Lawfare

Lawfare is a non-profit multimedia publication dedicated to “Hard National Security Choices.” We provide non-partisan, timely analysis of thorny legal and policy issues through our written, audio, and other content—all of which you can find here. We strive to achieve academic-level depth with magazine-level readability at the pace of news. We aim to improve the discourse on the law and policy of national security with a relentless focus on substantive issues that matter—in a fashion that is useful to policymakers and practitioners, but also accessible to anyone who wants to access it. Our areas of coverage range from national security law, threats to democracy, cybersecurity, executive powers, content moderation, domestic extremism, and foreign policy, among many others.

Lawfare Daily Playlist

Lawfare Daily: Katherine Pompilio on Tracking Government Non-Compliance in Habeas Corpus Cases

What does it look like when the government violates court orders in more than 350 separate immigration habeas cases?

On today’s episode, Lawfare Senior Editor Molly Roberts sits down with Lawfare …Associate Editor Katherine Pompilio to discuss Lawfare’s new interactive tracker, which documents what is known about instances in which the Trump administration has failed to comply with federal court orders in immigration habeas corpus proceedings.

The two discuss why Lawfare built this tracker and why the project matters beyond any individual case, what the dataset reveals about a broader pattern of government non-compliance, the absence of institutional record-keeping, holding the government accountable, and more.

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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Lawfare Daily: Katherine Pompilio on Tracking Government Non-Compliance in Habeas Corpus Cases

What does it look like when the government violates court orders in more than 350 separate immigration habeas cases? On today’s episode, Lawfare Senior Editor Molly Roberts sits down with Lawfare Associate Editor Katherine Pompilio to discuss Lawfare’s new interactive tracker, which documents what is known about instances in which the Trump administration has failed to comply with federal court orders in immigration habeas corpus proceedings. The two discuss why Lawfare built this tracker …

What does it look like when the government violates court orders in more than 350 separate immigration habeas cases?

On today’s episode, Lawfare Senior Editor Molly Roberts sits down with Lawfare …Associate Editor Katherine Pompilio to discuss Lawfare’s new interactive tracker, which documents what is known about instances in which the Trump administration has failed to comply with federal court orders in immigration habeas corpus proceedings.

The two discuss why Lawfare built this tracker and why the project matters beyond any individual case, what the dataset reveals about a broader pattern of government non-compliance, the absence of institutional record-keeping, holding the government accountable, and more.

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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Lawfare Daily: Yaqiu Wang on Surveillance, Censorship, and Emerging Technologies in the PRC

Lawfare Senior Editor Michael Feinberg sits down with human rights advocate Yaqiu Wang to discuss the role of emerging technologies in China’s surveillance and censorship apparatus. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.

Lawfare Senior Editor Michael Feinberg sits down with human rights advocate Yaqiu Wang to discuss the role of emerging technologies in China’s surveillance and censorship apparatus.

To receive ad-free podcasts, become …a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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Lawfare Daily: Arne Westad on ‘The Coming Storm’

Lawfare Senior Editor Michael Feinberg and Professor Arne Westad of Yale University, author of “The Coming Storm: Power, Conflict, and Warnings from History,” discuss 19th- and 20th-century power politics, the contemporary rise of China, and how the former can inform reactions to the latter. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.

Lawfare Senior Editor Michael Feinberg and Professor Arne Westad of Yale University, author of “The Coming Storm: Power, Conflict, and Warnings from History,” discuss 19th- and 20th-century power politics, the …contemporary rise of China, and how the former can inform reactions to the latter.

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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Lawfare Daily: Beyond the Headlines: A History of U.S.-Iran Relations

In this episode, Ariane Tabatabai sits down with historian, John Ghazvinian, the author of, “America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present,” to discuss U.S.-Iran relations. They take a step back from the current conflict to talk about the key events that have shaped the relationship between the two countries and their perceptions of one another. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time …

In this episode, Ariane Tabatabai sits down with historian, John Ghazvinian, the author of, “America and Iran: A History, 1720 to the Present,” to discuss U.S.-Iran relations. They take a …step back from the current conflict to talk about the key events that have shaped the relationship between the two countries and their perceptions of one another.

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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Lawfare Daily: Joel Braunold on West Bank Violence and Israel’s New Lebanon Offensive

For today’s episode, Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson sits down with Joel Braunold, the Managing Director of the Center Project, for the latest in their regular series on recent developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Together, they dig deep into the spike in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, Israel’s new military offensive in southern Lebanon, how they both relate to the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Iran, and what Israel’s expanding range of hostilities may …

For today’s episode, Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson sits down with Joel Braunold, the Managing Director of the Center Project, for the latest in their regular series on recent …developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Together, they dig deep into the spike in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, Israel’s new military offensive in southern Lebanon, how they both relate to the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Iran, and what Israel’s expanding range of hostilities may mean for the Israeli parliamentary elections scheduled for later this year.

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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Lawfare Daily: What’s Influencing Politics Online?

In this episode, Lawfare Contributing Editor Renée DiResta speaks with Nathaniel Lubin, co-author of “How Social Media Creators Shape Mass Politics,” and Philine Widmer, co-author of a recent Nature paper, “The Political Effects of X’s Feed Algorithm.” Together, they discuss two different layers of online influence—a platform’s algorithms and the trusted voices inside it—and their implications for mass politics. The conversation explores what happens when recommendation systems shape what …

In this episode, Lawfare Contributing Editor Renée DiResta speaks with Nathaniel Lubin, co-author of “How Social Media Creators Shape Mass Politics,” and Philine Widmer, co-author of a recent Nature paper, …“The Political Effects of X’s Feed Algorithm.” Together, they discuss two different layers of online influence—a platform’s algorithms and the trusted voices inside it—and their implications for mass politics.

The conversation explores what happens when recommendation systems shape what people see, and what happens when creators shape how people interpret it. They discuss whether algorithms move political attitudes by shifting exposure and salience, whether creators are persuasive because audiences trust them, and what these findings suggest about political influence in an environment increasingly organized by feeds, rankings, and parasocial relationships.


Additional reading:

“Twitter Is Not Real Life,” by Lakshya Jain in The Argument, February 5, 2026
“X Really Is Pulling Users to the Right,” by John Herrman in Intelligencer, February 21, 2026
To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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Lawfare Daily: How Two Intelligence Community Veterans View the Iran Conflict

On today’s episode, Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson sits down with two veterans of the intelligence community to get their take on the ongoing Iran conflict. Before leaving government last year, Aaron Faust was a senior official in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), where he had previously served as Division Chief for Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula. William “Chip” Usher, meanwhile, is the Senior Director for Intelligence at the Special …

On today’s episode, Lawfare Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson sits down with two veterans of the intelligence community to get their take on the ongoing Iran conflict.

Before leaving government last …year, Aaron Faust was a senior official in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), where he had previously served as Division Chief for Iran, Iraq, and the Arabian Peninsula. William “Chip” Usher, meanwhile, is the Senior Director for Intelligence at the Special Competitiveness Studies Project and a professor of practice at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. He previously spent 32 years with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), much of it focused on the Middle East.

Together, Scott, Aaron, and Chip discuss the national security threats that Iran presents, the challenges that large-scale military operations against Iran were expected to present, and where the Trump administration—and Iran—may take the conflict from here.

For more of Chip’s analysis, read his newsletter “Fault Lines” and check out his podcast, “Intel at the Edge.” You can also find Aaron’s satirical takes on current affairs on his Substack, Ridiculocracy.

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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Lawfare Daily: The Military Domestic Deployment Legal Framework: Are the Laws Fit for Purpose?

Loren Voss, Public Service Fellow at Lawfare, sits down with Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Linda Singh, former Adjutant General of Maryland, and Chris Mirasola, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Houston Law Center. They examine the legal constraints of the Posse Comitatus Act, the implications of expanding domestic deployments for civil-military relations, and key issues to watch for in future deployments. Mirasola clarifies the legal framework and the recent usage of the National Guard in …

Loren Voss, Public Service Fellow at Lawfare, sits down with Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Linda Singh, former Adjutant General of Maryland, and Chris Mirasola, Assistant Professor of Law at the University …of Houston Law Center. They examine the legal constraints of the Posse Comitatus Act, the implications of expanding domestic deployments for civil-military relations, and key issues to watch for in future deployments.

Mirasola clarifies the legal framework and the recent usage of the National Guard in federal and hybrid statuses, and Singh identifies areas where the law appears clear, but operational realities often blur that line. They also trace the expansion of domestic military roles—from COVID response to cyber operations and infrastructure protection—and the evolving public expectations of what the military can do. Mirasola explains what is genuinely new in law, particularly regarding scale and interpretation of authorities. Singh and Mirasola discuss the system’s reliance on norms versus enforceable legal constraints and give advice to those leading troops in future domestic deployments. They conclude by identifying key factors, such as federal versus state roles and possible involvement in elections, that we should all be tracking for the future.

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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Lawfare Daily: CPPA’s Tom Kemp on Data Brokers, Privacy, and State Enforcement

Tom Kemp, executive director of the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), joins Lawfare’s Justin Sherman to discuss California’s new Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, or DROP system, the data broker industry, and California’s ongoing efforts to ensure residents can effectuate their privacy rights. They also discuss the process and impacts of bringing technologists into public service at privacy and cybersecurity regulatory bodies, inter-state collaboration on data privacy issues, …

Tom Kemp, executive director of the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA), joins Lawfare’s Justin Sherman to discuss California’s new Delete Request and Opt-out Platform, or DROP system, the data broker …industry, and California’s ongoing efforts to ensure residents can effectuate their privacy rights. They also discuss the process and impacts of bringing technologists into public service at privacy and cybersecurity regulatory bodies, inter-state collaboration on data privacy issues, how California thinks about concerns around U.S. foreign adversaries and risks of access to U.S. persons’ data, and the near-term and over-the-horizon privacy risks to consumers.

Additional Resources:

California Delete Request and Opt-Out Platform (DROP): https://privacy.ca.gov/drop/ 🏛️
California Data Broker Registry: https://cppa.ca.gov/data_broker_registry/ 🏛️
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa 🏛️

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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Lawfare Daily: The Gulf Widens

As the U.S.-Israel war with Iran continues, it is playing out across the Middle East, particularly in Gulf Arab states and the Strait of Hormuz. In this episode, Lawfare Public Service Fellow Ariane Tabatabai sits down with Elisa Catalano Ewers of the Council on Foreign Relations to talk about Iranian intentions and capabilities, the U.S. response and capability gaps, and how allies and partners are participating. To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at …

As the U.S.-Israel war with Iran continues, it is playing out across the Middle East, particularly in Gulf Arab states and the Strait of Hormuz.

In this episode, Lawfare Public Service …Fellow Ariane Tabatabai sits down with Elisa Catalano Ewers of the Council on Foreign Relations to talk about Iranian intentions and capabilities, the U.S. response and capability gaps, and how allies and partners are participating.

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at http://www.patreon.com/lawfare 🏛️. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute 🏛️.Show More

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