Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Trump expected to announce Gaza Board of Peace next week: U.S. officials 2 reported killed as IDF says it hit ‘senior’ Gaza terrorist after Hamas fired at troops Iran judiciary chief warns no leniency for protesters 'helping enemy' Iran army chief threatens preemptive attack over ‘rhetoric’ targeting country after Trump’s comments WSJ Editorial: The Iranian protests escalate Zelenskiy seeks new Trump meeting as peace negotiators tackle land issue WaPo Editorial: Trump seizes a tanker and loses patience with Putin Lebanese military moves to new phase of disarmament plan of non-state groups like Hezbollah Former opinion editor at The Hill Daniel Allott: Western assumptions about Syria’s new leader are being tested Yemen separatist leader flees with Emirati help, Saudi coalition says Europe draws red line on Greenland after a year of trying to pacify Trump Former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States Arturo McFields: Maduro’s capture is an embarrassing defeat for China, Russia and IranIn The News
Israel
The cease-fire in Gaza has held for almost three months, but the battle over aid in the enclave rages on and is rapidly turning into a standoff—with two million Palestinians caught in the middle. – Wall Street Journal
Israel sold $6 billion of bonds in a three tranche international debt offering, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday, taking advantage of a positive market environment and Israel’s improved fiscal position since the October 10 ceasefire in Gaza. – Reuters
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged calm Wednesday after a bus driver ran over and killed a teenage boy during a protest by thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jewish demonstrators against a law seeking to draft them into Israel’s military. – Associated Press
President Trump is expected to announce the Gaza Board of Peace next week as part of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, two U.S. officials and two sources with knowledge told me. – Axios
Israel Aerospace Industries has successfully completed a serious of demonstrations of an innovative system to protect Israel’s borders. The solution is based on algorithms and AI of the most advanced in the field. – Jerusalem Post
The IDF conducted an airstrike in Jouaiyya, southern Lebanon, killing a Hezbollah terrorist from the group’s 127th Aerial Unit, IDF Arabic spokesperson Col. Avichay Adraee confirmed on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
In coordination with Israel, Hamas restarted its search for the remains of the final Gaza hostage, St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili, on Wednesday, a source confirmed to The Jerusalem Post. – Jerusalem Post
Two people were reportedly killed Wednesday in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, which the IDF said targeted a “senior terrorist” who was allegedly advancing terror plots against Israeli troops. – Times of Israel
Yitzhak Shichor writes: There is practically nothing that Israel can do directly to change Beijing’s ungracious policy, but it can do it indirectly by providing Taiwan with state-of-the-art weapons, which would prevent a prospective Chinese invasion of the island, or make it highly costly to China. Israel has done nothing wrong to China – on the contrary – so why it deserves such Chinese hostility is a mystery. – Jerusalem Post
Gershon Baskin writes: They would be correct in their argument from their focused point of view. For them, the point of view presented in this article would be illegitimate and out of bounds – because what the United States is seeking is the fastest path to genuine Israeli-Palestinian peace based on full mutual recognition of the legitimacy of both national movements, the fulfillment of the right of self-determination for the Palestinian people and the Israeli people, and the beginning of the sanctification of life and not death in the conflict between these two peoples for the past one hundred years. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
Iran’s top judge warned protesters on Wednesday there would be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, while accusing Israel and the U.S. of pursuing hybrid methods to disrupt the country. – Reuters
Chinese independent refiners are expected to switch to heavy crude from sources including Iran in coming months to replace Venezuelan shipments halted since the U.S. removed the country’s president, traders and analysts said. – Reuters
Iran’s army chief threatened preemptive military action Wednesday over the “rhetoric” targeting the Islamic Republic, likely referring to U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the United States “will come to their rescue.” – Associated Press
Iran faces a new round of protests challenging the country’s theocracy, but it seems like the only thing people there want to talk about is half a world away: Venezuela. – Associated Press
Iran’s president ordered security forces not to target peaceful protesters, a bid to defuse violent unrest that activists say has left at least 36 people dead. – Bloomberg
In one moment, American or Israeli officials may hint at a readiness to actively intervene in Iran in favor of regime change, while in another moment, they seem more concerned simply that Tehran does not lash out at them in a moment of desperation to distract from internal Iranian turmoil. – Jerusalem Post
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently the most popular person in Iran, a Tehran resident told KAN Reshet Bet on Wednesday. – Jerusalem Post
Editorial: Mr. Khamenei could tease more nuclear negotiations to win relief from markets, but he still isn’t budging on the key issues. By floating another Obama-style nuclear deal, his Foreign Minister insults Mr. Trump. The Khamenei regime is vulnerable, which makes it a moment for the U.S. to do what it can to help the Iranian people who want a government that looks out for them, not Hezbollah. – Wall Street Journal
Russia and Ukraine
Russia is reeling from the capture of Nicolás Maduro, a key Kremlin ally, but in Moscow, President Donald Trump’s brazen incursion into Venezuela also represents a return to great-power politics — a world order in which larger, imperialistic states dominate their regional spheres of influence with impunity. – Washington Post
The directors of Ukraine’s two main intelligence agencies have been credited with daring operations, like an audacious drone attack last summer on Russia’s strategic bomber fleet. – New York Times
Russian strikes late on Wednesday knocked out power supplies almost entirely in two regions of southeastern Ukraine, the energy ministry said. – Reuters
Firefighters have put out a blaze that broke out at an oil depot in Russia’s southern Belgorod region following an overnight Ukrainian drone attack, the Vesti state TV channel reported on Wednesday, citing the regional governor. – Reuters
Russia attacked two seaports in Ukraine’s Odesa region on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring eight others, Ukrainian officials said. – Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday he wanted a new meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump as their officials revisited the two most problematic issues in talks aimed at ending Russia’s war in Ukraine. – Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday pressed allies for ironclad security guarantees against any renewed Russian attack while also seeking progress on EU membership talks and tougher sanctions on Moscow. – Reuters
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s top adviser hailed “concrete results” on Wednesday as talks in Paris on peace and security guarantees for Ukraine entered their second day, vowing Kyiv’s national interests would be protected. – Reuters
Russia said on Wednesday that the U.S. seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic was a violation of maritime law, and a senior lawmaker described it as “outright piracy”. – Reuters
Editorial: The self-described Coalition of the Willing has also pledged to finance the ample arming of Kyiv and even gestured at prepositioning weapons for easy access should war break out again. These are still merely pledges. None of this has been signed and delivered. Above all, Putin has not agreed to any of this — and likely never will. Trump has shown Putin too much patience, and perhaps he will again, but it’s clear that he will impose real costs on the Russian strongman over his intransigence. That time could soon come again. – Washington Post
Jacob Parakilas and Pavlo Shkurenko writes: Russia’s naval and missile buildup has been informed by its invasion of Ukraine, but the risk extends further. It is already shaping Europe’s security environment. Russia’s industrial investments are building a coercive toolkit that explicitly targets European territory. If Europe continues to avoid articulating its own red lines, then Moscow will keep writing the script. – Foreign Policy
Syria
Fierce fighting in Syria’s northern city of Aleppo between government forces and Kurdish fighters drove thousands of civilians from their homes on Wednesday, with Washington reported to be mediating a de-escalation. – Reuters
Israel donated several ambulances to Druze communities in southern Syria as part of a humanitarian initiative, Israeli Druze MK (New Hope-United Right) Akram Hasson announced last week. – Jerusalem Post
Daniel Allott writes: None of this means Syria is inevitably headed toward renewed civil war. In some places, daily life has improved modestly, and millions of Syrians have returned since Assad’s ouster. But returns and departures are uneven, masking sharp differences in who feels secure enough to stay. A state that cannot reassure all its citizens that they will be protected equally will struggle to rebuild legitimacy. Violence along identity lines in today’s Syria is no longer an anomaly. It is a stress test. How the West responds — or fails to — will help determine whether those pressures ease or quietly harden into something far more difficult to undo. – The Hill
Yemen
Yemeni separatist leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who took up arms early in life and never shied away from joining conflicts, shows no signs of abandoning his dream of creating an independent state in the south. – Reuters
Italy has begun repatriating dozens of its citizens stranded on the Yemeni island of Socotra, with a first flight carrying 46 tourists due to land in Jeddah on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. – Reuters
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of a group of southern separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates, fled Yemen by boat before boarding an aircraft to Mogadishu that landed at a military airport in Abu Dhabi. – Reuters
Middle East & North Africa
The Iraqi cabinet has approved nationalising petroleum operations in the West Qurna 2 oilfield, one of the world’s largest, in accordance with the provisions of a service contract signed with Russia’s Lukoil (LKOH.MM), the government said in a statement on Wednesday. – Reuters
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are in talks to convert about $2 billion of Saudi loans into a JF-17 fighter jet deal, two Pakistani sources said, deepening military cooperation months after the two nations signed a mutual defence pact last year. – Reuters
China’s Dongfeng Motor (0489.HK), is in talks with an investor about producing passenger cars in Turkey, the company’s Turkish distributor said. Turkey, with annual sales of 1.4 million vehicles, is a relatively large market and has custom free trade with the EU. – Reuters
The Lebanese military said Thursday it had concluded the first phase of their plan to fully deploy across southern Lebanon and disarm non-state groups, notably Hezbollah. – Associated Press
Korean Peninsula
Qualcomm (QCOM.O), is in talks with Samsung Electronics over contract manufacturing of two-nanometre chips, the U.S. company’s CEO Cristiano Amon was quoted by the Korea Economic Daily as saying on Wednesday. – Reuters
South Korean prosecutors requested a warrant on Wednesday to arrest Kim Byung-ju, chairman of private equity firm MBK Partners, over its sale of troubled supermarket chain Homeplus. – Reuters
Lami Kim writes: Allowing South Korea to develop controlled nuclear latency under strict safeguards and effective oversight may be the most tolerable option: one that strengthens deterrence, preserves the alliance, supports U.S. strategy in Asia, and still gives Washington time to address any potential South Korean breakout before it occurs. In a world of imperfect options, the least bad choice may also be the most prudent one. – Foreign Policy
China
China is willing to intensify cooperation with Pakistan in fighting terrorism and telecom crime, Wang Xiaohong, China’s public security minister, said in a meeting with Pakistan’s interior and counter-narcotics minister in Beijing on Wednesday. – Reuters
China has signalled it would want to import quality food from Ireland, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said about his meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who also pushed a message about China engaging with the European Union. – Reuters
Six members of an influential underground Protestant church in China were detained by police this week, according to a church statement to members seen by Reuters and non-governmental organisations, in the latest crackdown on Chinese Christians. – Reuters
Leading Chinese oil companies with interests in Venezuela have asked Beijing for guidance on how to protect their investments as Washington cranks up pressure on the Latin American country to increase its economic ties with the US. – Bloomberg
David Fickling writes: Nervous analysts over the past year have pointed to a quote from Deng Xiaoping as evidence of Beijing’s long-term masterplan: “The Middle East has oil; China has rare earths.” A better guide might have been another line often attributed to the former premier: “Hide your strength, bide your time.” In so nakedly showing off its control of critical minerals, Beijing has inspired rival facilities to emerge around the world. That will leave it far weaker in the long term. – Bloomberg
South Asia
A yearlong investigation into Bank of America by India’s financial regulator found that the bank improperly shared material nonpublic information about a $180 million block trade of stock and then misled the authorities about it, people familiar with the matter said. – Wall Street Journal
India’s economic growth is estimated to surge past most initial private and official forecasts, backed by robust domestic demand and government spending, helping New Delhi cope with punitive U.S. tariffs. – Reuters
Clashes between residents and operators of a gold mining company in northern Afghanistan left four people dead and five others injured, officials said Wednesday. – Associated Press
Asia
Chen Zhi, the alleged ringleader of one of Asia’s largest scam conglomerates, was arrested in Cambodia and extradited to China, the Cambodian government said Wednesday. – Wall Street Journal
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh wants talks with Russia to build a nuclear power plant to wrap up this month and urged government officials to find new partners after Japan pulled out from a second project, the government said on Thursday. – Reuters
Malaysian anti-graft authorities detained a former army chief and four others on Wednesday in an investigation into alleged bribery involving military procurement contracts. – Reuters
Japan’s nuclear watchdog said Wednesday it is scrapping the safety screening for two reactors at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in central Japan, after its operator was found to have fabricated data about earthquake risks. – Associated Press
Singapore Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the US use of military intervention in Venezuela is of great concern, especially for smaller countries. – Bloomberg
Australia will establish a national Royal Commission into antisemitism, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Thursday, bowing to widespread pressure following the country’s worst terrorist attack left 15 dead at a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. – Bloomberg
Japan protested China’s deployment of a mobile drilling vessel in an area in the East China Sea known for gas reserves, as diplomatic tensions continue to escalate between Asia’s two largest economies. – Bloomberg
Thailand is gearing up for a general election Feb. 8, which could usher in the fourth prime minister in three years. The snap vote is expected to produce a coalition government, heightening the risk of continued political instability. – Bloomberg
Europe
President Trump has said that the U.S. must take control of Greenland, but how could the Arctic island, which is part of Denmark, change hands? Elections, money and military force are all routes receiving attention. None is simple, and each faces obstacles. Leaders in Greenland, Denmark and across Europe have said that the territory isn’t on the market. – Wall Street Journal
For the past year, European friends turned frenemies of the United States have delicately navigated one shock after another, hoping for the best as President Donald Trump threatened to lay waste to the global order. – Washington Post
The top U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday he would meet leaders of Denmark next week but signalled no retreat from President Donald Trump’s aim to take over Greenland as alarmed allies, including France and Germany, were working on a response. – Reuters
The British government said on Wednesday Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with United States President Donald Trump this evening and also set out his position on Greenland. Both leaders discussed the joint operation to intercept the Marinera tanker, recent progress on Ukraine and the U.S. operation in Venezuela, the statement said. – Reuters
The European Union will support Greenland and Denmark when needed and will not accept violations of international law no matter where they occur, EU Council President Antonio Costa said on Wednesday. – Reuters
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Wednesday that he had no doubt that NATO’s members remained united and was confident that the defence alliance would remain as it is. – Reuters
The European Union is renewing internal negotiations over a free trade agreement with five South American nations neighboring Venezuela a week after the United States’ audacious raid there to detain President Nicolás Maduro. – Associated Press
Prime Minister Andrej Babis said the Czech-led effort to supply Ukraine with ammunition may continue, shifting away from his earlier critical stance of the project. – Bloomberg
David Ignatius writes: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned Monday that if Trump keeps pushing, he could wreck NATO. “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” she said. Europeans increasingly have to worry: Could Trump really be so reckless that he would risk undoing America’s most important alliance? – Washington Post
Africa
A Nigerian court on Wednesday granted bail to former attorney-general and minister of justice Abubakar Malami, held for a month on money laundering and abuse of office charges, and adjourned his trial to February 17. – Reuters
Zambia has ditched plans to extend its International Monetary Fund loan programme before the scheduled expiration at the end of this month, the fund said on Wednesday. – Reuters
U.S. and South African officials reached an agreement during a closed-door meeting in late December to allow the U.S. to continue its controversial effort to bring white South Africans to the U.S. as refugees, an internal meeting summary reviewed by Reuters showed. – Reuters
The State Department said Wednesday that it has suspended all U.S. assistance to Somalia’s federal government over allegations that Somali officials destroyed an American-funded warehouse belonging to the World Food Program and seized 76 metric tons of food aid intended for impoverished civilians. – Associated Press
Mogadishu’s first line of defense against the next militant attack on Somalia ’s capital ranges from machine gunners in pick-up trucks to young men in plainclothes manning checkpoints. – Associated Press
The Ugandan presidential candidate known as Bobi Wine wears a flak jacket and helmet while campaigning to protect himself from gunfire. But the safety gear offers no protection from the stinging clouds of tear gas that often follow him on the campaign trail. – Associated Press
Guy Goldstein and Daniel J. Arbess write: Israel’s recognition of Somaliland is a warning and a quiet invitation. It recognized borders that are kept, institutions that function, and a population that chose ballots over bombs. It sent a signal that the era of endless indulgence for violent nonstates might be ending. Build something real and you might be treated as real. Choose governance over grievance and you might get sovereignty instead of fake sympathy. Just the rules, applied at last. – Wall Street Journal
Alex de Waal writes: With African peacekeepers on the ground, the peace process could be wrested from the Arab autocrats, and the Sudanese might finally have a real chance at establishing civilian rule and building a democracy. For a country that has had more than its share of wars, the elements required to achieve peace in Sudan are well known. There is, by now, 25 years of experience of what works and what doesn’t. What is much harder is getting the international players that are now driving the conflict to apply that knowledge. As Sudan has become a prototype of a new kind of international war, it will also be a crucial test for whether peacemaking in such dire circumstances is still possible. – Foreign Affairs
The Americas
The U.S. will sell blockaded Venezuelan oil “indefinitely,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday, a day after President Trump said Venezuela will give the U.S. between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil. – Wall Street Journal
In an about-face from his recent comments about Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, President Trump said on social media Wednesday evening that it had been a “Great Honor” to speak by phone with Mr. Petro, who he said had “called to explain the situation of drugs and other disagreements that we have had.” – New York Times
A majority of people in Venezuela struggled to afford food and just a fraction had stable work last year, according to a new Gallup poll released on Thursday, which painted a dire picture of daily life in the South American nation in the months before its leader, Nicolás Maduro, was ousted in a U.S. military operation. – New York Times
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro returned to prison on Wednesday after undergoing a series of hospital exams for a fall and knock to the head, his wife Michelle Bolsonaro said in a post on Instagram. – Reuters
Ecuador’s government on Wednesday protested a Spanish court’s release of an alleged crime boss who Quito had been seeking to extradite after he was accused of leading a violent attack on a TV station in 2024. – Reuters
Venezuela’s military held a funeral in the capital Wednesday for some of the dozens of soldiers killed during the U.S. operation that captured then-President Nicolás Maduro. – Associated Press
Editorial: Trump officials have so far been cagey about how quickly they will push Venezuela to hold elections. That is understandable; it would be unreasonable to expect an immediate democratic transition, especially with Maduro’s cronies still in power. But a regime too paranoid and repressive to free political prisoners won’t be a reliable partner on other issues. – Washington Post
Arturo McFields writes: The U.S. has achieved a historic victory in Venezuela gaining respect among friends and foes. Restoring its global and regional leadership. Putting into action and giving life to its new National Security Strategy. The challenges ahead are many. Maduro was captured and now is facing justice, but his criminal architecture remains intact. Venezuela has a long way to go to restore democracy and rebuild the rule of law. It is a monumental task, but Operation Absolute Resolve has provided the credentials and credibility to fulfill the task. – The Hill
Adam Scott Bellos writes: That is why antisemitic conspiracies appeared immediately. That is why legal abstractions were invoked so urgently. And that is why the people most affected welcomed it while those most insulated condemned it. This was not imperialism. It was the day the excuses ran out. Venezuela was never just Venezuela–it was the moment when narco-terrorism, revolutionary socialism, antisemitic scapegoating, and global paralysis finally collided, and the world was forced to choose between preserving a broken system and confronting what it had spent years refusing to name. – Jerusalem Post
Daniel F. Runde writes: The IDB is built for this moment. It is the hemisphere’s primary development institution, with professional safeguards, a procurement system designed to limit waste and fraud, and a governance structure that gives the United States real influence. American companies and American workers will have an opportunity to compete and win in rebuilding Venezuela. With the right leadership, resources, and international collaboration, Venezuela will be a prosperous and peaceful country. The IDB is the right vehicle to ensure burden sharing while ensuring strong American influence over this immense task. – National Interest
North America
The Trump administration’s ambition of revitalizing Venezuela’s oil industry has renewed calls for Canada to quickly approve a pipeline that would boost the country’s crude exports and lessen its reliance on trade with the U.S. – Wall Street Journal
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to visit China next week, in the latest step to normalize ties with the world’s second-largest economy and reduce Canada’s reliance on the U.S. for trade. – Wall Street Journal
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Wednesday that Mexico is not sending more oil to Cuba than it has historically, but amid recent events in Venezuela, Mexico has turned into an “important supplier” of crude to Cuba. – Reuters
United States
President Trump’s new “Donroe Doctrine”—loudly proclaimed by the seizure of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the president’s assertion that Washington now “runs” the Latin American country—seeks to establish U.S. hegemony over the entire Western Hemisphere. – Wall Street Journal
The Trump administration told lawmakers that the Justice Department developed a new legal opinion to justify the operation to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a lawmaker and two other people familiar with the discussions said Wednesday, amid concerns about large-scale U.S. military actions in the country. – Wall Street Journal
Hours after U.S. special-operations forces captured the Venezuela strongman Nicolás Maduro, Marco Rubio issued a warning to the South American nation’s allies: “Don’t play games.” – Wall Street Journal
U.S. President Donald Trump will allow a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting countries doing business with Russia to move forward in Congress and it could be put to a vote as early as next week, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Wednesday. – Reuters
President Donald Trump remains committed to the NATO alliance even as he and his national security team are holding active discussions about a U.S. purchase of Greenland, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday. – Reuters
Days after threatening Colombia with military action, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said arrangements were being made for the country’s President Gustavo Petro to visit the White House, following a call between the two leaders. – Reuters
Oil producer Chevron (CVX.N), is in talks with the U.S. government to expand a key license to operate in Venezuela so it can increase crude exports to its own refineries and sell to other buyers, four sources close to the negotiations said on Wednesday. – Reuters
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in remarks due to air later on Wednesday, said Venezuela can only sell its oil if it serves the interests of the United States. – Reuters
US officials are rushing to come up with options for business deals and other ways to step up links to Greenland, taken by surprise by President Donald Trump’s renewed demand to take over the island, people familiar with the matter said. – Bloomberg
President Donald Trump has ordered the US government to pull out of 66 international organizations that the White House said “no longer serve American interests.” – Bloomberg
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson invited President Donald Trump to deliver the State of the Union address on February 24, an opportunity to showcase the party’s agenda ahead of crucial midterm elections this year. – Bloomberg
Qatar is the top country donating foreign funds to American universities, and Cornell University is its leading recipient, according to a new dashboard from the Department of Education that displays foreign gifts and contracts provided to U.S. educational institutions. – Jewish Insider
Editorial: Trump is showing the world what real sanctions entail, ones that aren’t empty finger-wagging. But he should note Moscow’s behavior: Putin didn’t just let Bella 1 slip into a Russian disguise; he reportedly dispatched a submarine and other naval assets to chaperone the ship back to Russian waters. And after the ship’s capture, the Kremlin demanded that Russian nationals onboard “be returned to the Motherland.” The White House’s response was more-or-less “fat chance,” with Press Secretary Karoline Levitt confirming that “the crew will be subject to prosecution.” Let’s hope this becomes a new Team Trump habit of treating Putin as the snake he is. – New York Post
Editorial: This is not a communist country, and our system is not compatible with communism’s demands. At the government level, communism empowers the state in ways that are forbidden by our Constitution; at the individual level, communism makes claims on the rights of the citizen that have been foreclosed by our most fundamental laws. Cea Weaver may long for a parade of kulaks to liquidate, but this is the United States, dammit, and there is no obligation on anyone to provide them to her, or her ridiculous Bolshevist boss. – National Review
Cybersecurity
Chip technology company Arm Holdings has reorganized the company to create a Physical AI unit to expand its presence in the robotics market, company executives told Reuters at CES, where robots are a theme of the year. – Reuters
Taiwan endured a year-long intensified cyber offensive from China in 2025, that targeted the government and critical infrastructure — with an increasing focus on the energy and hospital sectors, according to a Taiwan government analysis published this week. – Cyberscoop
The federal government’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation is looking to the public for input on artificial intelligence agents to support its work evaluating and establishing guidance for the technology. – Fedscoop
Defense
The U.S. accelerated its campaign against a shadow fleet of tankers that ship Venezuelan oil, with the military forcibly boarding a ship being escorted by the Russian navy and seizing another tanker near the Caribbean Sea. – Wall Street Journal
The fleet of U.S. warships assembled in the Caribbean Sea during the run-up to Saturday’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has begun to thin, officials said Wednesday, though the Trump administration is expected to continue military operations in the region. – Washington Post
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the 2027 U.S. military budget should be $1.5 trillion, significantly higher than the $901 billion approved by Congress for 2026, boosting defense stocks, but sparking skepticism among budget experts. – Reuters
Defense technology executive and Project Maven alum Cameron Stanley is the frontrunner to serve as the next Chief Digital and AI Officer at the Pentagon, DefenseScoop has learned. – Defensescoop
The Department of Homeland Security’s plans for counter-drone efforts are coming into focus with the agency’s announcement last week of $250 million in funding allocations for 11 states and Washington, D.C. – Fedscoop
Editorial: This news is also relevant to the broader world moment, notably America’s display of military sophistication in Caracas. Venezuela isn’t China or Russia, but the world’s bad actors have to take into account effective demonstrations of U.S. military power. Every recent time U.S. military technology has come into contact with the competition, the verdict has favored the free world. The sprint for more munitions is a welcome development and a timely reminder that the U.S. can still choose to defend itself and its global interests. – Wall Street Journal