutch public television reporter, redrew the map of Europe. The reporter wanted to know why so many Europeans trusted Saddam Hussein more than then-President George W. Bush. The defense secretary fired back with words the Pentagon transcript preserved in full: ‘Now, you’re thinking of Europe as Germany and France. I don’t. I think that’s old Europe. If you look at the entire NATO Europe today, the center of gravity is shifting to the east. And there are a lot of new members.’ … Esteemed diplomat George Kennan saw where this road led.” (09/21/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/donald-rumsfelds-new-europe-is-waiting-for-its-second-act
In Nicaragua, Marco Rubio Wants to Defeat Socialism, Not Restore Democracy
Source: Common Dreams
by John Perry
“After Venezuela and Cuba, will the Trump administration turn its spotlight onto Nicaragua? Secretary of State Rubio has just finished a tour of three Latin American countries now allied with Trump (Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) and was asked about US policy towards Cuba and Nicaragua, and what he would do ‘to finally bring those dictatorships to an end’. Accusing left-wing governments of ‘destroying’ their countries and bringing ‘misery’ to their citizens, and in some cases of posing a security threat to the United States, Rubio said that the problem can now be addressed ‘in partnership with other presidents and other leaders in this region that feel the same way’. Back in July, after media claims that Nicaragua’s Sandinista government plans to abolish elections completely, Rubio said that Nicaragua was ‘thwarting the basic tenets of our democratic hemisphere.'” (09/21/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/marco-rubio-s-intentions-in-nicaragua
Map shows dengue fever cases in each US state as Florida records first 2026 death
Source: Yahoo! News
“Florida has reported its first dengue fever death of 2026 as the mosquito-borne disease spreads across parts of the United States, with nearly 2,000 cases recorded nationwide this year. The death comes amid one of Florida’s most significant dengue outbreaks in recent years and as health officials monitor rising case numbers in several U.S. jurisdictions. … Florida’s 332 reported cases are the highest among U.S. states. State health officials have also reported more than 150 locally acquired infections this year, meaning residents were infected within Florida rather than during travel abroad.” (09/21/26)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/map-shows-dengue-fever-cases-101458080.html
TechTank, season 5, episode 49
Source: Brookings Institution
“Weighing the existential risks of AI and the proposals to prevent them.” (09/21/26)
Why Iran’s Lego Clips Are Anything but ‘Stupid’
Source: Foreign Policy
by Mohamed Elgohari
“While answering a question in July about the prospects for negotiations with Iran, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a dismissive reference to an ongoing series of AI-generated Lego animation clips produced in Iran that mock U.S. and Israeli officials. Iran will be ready to do a deal soon, Rubio suggested, because ‘the price they are paying is very high, despite their tough talk and their flowery language and their stupid Lego videos they put out.’ Rubio, speaking to reporters at a foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila, hadn’t even been asked about the propaganda campaign. That a sitting U.S. secretary of state felt compelled to address a cartoon campaign produced by a small group of individuals at an international security forum is itself revealing.” (09/21/26)
Republicans Who Support War in Iran Are Giving Democrats Chance To Control Congress
Source: Antiwar.com
by John J Duncan, Jr.
“This Nation is now over 40 trillion in debt. We simply cannot afford this one trillion, five hundred billion Secretary Hegseth and the Pentagon want. Yet the Congress voted this past Wednesday to spend an additional $73 billion on this unpopular, unnecessary war in Iran. Most of the votes came from Republicans, even though this war is really hurting our Party.” (09/21/26)
CA: Newsom declares statewide emergency ahead of epic El Niño storms
Source: Los Angeles Times
“Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a statewide emergency for California in anticipation of this winter’s El Niño-fueled storms, a new sign of growing worry about coastal flooding and high waves expected in the coming months. El Niño may bring high surf and high-impact storms to the state, which ‘warrants early, coordinated, and targeted preparedness actions to protect Californians, critical infrastructure, agricultural lands, natural resources, and the State’s economy,’ the emergency proclamation read.” (09/21/26)
If Trump wants to lower drug prices, his obvious free-riding targets are outside the US
Source: Fox News
by Jeffrey Gerrish
“President Donald Trump just secured nine new pricing agreements with drug manufacturers that could help reduce what Americans pay for many prescription medicines. The deals demonstrate Trump’s commitment to lowering drug prices for patients. The president’s dedication – and his desire to negotiate with companies individually, rather than imposing broad mandates – is commendable. But his efforts would be better directed at the root cause of high drug prices: foreign countries free-riding on American drug innovation. To deliver lasting price reductions while protecting U.S. leadership in biomedical innovation, the Trump administration must focus its negotiating strategy overseas – and intensify its push to make other countries pay their fair share for the medicines America develops.” (09/21/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trump-lower-drug-prices-free-riding-targets-outside-us
Will AI Kill Us All?
Source: The American Conservative
by Peter Van Buren
“Experience has taught me to distinguish between genuine danger and apocalyptic rhetoric. So forgive me if I am a little skeptical that AI will, as the latest crop of doom-saying scientists now warn, wipe out the human race within a decade. But I recognize that I am not an AI expert. So I did what anyone might do in response: I asked AI directly, ‘How could AI plausibly cause human extinction?’ The machine had a few scarily plausible ideas—ones that seem far more likely than car emissions to end our civilization.” (09/21/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/will-ai-kill-us-all/