What Caught My Eye (no. 29)
Some interesting articles and podcasts that caught my eye this week
Here’s this week’s edition of articles I thought worth reading and sharing. Don’t hesitate to recommend your own reads; I may include some as well.
what caught my eye
Nahal Toosi, Why Trump’s War on the Drug Cartels Is Bound to Backfire, Politico, August 13, 2025. The foreign affairs columnist reports from Mexico to assess how Trump’s threats to use force against drug cartels is being perceived south of the border. Her verdict: “Trump’s approach to the cartels is not a comprehensive strategy. It is an incoherent set of tactics at best. At worst, the approach undermines itself.'“
Isabel Kershner, Tiny Patch of West Bank Land Fuels Dreams of Greater Israel, New York Times, August 25, 2025. The long-time Times reporter in Israel recounts how for more than 30 years various Israeli governments have sought to settle a key piece of land near Jerusalem, only to be stymied by opposition from successive US administrations. Until now. Israel’s government is moving forward with settling E1—and the Trump administration is standing by, merely noting this decision is Israel’s to make
Garrett Graff, America Tips into Fascism, Doomsday Scenario, August 25, 2025. Graff has long warned about the creeping authoritarianism in America. Now we are there: “The United States, just months before its 250th birthday as the world’s leading democracy, has tipped over the edge into authoritarianism and fascism. In the end, faster than I imagined possible, it did happen here. The precise moment when and where in recent weeks America crossed that invisible line from democracy into authoritarianism can and will be debated by future historians, but it’s clear that the line itself has been crossed.”
Philip Gordon, A Security Guarantee for Ukraine? Look to the Taiwan Relations Act, Just Security, August 25, 2025. Readers of this substack will know my views on what kind of security guarantees Ukraine needs—membership in NATO. My friend and former colleague Phil Gordon, who last served as Kamala Harris’s national security advisor, disagrees, arguing that NATO membership isn’t in the cards and offers an alternative: the assurance provided to Taiwan in the late 1970s by the United States.
By Robbie Whelan, Amrith Ramkumar, Lauren Thomas, and Josh Dawsey, Exclusive | Inside Intel’s Tricky Dance With Trump, Wall Street Journal, August 24, 2025. The Journal takes an inside look at the remarkable decision by the government to demand a 10 percent stake in an iconic American firm in return for a nearly $10b US grant that Intel received under the Chips Act.
Andrew England and Najmeh Bozorgmehr, After the shock of war, Iranians yearn for change, Financial Times, August 26, 2025. A deeply reported piece on how Iranians are yearning for change after the shock of war with Israel. The regime initially benefitted from a patriotic response, but many Iranians feel the government let them down and now want to see change that addresses their needs.
Xi Unleashes China’s Biggest Purge of Military Leaders Since Mao, Bloomberg, August 26, 2025. The Bloomberg News Team takes a deep look at how Xi has purged the military leadership of the People's Liberation Army.
Michele Ye Hee Lee, With Russia’s help, North Korea expands its nuclear weapons capability, Washington Post, August 28, 2025. The Post’s Tokyo bureau chief reports on how North Korea’s assistance to Russia in its war against Ukraine has resulted in real benefits for its nuclear program. That program is becoming more diverse and larger by the day, rendering any prospect of denuclearization through negotiation impossible.
Felicia Schwartz, ‘His inexperience shines through’: Steve Witkoff struggles to manage Russia as Trump peace envoy, Politico, August 29, 2025. I have been waiting for this piece for a long time. It’s been clear that Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff is in over his head. This well-reported look at Witkoff by Politico’s diplomatic correspondent, demonstrates that this is a widely shared view in Europe, Ukraine, and even among some officials in Washington
Finally, in case you missed it here are links to some of the things I did and wrote this week.
I participated in a panel on the global security implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine and made the case for why Ukraine deserves to be in NATO.
I joined CNN to talk about the latest round of talks with Ukraine on ending the war.
My weekly World Review examined three stories that bear close watching: Iranian sanctions, China eating the US for lunch in Africa, and signs of a possible US invasion of Venezuela
Happy reading, watching, and listening!