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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

In a speech at the UN, Trump called the International Criminal Court a "rogue institution." Across his administration, he's used emergency powers to sanction ICC judges and staff. @brennancenter.org just filed a brief explaining why *Trump's sanctions* are rogue and illegal. /1

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Charlie Savage @charliesavage.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I was asked to contribute to a @justsecurity.org / @rcls-nyu.bsky.social collection of reflections pegged to the 25th anniversary of 9/11 - where I was, how it shaped my professional life, and how that informs my work today in the current historical moment. www.justsecurity.org/156339/9-11-...

justsecurity.org

9/11 Then and Now: How it Shapes Us 25 Years On

How the September 11 attacks, and the U.S. response that followed, changed the world and the way we approach the moment we are in today.

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Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

NEW: My latest in @foreignpolicy.com. Long past time for Congress to rein in the forever war on terror and end Trump's new faux war of the boat strikes. foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/31/t...

foreignpolicy.com

It’s Time to Rein in Trump’s ‘Wars on Terror’

Congress must act to address new and old executive abuses.

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FCNL @fcnl.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Important new reporting from @ms.now ⬇️ Groups that help people leave the military as conscientious objectors - including a Quaker organization - are seeing a large uptick in requests from troops with deep legal and moral concerns over President Trump's Iran war + boat strikes campaign.

ms.now

Troops fighting against Iran and drug smugglers say they're being asked to violate international law

Organizations that help service members apply to leave the military as conscientious objectors are seeing a large increase in concerns over U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats and targets...

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Rachel Levinson-Waldman @rlevinsonwaldman.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Automatic license plate readers are having a moment - but probably not the moment their vendors are hoping for. John Oliver threw down the gauntlet last week in an episode highlighting many of the concerns about LPRs - incl that they allow the govt to go back in time and see where you've been. 1/19

youtube.com

Police Surveillance Technology: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Christopher Nolan's next movie should be about Kermit Roosevelt Jr.

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Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

For those surprised by this, worth noting that the only years since 1997 when the US *hasn't* bombed targets in Iraq were 2012, 2013, and 2022 (and there are some indications there may have been unannounced strikes in 2022). At least monthly strikes through July 2021; strikes on at least...

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Today @brennancenter.org joined with 35 other organizations to call on Congress to use all "legal and political tools at [its] disposal to reaffirm Congress’s constitutional prerogatives and draw the unauthorized Iran War to a close." /1

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

New from me on the Monroe Doctrine and constitutional war powers. Many thanks to @lawfaremedia.org for letting me walk readers through a century of war powers practice under the doctrine--practice that reveals + reinforces real constraints on presidential power. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...

lawfaremedia.org

The Monroe Doctrine Was Never a Blank Check for Presidential War

Trump’s “Donroe Doctrine” in Latin America inverts a policy that, properly understood, abided by and reinforced constraints on unilateral presidential force.

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

The anti-ISIS Somalia campaign appears to be in a lull since May but there’s another strike against al-Shabaab. Track the war with our data here: www.newamerica.org/insights/ame...

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Noteworthy that this identifies War Powers Resolution "hostilities" reports submitted on June 12 and June 29. The White House did not publish these reports, but they constitute formal acknowledgement that War Powers Resolution hostilities continued throughout the so-called "ceasefire" period.

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The Chamberlain Network @chamberlainvets.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Today we joined 25 partner organizations urging Gov. Whitmer to bring Michigan's National Guard home from Washington, DC. Four governors have withdrawn forces already. Michigan's are slated to stay through August. The Guard belongs to Michigan. The letter: www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

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Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

In case you’re wondering, JSOC’s current generals/admirals who reportedly were pushing this are: commander Lt. Gen. Jon Braga (Delta alum), deputy commander Brig. Gen. Terence Taylor (AFSOC MC-130 guy), and assistant commander Rear Adm. Bart Randall (SEAL, but without a ton of Team 6 time).

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Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Good @thehighside.bsky.social report on the “HEU raid” bandied about on TV this spring as if it would be a quick, easy thing. Key: JSOC has trained for versions of this for years—but *not* for a version where the target facilities have been pulverized first. Yet JSOC generals still pushed for it.

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

"People have argued this concurrent resolution is not binding upon the President -- what we are saying here is that the Constitution is binding and the President is bound by the Constitution."

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

Your daily dispatch from the War Powers Resolution's legislative history -- a quote from Lincoln, a rumination on our constitutional structure and the historical gloss on that structure, and Congress's own views on the concurrent resolution mechanism.

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

On war powers, executive-branch lawyers simply ignore when Congress pushes back and write their memoranda as if the pushback never happened. The problem here is that the Court has absented itself from war powers conversations, refusing to check increasingly dubious "legal" interpretations.

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Notable too that Thomas cites the Alien Enemies Act -- a law used for internment during WWII -- as a positive immigration precedent. Setting aside the horrors of internment, the Alien Enemies Act is not an exercise of Congress's plenary power over immigration as opposed to *the literal war power.*

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@LemonSlayer @lemonslayer.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

AFRICOM reported this evening (Stuttgart time) that the US conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabaab on June 19, 2026. www.africom.mil/pressrelease...

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Had a moment this AM to share some wisdom on the absurdity of clerkship hiring -- recounted an interview in which (1) the judge asked me a question from Thinking, Fast and Slow; (2) I got it right; and (3) he then accused me of lying about never having heard the question before.

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Just thought back to that cartoon-villain photo of Steve Mnuchin's wife with the black leather gloves and the sheet of printed money.

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Marty Lederman @martylederman.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

As horrifying as this campaign of premeditated murder is, what might be even more disturbing is the utter indifference of Congress, the public and our allies to such a shocking and unapologetic obliteration of the many laws and norms against targeting civilians. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/31/w...

nytimes.com

The U.S. Boat Strike Campaign Has Now Killed Over 200 People

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Emile Ayoub @emileayoub.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Data brokers pose grave threats to Americans' privacy and our national security. But the US govt continues to bankroll the industry: it's one its major patrons! It's past time to close the checkbook. Congress must prohibit govt agencies from paying brokers billions to buy Americans’ sensitive info.

brennancenter.org

Congress Must Close Data Broker Loophole by Prohibiting Government Purchases of Americans' Sensitive Data

A two-pager compiled by the Brennan Center illustrating why Congress must close the data broker loophole by prohibiting government purchases of Americans' sensitive data.

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Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 26/05/2026

@vanhollen.senate.gov is 100% correct: Long-standing legal precedents say that blockades are acts of war. Administration officials have denied this to evade congressional scrutiny of the unlawful Iran War while continuing unauthorized hostilities.

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Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Interesting stuff in here about military bureaucracy in Argentina’s Dirty War, where low-performing officers volunteered for the units the regime was tasking with the most abusive missions forces to salvage their careers and leapfrog ahead of higher-performing peers www.nytimes.com/2026/05/18/w...

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Everyone knows the Kennedy political dynasty, but the Tafts have somehow flown under the radar. Just an insane hold on Ohio... and on U.S. foreign policy?

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

May 4th brought another strike in Somalia against ISIS. This is the 62nd declared strike this year and 63rd by our tally which includes one reported strike that AFRICOM has denied. www.newamerica.org/insights/ame...

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

A couple of years ago, I learned about "LOVEINT" from Noah -- that intelligence community employees have used these sec. 702 backdoor searches to spy on their dates and partners.

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

AFRICOM has announced another strike in Somalia on 4/9. This appears to be the 53rd of the year and the fourth this month. www.newamerica.org/insights/ame...

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

In the past year there have been quite literally a dozen War Powers Resolution votes.

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Raffi Melkonian @rmfifthcircuit.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Before I became an American, I was Lebanese. Parts of my family live in Lebanon. Anyway, you don't need those bona fides to feel this way, but what is happening in Lebanon right now is a complete outrage. The people there, who mostly are just trying to carve out a living, don't deserve this.

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Liza Goitein @lizagoitein.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Helpful thread pointing out errors in Glenn Gerstell's Lawfare piece about Section 702. I'll add another one... 1/3 bsky.app/profile/jake...

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Liza Goitein @lizagoitein.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Opponents of reforming FISA Section 702 cite a government statistic showing “only” a few thousand warrantless searches of Americans’ communications in 2024-25. In @justsecurity.org, @hannahajames.bsky.social & I discuss the truth behind that misleading statistic. www.justsecurity.org/135283/truth...

justsecurity.org

The Truth Behind Section 702 Query Statistics

Authors write that Congress must now impose a warrant requirement for Section 702 access to Americans' communications.

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FCNL @fcnl.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

📣“Congressional authorization isn’t just a box-checking exercise:" "It’s a means of ensuring that the solemn decision to go to war is made democratically and accountably" -- not at the whims of one person.

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FCNL @fcnl.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

From Iran to Latin America to Africa, the Trump admin. has dramatically surged US military strikes around the 🌍. Yet some strikes, like in Nigeria, have received little attention or scrutiny. Thank you Reps Jacobs and Crow for holding the admin. accountable to the law and to the American people.

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Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

In Aug 2003, Colin Powell wrote to Paul Bremer that US troops on raids in Iraq “shouldn’t be taking the press with us or releasing photos” because the raids looked ugly. To DOD’s credit, it ignored Powell and didn’t begin to curtail embedding until a decade later. www.thetimes.com/article/00b2...

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Trump's "massive and ongoing operation" against Iran is a clear violation of the Constitution's separation of powers. In our democracy, the president does not have the kingly power to plunge the nation into war without democratic debate and sanction. /1 www.brennancenter.org/our-work/ana...

brennancenter.org

Trump's Iran Strikes Are Unconstitutional

Congress must act.

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Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 02/03/2026

Trump acted unilaterally and lawlessly in striking Iran — without congressional authorization and absent any imminent threat to the United States. @ebrightyon.bsky.social on why Congress needs to act.

brennancenter.org

Trump's Iran Strikes Are Unconstitutional

Congress must act.

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Brennan Center @brennancenter.org · 28/02/2026

The Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to decide when the nation goes to war. President Trump’s strikes on Iran are flatly unconstitutional. There’s been no deliberation, no vote, no clear justification. This is a flagrant abuse of executive power.

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Amos Toh @amostoh.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

25/ Congress should also use its power to close the data broker loophole and strengthen privacy protections against AI-enabled surveillance. It should demand transparency about how the military is using AI in hostilities – a critical first step towards regulating the technology.

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Amos Toh @amostoh.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

13/ Then there’s the use of AI to “assist weapons targeting without sufficient human oversight.” All attacks – AI-assisted or not – must comply with U.S. law and the international law of war.

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Amos Toh @amostoh.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

1/ The dispute between Anthropic and DOD over the limits of using AI in warfare is escalating. I’ll have more to say on what these limits should be in a @brennancenter.org report out next month. But for now, here’s what you need to know, and what’s truly at stake 🧵: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/t...

nytimes.com

Defense Dept. and Anthropic Square Off in Dispute Over A.I. Safety

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Wesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

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).

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David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

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...

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

New from me: A recap of last week's Venezuela hearing with Secretary of State Rubio. Recap touches on the administration's overbroad theory of Art. II, the Cuban Missile Crisis as a "precedent," and the Alien Enemies Act -- among other items. www.justsecurity.org/130722/war-p...

justsecurity.org

Five War Powers Takeaways from the Senate’s Venezuela Hearing

The Senate's hearing with Rubio offered little solace to those concerned about the use of force against Venezuela.

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Just Security @justsecurity.org · 05/02/2026

5 Takeaways from Rubio's Senate hearing on Venezuela, from @brennancenter.org's @ebrightyon.bsky.social The Trump admin "and its congressional allies believe the president can undertake bombings and ground operations at will, without meaningful constraints from Congress."

justsecurity.org

Five War Powers Takeaways from the Senate’s Venezuela Hearing

The Senate's hearing with Rubio offered little solace to those concerned about the use of force against Venezuela.

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