Tierney L. Cross / Bloomberg via Getty Images
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A veteran of the Iraq war and the youngest-ever Army secretary, Dan Driscoll resigned earlier this week, becoming one of the first significant “Washington casualties” of the Iran war. Highly respected by Army leadership, Driscoll was one of the few Trump administration officials who showed himself willing to work with congressional leaders of both parties, argues Jeff McCausland, a retired Army colonel and former dean of the U.S. War College. But over the past 18 months, he repeatedly clashed with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and leaked reports indicate that he cautioned against extending the conflict with Iran. Read more.
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These days, the biggest drama at the Kennedy Center is not on its stages but surrounding the building. Since Trump’s hostile takeover last year, the Washington institution has been at the center of a number of his fights for cultural relevance, argues Hayes Brown. The latest: the unexpected removal of a massive metal artwork called Blue. It’s unclear what prompted this. As abstract art, it may not fit Trump’s aesthetic vibe, or it might have just been that it was placed on an expanded area that Trump reportedly dislikes. Read more.
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Most of the nearly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln experienced their first moment of relief after a grueling nine-month deployment when the aircraft carrier stopped for a port call in Thailand. Sailors and their families who spoke with MS NOW said that this was the worst deployment of their careers and worried that if it becomes routine, fewer people will re-enlist, write Priya Sridhar and Lindsey Pipia. For the past six months, service members on the ship worked 12- to 14-hour days in active combat with no days off while facing food and supply shortages. Read more.
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On Friday, a judge declared a mistrial in the case of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her three young children. The five-week trial had already prompted a national conversation on postpartum mental illness, argues former public defender Madeleine Lippey. But after 36 hours of deliberation over seven days, the 12 jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The challenges of being an impartial juror in an emotion-laden case like this one are heightened by the public scrutiny the case received. Read more.
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Among Gloria Steinem’s contributions was something called a “talking circle,” in which a small group would get together to share their thoughts on personal and societal challenges. Despite being a feminist icon, Steinem had “an incredible way” of making people “feel intimately connected,” argues freelance journalist Emma Gray, who attended the last talking circle for journalists in Steinem’s apartment before her death at age 92. It was one more piece of evidence for her contention that the personal was political, and the political was personal. Read more.
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Rev. Cody J. Sanders, Interim Pastor / University Baptist Church
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An internal document from the Department of Homeland Security filed in court recently revealed that agents conducted surveillance activities inside Minneapolis churches during Operation Metro Surge. The records say an undercover agent attended a meeting of ICE protesters at a Lutheran church, recorded license plate numbers and then cross-referenced the associated names with social media accounts to create files on them. But while this is troubling, it’s also “comical to snoop into the activities of mainline Protestant Churches,” argues Minneapolis Pastor G. Travis Norvell. Some of these churches are facing financial hardship and declining attendance, but as the government’s actions grew more “atrocious,” it unwittingly “sparked a revival.” Read the column here.
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On Saturday, Sept. 12, watch the premiere of “The Assignment with Antonia Hylton.” Antonia will tackle major breaking news, original reporting, and critical political and cultural debates, all to head into the next week informed and empowered.
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Saturday, catch the premiere of “Lovett or Leave It,” a special limited series where “Pod Save America” host and former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett unpacks politics and pop culture with comedians, actors, and journalists in a late-night comedy show. Watch the premiere of “Lovett or Leave It” Saturday at 11 p.m. Eastern on MS NOW.
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