OUR PICKSThe U.S. Military Needs to Relearn Nuclear Signaling | Pausing Foreign Applications to U.S. Universities Is a Terrible Idea | National Security Council Staff Will Be Cut by Half, and more

National Security Council Staff Will Be Cut by Half  (Maggie Haberman and Erica L. Green, New York Times)
The drastic restructuring, revealed by Marco Rubio, the acting national security adviser, is likely to encourage the president’s preferred style of top-down decision-making in foreign affairs.

Veterans Recoil at Trump Plan to End Afghans’ Deportation Protection  (Abigail Hauslohner and Emily Wax-Thibodeaux, Washington Post)
The administration claims conditions in Afghanistan have markedly improved under Taliban rule. Those who fought in the war say that’s “laughable.”

Checks on Migrant Children by Homeland Security Agents Stir Fear  (Miriam Jordan and Christina Jewett, New York Times)
Agents are showing up unannounced to interview minors in what the government calls “wellness checks.” Critics see the visits as part of the immigration crackdown.

16 States Sue Trump Over $1.4 Billion in Science Cuts  (Benjamin Weiser and Katrina Miller, New York Times)
A group of attorneys general, led by Letitia James of New York, argues that National Science Foundation programs are critical for leading in science and technology.

U-Haul Bans Patriot Front Members After Trucks Rented in KC for March  (Judy L. Thomas, Kanss City Star)
U-Haul International took swift action against members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front who rented its trucks to transport those participating in a march Saturday in downtown Kansas City, the company said Tuesday.

Official Who Posted Antisemitic Rhetoric Becomes Pentagon Press Secretary  (JTA)
Kingsley Wilson, a Department of Defense official who has repeatedly echoed antisemitic rhetoric online, will serve as the Pentagon’s new press secretary, according to an announcement Friday. “Kingsley’s leadership has been integral to the DoD’s success & we look forward to her continued service to President Trump!,” said Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman and a senior advisor to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a post on X Friday.

Pausing Foreign Applications to U.S. Universities Is a Terrible Idea  (Economist)
The Trump administration hobbles a great American export.

The U.S. Military Needs to Relearn Nuclear Signaling  (Philip Sheers, Foreign Policy)
A more flexible force can be a stronger deterrent in a crisis.