Yoshiko Herrera

Fascinating on the critical minerals consumed in US weapons in the past week and the time it will take to replenish those. Gallium is a particular concern.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/05/i...

It’s almost like we didn’t think this through.

Maybe Witkoff should use his special relationship with Putin to get him to stop sharing intelligence with Iran and targeting US forces

Russia is providing Iran intelligence to target U.S. forces, officials say The targeting information has included the locations of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the officials said.

Russia is providing Iran intelligence to target U.S. forces, officials say (WP gift link)
wapo.st/3OUfaJg

FT comments section this morning - saying what everyone else is thinking, right?

Pete Hegseth Treats Fallen American Soldiers as a PR Problem His use of the Iran war dead to attack the media was disgraceful.

More from @radiofreetom.bsky.social on Hegseth: "He showed, yet again, why he is an execrable choice to lead the Pentagon"

Explosions in Kharkiv just now. Ar defense just shot down Russian drone! Or what we call, just another Wednesday afternoon in Ukraine.

And don't forget, beyond the gloomy rising energy price scenario, more global tariffs start this week, in case you don't think there's enough inflationary matter out there:

New, by me:
Human-Centred Control of AI Is Both Possible and Necessary

for the NATO Science for Peace and Security Series: The Role of Transatlantic Cooperation in AI Human Oversight in Defence, Francisco Andrés Pérez (ed.)
joanna-bryson.squarespace.com/s/human-cent...

Belgium sets 10 million euro bail for detained Russian shadow fleet tanker Ethera The vessel will not be allowed to leave port until the bail is paid and a re-inspection confirms compliance with maritime regulations.

⚡️ Belgium sets 10 million euro bail for detained Russian shadow fleet tanker Ethera.

The vessel will not be allowed to leave port until the bail is paid and a re-inspection confirms compliance with maritime regulations.

We need to pass a House rule or law that requires them to work a certain number of days to get paid. Since Mike Johnson took over these people hardly ever work. When they finally come back after weeks off they work 2 days and he sends them home for 2 more weeks. It’s ridiculous.

U.S. Opens Military Action in Ecuador Against ‘Terrorist Organizations’

Hard to keep up with all the military operations being carried out by the “president of peace.” Now Ecuador!
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/u...

❗️Iran is copying the Russian tactics during strikes on Middle Eastern countries, — WSJ

Tehran is using the principle of massive combined attacks involving missiles and drones to overload and overcome the air defenses of target countries, the publication writes.

get a copy of his more recent article on Ukraine called "Bombing to Lose" and tape it over the cover

“Bombs will fall Everywhere”: The American, Israeli and Iranian Weapons Being Deployed in Middle East - bellingcat Bellingcat has been monitoring strikes across the Middle East and has identified a wide variety of weapons that have been used in the conflict so far, including missiles and drones.

Israel used 2,000+ bombs in the first 30 hours of the Iran war; the US struck 1,000+ targets in the first 24 hours. Iran responded with at least 390 missiles and 830 drones in the first two days. Bellingcat has tracked the munitions used by all sides so far: www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/03...

Another lesson from Putin (from back in 2008): get around pesky term limits (or similar rules in this case) by switching offices with a loyalist. #CompetitiveAuthoritarianism

Are Gulf states running out of missile interceptors? Their rulers insist not but they are burning through their stockpiles fast

I wrote on whether Gulf states are running out of interceptors, which they deny. Their day 1/2 consumption was v high relative to estimated pre-war stocks & annual production, but Iranian launches seem to be slowing. AD integration also proving an issue. www.economist.com/middle-east-...

WELCH: Mr. Yoho is also the husband of your former spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin?

NOEM: Yes

WELCH: So your former assistant and her husband are the ones that got the DHS no bid contract for $143m. Any dispute about that?

NOEM: No.

Tillis: You decided to kill that dog because you had not invested the appropriate time in training it, and then you have the audacity to say it’s a leadership lesson. You killed a goat and said it was behaving badly. You’re a farmer — you don’t castrate a goat, they behave badly.

Volunteers evacuated 10-month-old Yeva, her mom and dog from the "red zone" in Kherson region.

It's so touching how much they tried to comfort Yeva when she was scared.

📹: Andrii Valeriiovych/Facebook

What's happening in 10 countries in Middle East is what Russia is doing to Ukraine every day! Bombing civilians with missiles and drones is horrible, no matter who it is happening to. Families & kids shouldn't have to live in terror in shelters. Stand on the side of people not being bombed!!

Yes, that is too bad that she ended with that interview. The beginning of The Source last night was an excellent montage of the myriad reasons the Trump admin has given for the war, which actually provided value to viewers

I'm wondering how many missiles and drones Iran has left?

Iran Watch had an article on Iran's missile stocks as of January 2026, but yesterday's NYT gave different figures, meanwhile, PBS said 1000 missiles and drones had been launched just on Sunday: www.pbs.org/newshour/sho...

Trump Has Given America a Constitutional Dilemma Congress should not have to argue over whether to trigger the War Powers Resolution, and certainly not in the midst of conflict.

Good read on the War Powers Act by @radiofreetom.bsky.social

🇺🇦⚡️“We are ready to share our experience. Ukraine’s knowledge in air defense is unique: even Gulf countries, which have more advanced systems than us, are still conducting operations and failing to intercept Iranian drones,” — Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Sounds like they're taking advice from Putin:

Govt officials & pundits blustering about it can call it a war, people questioning govt actions should not call it a war.

Also, when you attack a country just try saying the other country started it first, some people will go along with it!

Amateur hour. No clear theory of victory, of how tactics and operations scale up to generate favorable outcomes. No clear benchmarks for success. Derisive towards reporters asking basic questions. No sense of how contingency and chance might wreck plans (if there are any). We could be in trouble.

misogynist too

Zelenskiy Offers Help to Stop Iranian Drones In Return for Truce Volodymyr Zelenskiy offered to send his best experts in shooting down Iranian drones to the Middle East if leaders there convince Vladimir Putin to agree to a month-long truce in Russia’s war on Ukrai...

Global South countries' "what's it to me?" attitude towards the Russo-Ukrainian war might start to shift. It was always a mistake to think Russia destroying the intl order through aggressive territorial conquest wouldn't destabilize the world and affect everyone.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Russia struck an apartment building in Kharkiv with a Molniya drone.

A 12-year-old boy suffered a concussion, and a 10-year-old girl and a woman were treated for acute stress reaction.