Andrew Buncombe

⚖️ The War Beyond the Battlefield — and Why America Isn’t Prepared 🔷 The FBI's counterintelligence, counterterrorism, and cyber expertise has been hollowed out. Iran just gave us a reason to care.

'The war beyond the battlefield & why America isn’t prepared': Ex-FBI officer @lcandersonintl.bsky.social on perils of firing agents focussed on Iran counterintelligence laurencanderson.substack.com/p/the-war-be...

Jaelynn Scott Is Running to Represent the 37th Legislative District The Lavender Rights Project's Jaelynn Scott has never held public office. If elected, she would be the first openly trans person in the Washington State Legislature. She is running on crisis care; her...

'Local progressives believe she can get the job done'. Good Seattle story about community organiser Jaelynn Scott bid to represent city's Central District. Via @micahyip.bsky.social &
@thestranger.com
www.thestranger.com/news/2026/03...

Why Trump's war in Iran is starting to feel like the invasion of Iraq andrewbuncombe.substack.com/p/why-trumps...

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned US & Israeli actions actions are illegal under international law @apnews.com
www.pbs.org/newshour/wor...

Why Trump's war in Iran is starting to feel like the invasion of Iraq Justifications for president’s actions are shifting and apparently false

New: Why Trump's war in Iran is starting to feel like the invasion of Iraq
andrewbuncombe.substack.com/p/why-trumps...

Exclusive: Trump – I’m ‘very disappointed’ in Starmer over Iran President tells Telegraph that PM ‘took far too long’ to let America use Chagos Islands air base

Trump criticises Starmer as UK prime minister says he 'does not believe in regime change from the skies'. Via
@telegraph.co.uk & Connor Stringer
www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026...

France to increase nuclear arsenal and European weapons cooperation, Macron says French president says Paris could deploy nuclear-capable fighter jets to countries such as Germany and Poland

France to increase nuclear arsenal for first time since 1992 amid 'geopolitical upheaval' reports @jonhenley.bsky.social
@theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Parallels between US invasion of Iraq & strikes on Iran striking: Bush/Colin Powell falsely claimed Saddam had WMD. Trump so far failed to show Iran represented 'immediate' threat that would justify pre-emptive assault www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhWl...

Hegseth says Iran won’t be a ‘politically correct’ war as he lays out US objectives Hegseth criticized the media, allies and former President Joe Biden during the 40-minute press conference

Pete Hegseth dismisses decades of international law over use of force as politically correct 'hand-wringing'. Via @the-independent.com & @arianabaio.bsky.social
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Green party wins Gorton and Denton byelection, pushing Labour to third place Hannah Spencer elected as party’s first MP in northern England as vote share for Keir Starmer’s party plummets

Britain's Green Party pushes Labour to third in widely-watched by-election, reports @joshhalliday.bsky.social @theguardian.com
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Muzzling of Media in Pakistan Knows No Bounds Or So It Seems The newest press freedom index put out by Reporters without Borders puts Pakistan at the unenviable position of 158 out of 180 countries surveyed, sandwiched between Bahrain and Turkiya

As Pakistan says its in 'open war' with Afghan, repression of its own journalists increasing, reports @kathygannon.bsky.social
kathygannon.substack.com/p/muzzling-o...

Americans Are Leaving the U.S. in Record Numbers More citizens are replanting overseas, drawn by a quality of life made easily affordable by the U.S.’s enviable salaries.

The new American dream - for some - is to no longer live there'
@wsj.com on record level of US emigration
www.wsj.com/us-news/amer...

Trump administration to withhold $259M in Minnesota Medicaid funds, citing fraud The move, announced by Vice President JD Vance, targets alleged health care fraud and signals a broader crackdown that could extend to other states.

ollective punishment? Trump administration to withhold $259m in Minnesota Medicaid funds, reports @washingtonpost.com
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Read original scoop on DOJ's removal of multiple Epstein files including FBI interviews - including teenage Trump accuser. Via Roger Sollenberger sollenbergerrc.substack.com/p/doj-remove...

I watched Trump gloat about his America as Democrats fled. We needed them to stay Voters simply do not believe Trump’s argument that things are getting better. But, writes Eric Garcia from his perch in the House of Representatives for it all, too many Democrats ceded the argument b...

As Trump gloated, many Democrats fled the room. We needed them to stay': Read @ericmgarcia.bsky.social on president's 'daytime game show replete with surprise guests' @the-independent.com
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...

Jesse Jackson’s Timeless Economic Platform He ran for President twice on the concerns that still define American political life—inequality, affordability, and vanishing jobs.

Do read: 'What if Jackson had won the Presidency and enacted the programme he'd campaigned on?'
@johncassidysays.bsky.social imagines a different course for America @newyorker.com
www.newyorker.com/news/the-fin...

On the Money: The Pathbreaking Legacy of Jesse Jackson Jackson, who died last week at 84, played a key role in creating the America Donald Trump wants to destroy

'it wasn’t just politics. Blacks were largely excluded from the top posts in most sectors': Dean Baker on legacy of Jesse Jackson, via 'On the Money'
themoneytrail.substack.com/p/on-the-mon...

All the evidence that Epstein used Stansted to fly women into the UK He 'boasted' about how cheap the charges were at Britain's fourth biggest airport compared to Paris, emails suggest

'This is the evidence Epstein used Stansted to fly women into the UK': @theipaper.com & Alannah Francis inews.co.uk/news/evidenc...

This is great: 'The cultural stakes of the Super Bowl halftime show': Via UCLA & Joanna Love newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/cult...

Moment Alex Pretti spat at ICE agents days before his death New footage shows heated encounter 11 days before 37-year-old nurse was shot dead

'Alex Pretti clashed with ICE & kicked SUV 11 days before fatal shooting': Via The News Movement @telegraph.co.uk
www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026...

Ilhan Omar attacked by protester at town hall Man jumps at US congresswoman and sprays liquid from syringe after she calls for ICE to be abolished

Attack came just hours after Trump accused Omar of not loving America @telegraph.co.uk www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026...

My family lives in Minneapolis. I fear these killings are just the beginning On hearing the news, my heart instantly was with my family, and the people of a city I’ve visited and reported on over the years

'My family lives in Minneapolis. I fear these killings are just the beginning': Love writing for @theipaper.com
inews.co.uk/news/world/f...

“Tully Sahib”, the BBC’s voice in South Asia has died age 90 Sir Mark Tully was also once named the “Battered Sahib” Remembered for the aptly named “Something Understood” radio programme Perhaps no-one in living memory has spanned the two cu…

RIP Mark Tully, true original who was generous with his time and insights. John Elliott has nice piece. Image: @wikicommons.bsky.social
riding-the-elephant.com/2026/01/25/m...

When Bernie Sanders Headed for the Hills Early in his life, Sanders left the streets of Brooklyn for the woodlands of Vermont. What did the man bring to the state—and what did the state bring to the man?

'Bernie Sanders has sounded the same for more than half-a-century': Via Jill Lepore & @newyorker.com www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

Trump Wants Nations to Pay $1 Billion to Stay on Peace Board The Trump administration is asking countries that want a permanent spot on his new Board of Peace to contribute at least $1 billion.

Trump wants countries to pay $1bn to be on Gaza peace board, reveals @bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

How Iran’s Islamic revolution devoured itself Iranians have not become monarchists — they are seeking anyone who can replace a despotic regime at war with its own people

'It is tempting - but wrong -to concur with Iranian monarchists the events of 1979 revolution were an aberration': Via Christopher de Bellaigue @financialtimes.com
www.ft.com/content/14da...

No, Cuba Wasn’t “Propping Up” Maduro An in-depth look at Cuba’s relationship with Venezuela, challenging claims that Havana was propping up Maduro amid growing U.S. pressure and sanctions

Read for often-missing context: 'No Cuba Wasn’t 'Propping Up' Maduro' belly-of-the-beast.kit.com/posts/no-cub... Via Belly of the Beast

Jay Powell, the Prepster Banker Who Is Standing Up to Trump The seventy-two-year-old Fed chairman put to shame the heads of law firms, universities, and public companies who have caved to the White House.

'At first glance, Jerome Powell doesn’t come across as a member of the #Resistance': Excellent by John Cassidy @newyorker.com
www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...

The Lights Are Still On in Venezuela After the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro, some residents fear that one unelected despot has been swapped for another.

There's neither celebration nor lamentation in the capital, only immense uncertainty as we make sense of what comes next': Via Armando Ledezma & @newyorker.com
www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

What we know one day after the killing of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good "followed his training." Local officials want ICE to leave, but Noem says she's open to sending more officers.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Good "followed his training." Local officials want ICE to leave, but Noem says she's open to sending more officers.