Latest news with #ConnorO'Brien
Politico
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Space Race 2.0
With help from Connor O'Brien and Alex Nieves WELCOME TO POLITICO PRO SPACE. NASA interim administrator Sean Duffy made a splash this week with his first directives at the agency, including advancing plans for a nuclear reactor on the moon. What's your opinion of the new administrator? Should President Donald Trump just keep him in the post or continue the search for a permanent head? Email me at sskove@ with tips, pitches and feedback, and find me on X at @samuelskove. And remember, we're offering this newsletter for free over the next few weeks. After that, only POLITICO Pro subscribers will receive it. Read all about it. The Spotlight The Pentagon has poured millions of dollars into preparing for a threat from Beijing on land and at sea. But U.S. officials increasingly worry they're missing the chance to tackle another big risk: China in space. Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas), chair of the committee that oversees NASA, warned this week that American astronauts might land on the moon and be greeted by a 'no trespassing' sign in Mandarin if the U.S. doesn't step up. Some of the rhetoric is akin to orbital debris. But the U.S. does face challenges from China in both military and commercial space. Beijing could weaponize satellites and other tools to prevent the U.S. from helping Taiwan — or anyone else — in a conflict. And if the Chinese government plants a flag on the moon, it could bar American access to lucrative new resources on the lunar surface. China ascendant: Beijing is second only to America in its vast array of space capabilities, according to Chinese space expert Blaine Curcio. And, in some cases, it now surpasses the U.S. For example, China in July attempted the first-ever satellite refueling in orbit. China is also figuring out how to knock out satellites that allow the U.S. to communicate in the Pacific, said Dean Cheng, a nonresident fellow at the Space Policy Institute. 'The Chinese have been very carefully and assiduously developing an array of military counter space options.' But the commercial use of many space tools makes it harder to figure out what's actually a threat. Chinese satellites that can move debris, for instance, may also be able to eviscerate an American satellite. 'China isn't big on transparency,' said Victoria Samson, a space expert at the Secure World Foundation, a space-focused think tank. Moon dance: China also has plans to land an astronaut on the moon by 2030 and set up a permanent base. Such a move would dent American prestige, as it would no longer be the only nation to land on the lunar surface. It would also allow Beijing to write the terms for potentially lucrative space exploration. 'We're in a race to the moon, in a race with China to the moon,' Duffy said Tuesday at a press conference. China already has shown it can pull off complex uncrewed lunar missions. Beijing recently used its Chang'e 6 to land a rover on the moon and return samples to Earth. The U.S. aims to return to the lunar surface in 2027, before China gets there. But the timeline has slipped before due to spacecraft issues, and it could happen again. Room for hope: Beijing has been less successful when it comes to the commercial sector, which the U.S. dominates. Think reusable rockets and low-earth satellite constellations such as Starlink. This is despite the Chinese government's effort to supercharge the growth of a commercial space sector through investments and other support, such as free land or factory space. But so far, there are more companies than space services. 'You have this absence of real demand,' Curcio said. 'And then you've also had all this government money coming in and creating oversupply in some situations.' The high number of companies may also dilute the ability of any single firm since they're competing for the same specialized engineering talent, he said. 'You're not going to really have a critical mass of highly talented rocket scientists working for any one company.' Galactic Government SpaceX vs. California: The fight between Elon Musk's SpaceX and the California agency tasked with protecting the state's coastline is back on. Space Force officials will stand in front of the California Coastal Commission next week with a plan to double the company's rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base from 50 to 95 per year. And the agency staff is recommending commissioners reject it. 'The simple fact remains that it is a privately owned company engaged in activities primarily for its own commercial business,' staff said in a Friday report. 'It is not a public federal agency or conducting its launches on behalf of the federal government.' That argument mirrors commissioners' pushback in October when they rejected an increase from 36 to 50 launches. SpaceX sued the agency for bias after members cited Musk's politics. Space Force ultimately moved forward with the increase, citing federal preemption and national security considerations. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment. Space Launch Delta 30 Commander Col. James T. Horne III, who oversees Vandenberg and Western operations, noted the military's 'unwavering commitment to preserving the California coastline' and said its partnership with SpaceX allows the agency to maintain 'its technological edge and strategic advantage over competitors.' Military SPACE FORCE GETS NEW NO. 2: The Space Force has a new no. 2 officer on the job. The Senate quietly approved Gen. Shawn Bratton for vice chief of space operations last week and promoted him to a four-star general before leaving town until September. He officially took over on July 31, the same day he was confirmed. Bratton succeeds Gen. Michael Guetlein, who was approved in July to oversee the nascent — and nebulous — Golden Dome missile defense shield. Bratton was most recently the Space Force's deputy chief for strategy, plans, programs and requirements. That made him a key player in the development of the recently released Space Warfighting Framework, the service's blueprint for how it would conduct war in space. He was also the first commander of the Space Training and Readiness Command, which leads training for the Space Force. He began his military career as an enlisted member of the Arizona Air National Guard. Bratton was part of a larger tranche of officers whose promotions were confirmed before the Senate recessed. The Reading Room At missile defense conference, the first rule of Golden Dome is don't talk about Golden Dome: Breaking Defense SpaceX signs deal to fly Italian experiments to Mars on Starship's 1st commercial Red Planet flights: New report details Trump DoD's space spending spree: Payload NASA's new chief has radically rewritten the rules for private space stations: Ars Technica Firefly Aerospace Surges 45% After Upsized $868 Million IPO: Bloomberg Duffy to announce nuclear reactor on the moon: POLITICO Event Horizon SUNDAY: The 39th Annual Small Satellite Conference begins. Photo of the Week
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
23-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
H-1B lottery may end: US considers merit-based selection for work visas
The US government is weighing changes to the way H-1B visas are allocated, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) signalling a possible shift from the current random lottery system to a 'weighted selection process'. In a filing to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs last Thursday, DHS said the change would apply to the capped part of the system—85,000 visas annually, which includes 65,000 for regular applicants and 20,000 for those with advanced degrees from US institutions. The proposed rule is still under review and details are sparse, but the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is listed as the implementing agency. Push for merit-based allocation gathers steam The proposal comes amid a broader push to reward high earners and skilled professionals in the H-1B process. 'The H-1B is the primary way through which the United States attracts high-skilled immigrants. That it is randomly allocated (among eligible applicants) is insane. America deserves better,' said Connor O'Brien, research analyst at the Economic Innovation Group. He added on social media, 'Eliminating the H-1B lottery in favour of a system that prioritises higher earners first is a no-brainer... Giving away these visas randomly is an enormous, missed opportunity to attract truly scarce talent that would benefit American businesses and communities.' A January 2025 proposal by the Institute for Progress (IFP), a nonpartisan think tank, had floated the idea of ranking applicants by salary or seniority to raise the economic output of the programme. 'Without changing the number of visas, replacing the lottery could increase the economic value of the program to the United States by 88%, equivalent to the effect on GDP of raising the cap by 75,000,' said Jeremy Neufeld, director of immigration policy at IFP. Flaws in current lottery system flagged Neufeld argued that the current system favours large outsourcing firms offering low-paying IT jobs over smaller firms seeking to sponsor niche or highly skilled talent. 'It discourages employers from identifying and recruiting particularly talented candidates, because there is no certainty they can successfully get a visa for a given person,' he said. He estimated that US employers spend over $1.9 billion each year on recruitment efforts for H-1B applicants who ultimately don't secure a visa. But Neufeld also cautioned against painting the H-1B programme as ineffective. 'In spite of all its flaws, the program has helped drive American innovation and productivity growth,' he said, adding that the visas have helped reduce job offshoring to countries like Canada, India and China. Bulk applications under scrutiny In January 2025, the US implemented tighter controls to prevent companies from submitting excessive applications under the lottery system. The move was seen as an attempt to reduce abuse and bring fairness back into the process. 'Many firms are hesitant to engage with the unpredictable lottery process. Families are also looking for more stable options, such as the EB-5 programme,' Piyush Gupta, vice president for India and the Middle East at CanAm Enterprises told Business Standard. Indians remain largest beneficiaries—but face long waits Indian nationals continue to dominate the H-1B programme. In the 2023 financial year, around 191,000 visas were granted to Indian professionals. That number rose to about 207,000 in FY 2024. However, the path to permanent residency remains uncertain. Over one million Indians are currently stuck in employment-based green card backlogs, according to USCIS data. The delays are largely due to annual caps and a per-country quota system that slows down progress for applicants from countries with high demand, like India. What we know so far • DHS has proposed a 'weighted selection process' for the H-1B visa cap • It would apply to the 85,000 cap-subject visas issued annually • USCIS will oversee implementation if the rule is adopted • No final rule or timeline has been announced • Changes, if any, are unlikely to affect the next H-1B cycle For now, the random lottery system remains in place. But if a weighted model moves forward, it could alter the rules of the game for Indian professionals, many of whom have long relied on this route to build careers in the US.
Hindustan Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
End of H-1B visa lottery? DHS plans to replace model with ‘weighted selection process'
The H-1B visa system might be in for a major shake-up. The Trump-era proposal is making waves again, as the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has submitted a fresh draft that could replace the current random lottery with a 'weighted selection' method for issuing H-1B visas, according to a Forbes report. H-1B visa lottery system might end(shutter stock) H-1B visa lottery to end? What to know Right now, the process is pretty straightforward: eligible applications are submitted, and then a computer-generated lottery picks who gets the limited spots. Around 85,000 visas are available each year under the cap, with 20,000 of them set aside for people who have a Master's degree or higher from a U.S. institution. But every year, demand far outpaces supply. So, what does 'weighted selection' mean exactly? That part is still unclear. The DHS has not shared many details publicly yet, but early analysis suggests that applications could be ranked based on factors like salary, education level, or even seniority. If that happens, it could completely change who benefits from the H-1B program. A study earlier this year by the Institute for Progress showed that if salaries were prioritized over random chance, the average H-1B recipient's pay could jump from about $106,000 to $172,000. That would make things much harder for outsourcing firms who rely on hiring large numbers of lower-wage workers, but could be a big plus for researchers, PhD holders, and senior-level tech professionals. Experts like Connor O'Brien from the Economic Innovation Group are in support of the change. He posted on X (formerly Twitter) that 'random allocation is insane' and that ranking by salary would better reflect the country's needs. For Indian workers, who made up over 70% of H-1B recipients in the last two years, these changes could have mixed results. Those with higher degrees or specialized roles might benefit, while others could find it harder to secure a visa. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is still working on the final draft of the rule, and it is expected to go through public review before anything is set in stone. But if passed, the new system could be in place as early as next year. FAQs 1. What is the new proposed change to the H-1B visa process? The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed replacing the random H-1B lottery system with a weighted selection process that may prioritize applicants with higher salaries or advanced qualifications. 2. Will the H-1B lottery system be eliminated? Yes, if the proposal is approved, the current random lottery system could be replaced by a merit-based or salary-ranking system, especially for the capped portion of the H-1B visa program. 3. How will the new H-1B selection process affect Indian applicants? Indian nationals, who make up over 70% of H-1B recipients, may face tougher competition. The new system may favor highly paid or specialized applicants, possibly impacting outsourcing firms. 4. What is the current annual cap for H-1B visas? The H-1B visa program currently has an annual cap of 85,000 visas, including 20,000 spots reserved for applicants with a U.S. master's degree or higher.
Axios
16-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
Foreign students out-earn their native-born peers
Workers with college degrees who come to the U.S. on student visas out-earn their native-born peers, but also do more of the research and development work critical to the economy, according to a new analysis of data from the National Survey of College Graduates. Why it matters: The Trump administration is using student visas as both policy tool and negotiating leverage on trade, potentially forcing a sharp decline in the number of foreign students in coming years. By the numbers: As of 2023, there were about 2.1 million year-round full-time workers in the U.S. with Bachelor's degrees who first came here on a student visa, per the Economic Innovation Group, which did the research. They earned a median salary of $115,000, compared with an $87,000 median for native-born workers with at least a college degree. The salary gap holds firm across age groups, the analysis finds. The intrigue: 27% of those who came here on student visas are engaged in research and development work, compared with 12% of native-born workers, a sign of how critical students from outside the U.S. are to innovation. "Further impeding international students' ability to stay and work after graduation would be a major blow to the United States' R&D ecosystem," according to the report. Zoom out: " The story here is that people who come here on student visas are very talented and ambitious and hardworking," Connor O'Brien, research and policy analyst at Economic Innovation Group, tells Axios. "They offer skills that employers are willing to pay a premium for."
Politico
10-02-2025
- Business
- Politico
As USAID retreats, China pounces
Presented by With help from Connor O'Brien, Nahal Toosi and Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Robbie | Email Eric If USAID is packing up and moving out, China seems all too happy to move in. That's the trend that longtime U.S. China watchers and aid workers are already noticing in the weeks since President DONALD TRUMP and his ally ELON MUSK moved to dismantle and shake up the U.S. Agency for International Development. China is quickly making moves to fill in gaps left behind by the Trump administration's abrupt moves to almost entirely halt and wind down USAID operations worldwide, from the Indo-Pacific to South America. In Nepal, Chinese officials have reportedly signaled to the Nepalese government that Beijing is willing to step in to replace USAID's void with development funding of its own, the Annapurna Express reports. Officials in the Cook Islands, a strategically important island chain in the Indo-Pacific, said they expect the withdrawal of USAID from the region to provide an opening for China. In Colombia, which received around $385 million in USAID funding in 2024, non-governmental organizations that received USAID funding say the Chinese government is interested in putting up money to help fill the void. These are early signs, but taken together, it has some analysts on both sides of the political spectrum warning that USAID's dismantlement will undercut U.S. global competition with China in the long-run. 'China is already reaching out to partners,' said FRANCISCO BENCOSME, who served as USAID's China policy lead during the Biden administration. 'They will fill in the void in places like Cambodia and Nepal, and those are just the places we know about..' On the Republican side, MICHAEL SOBOLIK, a China analyst at the Hudson Institute think tank and a former aide to Sen. TED CRUZ (R-Texas), said USAID helped offer an alternative to China for developing countries looking to outside investors for infrastructure and telecoms development. USAID also aided media outlets in Africa, Southeast Asia and elsewhere where Chinese-controlled media outlets such as Xinhua are ascendant, he noted. 'Sure, USAID was doing some highly questionable stuff that's worthy of review. But don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Beijing is hoping we do exactly that,' Sobolik said. Democrats on the House Select China Committee, led by Rep. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-Ill.), have drawn up a new strategy to hammer the Trump administration on how dismantling USAID will hand a win to Beijing, according to a three-page document of talking points obtained by NatSec Daily. 'When the Chinese Communist Party is aggressively investing abroad, rerouting supply chains, and buying authoritarian favor through elite capture, the United States must double down on USAID's work, not stifle it,' the document said. But the GOP side of the committee isn't stepping up to defend the agency. Asked for comment by NatSec Daily, the committee replied with a broad statement saying it 'has full trust in Secretary Rubio's ability to effectively handle critical human rights and development issues.' The Inbox NO RIGHT OF RETURN? Trump clarified today that Palestinians displaced from the Gaza Strip during a proposed U.S. occupation wouldn't have the right to return to the enclave under his plan to redevelop the war-torn territory. In a clip released today from his interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, Trump said Palestinians wouldn't have the inherent right to return to the Gaza Strip and reiterated his position that the U.S. would seek to occupy and redevelop the enclave. Those comments will likely land in the Middle East like a lead balloon. The right of displaced Palestinians to return to their homelands has been a critical demand from Arab states during decades of peace talks to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially for countries like Jordan which have sheltered thousands of Palestinian refugees since the 1940s. You can be sure the issue will come up when Jordanian King ABDULLAH visits the White House on Tuesday. GRIM NEW START: Russia isn't confident that Washington and Moscow will be able to broker an extension to the New START arms control deal before it expires in 2026. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister SERGEI RYABKOV said today that 'as for our dialogue in the field of (nuclear) strategic stability and the post-New START situation, the situation does not look very promising … On Feb. 5, 2026, the pact expires and after this it will not exist.' The hang-up is over the number of countries involved in talks. Russia wants France, China and the United Kingdom to negotiate arms reduction, while the U.S. only wants to add China to discussions. Trump has voiced interest in an arms control deal with Moscow. New START is the last remaining arms control deal between the two nuclear powers, and the expiration of New START could embolden Russia to rebuild its nuclear arsenal. SYRIA'S NEW LEADER REFLECTS: The new de facto leader of Syria is making the case that the U.S. should lift sanctions on his country, and issuing some kind words about Trump's foreign policy ambitions as he does so. Appearing on the podcast of former British politicians ALASTAIR CAMPBELL and RORY STEWART, AHMED AL-SHARAA argued that sanctions against the BASHAR ASSAD regime should be lifted as his forces have 'dismantled' that government's oppressive tools. 'Now that we have dismantled the regime and its presence, these sanctions should be lifted, as there is no justification for them after the fall of the regime,' al-Sharaa said. While he lightly criticized Trump's proposal for Gaza, al-Sharaa did express hope that Trump could usher in lasting peace, saying 'I am optimistic that if the ideas proposed during his campaign become reality, he will play a big role in achieving global peace.' TRUMP'S FIRING SPREE: Trump fired members of the 'boards of visitors' that oversee U.S. military service academies, our own Jack Detsch reports. 'Our Service Academies have been infiltrated by Woke Leftist Ideologues over the last four years,' Trump wrote on Truth Social today. 'I have ordered the immediate dismissal of the Board of Visitors for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard.' The president did not immediately announce the appointment of new members to the boards. It's the latest Trump administration move against perceived deficiencies in the U.S. military's fighting capabilities that they attribute to efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion within the ranks. The Defense Department already suspended many identity-based student organizations at the service academies (though it allowed clubs for Polish students and other European cultural groups to remain intact) and began removing books from schools it administers that it deemed 'too woke.' IT'S MONDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at rgramer@ and ebazail@ and follow Robbie and Eric on X @RobbieGramer and @ebazaileimil. While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @ak_mack, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, and @johnnysaks130 THE NEW ADMINISTRATION 'BIG BALLS' IN STATE'S SYSTEM: A DOGE staffer and acolyte of tech mogul ELON MUSK known as 'Big Balls' in online circles just landed a post at the State Department, The Washington Post's Faiz Siddiqui and John Hudson report. The 19-year-old, whose real name is EDWARD CORISTINE, is working as a senior adviser to the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Technology, which serves as a critical hub for both sensitive and nonsensitive data the department processes, officials told the Post. Coristine briefly worked for Musk's brain-chip start-up Neuralink. Another DOGE staffer, former SpaceX intern LUKE FARRITOR, is also working at State's Bureau of Diplomatic Technology. Here at NatSec Daily, we can report Coristine and Farritor have State Department emails, thanks to confirmation from a department official familiar with the email system. The official was granted anonymity due to fear of retaliation. Keystrokes FRANCE'S AI ESPOIR: French President EMMANUEL MACRON is pledging hundreds of billions of dollars in investments to bolster his country's artificial intelligence capabilities. In an interview with a French television station, Macron pledged to invest $112 billion in his country's AI capabilities in order to catch up with other major players such as the United States and China. 'We have to be in the race. We want to be part of it, we want to innovate. Otherwise, we'll be dependent on others,' Macron said Sunday evening. The new investments pledge presages a major AI summit in France this week (Vice President JD VANCE is leading the U.S. delegation) and follows the rapid and explosive growth of Chinese AI platform DeepSeek. Related: We asked DeepSeek about geopolitics. It gave us Beijing talking points. By POLITICO. The Complex SELLING TRUMP ON DEFENSE BUMP: House Armed Services Chair MIKE ROGERS (R-Ala.) is looking to make his case directly to Trump to boost the Pentagon budget by hundreds of billions of dollars a year. In an interview outlining his agenda (first reported — for Pros! — by our colleagues at Morning Defense) Rogers said plans to meet with Trump, alongside Senate Armed Services Chair ROGER WICKER (R-Miss.), with the aim of securing his support for hiking military spending to 4 to 5 percent of GDP. 'We are pushing to get back into that spending level, and we want him to take the lead,' Rogers said in an interview. 'I want him to want that 4 to 5 percent.' Rogers also consulted Defense Secretary PETE HEGSETH, who advised him in a phone call last week that Trump's buy-in will be crucial. 'Pete completely agrees that we have to find a way to get in that 4 to 5 percent band of spending,' he said. 'But he made it very clear, that's the president's call.' ON THE HILL GABBARD, PATEL IN PROCESS: Trump's most contentious national security nominees are advancing towards their final Senate votes, even in the face of concerted Democratic opposition. TULSI GABBARD, Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence, will get a cloture vote tonight, setting the stage for a final floor vote on her nomination in the coming days. Meanwhile, FBI director nominee KASH PATEL is still expected to receive a vote in committee this week, after Democrats managed to delay a vote on his nomination. Both are expected to narrowly get confirmed, as Republicans have lined up behind the contentious nominees. But Vance, who Trump has dispatched as an emissary to Capitol Hill, successfully locked down support for both nominees from Republican holdouts, is out of the country for the next week, meaning that the Senate may not be able to break ties if votes come down to the wire. Democrats, including maverick Sen. JOHN FETTERMAN of Pennsylvania, are not expected to vote to confirm either Patel or Gabbard. Broadsides A WARNING FROM TITUS: A senior congressional Democrat is sounding the alarm that cuts to USAID's support for democracies and human rights around the world could backfire in the pursuit of a stronger U.S. foreign policy. In an interview with Eric, Rep. DINA TITUS (D-Nev.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the top Democrat on the House Democracy Partnership, warned that cutting this foreign aid funding could weaken U.S. soft power around the world and limit the ability of the U.S. to boost democratic movements around the world. Cuts to democracy programs in eastern Europe also have spillover effects that can affect others nearby, Titus argued, as countries in Russia's backyard face increased meddling from Moscow in their elections. To that point, she highlighted the importance of U.S. support for institutions in Ukraine. 'If we're not helping in Ukraine, that certainly impacts Romania, and Romania, in turn, impacts Moldova,' Titus said. She also said Democrats need to frame foreign aid 'not just in terms of girls in Afghanistan, but in terms of this helps us fight against China,' adding that aid to democracy initiatives 'strengthens us in terms of international security.' ICYMI: How spending $153M to pay its bills put USAID in DOGE's crosshairs by our own Nahal Toosi and Robbie. Transitions — Former U.S. Ambassador to Poland MARK BRZEZINSKI and DGA partner ERIK BRATTBERG are launching Brzezinski Global Strategies, a firm that will help clients navigate Poland and other countries in central and northern Europe. — The Hudson Institute welcomed former British security minister TOM TUGENDHAT as a distinguished fellow. — SETH LOCKE is joining WilmerHale's defense, national security and government contracts group. He previously co-chaired Perkins Coie's government contracts group — SHERIDAN BASS is joining House Majority Whip TOM EMMER's (R-Minn.) team as deputy press secretary. She previously was communications assistant for Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee. — ANNA HOLLAND is now communications director for Republicans on the House Homeland Security Committee. — JAKE DENTON, former technology researcher for the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, has joined the Federal Trade Commission as chief technology officer. — Former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs DANIEL KRITENBRINK is now a partner at The Asia Group. — JULIE EDELSTEIN is now a partner at Wiggin and Dana LLP. She most recently was principal deputy chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in DOJ's national security division. — PALMERSTON, the former resident cat of the British Foreign Service (and chief rival to 10 Downing Street's Chief Mouser LARRY), has taken up a new diplomatic post in Bermuda after his owner ANDREW MURDOCH was named governor of the British overseas territory. What to Read — Dalia Hatuqa, POLITICO: The 'Gaza-ification' of the West Bank — Bruce Hoffman, The Cipher Brief: How Trump's Gaza plans may be both 'fantastical' and constructive — Cian Ward, New Lines Magazine: Returning to devastation in south Lebanon Tomorrow Today — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9:25 a.m.: China's power: Up for debate — National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, 10 a.m.: 80 years of U.S.-Saudi relations: Reflecting on the past, shaping the future — Center for Strategic and International Studies' Project on Nuclear Issues, 10 a.m.: Virtual conference on 'strengthening U.S. alliances and partnerships' — House Homeland Security Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee, 10 a.m.: Examining the PRC's strategic port investments in the Western Hemisphere and the implications for homeland security, part I — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, 4 p.m.: Learning from Ukrainian local communities' response to the full-scale Russian invasion Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who should be subject to a global arms control regime. Thanks to our producer, Gregory Svirnovskiy, who should lead the talks to rein in Heidi's nuclear aggression.
