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Federal officers in full camo gear with gas masks and guns prepare to disperse the crowd of protestors outside the Multnomah County Justice Center on July 17, 2020 in Portland, Oregon.

Trump Can’t Lawfully Use Armed Forces to Sway the Election: Understanding the Legal Boundaries

A deep dive analysis of the constitutional and statutory limits on use of any armed force in connection with the 2020 election, civil unrest, and protests.
Trump and Chad Wolf speak to members of border control on August 18, 2020. Neither wear face masks.

Whistleblower: DHS Suppressed Reports on Central America and Inflated Risk of Terrorist Border-Crossers

Brian Murphy’s Whistleblower complaint confirms: White House officials and political appointees in federal agencies hid carefully investigated and proven facts and substituted…
A member of the Afghan Air Force 777 Special Mission Wing looks out of an Mi-17 helicopter during a training mission on September 13, 2017 outside of Kabul, Afghanistan.

Toward a New Approach to National and Human Security: End Endless War

For nearly 20 years, successive U.S. administrations have adopted a costly war-based approach to national security and counterterrorism policy that has no clear endgame in sight.…
Trump and Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales at the South Portico of the White House on December 17, 2019 in Washington, DC.

The Disturbing Links in Trump’s Transactional Foreign Policy: A New Post-Mortem on Guatemala’s Impunity Commission

It’s a riveting — if demoralizing — quid pro quo story, and proof positive of the way corruption begets corruption and autocrats find solace in each other.
A flower in the street placed by demonstrators revisiting the site where a protester was killed on August 26, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

We Need a Task Force on Political Violence in America

A Task Force on Political Violence could potentially help the U.S. government be more prepared for the rising possibility of violence and its impact.
The central bank of the Democratic Republic of Congo on May 22, 2016 in Lubumbashi.

Shoring up Sanctions Enforcement in Sub-Saharan Africa: A North Korea Case Study

Helping countries bolster regulatory systems for national security could also build a more sound international financial system overall.
An aerial view San Quentin State Prison on July 08, 2020 in San Quentin, California.

Hardwired Against Change: Race, Incarceration, and COVID-19

"Given the unique risks of exposure, infection, and death in prisons, jails and detention centers, challenging carceral secrecy is even more important than ever in the midst of…
Trump shakes hands with Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley after addressing the troops at Bagram Air Field during a surprise Thanksgiving day visit, on November 28, 2019 in Afghanistan.

Breaking Ranks in a Civil-Military Crisis: Strategic Communication to Register Dissent

Military leaders have principled options to address a legally questionable political decision while maintaining the rule of law and civilian control.
US Park Police with full riot gear but no face masks over their mouths and noses stand on the grass as Black Lives Matter protestors march past.

I Resigned from U.S. Government After My Own Leaders Began to Act Like the Autocrats I Analyzed

I have seen up close the president’s disdain for democratic values, and recent events should be put in the context of a continuous slide toward authoritarianism.... Each day,…
Police and private security personel monitor security cameras at the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative on April 23, 2013 in New York City.

In the Drive to Curb Police Abuses, Rein in Their Tech Too

Local groups in a national movement are pressing for oversight of how and when law enforcement agencies use technology to monitor citizens.
Trump and Barr

Politically Motivated Prosecutions Part II: Refuse, Report, Resign

In Part II of this series, Kristy Parker and Erica Newland explain how DOJ's career prosecutors should respond when they become aware of, or are asked to participate in, politically…

Getting Serious About Protecting Health Care in War

After years of indifference to examining whether its rules of engagement and other operational directives and practices contribute to the scourge of violence against health workers,…
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