NYTIMES (Matthew Mpoke Bigg) - Why are Africans Fighting in Russia’s War in Ukraine?
Some see a clear explanation: Russia needs more troops, and young men in Africa desperately need jobs.
NYTIMES (Matthew Mpoke Bigg, John Eligon, Zimasa Matiwane and Ed Ram) - How the Kremlin Lures Africans Into Russia’s War in Ukraine
A growing number of men across the continent say they are being promised jobs in Russia, only to be forced into the war. Some go as mercenaries, but many more are drawn unwittingly.
THEAMERICANCONSERVATIVE (Peter Van Buren) - Not All Leaks Are Created Equal
Anonymized political hits are a different beast from principled whistleblowing. The post Not All Leaks Are Created Equal appeared first on The American Conservative .
Politics Not All Leaks Are Created Equal Anonymized political hits are a different beast from principled whistleblowing. (Photo by James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images) I was a Federal government whistleblower, revealing the failure of Iraq’s reconstruction at a time when everyone from President Barack Obama to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was praising it as the solution to America’s nation-building expedition. I made public information that the government wished to keep quiet—though in my case everything was unclassified, albeit hidden away. I gained little from all this, instead being forced into…Open
THEAMERICANCONSERVATIVE (Sumantra Maitra) - The Task of Diplomacy
Robert Jacob Alexander, Baron Skidelsky: rest in peace. The post The Task of Diplomacy appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign Affairs The Task of Diplomacy Robert Jacob Alexander, Baron Skidelsky: rest in peace. (Photo by Jyoti Kapoor/The India Today Group via Getty Images) My quest for Robert, Lord Skidelsky to write an essay for The American Conservative started in earnest after a Duke of Marlborough (James Spencer-Churchill) tweet (it was still called that then), wherein Marlborough wrote that Winston Churchill, his great uncle, would be appalled at the use of the wartime prime minister’s name to continue the needless loss of life in Ukraine in preference to a negotiated compromise. The tweet he was responding to was from Lord…Open
THEAMERICANCONSERVATIVE (Spencer Neale) - Donald Trump Jr: The Candidate No One Is Talking About
For MAGA, familiarity may matter more than experience. The post Donald Trump Jr: The Candidate No One Is Talking About appeared first on The American Conservative .
Politics Donald Trump Jr: The Candidate No One Is Talking About For MAGA, familiarity may matter more than experience. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) It’s been an interesting 2026, to say the least. The Iran War, which is exposing ideological divisions within MAGA, has brought the American right to an inflection point. A movement that once prided itself on rejecting foreign entanglements is now grappling with their familiar logic. For supporters, that tension raises an uncomfortable question. Was MAGA ever a coherent political doctrine, or was it always something more flexible and more personal? That…Open
NPR (The Associated Press) - Trump says the US will 'guide' stranded ships from the Strait of Hormuz
The United States will launch an effort on Monday to "guide" stranded ships from the Iran-gripped Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump said, as two ships around the strait reported attacks.
NEWSNATIONNOW (Natasha Zouves) - A CIA 'dirty secret' facing scrutiny, investigative journalist says
MK-Ultra was a reaction to communist adversaries using brainwashing techniques on U.S. prisoners.
NYTIMES (Edgar Sandoval) - Mariachi Brothers Detained by ICE Invited to Open for Kacey Musgraves After Release
The teenagers, who had faced deportation after a high-profile detention, took the stage on Sunday thanks to an invitation from one of country music’s biggest stars.
STRIPES (Gary Warner) - Air Force security squadron in Alaska creates Arctic combat development course | Stars and Stripes
The planned course covers a wide variety of topics, including medical treatment in Arctic field environments, support and logistics, and weapons use.
STRIPES - US warns shippers not to pay Iran’s ‘tolls’ in Strait of Hormuz as blockade continues | Stars and Stripes
The U.S. Treasury said it will “not hesitate to take action against those supporting Iran’s military, including through ‘toll’ payments.”