Ahmed Baba

Ahmed Baba News | Substack Independent pro-democracy journalism, analysis, and commentary. Delivered to your inbox 2 to 4 times a week. Become a free or paid subscriber. Click to read Ahmed Baba News, a Substack publication wit...

If you haven’t yet, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber to Ahmed Baba News. Let’s keep rising 🙌🏾

We’re now one of the top 100 Rising Substack publications in U.S. Politics!

Major thanks to everyone who reads, shares, and supports my work. Independent pro-democracy journalism is more important than ever, and I’m grateful to be among those doing this work.

We’re making an impact!

A war crime

Analysis Suggests School Was Hit Amid U.S. Strikes on Iranian Naval Base

The New York Times makes a compelling case that the Trump Admin is responsible for bombing that killed over 160 children in Iran.

If this is the case, the Trump Admin is responsible for an inexcusable atrocity. Children’s lives taken. Futures robbed. Families shattered.

Don Lemon says Karma is catching up with Kristi Noem.

But changing the face at DHS changes nothing about the cruelty behind it.

Don Lemon and I break down Kristi Noem’s firing and what it means in our latest conversation.

Watch it in full here: www.ahmedbaba.news/p/don-lemon-...

Really good conversation on AI. It starts with the blowup with Anthropic, but it goes on to many topics:

What parts of the AI story are hype versus where real benefits are being achieved, how data centers are not the end game, and so much more.

Well worth 47 minutes of your time.

Took a bit to come to fruition but this still stands.

If Republicans think the ousting of Noem will give them a deflection talking point from ICE’s cruelty ahead of the midterms they have another thing coming.

The ultimate blame lies at the feet of Trump, Stephen Miller, and the Admin at large.

‪Fox News is reporting that she was made aware she was fired so is she just cosplaying?? Letting people call her Madame Secretary in the audience? Lmaooo what a way to go out‬

Kristi Noem is speaking in Tennessee, and it’s not clear whether or not she knows she’s fired???

She gave remarks about DHS coordinating with local law enforcement and is now answering questions on behalf of DHS. Questioners are calling her “Secretary.”

This is humiliating lmao.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem (the last time I’ll write that) has been fired.

She is the 1st Cabinet member ousted in Trump’s 2nd term.

To be clear, it wasn’t Noem’s lies about Americans killed by ICE that was her final straw. It was because she made Trump look bad in a hearing.

Anthropic Just Became The First Tech Giant To Stand Up To Trump This Term. Here’s Why It Matters. I sat down with computer scientist Greg Fish to break down what Anthropic’s defiance of Trump means for civil liberties, the AI industry, and the fight against tech-powered authoritarianism.

Watch my full pod on the state of AI here. You’ll learn a lot. And while you’re there, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber:

Anthropic refused to let the Pentagon use its AI for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons.

Trump Admin retaliated by designating them a supply chain risk.

But consumers rewarded their resistance. They're now #1.

Other companies should take note: Decency is good business.

Hegseth is the worst communicator for this moment. Americans don’t want media trolling and superlatives about death and destruction.

Americans want calm clarity, a day after plan, and assurances Americans aren’t dying in another regime change war that will destabilize the region.

You “guess?” This was an obvious potential outcome that should’ve been in his pre-strike briefings and factored into the decision.

In a sane Admin, they’d have a contingency plan for this that POTUS could clearly communicate. But they didn’t adequately prepare for the day after.

I don’t know how these leaders sleep at night. If even one innocent child died due to an order I gave or a war I started, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. One life is one too many. The normalization of the slaughter of civilian life in war is sickening to me.

I have read and watched a lot of takes on the Iran situation  This was by far the most comprehensive picture.

Great specifics and details inside Iran, plus zooming out to the broader global geopolitics.

Enjoyed my conversation with @ahmedbaba.bsky.social on Iran and the unknown perils this war puts on the table. Please watch:

Trump's Iran Regime Change War Has No Plan, No Mandate, & No End in Sight I sat down with my longtime friend and foreign policy expert Adam Ali to break down what's really happening in Iran, and why this war of choice is Trump's biggest foreign policy blunder yet.

Watch my full Substack Live about the Iran regime change war. We really dove deep. If you’re looking for some in-depth analysis, definitely check this out:

Iran was complying with the JCPOA.

Trump tore it up because he was jealous of Obama and wanted to tarnish his legacy.

Enrichment accelerated. And now Trump is waging a regime change war.

Trump creates problems, then pretends only he can solve them.

Trump Says War Could Last Weeks and Offers Contradictory Visions of New Regime

Read this. Trump has no idea what he's doing.

In one breath he says Iran could have a Venezuela-like transition: basically same regime but different head. Then, he says he hopes the IRGC will turn their weapons over to the Iranian people?? Delusional.

“That’s the way it is” - President Trump flippantly predicting more US service members dying in his ill-planned regime change war a plurality of Americans oppose

John Bolton Sounds the Alarm on Trump’s Iran Gamble In an exclusive, Trump’s onetime national security adviser warns the strike on Iran may deepen conflict, create a dangerous power vacuum — and plunge the region into turmoil.

Even John Bolton is spooked…

Americans remember Iraq and Afghanistan

Been working with Claude this weekend after importing my ChatGPT memory over.

It's significantly better than ChatGPT when giving feedback on writing, and Claude Code is next-level.

Anthropic standing up to Trump made me switch for moral reasons, but the quality makes it earned.

To be clear, the GOP majority abdicating its congressional responsibilities and ceding its power to the executive is a choice.

Republicans could call votes and end this today if they wanted to. They choose not to.

Notable opposition to the Iran attack from Tucker Carlson, who has spoken out against Trump’s interventionism in the past. This betrayal of Trump’s anti-war promise could further fracture the MAGA coalition.

Just want to note that 3am in Washington is like 11:30am in Tehran. The American people are the ones he snuck up on in the dead of night to conduct this illegal attack, not the purported enemy.

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution is clear. Congress holds the sole power to declare war.

Here, Trump is already referring to his attack on Iran as a war, without any congressional input or credible public case made to the American people.

Unmistakably unconstitutional.

Trump sees attacking Iran as a desperate way to cover up political weakness. Thanks for the insights into your psyche, 2012 & 2013 Donald.