iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

David Sterman @davidsterman.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

AFRICOM confirms in reply to query that this was two strikes and puts its total tally of declared strikes this year in Somalia at 86. Our tally includes two strikes that AFRICOM has denied conducting.

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

We are proud to support @ccrjustice.org @hrw.org @afsc-org.bsky.social and the Open Society Institute in their lawsuit to challenge this abuse, and we hope that U.S. courts can help restore our rule of law at home and abroad. /fin

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

Worse still, Trump's now threatening to escalate his ICC sanctions in a bid to strongarm our allies into abandoning the court. This unlawful power grab -- not the ICC -- threatens to upend U.S. diplomatic and economic relations. /6 apnews.com/article/icc-...

apnews.com

The Netherlands is bracing for potentially devastating US sanctions against the ICC

The Netherlands is making preparations for the United States to sanction the International Criminal Court, in the last escalation of the Trump Administration’s attacks on the global tribunal.

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

Congress has also debated sanctions against the ICC for years. The "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act" couldn't pass in 2024, and it can't pass now. The votes aren't there. Trump copied parts of that bill *verbatim* for his ICC sanctions, as an end-run around Congress. /5

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

Yet that's how Trump is using these laws. The ICC has existed for decades. Over the years, it's investigated our allies, our adversaries, and even U.S. servicemembers. This isn't some sudden "emergency" or "unusual" threat. /4

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

They were enacted in the 1970s to rein in a freewheeling presidency that had overstepped its power. They were not a blank check for the president to bypass congressional debate and govern through emergency declarations. /3

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

Trump's ICC sanctions are based on the National Emergencies Act and International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Those laws are available only in a genuine emergency to address an "unusual and extraordinary threat." /2 www.brennancenter.org/media/16229/...

brennancenter.org

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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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Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

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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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Congress did adopt a war-termination resolution for the first time in the War Powers Resolution's 53-year history. But, yeah, didn't have much of a practical effect.

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Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

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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Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

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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Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

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

So the holding on despite scandal became part of the story, even when it wouldn't have been and isn't for a Ken Paxton or other dubious character.

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

Eh, it is true that this heightened the salience of the reporting, but the other thing was Platner refusing to step down when other Dems facing scandal (from Franken to Swalwell to Cherfilus-McCormick, etc. etc.) do -- quickly. Unthinkable that you'd have a Cory Mills or Max Miller stick around.

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Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

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

Many thanks to the coalition partners who made this letter possible, especially @demandprogress.bsky.social and @justfp. /fin

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

Congress should also use the power of the purse as a separate, additional tool to enforce the law. That means rejecting supplemental funding for the Iran War and enacting funding cutoffs through "must-pass legislation" like the National Defense Authorization Act. /5

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

We need lawmakers to stand firm. As we urged in the letter, Rep. Meeks just introduced a resolution to authorize the House to litigate over the Iran War's violation of the War Powers Resolution 60-day clock and disregard of H.Con.Res.86. /4 democrats-foreignaffairs.house.gov/2026/7/meeks...

democrats-foreignaffairs.house.gov

Meeks Drops Resolution Compelling Speaker Johnson to File Iran WPR Lawsuit Against Trump Admin

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

But the president has disregarded Congress's directive and violated other constraints in the War Powers Resolution — the law's so-called "60-day clock." He's escalated the war instead of terminating the unlawful hostilities. /3

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

Last month, Congress successfully invoked the War Powers Resolution's hostilities-termination provision for the first time in that law's 53-year history. Bipartisan majorities of the House and Senate passed a historic resolution directing the president to end the Iran War. /2

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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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Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

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 · 14/07/2026

Given that Paul and Murkowski, perhaps Collins, would be around -- but Massie is out + some House Republicans (e.g., Barrett) who've at times broken with Trump are facing tough odds in their purple districts.

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

More investigative/oversight/litigation capacity, potentially different priorities for those items across the different chambers, committees, and subcommittees. Conceivable too that certain Senate actions could be bipartisan in ways that I'm not sure would be possible in the House.

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Congressional subpoenas + congressional litigation authorization resolutions can also move if you control the majority.

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Reagan during the Tanker War* This start-stop approach to the clock hasn't been so, so common -- and it's certainly new to apply it to a large-scale, high-profile conflict that is obviously ongoing, by the choice of the president.

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

For purposes of the War Powers Resolution, this particular method of gaming the clock was pioneered by Reagan, briefly used by Obama at the start of the counter-ISIS campaign (before he said the 2001 AUMF applied), and then used by Biden vis-a-vis Iran-backed militias and the Houthis.

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

It's pretending that the Iran War is actually four separate conflicts and that the president can prosecute the war in piecemeal fashion, with each less-than-60-day chunk of the war artificially separated from the other. If that sounds ridiculous, it's because it is.

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

Altogether, the White House has submitted four "hostilities" reports for the Iran War: Its first report on March 2; the June 12 report; the June 29 report; and the new July 10 report. The White House is saying the 60-day clock hasn't been violated because it's running four different 60-day clocks.

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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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Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

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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Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

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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Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

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 · 02/07/2026

Rep. Wolff though his comments track the overall debate in the House (and also Senate). They knew there were questions around *law-making* without bicameralism and presentment, but they thought the absence of a delegation + existing constitutional power made the WPR concurrent resolution special.

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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

War powers is so effed in large part because there's no judicial review. We're desperate for judicial review!

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

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

The Court applied equal protection principles to immigration law in Sessions v. Morales-Santana -- striking down a provision that discriminated based on gender! Kind of insane for Thomas to use the Chinese Exclusion Act and discrimination against the Japanese in the 1940s as positive precedents.

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Katherine Yon Ebright @ebrightyon.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Organized by the Fairfax County Democratic Committee but strictly nonpartisan -- will delve into our national history (starting with the Declaration of Independence!) and then cover many of the same recommendations I offer to Hill offices across the aisle.

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Reposted by Katherine Yon Ebright

@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

You can and should prepare for your interviews. Talk to previous clerks, read some opinions from the judge, review your writing samples. Maybe brush up on your algebra (or don't...). But rejections aren't always your "fault" and aren't always a bad thing.

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