OUR PICKSRenewed Fear of Constitutional Crisis | David vs. Goliath: Cost Asymmetry in Warfare | Can People Be Persuaded Not to Believe Disinformation?, and more

Defiance and Threats in Deportation Case Renew Fear of Constitutional Crisis  (Adam Liptak, New York Times)
Legal scholars say that the nation has reached a tipping point and that the right question is not whether there is a crisis, but rather how much damage it will cause.

Trump Escalates Fight with Federal Courts Over Deportation Authority  (Justin Jouvenal, Natalie Allison, Ann E. Marimow and Marianne LeVine, Washington Post)
Several legal experts said the deportation episode marks a dramatic —and troubling —escalation in the Trump administration’s pushback against the courts.

Stephen Miller Has a Plan  (Nick Miroff and Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic)
The White House point person on immigration is pursuing a strategy that is bedeviling his opponents and could provoke a constitutional crisis.

The Trump Right’s Pro-Israel Antisemitism (Zack Beauchamp, Vox)
Over and over again, the Trump administration has claimed to be fighting antisemitism while wielding power against its domestic enemies. Yet, at the same time, there’s been a troubling surge in antisemitism among MAGA influencers and even some Trump administration staff.

David vs. Goliath: Cost Asymmetry in Warfare  (James Black, RAND / National Interest)
Dramatic images of million-dollar missiles streaking into the air to intercept low-cost drones have filled our television screens for three years, amid fighting in Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and the Red Sea.
While cost asymmetry has always played a role in tactical warfare, we now face more strategic questions because it is so cheap to attack and so expensive to defend.
U.S., European, and Israeli air and missile defenses have performed remarkably well in these conflicts. However, with the technical sophistication of these systems comes a hefty price tag. Now, the advent of cheap commercial drones has sharply tilted the cost asymmetry towards offense.

The Justice Department and FBI Announce a New Task Force to Target Hamas Over Oct. 7 Attack  (Eric Tucker, AP)
The Justice Department on Monday announced the creation of a task force to investigate Hamas for its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel as well as potential civil rights violations and acts of antisemitism by anyone supporting the militant group. Agents and prosecutors participating in Joint Task Force October 7, or JTF 10-7, will investigate and look to bring charges against Hamas militants directly responsible for the rampage in southern Israel, the department said.

Homeland Security Says Professor Deported to Lebanon with US Visa Supported Hezbollah Leader  (Michael Casey et al., AP)
Homeland Security officials on Monday said that a doctor from Lebanon who was deported over the weekend despite having a U.S. visa “openly admitted” to supporting a Hezbollah leader and attending his funeral. The department’s statement, posted on social media, provides a possible explanation for Dr. Rasha Alawieh’s deportation, which has sparked widespread alarm, especially after a federal judge ordered that she not be removed until a hearing could be held. Government lawyers have said customs officials did not get word until after Alawieh was sent back to Lebanon.

US Defies Court Order, Deports Venezuelans to El Salvador  (Natalie Muller, DW)
The Trump administration invoked a wartime law from the 18th century to rapidly deport Venezuelans to El Salvador. A federal judge had issued an order temporarily banning the expulsions.

Donald Trump’s Nonstop News-Making Can Be Exhausting, Making It Harder for People to Scrutinize His Presidential Actions  (Jennifer Mercieca, TheConversation)
What does Trump’s tidal wave of news content say about how he thinks about governing, power and democracy?
As a media and governing strategy, I think that creating an unrelenting tidal wave of content is designed to enable Trump to attract and keep the nation’s attention on himself and – in the process, drown out other voices.
This method overwhelms the media and exhausts many Americans who cannot easily absorb so much information at once.
And the tidal wave strategy prevents the public from scrutinizing the president’s actions – because no one can push back against a tidal wave.

Can People Be Persuaded Not to Believe Disinformation?  (Economist)
AI chatbots and critical thinking courses might help.