Today’s Headlines and Commentary

The Biden administration released a series of reports on Thursday analyzing the link between climate change and national security, reports CNN. The release included assessments from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and the White House. The reports, which President Biden asked each agency to prepare in executive orders in January and February, detail the wide-reaching effects of climate change and how the agencies plan to respond. Notably, one report details the role of climate change in influencing migration, the first time the U.S. government has recognized the link.

A federal judge ruled that the detention of Asadullah Haroon Gul, a former Afghan militant, at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp is unlawful, says the Washington Post. This is the first time in 10 years that a detainee at Guantanamo Bay has won a habeas petition. On Tuesday, Judge Amit P. Mehta of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted Gul’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus and immediate release. Gul was captured and turned over to the United States in 2007 for being a part of Hezb-i-Islami Gulbuddin, an extremist group that allied with al-Qaeda. 

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that the country’s first homegrown rocket failed to put a dummy satellite into orbit, according to the BBC. The $1.6 billion rocket, known as Nuri, took off from Goheung, South Korea on Thursday. While the South Korean government claimed that the Nuri will launch satellites, others see the tests as part of the country’s efforts to ramp up military strength as North Korea continues to carry out regular weapons tests.

Former President Trump announced on Wednesday that he will launch his own social media platform called “Truth Social,” reports Bloomberg. The app plans to take on social media giants, such as Twitter and Facebook, which have banned Trump from their platforms. The Trump Media and Technology Group said that the goal of the social network is to create a “non-cancellable” community.

Officials lifted a shelter-in-place order at a U.S. Navy base outside of Washington, D.C., on Wednesday after investigating a bomb threat against Walter Reed Military Medical Center, according to CNBC. Authorities said they received an anonymous threat at 8:45 a.m. over the phone.

Almost half of Afghan evacuees at U.S. bases are children, says the Wall Street Journal. A letter from the Pentagon to Sen. James Inhofe included other numerical breakdowns of the evacuees but has yet to provide a complete breakdown of the 124,000 evacuated.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Jen Patja Howell shared an episode of the Lawfare Podcast in which Jonathan David Shaub sits down with Benjamin Wittes to talk about Steve Bannon, executive privilege and misinformation.

Brandon L. Van Grack and Joseph Folio discuss how the seemingly lenient deferred prosecution agreements for the three members of Project Raven actually signal that the U.S. Department of Justice intends to crack down on hacking using every tool available.

Howell also shared an episode of Rational Security, in which the hosts are joined by Alvaro Marañon to discuss LinkedIn’s operations in China, the White House summit on combating ransomware and the threats against public employees responsible for enforcing masking policies.

Paul Rosenzweig explained how utilizing bar discipline to address John Eastman’s conduct in the run-up to and aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection is not sufficient.

Bryce Klehm announced this week’s Lawfare Live, in which Wittes will join Quinta Jurecic, Stephanie Pell and Scott R. Anderson to take open questions on recent events or other topics of interest.

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