Expensive Degrees, Negative Returns

Iran launched a series of missile attacks on Israeli military bases in what is called Operation True Promise 5. Iranian embassy channels say that this was “a warning shot.” They said that it was to “reiterate [that] the condition for a ceasefire has always been the total halting of conflicts across the entire region.” This means Lebanon. They insist that Israel cease its attacks on Lebanon, which ramped up over the weekend, killing at least two people and injuring more than a dozen. President Trump has reportedly asked Israel not to respond to the Iranian attacks and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has reportedly agreed. But then they responded anyway by striking “military targets belonging to the Iranian terror regime in western and central Iran.” Meanwhile, Israel will take it out on the people of Gaza. Israel has closed down crossings into the Gaza Strip, which will hamper the inflow of aid. But don’t worry

The world’s first AI Covid DNA vaccine was tested on humans and researchers found it to be “safe and well tolerated.” Those aren’t exactly the most reassuring words in medicine. “Safe and well tolerated” does not mean risk-free. It means the researchers did not identify safety problems serious enough to stop the trial. What is an AI vaccine? It means that researchers used artificial intelligence and computer modeling to design a vaccine intended to protect against multiple members of the sarbecovirus family, including SARS-CoV-2, SARS, and related bat coronaviruses that scientists believe could potentially infect humans in the future. Obvious question: why are scientists developing vaccines for hypothetical future spillover events? Did the AI identify a specific threat, or are researchers simply trying to build a broad-spectrum animal scenario vaccine before the next outbreak occurs? The vaccine was tested on 39 people who had previously been

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he wants U.S. support of Israel to move from “aid” to “cooperation.” In a recent letter, he calls this a “new framework” by which Israel will reduce U.S. financial military assistance and reframe it as “joint defense cooperation, codevelopment, coproduction and mutual investment in areas including advanced missile defense, artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, cybersecurity, and next generation military platforms.” In other words: don’t end the relationship—deepen it. Don’t call it foreign aid—call it a partnership. Your money becomes our money. This comes as there is growing outrage over Section 224 of the House version of the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act. It would require military cooperation between the U.S. and Israel in a way the U.S. has never agreed to with any other country. There are at least two members of Congress who have publicly said they are

Russia says it could respond to Ukraine’s latest attacks with nuclear weapons. That warning came after Ukrainian drones struck targets in St. Petersburg during Russia’s flagship international economic forum, an event hosting roughly 20,000 attendees from more than 130 countries. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said attacks on Russia’s territorial integrity could, under Russia’s military doctrine, justify the use of nuclear weapons in a worst-case scenario. The strikes are significant not only because of where they occurred, but because they hit deep inside Russia on civilian targets while Moscow is hosting one of its most important economic and diplomatic gatherings. Reports also circulated of civilian casualties from a separate drone attack on a passenger bus, adding to domestic pressure on the Kremlin to respond. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to publicly support peace negotiations while simultaneously renewing his push for NATO membership. During meetings with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte,

The Pentagon is taking yet another step to keep Americans in the dark about what their military is doing behind closed doors. The Defense Department has now designated its press office as a classified space, meaning journalists can no longer freely enter an area where they once interacted with public affairs officials, asked questions, and gathered information on behalf of the public. Officials say the change is necessary because Pentagon speechwriters working in the office require access to classified systems. But others argue the move is really about something else entirely: “Banning journalists from the ‘press office’ in the Pentagon, where they worked professionally in previous administrations, is simply a sign that current DOD leadership fears accountability,” said Trip Gabriel, a reporter for the Times. Others are saying the move is “Orwellian.” Placing restrictions on the press isn’t something new to this administration. Last year, officials introduced a new set

Tensions in the Middle East are rapidly spiraling as U.S. officials insist the latest round of military action falls under the guise of “self-defense.” This is a blatant lie. According to reports, U.S. forces struck targets connected to Iran, including facilities on Qeshm Island and an Iranian-linked vessel near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting American military installations in Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as targets in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Has Iran finally run out of patience with the United States? It certainly appears that way. Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute, an organization dedicated to moving U.S. foreign policy away from endless wars, had this to say: “Iranian source tells me Iran has stopped playing the tit-for-tat game. Instead, it’s now striking back ‘at least 1.5x as hard’ for every attack the U.S. [carries out] against Iran.” The Pentagon’s version of