The hottest National Security Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

March 13, 2026

Letters from an American • 30 implied HN points • 14 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The administration temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil to try to ease soaring oil prices, a move that critics say directly benefits Russia and drew pushback from G7 allies.
  2. The U.S. military campaign against Iran is expanding without a clear political goal and has mixed messaging from leaders. That approach risks wider disruption, including closure of the Strait of Hormuz and increasing civilian casualties.
  3. Key decisions show poor preparation and weakened oversight: negotiators lacked technical expertise, offices that limited civilian harm were slashed, and internal dissent and aggressive rhetoric are raising legal and ethical concerns about how the war is being run.

Nearly a Decade Later, the Unmasking Scandal Comes Full Circle

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 8638 implied HN points • 19 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Devin Nunes was investigated for looking into potential abuses of surveillance programs during Obama's presidency. Recent findings seem to support his claims.
  2. Documents have surfaced showing that there were efforts within the House Intelligence Committee to unmask names of Trump associates, sparking renewed concerns about surveillance abuse.
  3. There is a sense of optimism among some officials that the issues surrounding the misuse of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) are being revisited after years of stagnation.

Grand Illusion

The Chris Hedges Report • 1183 implied HN points • 08 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Declining empires turn to war and the worship of strength, believing violence can restore past greatness, but that obsession ultimately demands self-sacrifice and destroys the empire.
  2. Leaders who prefer force over diplomacy gut institutions of soft power and staff key posts with cronies, leaving the country unable to understand others or manage complex alliances.
  3. Constant militarism and imperial overreach erode domestic democracy and invite international blowback, risking isolation, backlash, and eventual collapse.

How we'll know if Trump is going to sell America out to China

Noahpinion • 33118 implied HN points • 13 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Export controls on technology, especially semiconductors, are really important for keeping the U.S. ahead of China. If Trump stops these controls, it could mean he's not serious about standing up to Chinese power.
  2. There are doubts about Trump's commitment to manufacturing jobs, as his previous promises may not hold true. His tariffs might just be for show and could even hurt U.S. manufacturing instead of helping it.
  3. China is a serious threat to U.S. dominance, and the way Trump handles trade and technology policy will be key in determining the future relationship between the two countries.

Trump’s Dangerous Greenland Game

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 913 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. His muscular, unilateral foreign policy has produced big wins, like strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, pressure that helped free hostages, and the raid that captured Venezuela’s leader.
  2. His push to acquire Greenland and petulant diplomacy have created a diplomatic crisis with allies, risking immediate political fallout.
  3. Alienating allies could turn those victories into strategic liabilities, because long-term security often depends on sustained cooperation with partners.
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In sensational preliminary ruling, court prohibits German spy agency from classifying the AfD as a "confirmed right-wing extremist" organisation

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 186 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics National Security
  1. A German court barred the domestic spy agency from treating the AfD as a "confirmed right‑wing extremist" group while the main case proceeds, finding there isn't enough proof that the party as a whole is anti‑constitutional.
  2. The court said the agency's evidence was thin and largely based on public sources like social media, and that such material does not prove the party pursues an aggressive, anti‑democratic agenda.
  3. The ruling is a major setback for efforts to ban or marginalize the AfD and could limit moves to remove its members from public roles, while the interior ministry says it will review the dossier and is unlikely to win an appeal.

Niall Ferguson: The Truth About Trump's National Security Strategy

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2198 implied HN points • 07 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics National Security
  1. A national security strategy is a written roadmap and not automatically a binding doctrine, so it shouldn’t be treated as the final word on policy.
  2. The document criticizes European allies for low defense spending and economic decline, warning their societies face serious risks.
  3. It frames U.S. policy around preserving American primacy, prioritizing national strength and openly calling out allies’ shortcomings.

The Mad Stamp Collector

Thinking about... • 828 implied HN points • 11 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. A possessive, aggressive approach to friends destroys trust and ends helpful cooperation.
  2. Existing alliances and agreements already give access and security when needed; asking and cooperating works far better than trying to seize things.
  3. Trying to claim or bully allied territory can break alliances, weaken national security, and hand advantage to rival powers.

Update: Bolton Raided, Leak Probe Widens

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 7667 implied HN points • 22 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. John Bolton's house was raided by the FBI as part of an investigation into classified leaks. This shows that the legal action regarding these issues is becoming more serious.
  2. The investigation relates to claims that Bolton leaked classified information in his memoir, which Trump accused him of doing. Trump had even tried to stop the book from being published.
  3. Recent deals made with FBI whistleblowers suggest there are ongoing disagreements and tensions within the FBI related to how investigations are being handled.

The Pentagon, Anthropic, and The Battle For AI Control

The Dossier • 97 implied HN points • 27 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Effective Altruists and some AI companies are trying to set moral rules that limit how governments can use AI, effectively creating an extra governance layer above elected authorities. That stance is being framed as a challenge to constitutional authority.
  2. Anthropic relaxed its safety rules for commercial competition and accepted large investments from Gulf-state actors, yet refuses to let its AI be used by the U.S. military, showing selective principles and reputation-driven choices. Critics argue this reflects prioritizing tech-elite standing over consistent ethical or national-security commitments.
  3. The Pentagon and the Trump administration are pushing back with threats to revoke contracts and invoke the Defense Production Act to secure military access to AI, asserting government control over military uses. The standoff highlights a broader power struggle between elected authorities and private AI firms over who sets the rules.

Israel, Its Lobby, and the Iran War

John’s Substack • 16 implied HN points • 18 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The Israel lobby still strongly shapes U.S. policy. It has lost control of the public conversation, and many now believe the U.S. was pulled into the Iran war by Netanyahu and the lobby.
  2. A senior U.S. official resigned, saying he could not support the Iran war and arguing the conflict began because of pressure from Israel and its American lobby.
  3. The war appears to be in a stalemate with no clear way for the U.S. to end it or win it, and there is no obvious viable exit strategy.

The Fourteenth Amendment Wasn’t a Creative Writing Exercise

Bulwark+ • 9552 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The Fourteenth Amendment was drafted in response to specific concerns about real-world actions from the past.
  2. The Fourteenth Amendment's Section 3 was written to prevent individuals like John B. Floyd, who violated their oath of office, from holding government positions.
  3. The progression of authoritarianism in America reveals the fragility of our system's guardrails when confronted one by one.

Rubio Calls For The End Of A Tolerant, Democratic Europe And The Crowd Goes Wild

Phillips’s Newsletter • 357 implied HN points • 14 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Marco Rubio urged Europe to abandon its tolerant, liberal democratic model in favor of smaller, nationalistic, Trump-aligned states, and his remarks were met with enthusiastic applause.
  2. He portrayed the pre-Trump, rules-based international order as a dangerous 'delusion,' blaming migration, trade, and liberal tolerance for Western decline and pitching a Trump-led renewal as the solution.
  3. Rubio downplayed Russia and China as central threats and signaled willingness to accept a Ukraine settlement that keeps Russia content, implying a U.S. pivot away from guaranteeing European security.

From New York Times Shanghai bureau chief to U.S. intelligence contractor

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 895 implied HN points • 10 Jan 26
📰 News National Security
  1. A former New York Times Shanghai bureau chief founded a China-focused media and intelligence company that depends heavily on U.S. government customers and has spent money lobbying defense and intelligence budgets.
  2. The company and partners like DarkOwl publicly demonstrated leaked Chinese credentials and said they conduct collection behind the Chinese firewall, even showing passwords from the Naz.API breach.
  3. Close ties to Pentagon contracts, intelligence-affiliated partners, and “government-only” briefings blur the line between journalism and private intelligence work, which risks fueling distrust between the U.S. and China.

TGIF: Piddly, Stupid Stuff

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1905 implied HN points • 05 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. U.S. forces reportedly struck an alleged Venezuelan drug boat and then hit survivors clinging to the wreckage, and a defense official saying he wasn’t present and calling it ‘the fog of war’ has raised questions about accountability.
  2. The United States Institute of Peace was renamed for Donald Trump, a move that comes off as self-aggrandizing and invites comparisons to past presidential honors.
  3. A weekly news roundup mixes snarky coverage of both trivial and serious stories—celebrity spats, tech vs. human driving, campus disability trends—and has added a new advice column called Tough Love.

The Machinery of Terror

The Chris Hedges Report • 821 implied HN points • 11 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The government is building a repressive machinery—militarized immigration enforcement, mass detentions, and aggressive raids—that is gradually eroding civil liberties.
  2. State terror and fear tactics—kidnappings, brutality, and a culture of denunciation—are used to silence critics, break solidarity, and leave institutions unwilling or unable to hold agents accountable.
  3. Collective, urgent resistance is needed now: organizing protests, legal aid, strikes, community defense, and civil disobedience can disrupt the machinery of repression and protect vulnerable people before freedoms disappear.

hard limits to soft power

bad cattitude • 206 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics National Security
  1. Soft power — persuasion, institutions, and rights — creates the best kind of society, but it only survives if backed by hard power that can deter and punish coercion.
  2. If elites repudiate the need for hard power and become overly permissive, criminals or external aggressors can exploit that weakness and soft systems can collapse into violence or warlord rule.
  3. The world is shifting from a soft‑power consensus to harder realpolitik, so institutions built on persuasion are losing influence while more forceful actors reassert control to guarantee order.

When are tariffs good?

Noahpinion • 19353 implied HN points • 06 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Tariffs can help protect national security by ensuring that the U.S. maintains essential manufacturing capabilities for military needs. Having domestic industries ready to switch to military production is crucial in case of conflicts.
  2. Targeted tariffs can support 'national champions,' which are big domestic companies that can thrive by limiting foreign competition. This helps the country's economy by allowing its firms to earn more profit and create jobs.
  3. The infant industry argument suggests that tariffs can help new industries grow by shielding them from foreign competition until they are strong enough to stand on their own. However, broad tariffs should be carefully considered as they might not apply well to every situation.

Một chuyến đi Nhà Trắng

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 6810 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics National Security
  1. Visiting the White House to discuss cybersecurity and AI for Vietnam showed the importance of global connections and the need to align local programs with broader international initiatives.
  2. Efforts to engage government support require strategic positioning within larger global agendas, as seen during the meeting with the National Security Council.
  3. Navigating policy advocacy involves persistence and optimism, as demonstrated by the challenges and outcomes of the meeting at the White House.

Former CIA Venezuela chief is raiding clients from Rubio-affiliated lobbying firm while the US continues seizing oil tankers

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 996 implied HN points • 27 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Enrique de la Torre, a former CIA station chief for Venezuela, left the Rubio-linked Continental Strategy to start Tower Strategy and brought four clients with him.
  2. Tower Strategy’s initial clients include Odyssey Marine (which has a history of international legal scandals), Bitdeer, T1 Energy, and UGT Renewables/Sun Africa, so the firm represents a mix of controversial and strategic energy/tech interests.
  3. De la Torre and his partner James Story openly back aggressive U.S. action to oust Maduro while U.S. forces have been seizing Venezuelan oil tankers, and their career moves reflect a broader pattern of ex-intelligence officials moving into lobbying and foreign-agent work that can carry legal risks.

AI #146: Chipping In

Don't Worry About the Vase • 1433 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
🕹 Technology National Security
  1. Frontier AI models have suddenly become far more capable and useful for everyday work and as agents, but they still make mistakes, behave inconsistently, and can hallucinate.
  2. Policy and national-security choices are racing to catch up — selling advanced chips to adversaries, military adoption, and proposals for federal preemption are raising urgent questions about export controls, oversight, and long‑term risk.
  3. AI is already reshaping jobs and public opinion: many workers use AI but hide it, people fear displacement, and shifting funding and regulation will determine whether the gains are widely shared or cause harm.

Former DEA official's alleged co-conspirator in attempt to launder cartel money is infamous former CIA operative

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 1444 implied HN points • 05 Dec 25
📰 News National Security
  1. A former senior DEA financial official and Robert Mario Sensi were indicted for allegedly trying to support the CJNG by laundering $12 million and offering advice on fentanyl production and weaponized drones.
  2. Robert Mario Sensi is an infamous ex‑CIA operative with a long record of legal trouble, including a conviction for stealing $2.5 million, SEC liability in a pyramid scheme, and a recent bankruptcy filing.
  3. Sensi allegedly offered to procure drones capable of carrying kilograms of explosives, and his combination of intelligence ties and criminal history makes the accusations a serious national and international security concern.

How Trump Officials’ Rhetoric Backfired in Minnesota. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 445 implied HN points • 27 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Aggressive rhetoric by Trump officials after the Minneapolis border-patrol killing inflamed outrage and prompted a quick administration retreat, including a demotion and new personnel on the ground.
  2. Holocaust denial and distortion are resurging as the last witnesses die, making preservation of testimony and efforts to fight abuse of history urgently important.
  3. A set of other major stories underline wider social and political fractures — Democrats losing support among men, sudden purges in China that raise questions about leadership stability, growing harms from family estrangement, tech and regulatory clashes, and deadly winter storms.

"The Israel Lobby" after 20 Years

John’s Substack • 18 implied HN points • 15 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. A 2006 academic essay about the Israel lobby produced intense controversy and had a lasting impact on debates over US foreign policy.
  2. Twenty years later, the argument was revisited to evaluate how the lobby's influence and the surrounding debate have changed.
  3. A recent interview with outspoken commentators shows the issue still generates heated discussion and remains a live topic in public discourse.

Trump Was Just Laid Baier

The Status Kuo • 12637 implied HN points • 20 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Fox anchor Bret Baier asked hard-hitting questions in an interview with Trump.
  2. Trump's responses in the interview could further expose him in his federal criminal case.
  3. Trump's public statements could be used against him in court for obstruction of justice and Espionage Act violations.

Oh to Be Pete Hegseth’s Speechwriter

I Might Be Wrong • 10 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Great speeches use plain, natural words instead of flashy, over-styled phrases. Showing off with fancy language usually just confuses people.
  2. Big, macho slogans and muddled metaphors make a speaker sound incompetent and can unintentionally signal willingness to break rules. Confusing lines and mixed metaphors undercut credibility.
  3. Rhetorical clumsiness from leaders is worrying because it reflects on their judgment and can imply poor decision-making in serious areas like war policy. When public language suggests lawlessness or incompetence, trust and confidence erode.

March 9, 2026

Letters from an American • 31 implied HN points • 10 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Trump pursued a rapid strike-and-regime-change approach toward Iran without a clear long-term plan, and the attack backfired as Iran named a harder-line successor and the administration even discussed targeting him.
  2. The conflict has snarled shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, driven oil to near-record highs, and threatened global energy and fertilizer supplies, prompting investors and tech companies to rethink Gulf investments.
  3. Domestically, the war and other scandals have weakened Trump politically as he pressures Congress to pass restrictive voting laws, while a fragile Republican majority and legal and budget tools in Congress could constrain his actions.

Does Manufacturing Matter?

ChinaTalk • 726 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Manufacturing alone is not a reliable path to mass jobs or higher productivity in advanced economies, since automation and high-value services often capture most of the gains.
  2. Manufacturing matters for national security and geopolitics, but the priority should be targeted: focus on chokepoints and dual-use goods like chips and magnets rather than low-value items like t-shirts.
  3. Industrial policy needs rigorous trade-off analysis—assessing monopolization risk, how quickly capacity can be repurposed, ecosystem effects, and opportunity costs—before deciding where to subsidize production versus buying other capabilities.

Why America Is Out of Ammunition

BIG by Matt Stoller • 55463 implied HN points • 20 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The Pentagon lacks oversight in tracking defense contractors, leading to issues in weapon production
  2. The defense industrial base is facing challenges due to prioritization of cash out over production
  3. The Government Accountability Office highlighted the lack of tracking defense-related mergers in the Pentagon, posing risks to national security

'Billy Grass' and the Investment Group: U.S. Attorneys publish transcripts from DEA narcoterrorism corruption scandal implying ties to recent acting DEA chief

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 406 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Prosecutors published transcripts and chat screenshots alleging that former DEA financial official Paul Campo and ex‑CIA operative Robert Sensi coordinated with a confidential source posing as a CJNG member to launder money and arrange weapons and explosives deals.
  2. The filings claim Campo advertised past work in New York and suggested close ties to top DEA leadership, including acting DEA head Derek Maltz, implying potential access to high‑level agency officials.
  3. Authorities seized many phones, used cellphone location data, and filed indictments and bail opposition papers, and the case is actively moving through court with further discovery and hearings ongoing.

U.S. Government seized "approximately 17 phones" from former DEA official charged with narcoterrorism and money laundering

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 1078 implied HN points • 11 Dec 25
📰 News National Security
  1. Two former U.S. officials — a high-ranking ex-DEA financial official and a former CIA operative — were indicted on charges of allegedly providing material support to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and money laundering, and they were brought into court in shackles.
  2. Investigators seized about 17 phones and other electronic storage and obtained warrants for Apple iCloud, Google accounts, and GPS location data, indicating a large volume of digital evidence.
  3. The court set a follow-up conference to manage extensive discovery (scheduled for Feb 6), bail for one defendant was previously denied without prejudice, and the judge disclosed a past professional tie to a prosecutor but said he can remain impartial.

Trump Helps Putin Kill Ukrainians: A Case Study

Phillips’s Newsletter • 329 implied HN points • 03 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Russia launched a massive missile and drone strike targeting Ukraine’s power and heating systems during an extreme cold snap, a deliberate move to maximize civilian suffering.
  2. The U.S. president publicly claimed he had secured a week-long pledge from Putin not to strike energy targets, but strikes continued, which undermines that claim and spread misleading information that aided Russia.
  3. There is urgent pressure for the U.S. to impose sanctions and restart military aid to Ukraine, since inaction or the spread of disinformation enables further attacks on civilians.

U.S. venture capital has a globalism problem

Jeff Giesea • 279 implied HN points • 16 Sep 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. A lot of U.S. venture capital comes from foreign investors, which can present risks to national security. It's important to know where the money is coming from to protect innovation.
  2. Stricter rules and more transparency are needed in venture capital to prevent foreign influence and risks, especially in critical tech sectors.
  3. We should encourage the creation of venture funds that support U.S. interests and work with government agencies to secure technological advancements.

104 murders in 107 days

The Watch • 973 implied HN points • 19 Dec 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The administration has carried out repeated lethal strikes on alleged drug boats, killing scores of people without due process; those attacks are morally wrong and likely illegal.
  2. These strikes won’t stop the overdose crisis or fentanyl flow — fentanyl mainly comes through Mexico and the boats were often not headed to the U.S. — and the administration is also cutting harm-reduction programs while pardoning major traffickers.
  3. The policy and rhetoric normalize extrajudicial violence and expand unchecked executive power, undermining the rule of law, alienating allies, and threatening civil liberties and international norms.

“Compromised” Congressional Commission Is Undermining Trump’s Ukraine Peace Efforts, Says Whistleblower

Public • 306 implied HN points • 02 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. A former senior official alleges the Helsinki Commission chaired by Senator Roger Wicker has been compromised by foreign influence and is undermining the Trump administration’s Ukraine peace efforts.
  2. The whistleblower accuses Commission staff, especially Kyle Parker, of working with ex‑Russian MP Ilya Ponomarev, handling undeclared cash and possibly violating FARA rules, and says financier Bill Browder paid lavish gifts that influenced Commission activity.
  3. The whistleblower has handed over documents and is urging independent investigations by the DNI, federal counterintelligence, and FARA authorities, warning that pending congressional funding could cement the Commission’s compromised status.

Do We Still Have a Democracy? Part II

KERFUFFLE • 21 implied HN points • 04 Mar 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. Government actions have escalated from boundary-pushing to outright abuses — seizing immigrants, killing people during enforcement, ignoring court orders, and sidelining Congress — which signals a serious erosion of democratic norms.
  2. The War Department’s use of a “supply chain risk” label against an AI firm shows the government is willing to use national-security authority to force companies to accept terms or face a de facto ban, rather than simply walking away from a deal.
  3. That designation acts like an embargo that could destroy the company and ripple across the tech and defense ecosystems, raising urgent questions about corporate limits, government power, and legal checks on both.

Why Does A Narcissist Accept Humiliation? Epstein Might Be The Answer.

Phillips’s Newsletter • 295 implied HN points • 05 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. A narcissist normally lashes out at insults, but in this case a prominent narcissistic leader repeatedly accepts public humiliation from a foreign leader and even defends them, which is highly unusual.
  2. Recent releases from the Jeffrey Epstein files suggest Epstein had ties to Russian intelligence, raising the possibility that compromising material (kompromat) was collected and passed to influence others.
  3. Because narcissists fear shame above almost everything, the real or even possible existence of kompromat could silently coerce them to comply with humiliators to avoid exposure.

U.S. Government initiated 4.5-year lawfare program against Chinese nickel mining through Indonesian labor unions

All-Source Intelligence Fusion • 488 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics National Security
  1. The U.S. has funded a multi-year, multi-million dollar program led by C4ADS with China Labor Watch as a subawardee to target Chinese-operated nickel mining in Indonesia through labor enforcement and union engagement. This effort focuses on documenting forced labor, training workers and unions, and producing enforcement-ready evidence for regulators and courts.
  2. The program is part of a broader U.S. push to secure nickel supply chains and protect American industry after geopolitical shifts, using labor governance and legal pressure to reduce market advantages held by Chinese-backed firms. It follows increased U.S. support for domestic alternatives and lobbying by companies seeking access to nickel.
  3. The campaign combines NGO research, media work (sometimes funded quietly), and legal 'lawfare' tactics as tools of economic statecraft, echoing historical U.S. use of labor programs for geopolitical aims and prompting criticism that it is an organized effort to weaken competing Chinese industry.

Trump’s Dangerous Greenland Game. Plus. . .

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 435 implied HN points • 19 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics National Security
  1. The president has ramped up demands to buy Greenland and threatened big tariffs on several European countries, risking a major diplomatic and economic backlash that could undercut foreign-policy wins.
  2. Prediction markets like Polymarket look vulnerable to insider manipulation, with reports of people making huge, suspicious bets right before major global events.
  3. Justice Department probes and talk of deploying federal troops signal a growing legal and political clash over sanctuary policies, putting local leaders and the federal government on a collision course.