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Politico
4 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Iran's nuclear Rorschach test
With help from John Sakellariadis, Maggie Miller and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Eric Programming note: We'll be off this Thursday but will be back in your inboxes on Friday. Is Iran close to developing a nuclear weapon with its vast stockpiles of highly enriched uranium? The answer depends on who you ask. Israeli officials insist that new intelligence, shared with the United States, indicates that Iran was racing to build a nuclear weapon. Their U.S. counterparts are less convinced. In March, Director of National Intelligence TULSI GABBARD told lawmakers that 'Iran is not building a nuclear weapon,' in line with previous assessments shared under the Biden administration. So, which is true? Former U.S. intelligence officials said that two people could be looking at the same intelligence and reach different conclusions as to Iran's intent. 'Unless there is a smoking gun, everything is fragmentary and has to be put together,' said a former senior U.S. intelligence official. The former senior official, like others quoted, was granted anonymity to speak freely about the intelligence analysis process. Assessments also tend to get very technical very fast when talking about Iran's nuclear program. Tehran already has two of the three ingredients needed to deliver a nuclear weapon: missiles that could deliver a devastating nuclear warhead to its target and ample quantities of highly enriched uranium. Gabbard testified in March that Iran has unprecedented levels of enriched uranium for a country that is not a nuclear power. The third component requires advanced scientific and technical know-how to get highly enriched uranium to explode and create a sustained nuclear reaction. What Iran is capable of and looking to do in this arena is where much of the debate plays out. It's also the part of the process that's fiendishly difficult for foreign intelligence agencies to keep tabs on, as it can be masked as scientific research. 'The nightmare scenario for the last decade is that Iran makes us think that they have stopped work on the weaponization piece, and have found a way to do that completely clandestinely,' said a second former senior intelligence official. Intelligence analysis is an art, not a science. While Gabbard's topline assessment from March still stands, there is plenty of debate within America's spy agencies about Iran's intentions, a person familiar with the matter told NatSec Daily. Some parts of the intelligence community, the White House and Capitol Hill believe it's a matter of semantics, the person said, noting that Iran has all of the key components for a nuclear weapons program, even if it has not been formally described as such. That debate played out in the open on Tuesday when President DONALD TRUMP dismissed Gabbard's remarks in March. 'I don't care what she said,' Trump said. 'I think they were very close to having a weapon.' 'There's a tug of war going on over in the White House,' Sen. TIM KAINE (D-Va.), who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Eric on Tuesday afternoon. Trump is hearing from both supporters and opponents of military intervention, Kaine argued, 'and that explains why his own comments tend to go back and forth.' For now, Washington is waiting for Trump to decide what to do with all the information presented to him, including whether to strike Iran. The president told reporters today, 'I may do it. I may not do it.' 'Nobody knows what I'm going to do,' he said. The Inbox HYPERSONIC SHOW: Iran launched hypersonic missiles at Israel today, the first time the high-power weapon has been used in the most recent volley of airstrikes between the two countries. Amid the escalation, the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem announced it is organizing evacuations of American citizens, Eric reports. WONG'S NEXT MOVE: Former deputy national security adviser ALEX WONG is expected to join the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, two people familiar with the move told our own John Sakellariadis. The move indicates that Wong — who was ousted from his National Security Council role last month amid the fallout over top officials using the messaging app Signal to discuss military strikes in Yemen — still maintains close ties to the Trump administration. While low-profile, the PIAB has previously weighed in on hot-button intelligence policy topics, like the reauthorization of a key foreign spy power under JOE BIDEN. It is currently headed by former Republican Rep. DEVIN NUNES, along with other close Trump allies. A White House spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on Wong's potential move. THE MARSHAL MEETS TRUMP: Pakistani Army chief ASIM MUNIR had lunch with Trump at the White House today — a rare occurrence that suggests the Trump administration is looking to mend fences with Islamabad. The president opting to meet with any foreign military leader is rare, let alone a foreign military leader who is not currently the head of government or head of state of a U.S. ally. Pakistan's ties with Washington have also waned in recent years as the United States has pursued greater cooperation with India as a way to counter China in the Indo-Pacific. Moreover, the timing of the lunch is auspicious. Pakistan, which borders Iran, would be a critical player in any broader conflict with Iran as a potential entrepot for supplies and weapons for either side. And Pakistan's growing ties with China have led some Iran watchers to warn that Beijing could use Pakistan's territory as a way to funnel resources to Tehran in the event of a longer-term conflict with the United States and Israel. KELLOGG'S MINSK MISSION: While the administration is mostly focusing on the Middle East these days, Ukraine special envoy KEITH KELLOGG is meeting with Belarusian President ALEKSANDR LUKASHENKO, our own Felicia Schwartz reports. The overture to the leader of Russia's satellite state is surprising. But it signals the administration's desire to keep lines open with Moscow. Reuters' Gram Slattery and Humeyra Pamuk were the first to report on the planned meeting. IT'S WEDNESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at ebazail@ and follow Eric on X @ebazaileimil. While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team on X and Bluesky at: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @ @PhelimKine, @ak_mack, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel Keystrokes TAKES A SIDE: A Chinese government-linked influence effort online is working to spread the narrative that Iran is the dominant force in the conflict between Tehran and Israel, according to a new report from social network analysis company Graphika. As our own Maggie Miller writes in, Graphika researchers found that influence groups online tied to the Chinese government began almost immediately posting content on Western and Chinese social media platforms after the Israeli attack on Iran last week, promoting narratives on Iran winning the war. These include promoting an artificial intelligence-generated video on X that gives evidence of a successful destructive missile attack on Israel, and Chinese state-linked media posting reports that Israeli Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU had fled to Greece during the strikes. Cyberattacks are also an increasing concern as the conflict continues, and U.S. critical infrastructure owners and operators are on high alert for a surge in Iranian-linked retaliatory attacks, as Maggie reported late Tuesday night. The Complex GRILLING HEGSETH: Defense Secretary PETE HEGSETH faced tough questions from both Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Armed Services Committee today about U.S. military plans for conflict with Iran, the deployment of the U.S. military to Los Angeles amid protests and the Pentagon's budget request. Testifying alongside Joint Chiefs Chair DAN CAINE, the Pentagon chief declined to comment on conversations within the administration about striking Iran. Hegseth also defended the military's deployment to Los Angeles and blasted appeals courts' efforts to limit 'national security policy.' He also faced questions from Sen. Tim Kaine about the renaming of several military bases that previously honored Confederate generals. Republicans weren't keen to give the Pentagon chief too many lifelines during the hearing. Armed Services Chair ROGER WICKER (R-Miss.) took Hegseth to task for the Pentagon's budget request, saying it 'leads me to question whether some officials in the administration plan to ignore congressional intent.' Related: Hegseth defers to general on Pentagon's plans for Iran by our own Jack Detsch and Paul McLeary FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — AUKUS ENHANCEMENTS EFFORTS: Lawmakers are looking to help Australia and the U.K. avoid defense manufacturing restrictions as part of the AUKUS pact. Sens. PETE RICKETTS (R-Neb.) and Kaine introduced the AUKUS Improvement Act today, which would exempt the administration from needing to tell Congress about overseas manufacturing if it involves Australia and the U.K. The bill also lifts a requirement that the State Department grant Third Party Transfer approval for any foreign military sales to State Department-vetted entities that have been approved as AUKUS Authorized Users. The bill has a good chance of becoming law. AUKUS enjoys widespread bipartisan support and the administration reaffirmed its commitment to the pact to build submarines with the two U.S. allies after meeting with British Prime Minister KEIR STARMER at the G7 summit this week. Related: EU and Australia to negotiate security and defense partnership by our colleague Giorgio Leali On the Hill FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — KILLING CAESAR (ACT): Two lawmakers are teaming up to sink a law that helped isolate the regime of former Syrian dictator BASHAR ASSAD to encourage the new government in Damascus to join its camp. Sens. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) and RAND PAUL (R-Ky.) introduced a bill today that would repeal the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which imposed economic sanctions on Syria. Their bill would remove broad-based sanctions, while preserving some of the provisions in U.S. law that would allow Washington to hold Syrian officials accountable for future human rights abuses. Shaheen told NatSec Daily that 'we can keep the new Syrian authorities accountable without decimating the economy' and praised Trump's special envoy to Syria, Ambassador TOM BARRACK, for using diplomacy to yield 'tremendous results.' 'We must do everything we can to support the Syrian people's aspirations for democracy, stability and security,' she said. The bill is likely to pass, as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle pushed the Trump administration in recent months to relax sanctions against Damascus and encouraged the White House's outreach towards Syria's new leader AHMED AL-SHARAA. Broadsides CARLSON CHEWS OUT CRUZ: Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas), one of the leading GOP advocates for a military intervention against Iran's nuclear program, sat down with conservative commentator TUCKER CARLSON for an interview. And Cruz didn't pass Carlson's pop quiz about Iran. As our own Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing reports, Carlson launched a softball at Cruz, asking how many people live in Iran. Cruz didn't know the answer and Carlson took him to task about it: 'You don't know the population of the country you seek to topple? How could you not know that?' When Cruz shot back that he doesn't 'sit around memorizing population tables,' Carlson got frustrated and proceeded to ask him more specific questions about Iran's demographics. 'You don't know anything about Iran,' Carlson said, as the two men began yelling over each other. 'You're a senator who is calling for the overthrow of the government and you don't know anything about the country!' The fiery exchange underscores the deep divisions within the Republican Party over the Trump administration's moves in Iran. Transitions — The president is tapping Adm. DARYL 'HONEY BADGER' CAUDLE to be the next chief naval officer. Caudle, a career submariner, is currently the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces. He was seen as a leading contender to replace Adm. LISA FRANCHETTI, whom Trump removed from her post earlier this year. The president also nominated Marine Gen. CHRISTOPHER MAHONEY, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, to be Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs. Both will face Senate confirmation before the Armed Services Committee. — Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine BRIDGET BRINK announced today she's running for Congress as a Democrat in Michigan's Seventh Congressional District. She'll be looking to unseat Rep. TOM BARRETT (R-Mich.) in what's expected to be one of the most expensive and competitive House races of the 2026 cycle. — Career U.S. intelligence official ADAM JONES is now the National Security Council's senior director for intelligence, three people familiar with the personnel move told John. Jones will fill an influential White House post previously held by BRIAN WALSH, who was ousted this April after Trump's Oval Office meeting with right-wing activist LAURA LOOMER. Jones joined the NSC in recent weeks, according to the three people, all of whom were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters. A White House spokesperson declined to comment. — TODD BENSMAN is now a senior adviser to border czar TOM HOMAN. He most recently was a senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies. What to Read — Nahal Toosi and Eric Bazail-Eimil, POLITICO: State Department unveils social media screening rules for all student visa applicants — Richard Nephew, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: The United States may destroy the Fordow enrichment plant. It won't make the Iranian nuclear threat go away — Afshon Ostovar, Foreign Affairs: How Iran Lost Friday Today — Henry L. Stimson Center, 10 a.m.: Iran-Israel War: Update on the Israeli Campaign, Iranian Nuclear Program and the Civilian Toll — Atlantic Council, 10:30 a.m.: Addressing China's Growing Influence in Colombia — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 11 a.m.: Getting Started: The New Lee Jae-myung Government — Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 12 p.m.: The Bigger Picture in the Iran-Israel Conflict: Russia, Missiles, Militias, and More Thanks to our editors, Rosie Perper and Ester Wells, who should not be named to the President's Intelligence Advisory Board.
Condé Nast Traveler
12-06-2025
- Condé Nast Traveler
A Guide to Glacier National Park, According to a Regular Visitor
If the 10 million acres of peaks, rivers, and lakes spanning northern Montana and southwestern Canada is the Crown of the Continent, then Glacier National Park is that crown's sparkliest jewel. Hugging the Continental Divide and encompassing 1,583 square miles of remote glacial lakes, rose-tinged mountains, and trout-filled rivers, Glacier is epic in the truest sense of the word. The ecosystems of the park remain relatively undisturbed, home to the same plants and animals that have been here for centuries—grizzly bears, mountain goats, wolverines, and wolves among them—and tribes like the Blackfeet, Séliš, Ql̓ispé, and Ksanka maintain deep ties to their ancestral lands. Travelers can hike into the backcountry, cruise lofty heights on Going-to-the-Sun Road, and lounge by a sapphire lake, making a visit as wild, or as refined, as desired. No matter how you choose to spend your time in Glacier, the park is sure to treat you like royalty. Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan is an award-winning freelance writer and editor who focuses on climate solutions, environment, the outdoors, travel, and parenting. Born and raised in the Chicagoland area, she now makes her home in Missoula, Montana. Elisabeth holds a Master's degree in magazine journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, where she earned the prestigious McCormick Scholar designation and the Harrington Memorial Award. Her most ambitious trip to date was taking two kids under five on a two-week jaunt around England and Ireland (nobody slept much, but it was worth it). Of the dozens of national parks I've visited, Glacier is my favorite. My husband and I got engaged in a tent alongside Gunsight Lake, and we've watched our kids go from exploring Logan Pass while riding in a baby carrier to confidently hiking Avalanche Lake under their own power (mostly). We make the trip up there at least once a year to sleep under the stars, canoe the lakes, and count how many mountain goats we can see. Over the years, we've found our favorite nooks and crannies. Below, I share them all, in this guide to Glacier National Park. What's new in 2025 The Swiftcurrent area at Many Glacier will be under construction for road and water system repairs until spring 2026. Visitors can still access the area, but only those with Many Glacier Hotel or activity reservations will be allowed to park there from July through September. Everyone else must park along the entrance road and ride a shuttle into the heart of Many Glacier ($2 reservation required; book at
The Citizen
08-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
They are happy to be watched by drunkards
They are happy to be watched by drunkards SEDIBENG.- The so-called kasi football is slowly taking over organised football in the Vaal. It seems these young soccer stars idolise this so-called kasi football over structured football. However, Zakes' Sports Corner doesn't blame them, they were told that playing these kasi games is better than playing league matches, because the scouts might see them. There is no more respect for playing organised football, which falls under the South African Football Association (SAFA) structures. These players have been told that if they want to play at the highest level of football, playing this so-called kasi football will make their dreams come true. Really! In the past, playing football under SAFA structures was the wish of any boy growing up in the community. But not now! To some, playing leagues and organised football is just a waste of time. They would rather be happy to be watched by drunkards at the 'kasi football'. Please, don't misunderstand Zakes' Sports Corner, there is nothing wrong with playing those kasi football or community tournaments. But it is concerning when the youngsters choose them over structured football. It is not a secret that the standard of SAFA at the regional and LFA levels is not the same as before. As things stand, it has been a while since this region has had a team in the top-flight football. This is because 'kasi football' is more important than playing under SAFA structures. My point is that tournaments are being played all over Sedibeng. Gone are the days when playing under SAFA structures was a top priority. Like Zakes' Sports Corner said earlier, the youngsters have been misled by a certain individual that playing this 'kasi football' is better than wasting their time playing league matches. They were told that by playing kasi football, they stand a chance of being seen by the scouts. Se Voet! There is no doubt that this region is blessed when it comes to talented footballers; stats don't lie. This region is the breeding ground of South African football. How did we end up here as a region? No one knows! Zakes' Sports Corner believes that it is not too late to start over and go back to the way we used to respect structured football. It is not as if Zakes' Sports Corner hates kasi football or these community soccer tournaments. No, but there must be respect for structured football. These youngsters must know that playing under the SAFA structure is more important than playing so-called kasi football. This region deserves better when it comes to football. History has no blank pages! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Milwaukee killer Maxwell Anderson played Netflix series with mutilation the night he killed Sade Robinson, juror says
The jury that convicted 34-year-old Maxwell Anderson June 6 in the killing and dismemberment of 19-year-old Sade Robinson took less than an hour to render a decision and were informed of new evidence once the trial concluded. "Everyone agreed pretty early on in the morning that he was guilty," juror Melissa Blascoe said. Most of the short time in the jury room was spent looking meticulously at the law to decide whether to convict him of first-degree intentional homicide or first-degree reckless homicide, she said. Anderson was found guilty on all counts: intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson. Blascoe, a 33-year-old social worker, said it was revealed in post-trial meeting with the prosecution that on the night of Robinson's murder, Anderson turned on the Netflix series "Love, Death & Robots" while Robinson was inside the home. During the final episode of volume two of the animated series, a corpse is dismembered on a beach. The prosecution believes Anderson dismembered Robinson on a small beach at Warnimont Park in Cudahy. "I was like, oh, ... that's disgusting because that could have been where he got some of his ideas or fantasies," Blascoe said. A "turning point" in the case for Blascoe was the last day of testimony, June 5, when jurors were shown disturbing and graphic images of Robinson inside Anderson's home that were deleted from the phone. "That was pretty damning evidence that shook everyone," she said. "I physically felt like I was gonna throw up at that point. I know a lot of people were shaking and crying." Blascoe said it was the turning point for her because "that was really the first time they put Sade at his house and we could physically see that. It put the nail in his coffin, so to say." Blascoe described how before that moment the prosecution team, led by Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan, were showing jurors grainy or darkened footage in the early morning hours that didn't clearly show Anderson driving Robinson's car before torching it outside an abandoned home on the city's north side. "There was just a lot of video footage and a lot of it didn't make sense because he was just making circles around the city and probably just kind of panicking," Blascoe said. Blascoe felt the prosecution did their job of proving intent to kill Robinson, noting a graphic photo of Anderson holding Robinson's right breast as she lay incapacitated. Robinson's right breast is among her body parts that haven't been recovered. "This is his trophy in a way," Blascoe said of Anderson. "Those pictures will be in my mind for quite some time." As Blascoe sat in the courtroom for two weeks after being called for jury duty, which was the case for 14 other people, she was vaguely familiar with the case after seeing it in the news in April 2024, but hadn't followed it closely since then. She didn't think she was going to be picked after revealing during jury selection that she previously worked for Child Protective Services and dealt with Children's Court often. Blascoe said jurors grew anxious after hearing the extreme nature of the crime. "I don't think anyone was ready to see the defendant at the table," she said. There was way more agreement than dissent amongst the jury for the 45 minutes they discussed the case, she said. It was mainly following the jury instructions and the law, Blascoe said, adding that everyone got a chance to speak and ask questions. "I feel I can walk away with a clean conscience," she added. "If anything, I'm walking away from this experience just knowing that there's good humans out there." In addition to meeting with Judge Laura Crivello after the trial, the jurors also met the prosecution and defense teams where evidence was discussed that wasn't presented at trial. As the jurors departed the post-trial meetings, they didn't receive a definite answer on why Anderson killed Robinson. "It was like speculative," Blascoe said. "Obviously, there was some planning that went into this." Anderson will be sentenced Aug. 15. He faces a mandatory life sentence, but part of that could be extended supervision. Crivello will make the final decision. The Journal Sentinel also reached out to several other jurors and have not yet heard back. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Maxwell Anderson played Netflix show the night he killed Sade Robinson
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Milwaukee killer Maxwell Anderson played Netflix series with mutilation the night he killed Sade Robinson, juror says
The jury that convicted 34-year-old Maxwell Anderson June 6 in the killing and dismemberment of 19-year-old Sade Robinson took less than an hour to render a decision and were informed of new evidence once the trial concluded. "Everyone agreed pretty early on in the morning that he was guilty," juror Melissa Blascoe said. Most of the short time in the jury room was spent looking meticulously at the law to decide whether to convict him of first-degree intentional homicide or first-degree reckless homicide, she said. Anderson was found guilty on all counts: intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson. Blascoe, a 33-year-old social worker, said it was revealed in post-trial meeting with the prosecution that on the night of Robinson's murder, Anderson turned on the Netflix series "Love, Death & Robots" while Robinson was inside the home. During the final episode of volume two of the animated series, a corpse is dismembered on a beach. The prosecution believes Anderson dismembered Robinson on a small beach at Warnimont Park in Cudahy. "I was like, oh, ... that's disgusting because that could have been where he got some of his ideas or fantasies," Blascoe said. A "turning point" in the case for Blascoe was the last day of testimony, June 5, when jurors were shown disturbing and graphic images of Robinson inside Anderson's home that were deleted from the phone. "That was pretty damning evidence that shook everyone," she said. "I physically felt like I was gonna throw up at that point. I know a lot of people were shaking and crying." Blascoe said it was the turning point for her because "that was really the first time they put Sade at his house and we could physically see that. It put the nail in his coffin, so to say." Blascoe described how before that moment the prosecution team, led by Assistant District Attorney Ian Vance-Curzan, were showing jurors grainy or darkened footage in the early morning hours that didn't clearly show Anderson driving Robinson's car before torching it outside an abandoned home on the city's north side. "There was just a lot of video footage and a lot of it didn't make sense because he was just making circles around the city and probably just kind of panicking," Blascoe said. Blascoe felt the prosecution did their job of proving intent to kill Robinson, noting a graphic photo of Anderson holding Robinson's right breast as she lay incapacitated. Robinson's right breast is among her body parts that haven't been recovered. "This is his trophy in a way," Blascoe said of Anderson. "Those pictures will be in my mind for quite some time." As Blascoe sat in the courtroom for two weeks after being called for jury duty, which was the case for 14 other people, she was vaguely familiar with the case after seeing it in the news in April 2024, but hadn't followed it closely since then. She didn't think she was going to be picked after revealing during jury selection that she previously worked for Child Protective Services and dealt with Children's Court often. Blascoe said jurors grew anxious after hearing the extreme nature of the crime. "I don't think anyone was ready to see the defendant at the table," she said. There was way more agreement than dissent amongst the jury for the 45 minutes they discussed the case, she said. It was mainly following the jury instructions and the law, Blascoe said, adding that everyone got a chance to speak and ask questions. "I feel I can walk away with a clean conscience," she added. "If anything, I'm walking away from this experience just knowing that there's good humans out there." In addition to meeting with Judge Laura Crivello after the trial, the jurors also met the prosecution and defense teams where evidence was discussed that wasn't presented at trial. As the jurors departed the post-trial meetings, they didn't receive a definite answer on why Anderson killed Robinson. "It was like speculative," Blascoe said. "Obviously, there was some planning that went into this." Anderson will be sentenced Aug. 15. He faces a mandatory life sentence, but part of that could be extended supervision. Crivello will make the final decision. The Journal Sentinel also reached out to several other jurors and have not yet heard back. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Maxwell Anderson played Netflix show the night he killed Sade Robinson
