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‘The Cardinal Countdown: 2 Days Until Kickoff’
DEMECO KENNEDY #2 Height: 6’3” Weight: 305lb Position: DL Class: Junior Hometown: Lexington, KY Summary: The Cards needed some beef in the middle of the defensive line, but instead of calling Kroger’s Alex The Butcher, they rang ‘Kennedy, the Boilermaker’. Hailing from Lexington, Kennedy correctly averted the mess in the army of Stoops Troops and […]
Army National Guard Sergeant Wins $35K Settlement Against Kansas Health Department
The DOJ settled a years-long case with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to resolve allegations surrounding USERRA claims.
Trump Taps Army Engineering Official as Acting Secretary
The move came days after the resignation of Daniel P. Driscoll, who had clashed with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the purge of top generals in the Army.
The Trump Administration Halted a Great Lakes Project. Then Whitmer Called Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — An unexplained Trump administration hold on construction of a state-federal project aimed at preventing invasive carp from reaching the Great Lakes was abruptly lifted this week, hours after a call to President Donald Trump by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The Army Corps had ...
VA said electronic health record modernization would cost $10 billion
The Department of Veterans Affairs is nearly tripling the ceiling on its contract with Oracle to modernize the agency’s electronic health record system.
Driscoll offers no reason for his exit as Army secretary but says Wednesday is his last full day
Dan Driscoll has announced that his last full day as U.S. Army secretary is Wednesday, but his social media post offered no explanation for why he is stepping down after 18 months as the service's civilian leader.
Fort Bragg Veteran celebrates expansion of high-end experiential entertainment brand
Photo provided by EscapologyAfter 15 years as an Army officer at Fort Bragg, Fayetteville resident Dan Cooke transitioned to business ownership to bring high-end experiential entertainment to North Carolina, applying strict military operational systems to scale his footprint across the state.Cooke got his start in the Army’s Boots to Business program.“Boots to Business was instrumental in preparing me to start a company. The program taught me how to develop a business plan, conduct market and financial analysis and critically evaluate whether a business concept was actually viable,” shared Cooke. “What made the program particularly valuable was that the instructors and mentors had real-world business experience…At the end of the course, I had to present and defend that plan. From there, they directed me to SCORE, where mentors helped me further refine the plan. I eventually presented it to a bank, which was impressed with the level of preparation, and I secured the financing necessary to build the business.”As Cooke neared the end of his military career, he began to wonder what would come next. Through his faith and some valuable mentors, he found the right avenue for his entrepreneurial interests.“While working on my instrument pilot rating, my flight instructor happened to tell me about escape rooms and the economics behind building them. He thought they could make for an interesting business. I took the analytical skills I had developed in the military, along with what I learned through Boots to Business, and began comparing the escape-room model against other opportunities I was considering,” explained Cooke. Cooke opened his first Escapology location in Fayetteville in 2019.“My approach was to start small and prove the model. Fayetteville made sense because I was already there, understood the market and could minimize my initial risk. It also became clear very quickly that I needed a partner that could provide the creative design, branding and industry knowledge that I did not have. After researching a number of options, Escapology became that partner,” added Cooke.Following the success of his initial venue in Fayetteville and a venue in Charlotte that opened in 2023, Cooke recently expanded into Raleigh with his third Escapology venue at Crabtree Valley Mall.His North Carolina footprint now includes:Fayetteville: A 5-room venue launched right after his Army transition in 2019.Charlotte: A 10-room venue opened in 2023, doubling his original operational footprint.Raleigh (Crabtree Valley Mall): A 6-room venue opened in May 2026, with plans to expand to 10 full rooms.Beyond his venues, Cooke expanded his local footprint by launching Jade Solutions in Aberdeen, N.C., an OEM manufacturing business that now builds prop and technical solutions for Escapology venues systemwide.Cooke shared that his long-term goal is to continue expanding Escapology in a healthy and sustainable way while enjoying the journey. “I actually did not start an entertainment business because I personally loved escape rooms. I started a business because I love the game of business itself. Growing up, I loved military simulation games and business tycoon games. I eventually had the opportunity to experience the first of those in the real world — I went to war, led troops and played my part in the military. Today, I would much rather apply that same drive to the real-world game of building businesses.I don't play business computer games anymore. I get to wake up and do it for real every day,” shared Cooke.
Driscoll offers no reason for his exit as Army secretary
Tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been widely reported
Minogue wins GOP governor’s primary, AP projects
The Army veteran turned CEO will be the Massachusetts Republican Party’s nominee for governor.
US Army has lost top figures driving transformation
With Driscoll's resignation, the service has lost its leaders spearheading Army modernization. Those initiatives are now on uncertain footing.
Hendrix to lead NC Military Business Center
Martin J. “Jimmy” Hendrix III, a retired Army colonel, will become executive director of the North Carolina Military Business Center Oct. 1, succeeding Scott Dorney, the NCMBC’s founder and leader for more than two decades. Dorney is retiring at the end of the year. A Fayetteville native, Hendrix was appointed by Fayetteville Tech President Mark […]
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is stepping down after 18 months on the job, White House says
No reason was given for the departure of Driscoll, who is a friend of Vice President JD Vance, but tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been widely reported.
The Department of the Navy’s Science and Technology Board: Building on 250 Years of Naval Innovation
In September of 1776, an enormous British armada lay anchored in New York Harbor. A month earlier, British forces under General William Howe had defeated the Continental Army and gained control of New York City and Long Island. Now this fleet of 400 ships, including 10 ships-of-the-line, 20 frigates, and 170 transports among many others
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submits resignation after tension with Hegseth
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to President Donald Trump, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
Entertainment: U.S. Army Sergeant competes on 'America's Got Talent'
U.S. Army Sergeant Issac Atkins, of Schofield Barracks, is competing on "America's Got Talent."
Reflections on Weiser-Lopez, Crank-Killian debates
Thursday night, The Gazette and KOAA TV hosted two important candidate debates. The first featured incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank, who is just completing his first term representing El Paso County in Congress, and Jessica Killian, a Democrat who has served in the Army and has years of experience working in Washington, D.C. The second […]
Qatar pledges support for efforts to end Libya’s political division
Qatari minister meets army chief amid efforts to bridge longstanding political divisions in Libya.
Gage Larvadain Shows Versatility, Worth in Final Preseason Game
Wide receiver and return man Gage Larvadain might not be the flashiest guy, but the Swiss Army Knife is the type of player every NFL team likes to employ.
Jonny Kim’s resume already lists Navy SEAL, astronaut, doctor. He’s now returning to active duty.
After almost a decade of working at NASA, Jonny Kim will return to active duty for the U.S. Navy, where he previously served as a SEAL.
Florida Citrus Sports plans to bring future Week 0 games to Orlando
In addition to the bowl games it hosts, CEO Steve Hogan said FCS hopes to attract iconic contests like Army-Navy or college football playoffs.
Scientists just unleashed an army of 130,000 baby octopuses to fight off a blue crab invasion
When fully grown, the octopuses that survive could eat up to four blue crabs per day in the Mediterranean Sea
Balancing Mission, Mentorship and Education at Public Health Command Europe
Balancing Mission, Mentorship and Education at Public Health Command EuropeLANDSTUHL, Germany— Staff Sgt. Manely Pierre Asencio, Noncommissioned Office...
H2F Proponency Transitions to the MCoE advancing the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness System
The H2F System continues to evolve as the US Army’s primary investment in Soldier readiness and lethality and is now aligned under the new Transformatio...
The art and science of leadership: AMEDD Civilian Corps chief shares lessons with Team BJACH
Joseph “Chris” Rheney, chief of the Army Medical Department Civilian Corps, visited Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital Aug. 21 to share his "TRUTH" leadership philosophy with the military and civilian workforce. During an interactive leader professional development session, Rheney emphasized the critical role of emotional intelligence, relationship building, and empowering civilian employees to ensure long-term readiness and success across Army Medicine.
China’s internet army is quietly embedding AI into everyday lives
From RedNote to Meituan, digital platforms are bypassing third-party providers to build in-house AI models.
Targeted Care connects patients to right mental health support at right time
FORT Polk, La. - Walking into a mental health clinic and asking for help can be difficult. Walking out without the specialty mental health appointment y...
Professional tools, real-world science: Bug Camp inspires future STEM leaders
Defense Health Agency-Public Health hosted its second annual Bug Camp, held from June 29 to July 2, at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
Munson Army Health Center open house connects beneficiaries with healthcare services
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas — Fort Leavenworth community members visited Munson Army Health Center Aug. 12 for “Operation Know Your MTF,” an open house designed to connect service members, military families and retirees with healthcare, readiness and support services.
U.S. and German Military Medical Commands Modernize Public Health Partnership
MUNICH, Germany — Leadership from U.S. Army Public Health Command Europe and the German military, or Bundeswehr, met Aug. 12-13 to sign a modernized Mem...
A Veteran and VA social worker’s case for VA Health Chat
Erin Lovinus, Army Veteran and VA clinical social worker, uses VA Health Chat as part of her VA healthcare and recommends the app to others as well.
Roundup: Louisiana International Terminal / Ethane demand / Robot rush
Gateway to growth: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has granted the federal permit for the Louisiana International Terminal, clearing the way for construction of a major new container port on the Lower Mississippi River. Backed by Port NOLA, Terminal Investment Limited and Ports America, LIT is designed to handle the world’s largest container ships […]
Army Commander Reportedly Offering GTA 6 Bonus For Re-Enlisting Soldiers
Sign a contract to serve more time and you can play GTA 6 for a few days in November
Artificial Intelligence helps Munson health care provider focus more on patients, less on screens
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas — For Mikaela Altis, a physician assistant in Munson Army Health Center’s Department of Primary Care, adopting ambient listening technology has meant more eye contact with patients, more time for follow-up questions and fewer hours spent completing clinical notes after the workday ends.
Russia's prominent anti-war politician jailed for 11 years
Lev Schlosberg is found guilty of "discrediting" Russia's army - a verdict he condemns as punishment for his political position.
After traumatic health ‘crash,’ Austin Tice’s mom renews search for answers
Austin Tice, a Marine Corps veteran, was abducted during a 2012 reporting trip to Syria.
After traumatic health ‘crash,’ Austin Tice’s mom renews search for answers
Austin Tice, a Marine Corps veteran, was abducted during a 2012 reporting trip to Syria.
Professional tools, real-world science: Bug Camp inspires future STEM leaders
Defense Health Agency-Public Health hosted its second annual Bug Camp, held from June 29 to July 2, at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. This science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM, program is supported by the Army STEM Education Consortium. The camp puts high-tech tools in the hands of local students from Maryland and Pennsylvania. By studying how U.S. military scientists defend against insect-borne diseases, these young researchers get a first-hand look at military public health.
How China’s record-breaking hypergravity centrifuge speeds up Earth physics - Futura-Sciences
The machine exceeds the capacity of its predecessor, the 1,300 g-tonne CHIEF1300, which entered service in September 2025. Both units surpass the former record holder at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi, which operates at 1,200 g-tonnes. The facility, named the Centrifugal Hypergravity and Interdisciplinary...
ENTERTAINMENT: ‘Ghost Army’ film documents World War II trickery
The MacArthur Museum screens “The Ghost Army,” a documentary about American soldiers, “many of whom would later have illustrious careers in art, design and fashion,” who tricked the Germans with rubber tanks, sound effects and carefully crafted illusions during World War II, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
DoD changes transitional health care eligibility for reservists following lawsuit
Reservists no longer need to demonstrate that their period of active duty service was connected to a war to qualify for transitional health care coverage.
My Cup of IT: AI Protests, Plugs, & Politics
AI is moving from pilot project to procurement problem. The Army is already facing a protest over a $450 million contract award that allegedly relied on AI in the acquisition process. Translation: AI may be helping agencies buy technology — and soon it may be helping lawyers protest those purchases. Meanwhile, NIST wants to put […]
Army business solution accelerates collaborative drone defense research
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory became the first Army organization to join the Streamlined, Multisite, Accelerated Resources for Trials Institutional Review Board (SMART IRB). ARL subsequently used its new membership to accelerate the research approval process for a collaborative research effort on drone defense with the University of Texas at Arlington.
Majority of VA mental health visits are timely, but referrals lag: Watchdog
The VA watchdog found that 80% of referrals for mental health services in the Community Care program were scheduled within 30 days.
DOGE said it saved $1.7 billion by terminating a military health IT contract. GAO found the contract was never terminated.
DOGE reported $1.76 billion in savings from terminating a contract, but GAO found that the contract was never terminated and no funds were deobligated.
Exclusive | Pete Hegseth Army Chief Pick in Jeopardy Over Republican Objections
Some lawmakers and experts say Gen. Christopher LaNeve lacks experience at the four-star level.
Igniting the desire to live: adaptive sports give war veterans a new purpose
When Artem Peredereiev, 36, woke up after the amputation of both his legs, he could not imagine a future outside the hospital walls. A volunteer who joined the army in 2024, from a small settlement near Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, he was severely wounded on the battlefield and brought to Ivano-Frankivsk for rehabilitation. His physical condition was poor, and emotionally he was depressed. “Everything was new and different. I had no place to return to because my hometown was occupied. I did not understand how to live further,” he recalls. Every year, hundreds of wounded servicemen and women pass through the Centre for
Tommy Sullivan and John Ziegler to Perform at LI Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame on Aug 16th
As part of the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame Soundtrack to Summer Series, Musician Tommy Sullivan (a member of the Brooklyn Bridge) will perform LIVE music and Comedian John Ziegler will open with comedy set at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in Stony Brook Village (97 Main Street, Stony Brook, NY) on Aug. 16th from 3-4pm. The event is free for members or with general admission ticket purchase or $10 at the door concert ticket purchase. For details on this and upcoming events please visit https://www.limusichalloffame.... About Tommy Sullivan A life-long Long Islander and proud U.S. Army veteran, Tommy Sullivan enlisted in 1965 and was accepted to the United States Military Academy Band, where he created the first official rock group at West Point. Reentering civilian life in 1968, he helped create the Rhythm Method, a 7-piece Long Island band which was discovered by Johnny Maestro, then singing lead with the Del-Satins. The combined groups became the Brooklyn Bridge. As band leader and musical director, Tommy penned the group’s horn arrangements on every Bridge hit, including their gold record, Worst that could happen. Upon leaving the Bridge, Tommy co-founded Atlantic Records’ supergroup Ramatam, which was Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell’s first group following Hendrix’ death. For the second Ramatam LP Tommy wrote and orchestrated original material which featured select members of the NY Philharmonic Orchestra. Together with Johnny Maestro, Tommy co-produced Johnny’s final CD, Peace on earth. The critically acclaimed album features Tommy’s arrangements & orchestrations, plus several of his original songs. A Charter Inductee to the LI Music Hall of Fame, Tommy Sullivan continues to write, record, arrange and produce records, serve as musical director/ arranger/conductor for projects across many musical genres plus donates dozens of performances annually for numerous charity events. Tommy Sullivan’s dynamic and unique one-man show, A thousand memories, featuring his vocals and performances on four instruments, has been packing concert auditoriums, nightclubs, private parties–even vineyards-for the past several years. John Zeigler Born and raised in New York, John has performed stand-up comedy for close to 20 years and was the winner of the 2016 "Funniest Comic on the East Coast" Contest at Mohegan Sun. John's opened for such comics as Sebastian Maniscalco, Gilbert Gottfried, Jim Breuer and Robert Klein. He currently headlines clubs across the country and regularly tours with legendary comedian Bobby Collins. John recently released his Dry Bar Comedy Special and Getting My Affairs in Order.
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi has rare meeting with Red Cross amid health concerns
The photos were released as international calls are growing for access to or engagement with the former leader, who has been detained since the army seized power in 2021.
Bangladesh’s future depends on the military distancing itself from politics
The generals’ pursuit of wealth and civilian power fuelled corruption while leaving the army hollowed out
With Switch 2, iPhone, and laptop tricks, the Sharge Disk Pro 2 is finally a worthy EDC
It’s practically a USB-C Swiss Army Knife.
ACC, AMC Team wins Department of War small business awards
The Army Materiel Command Office of Small Business Programs team, which features Army Contracting Command personnel Gherin Fracasso, Anthony Piccolo, and Suzanne Anderson from ACC-New Jersey, earned several Department of War and Department of the Army Small Business Awards for their achievements in Fiscal Year 2025 during a ceremony at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey.
Opinion: Colorado can learn from more than 250 years of Army medicine, especially when it comes to mental healthcare
As an Army psychiatrist and chair of behavioral health at Denver Health, I know we can take lessons from military to help solve Colorado’s current crisis.
Taysom Hill says thank you and goodbye to New Orleans
The Swiss Army Knife says returning to New Orleans is not in the cards
Ryan Day, Ohio State Seeking Improvement In Margins By Turning To Army Principles
As Ryan Day seeks his second national title as Ohio State's head coach, he's looking for steady, incremental improvement.
Boeheim's Army knocked out of The Basketball Tournament
The Syracuse alumni team lost to La Familia in Kentucky.
International Fellows explore AI, science, and policy in Pittsburgh
The U.S. Army War College International Fellows Class of 2027 visited Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh to hear from experts on artificial intelligence, software engineering, public policy and science, with a focus on how research and innovation support military leadership and decision-making.
Boeheim's Army wins, advances in The Basketball Tournament
Cole Swider's double-double led the SU alumni team past Hall In and into the Alumni bracket semifinal round Sunday.
Ukraine overhauls its military top brass for the fight against Russia
The new army chief belongs to a generation of Ukrainian generals who have come up through the ranks during the battle against Russia
Boeheim's Army returns to TBT bracket Tuesday
The Syracuse alumni team opens the $2 million, winner-take-all tournament with a best-of-three series against Hall In, a team of Seton Hall alumni.
Munson Army Health Center Open House: Discover Your Medical Home at Fort Leavenworth
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas -- Whether you're new to Fort Leavenworth or have been part of our community for years, we invite you to join us for the Munson Army Health Center Open House, Wednesday, Aug. 12. Stop by anytime from 1 to 3 p.m. to meet the healthcare professionals who support Soldiers, families, retirees and other eligible beneficiaries. Learn about the many services available to help you stay healthy, mission ready and informed.
World Cup fuels Broward's summer business and hotel boom
Thank you to the Tartan Army and all of the international fans!
Army gets commitment from athletic Florida QB Onrique Archie
Winter Park (Fla.) quarterback Onrique Archie recently gave a verbal commitment to Army. The Black Knights get a 6-foot-2, 185-lb prospect who reports a 4.67 forty and had over 1,400 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. He had an offer from Navy along with several other programs, but had a good relationship with […]
Sports without politics is a fantasy and the World Cup proves it
From ancient Greece to Nazi Germany, sport and politics have long been intertwined. Nevertheless, we still imagine that international sport can be kept above the fray and serve as a neutral arena where nations compete on merit alone. In this article, diplomacy scholar Geoffrey Allen Pigman argues the 2026 FIFA World Cup shows this is a dangerous illusion. When international sport is left entirely to revenue-maximizing private bodies like FIFA, it doesn't escape politics, but rather surrenders to its worst expressions. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, the IOC must decide whether to learn that lesson or repeat the same mistakes. The largest and most lucrative FIFA World Cup ever draws toward its climactic conclusion amidst a swirl of controversy. Team members, staff, fans, and spectators have been denied their right to enter the United States to participate, and US President Donald Trump intervened with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to overturn a referee’s call that Trump believed disadvantaged the US national team. It is a moment to step back and reflect on what the purposes of international sport mega-events like the World Cup, and international sport more broadly, are, and what they should be. Does international sport serve public purposes? Is there a public interest? Or is it primarily a private endeavor organized by commercial enterprises to entertain the global public (and generate profit in the process), which is occasionally used by governments and leaders for raisons d’etat? Central to the idea of sport is the principle of fair play, which in the international context demands that games be free from political interference. However, it is impossible to separate sport from politics, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding. The most positive political use of international sport through the millennia has been to facilitate diplomacy. The use of international sport for diplomatic objectives has existed since at least the time of the ancient Olympic Games, around which was instituted the custom of the Ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, between participating states to facilitate fair competition and diplomatic achievements by ensuring that participants could travel safely to the Olympiad. In his seminal work On Diplomacy (1987), diplomacy scholar James Der Derian characterized the objectives of diplomacy as overcoming alienation and mediating estrangement between governments and between peoples. One increasingly important diplomatic tool in the technology-infused media environment over the past century has been public diplomacy, under which governments and non-state diplomatic actors (e.g. transnational corporations) communicate to global publics about their international policy objectives and to shape their global brand image. Political scientist Michał Kobierecki, in his important book Sports Diplomacy (2020), views sports diplomacy as falling broadly within the ambit of public diplomacy, as international sport intimately involves the participation of global publics as spectators and consumers of global media. Diplomacy scholar Stuart Murray and this author, in a 2013 article, distinguish between international sport used for diplomatic purposes and international sport-as-diplomacy, which encompasses the range of diplomacy that occurs as teams and competitors, spectators and fans, and government officials all converge for international sporting events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Diplomacy scholar H.E. Chehabi, in a 2001 article on US-Iran sports diplomacy, describes the interaction between spectators and fans at international sporting events as “people-to-people diplomacy,” in which relationships develop independently of governments and their objectives. Diplomacy by the aforementioned definitions is often unsuccessful. Moreover, all too often the tools of diplomacy may be employed by governments and other actors to thwart or oppose the objectives of diplomacy as characterized by Der Derian. Governments routinely use the tools of public diplomacy to disseminate propaganda, spreading misinformation in the attempt to deceive global publics about their objectives and to create misleading impressions about their brand identity. Within sports diplomacy, the term “sportswashing” has been coined recently to describe how governments invest in and promote international sport to create positive global public impressions of their nations and, in doing so, to distract the global public from their deficient records in areas such as human rights and democratic governance. Murray, in his 2018 book Sports Diplomacy: Origins, Theory and Practice, introduces the concept of sports anti-diplomacy, wherein governments intentionally use international sport to advance aggressive and nationalistic objectives. Obvious historical examples include Hitler’s use of the 1936 Berlin Olympics to glorify his Third Reich and the 1969 El Salvador-Honduras football “war.” SUGGESTED READING The beautiful game made ugly By Emily Ryall FIFA argues that it is and seeks to be apolitical in its stewardship of international Association Football (soccer). FIFA policies governing bids to host the World Cup require uninhibited and non-discriminatory access for players, team staff, and spectators of all participating countries to host nations and venues. It became clear soon after Trump returned to power in the United States in January 2025 that Trump’s political intentions and objectives to limit non-US citizens from living and working in the United States and, in numerous cases, even visiting the country, would collide with FIFA’s host nation policies. Beginning soon after the start of the second Trump administration, US federal authorities imposed restrictions on entry to the United States of citizens of between 20 and 40 countries for any purpose, with only limited exceptions. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began arresting non-US citizens in the United States, including persons with and without legal status, holding them in jails, concentration camps, and other detention facilities until they were deported to their home or third countries, where they faced substantive risks to their personal safety. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, in an effort to ensure the most successful and lucrative World Cup in history, engaged diplomatically with President Trump in an attempt to facilitate entry to the US for World Cup participants. Infantino did all in his power to ingratiate himself with Trump, to the extent of creating a FIFA “Peace Prize,” which he awarded to Trump in December 2025 at a ceremony in the then Trump-controlled John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the World Cup draw. The prize was an ersatz consolation for someone who aspired in vain to win the rather more prestigious and well-known Nobel Peace Prize. And in the run-up to the World Cup, conditions became worse. In February 2026, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a war of aggression against Iran, illegal under international law, under the false pretence that Iran’s government was preparing to attack the United States and Israel. During the US aerial bombardment of Iran, US planes bombed Azadi Stadium, the facility where Iran’s national football team trained. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, it was clear that Infantino’s efforts had been for naught: the Trump administration would not adhere to FIFA policies governing access to World Cup host nations. World Cup referee Omar Artan, a citizen of Somalia, was denied a US visa to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup. Trump’s government only granted US visas to Iran’s football team ten days before they were scheduled to arrive for the tournament. Numerous members of the support staff for Iran’s team were denied US visas. Iran’s team, which had been scheduled to train in Arizona, was directed to shift its training site to Tijuana, Mexico, notwithstanding that all three of their group stage matches took place at US venues. The US Department of Homeland Security only permitted the Iranian team to enter the US on the day before each scheduled match and then to return to Mexico immediately after playing. Members of Iraq’s and Switzerland’s football teams were delayed for hours by US officials at the US border, and an Iraqi team photographer was refused entry. Spectators and fans from Haïti and Iran were denied entry to the United States altogether. A large number of fans from a range of countries had their applications for US visas rejected. There were multiple off-ramps through which participants could have avoided the negative consequences of Trump’s decisions for the 2026 World Cup. Once it was clear that the Trump government intended to violate the established expectations for World Cup hosts, FIFA could have shifted the matches scheduled to take place in the United States to Mexico and Canada. The three nations were already designated as co-hosts, and host cities and venues had been selected. Once it was clear that FIFA, governed by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s dependent and dysfunctional relationship with Trump, would never consider this option on its own, it fell to the national football federations to act. The national federations, particularly some combination of federations of the leading contenders (France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, England, Germany, etc.), could have refused to participate under the US-imposed conditions or, at the least, demanded an ironclad agreement with the Trump government that FIFA policies on access would be respected. ___ International sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. ___ Why did neither FIFA nor the national football federations act to protect the interests of players, team staff, referees, fans, and spectators? In essence, the relentless engines of capitalism prevailed over norm observance, ethics, and fair play. The revenue interests of FIFA, sponsors, global media, and host cities won out. FIFA’s managers viewed hosting another World Cup principally in the United States as a veritable pot of gold for FIFA and its collaborators. FIFA has estimated its own revenue over the 2023-26 budget cycle, which includes the 2026 World Cup, at $13 billion, revised up from an initial projection of $11 billion, and 72% higher than the previous revenue cycle. Of that total, FIFA is estimated to have generated $8.9 billion from the Cup itself in revenue from TV rights ($3.92 billion), sponsorships ($2.69 billion), ticket sales ($3.1 billion), licensing rights, and other sources. A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that the World Cup will contribute over $40 billion to global GDP, including nearly $14 billion in direct visitor spending in the three host countries (but principally in the United States, which hosted the lion’s share of the matches). The FIFA World Cup is now reportedly “the single most lucrative recurring commercial property in global sport.” And yet, notwithstanding the Trump government’s uses of the World Cup for sports anti-diplomacy, and the climate of anxiety that this created for participants and spectators, diplomacy that did not depend upon governments was able to thrive at the World Cup. Examples of successful people-to-people diplomacy were legion, as citizens of towns and cities across the States, as well as in Mexico and Canada, welcomed team members, their families and supporters, to training sites across North America. Fans of different teams joined together in person in stadiums for matches, at watch parties and bars, and at welcome events sponsored by host cities. The joy and camaraderie shared between the citizenry of Boston and Scotland’s “Tartan Army” of fans is but one example of how the “Beautiful Game” brings people together. Friendships forged across continents are likely to endure well beyond the Cup final. Even those achievements cannot be seen as unalloyed, however. As South African football fan Byron Pillay commented to Al Jazeera, “Football is called the Beautiful Game for a reason, for its ability to unite people. But it’s hard to believe in that magic with the politics and war rhetoric off the field of play, especially when one of the tournament hosts is central to that.” Ultimately, the experience of the 2026 FIFA World Cup illustrates that, as international sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. As long as there is the possibility of diplomatic progress in mediating estrangement between governments or between peoples, there is a broad and overarching public interest in international sport. Likewise, as it would be difficult to put on an international sport mega-event without international sporting organizations like FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), global media firms, and companies purchasing sponsorships, public and private interests in international sport must coexist, most likely somewhere on a shifting spectrum between partnership and rivalry or cross purposes. As the World Cup wraps up, the IOC needs to consider its lessons before the scheduled 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they want to avoid a media-hyped Trump version of the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. The IOC and the National Olympic Committees need to set conditions on and make demands of Trump’s government with clearly articulated consequences for non-compliance, up to and including cancellation of the Games. Time is running out for the IOC, as unlike with the FIFA World Cup, there is no at-the-ready alternate venue for Los Angeles.
U.S. and U.K. soldiers participate in Armed Forces Entertainment All-Star Soccer Tour
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to V Corps subordinate units, Scottish soldiers from the U.K. army and professional soccer players touring with the Armed Forces Entertainment Heat Wave Summer Series, pose for a group photo after completing the scrimmage game during the All-Star Soccer Tour clinic at Tapa Army Base, Estonia, July 9, 2026. The AFE summer programming brings world-class entertainers, athletes, and performers overseas to connect with service members stationed around the globe. By providing unique opportunities for Soldiers to engage with professional talent, build morale, and share memorable experiences away from the mission, the program strengthens the resilience, camaraderie and sense of community that are essential to the military. V Corps is the U.S. Army's only forward-deployed corps, serving as the senior tactical headquarters for Army forces in Eastern Europe to deter conflict and provide combat-ready forces alongside our NATO allies. V Corps is operationalizing and expanding the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative with Allies, rapidly integrating emerging technologies into training and tactical plans. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Aaron Kaczur, 196th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment)
WATCH LIVE: Trump touts battlefield technology investments at Army War College in Pennsylvania
Lyster Army Health Clinic Releases Eight-Part Aviation Medicine Podcast Miniseries
Recognizing the busy, high-tempo lives of aircrews at the Home of Army Aviation, Lyster Army Health Clinic has released a comprehensive audio resource in their Aviation Medicine miniseries available now on the Lyster Health Talks podcast, hosted by Lt. Col. Leah Steder, commander of Lyster Army Health Clinic.
Justice Department reaches another settlement with Trump adviser Michael Flynn
Former Trump adviser Michael Flynn has reached another settlement with the Justice Department — this time for over $38,000 in retirement funds the Army had withheld from the former general after officials found he earned money from speaking at an event tied to the Russian government in 2015.
VA’s top health administrator departs post, temporary replacement named
Dr. Lee Payne, a retired Air Force major general and physician, will serve as acting under secretary, according to VA officials.
Thousands celebrate U.S. Independence Day with Army traditions in Puerto Rico
FORT BUCHANAN, Puerto Rico — The Army's home in the Caribbean welcomed thousands of community members July 4 for a U.S. Independence Day celebration fea...
VFW defends First Amendment rights amid blowback over political cartoon
Lawmakers and veterans groups are divided on how to pay for a major veterans benefits reform bill.
U.S. Army Hawaii celebrates 250 years of American independence at Schofield Barracks
SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — Thousands of Soldiers, families and community members gathered on Weyand Field July 4 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of...
The Left Knows One Narrative About Conservative Women. An Eye-Opening New Book Offers Another.
Christian conservative women aren’t all alike, Katie Gaddini’s book Esther’s Army suggests.
Scientists Just Unlocked an Endless Army of Cancer-Fighting Cells
The 'big eaters' are on the way.
Scientists Just Unlocked an Endless Army of Cancer-Fighting Cells
The 'big eaters' are on the way.
Army experimenting with mobile business apps
The events are also revealing where industry is building redundant software, the Army said.
Atlanta Falcons Players Meet With Fans, Tour Zama During USO Visit
CAMP ZAMA, Japan - Members of the Atlanta Falcons spent time with Soldiers in Camp Zama’s Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers program, or BOSS, Jun...
U.S. Army Contracting Command personnel recognized for streamlining small business procurement
At the FY25 Department of War and Department of the Army Small Business Awards, Army Contracting Command (ACC) was honored for strategic acquisition reforms that diversified and strengthened the defense industrial base.
How Lenders Evaluate Small Business Loans
Jeanette Mack from Navy Federal Credit Union is here to help you understand what lenders are looking at when considering your small business loan application.
PHOTOS | Multitude enjoy aerial entertainment at resurgent Texarkana Airshow
Sgt. 1st Class Benjamin Hall, assistant team leader, watches the ground to help the Golden Knights line up with their jump mark at the Texarkana Airshow on Saturday at Texarkana Regional Airport. Throngs of people lined a taxiway at the airport to watch the Army parachute team and other aerial entertainment. It was the first airshow in the city in nearly 30 years. See Monday's edition for extended coverage.
'Bye-bye, Scotland!' - Clarke's leaving letter to the Tartan Army
Steve Clarke's letter to the Scotland fans in full following his departure as head coach.
US Army commander used drones, C4-packed robots to clear breach
A recent drill saw dozens of drones targeting enemy weapons, sensors, and positions before soldiers attempted to approach.
From The Sports Desk: Is the Tartan party over?
Scotland’s hopes of advancing to the knockouts hang by a kilting thread.
New Patient Guidebook Helps Puget Sound Beneficiaries Navigate Their Health Care
MADIGAN ARMY MEDICAL CENTER, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. -- Great news for military communities and TRICARE beneficiaries across the Pacific Northwe...
Where Scotland goes, the Tartan Army follows 🏴
Where Scotland goes, the Tartan Army follows 🏴
Men’s Health: Caring for the Body, Mind and Spirit
FORT POLK, La. — Seeking help is often viewed as a vulnerability in military culture, but healthcare providers at Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital are reframing it as a tactical strength. In observance of Men's Health Month, a BJACH family physician, a mental health provider and the hospital chaplain have partnered to deliver a unified message: peak military readiness requires actively maintaining the body, mind and spirit. From utilizing routine screenings to leveraging physical discipline to build mental resilience and cultivating a strong spiritual community, the team outlines actionable steps to overcome the physical, emotional and isolation barriers that uniquely impact men.
Cait Conley wins Democratic primary to face Rep. Mike Lawler
The Army vet will now try to oust the Republican incumbent in a district that favored Kamala Harris in 2024.
Pols & Politics: Boston Mayor Wu joins Scottish statue traffic cone prank: ‘A sense of joy everywhere’
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu admitted to joining in on a traditional Tartan Army prank by placing a traffic cone on a statue outside City Hall. Plus: US Attorney Leah Foley’s special necklace.
904th Contracting Battalion demystifies federal acquisition for Savannah area small businesses
FORT STEWART, GA-The 904th Contracting Battalion recently executed a federal contracting workshop in partnership with the Savannah Chamber of Commerce....
#New40k – New app for a new edition
Share army rules and track game scores in the updated Warhammer 40,000 app.
The preening prince of perfection
Stride across the battlefield with contempt thanks to Sigvald’s new Army of Renown for Warhammer Age of Sigmar.
Next team to break MLB’s championship drought, Misiorowski & Yamamoto pitch gems and the Tartan Army invades Fenway Park
Fort Leavenworth AFWC relocation supports greater access to preventive health services
The Fort Leavenworth Armed Forces Wellness Center will temporarily close June 19 as the program relocates to a new location on post within Munson Army Health Center. The center is scheduled to reopen June 29.
Scotland's Tartan Army switches sports for a day in Boston
Thousands of Scotland supporters who have descended on Boston for the World Cup took time off from football on Sunday to switch their focus to a different sport - baseball.
Italy’s Meloni faces a far-right dilemma as 'Il Generale' Vannacci rises
Roberto Vannacci, a former Italian army general, is shaking up Italy’s political scene with his new party, Futuro Nazionale
Italy's Meloni faces a challenge from the right for the first time
Roberto Vannacci, a former Italian army general, is shaking up Italy's political scene with his new party, Futuro Nazionale.
Italy’s Meloni faces a far-right dilemma as 'Il Generale' Vannacci rises
Roberto Vannacci, a former Italian army general, is shaking up Italy's political scene with his new party, Futuro Nazionale | KNX News 1070 AM
Italy Politics
EU Parliament member and former Italian army general Roberto Vannacci addresses the audience as he concludes the two-day founding congress of his far-right party, Futuro Nazionale (National Future) in Rome,
In Retrospect: Poland, Russia, Europe
In April I spent a few days with Zryw, a Polish non-profit organization that recruits young people to enter politics and public life. Their aim is to build a new generation of civic leaders in Poland. I’ve followed their evolution from the beginning; my son is one of the founders. (“Zryw” means “impulse” or “burst of speed” in Polish). Julie Chmielewska, one of Zryw’s leaders, interviewed me at the event. Here is the conversation, lightly edited for grammar and context: Julia Chmielewska: Assuming that culture shapes institutions, could we conclude that some cultures are more prone to authoritarianism? Anne Applebaum: I don’t think so. Every culture, every nation, and every country has the potential for change. When we look at history, we can see that nations do change. Poland has changed, for example, from the 1980s to today. There’s a completely different mentality here than the one I encountered when I first visited, in 1988. The current generation sees the world through a different frame. So no, I don’t believe that certain nations are doomed to authoritarianism, or to anything. Of course, there are political and cultural traditions, but they can always be challenged. JC: So do you think there’s something intrinsic in human nature that pushes people to democracy, freedom? AA: I think there is something in human nature, a deep instinct, that pushes people towards freedom, yes. People who live in authoritarian countries – and I’ve heard this from them over and over again – sooner or later find themselves angered by a feeling of helplessness. They can see the unfairness of crooked courts, irrational political decisions. They naturally dislike the fact that somebody has all the power while they have none. In those circumstances, people who have no political background at all sometimes are politicized just by that frustration. I’m thinking of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, for example, who was a Belarusian housewife, until the circumstances of her husband’s arrest forced her to become a politician. I met a woman who is a Uyghur from China, and who had come to live in Turkey. After several of her family members were arrested, she too was propelled into a political role. These kinds of experiences make people interested in democracy or political reform, even if they thought they didn’t care. I also think that the opposite is true: some people instinctively prefer homogeneity, order, hierarchy. They don’t like the confrontation of opinions or the noise of debate, and they lean towards a single leader or a unified regime. I think that most of modern history is shaped by the clash between those two different sides of human nature. JC: Which force do you find more powerful today? AA: I think they both have a lot of power and there’s no way of predicting who wins. Even in countries that seem very shut off or stuck in an authoritarian system can change. We’ve seen that happen. And vice versa, I think democracies can also begin to fail and slide into authoritarianism. So it’s very important not to be complacent in either direction. JC: I want to go into your history and your experiences. You’ve lived in Russia during a time of incredible change in the late 80s, and then you came back to do research in post-Soviet Russia. AA: I was a student in Russia just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. I then traveled and worked there extensively in the 1990s, and I met people who really were full of hope. They hoped that Russia could become a democracy, or at least a place that guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of the press. These weren’t ideas that came from Washington. Although now the narrative in the Kremlin is different, I met many people who were working towards exactly that kind of transformation. A friend of mine ran a series of seminars – once a year, and then later several times a year, in cities all over Russia – designed to get people to discuss politics in new ways. She invited young politicians and journalists, as well as foreigners. I went to many of them, in Moscow as well as Volgograd and Novosibirsk. Over two decades, hundreds of people came to these seminars, and all of them wanted Russia to be different. I remain convinced that many Russians still want Russia to be different. It’s just that the old system, in the form of Putin, a representative of that system, returned. The KGB reimposed their power. And this wasn’t because of something to do with culture, this was to do with money and politics, and who was in charge. JC: You’ve partially answered my question... I wanted to ask whether that excitement of the 1990s was an exception from the Russian historical norm which has been rather authoritarian? AA: Of course, if you look at the history of Russia since the 18th century, there have always been liberal groups, reformers and revolutionaries. There were the Decembrists, in the early 19th century, and the rural populists later on, who tried to organize the peasantry. A significant group of liberal Russians appeared at the turn of the 20th century, people like the father of the writer Vladimir Nabokov, who was a Russian politician before the revolution. These groups were small in number, but sometimes had a broader significance. The Russian dissident movement in the 1950s and 1960s actually invented the modern human rights movement. It was their idea to hold the leaders of the Soviet Union accountable for the language they used, to remind them of the treaties they had signed and the promised they had made. They created the Helsinki group, for example, that held Soviet leadership to the language of the Helsinki Treaty, which formally ended the Second World War and which contained guarantees of human rights, at least on paper. That idea spread to Eastern Europe, and similar tactics were used here in Poland. (Benjamin Nathans recently wrote a great book about the Soviet dissidents, To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause) JC: But seemingly, even if they do ever get power, they could never hold on to it. AA: We don’t know, because they have never really had power. But in any case, we also don’t know what will happen in the future. There is no reason to assume that Russia will forever be condemned to totalitarianism. Even during the first fifteen years of Putin’s regime there was some form of democratic politics. Only when the full-scale war began did he bring everything to an end: he shut down all remaining independent organizations and killed his most important opponent, Alexi Navalny. But does that mean he is popular, that he enjoys legitimacy? Even now, we don’t really know what Russians think about him, or about the war. There is no way of doing real polling in Russia because nobody will answer an independent pollster over the phone. JC: Do you think that the flock of young people, especially young men, who fled Russia after the start of the war represent a continuation of liberal movements that refuse to partake in the authoritarian state, or do you think they are moving for the sake of self-preservation – “I don’t want to go to the army, so I leave”? AA: I’m sure it’s both. I actually know many people who left Russia for political reasons either in the very last years before the war, or else just after the war began. JC: And do you see a change in the young generation versus the old one that have fled? AA: It’s hard for me to say because the people who I know were mostly already politicized. I do know some younger people who left, but most of them were already either active in the opposition, or working as journalists. Many of them very self-consciously think of themselves as maintaining Russian culture abroad, just as in the 20th century the Soviet dissidents or the anti-communist White Russians once thought of themselves as people who maintained the true Russian culture, outside of Bolshevik Russia. JC: Let’s move on to Poland. One of your first experiences with Poland was reporting on Margaret Thatcher’s first state visit, in the autumn of 1988. You followed her around the farmers’ market. AA: She was making a symbolic gesture. She wanted to welcome free markets, but the only one she could really visit was the farmers’ market at Hala Mirowska. JC: And I want to talk about this area because today you can look out of any window in that district, Mirów, and see rows and rows of skyscrapers. How does it feel to see a country built from the ground in such a short time, both politically and economically? AA: You know, when you’re living in a period of dramatic change, it’s always hard to know whether the change is positive or negative. The transformation in Poland created winners and losers, as well as new classes of people, new political movements of different kinds. At the time, it sometimes just felt like turbulence. Now, we can look back at the 1990s and early 2000s in Poland and see in retrospect that the country was headed in towards prosperity and European integration. In around 2009 or 2010, I remember speaking to a woman who worked cleaning government offices, and who asked me if her daughter should study in Amsterdam or in London. This seemed to me to be a real transformation, and it happened very fast: within a few years, Poles stopped feeling like second-class Europeans, and a generation of younger Poles appeared who had no qualms about crossing borders. JC: We again live in turbulent times. Do you think we’re heading towards positive outcomes? AA: I can’t make predictions, because everything that happens tomorrow depends on what people do today. Also, history doesn’t have a trajectory. It doesn’t move in a particular direction. You only think it does afterwards. As I said, you can look afterwards at Poland in the 1990s and you could say this was a period of great progress. But not everybody at the time saw that. Sometimes people are very wrong about a given country’s trajectory. I remember people writing about Ukraine in the 1990s, about how dangerous it was that Ukraine was independent, that this was going to be an anti-semitic state, that Ukrainian nationalism was going to come back... and although you can say many bad things about Ukraine, the country made many bad choices, actually it became a pretty tolerant state which now has a Jewish president and until recently a Muslim defense minister. JC: In the 1990s Poland’s and Ukraine’s GDP were roughly similar. Ukraine was even a bit richer. So the starting point was similar for both of these countries, but they’ve turned out very, very differently. Even if we stop in 2014. Why do you think Ukraine “chose East”? Was it external influence? AA: No, I think Ukraine was in a different position. First of all, central and eastern Ukraine had been part of the Soviet Union since the 1920s, and had therefore experienced a longer period of occupation, repression, Sovietization and even Russification. Ukraine did not have, as Poland did, an alternative elite: a large cadre of economists and politicians, who already had some experience in opposition politics and in independent thinking. In Poland, the transformative finance minister, Leszek Balcerowicz, had already thought about how an economy might be decentralized before he took office. We can argue about how successful he was, but at least he was prepared to try something new. In Ukraine, people weren’t prepared. For one, there hadn’t been much space even for an illegal opposition in the previous couple of decades. Ukraine was also in many ways still emerging from colonial occupation. For the previous couple of centuries, many of the most capable Ukrainians had moved to Russia, and the first generation of leaders in independent Ukraine tended to be former Soviet apparatchiks. They didn’t immediately seek to become closer to western Europe. Instead, they looked for some kind of economic and political “third way” and an accomodation with Russia. Ukraine became stuck in this position, half-in, half-out and became pretty profoundly corrupt. JC: The Polish alternative elite had a vision of where they wanted the country to go. I think the general perception now is that this vision ends with the next election, right? Is this a natural process of gaining power? AA: Their vision, and it was shared by the time by politicians who now call themselves both left and right, was that Poland should join the EU and NATO, as fast as possible. My husband (Radek Sikorski) was in the very first government that said it wanted to join NATO. At the time this was taken very badly in Washington: the demand for NATO membership absolutely came from Poland, not from the US. But even then, in the early 1990s, many Poles already understood that the Russian sphere of influence would grow once again, that it was important to become part of the transatlantic alliance and an integrated Europe as fast as possible: NATO, the EU, the Council of Europe, all of the trading and security alliances. That consensus lasted through several different governments and over many years, even governments containing former communists. For twenty years, right, left and center disagreed about many things, but they all agreed on the direction that the country should go. In retrospect, that consensus created the basis for prosperity in Poland. JC: And regarding the Polish-Ukrainian relations. We know that antagonisms, e.g. the myth of Wołyń [a massacre of Poles that took place in what is now Western Ukraine, in 1943] are increasingly used in Polish political discourse today. In Ukraine, nationalist historians make heroes out of UPA, the Ukrainian revolutionary army, which is held responsible for this tragedy. Where do you see a start for burying the hatchet? Is the reconciliation of our nations possible? AA: So here’s a strange thing: For more than a decade after they both gained independence, Poland and Ukraine participated in a number of projects that were designed to solve exactly these kinds of Polish-Ukrainian differences. Books were published that were jointly written by Polish and Ukrainian historians, monuments were built. These projects were successful: If you’d asked me this question in 2010, I would have said that there are no real historical issues between Poland and Ukraine, that the two countries had mostly reconciled. For a number of reasons, this began to shift. In Poland, children and grandchildren of victims of the Wołyń massacre felt their tragedy hadn’t been fully recognized. In Ukraine, nationalist groups wanted the UPA partisans who had fought against the Soviet Union recognized for their heroism, despite the fact that some in this broad and not well-defined group were also linked to Wołyń. In both eastern Poland and western Ukraine, the memory of the ethnic cleansing that took place there in the late 1940s - Poles were moved West, Ukrainians East - to accomodate new borders has left feelings of displacement and bitterness. The wave of Ukrainian immigration, which started before the war, may have provoked some of this. But don’t underestimate the role played by Russia, which has always wanted to create discord between Poland and Ukraine, and pumps out propaganda to that effect in both countries. Vandalism on both sides of the border, damage done to cemeteries and monuments, is sometimes carried out by provacateurs working for Russia, just to create bad feelings. The Polish-Ukrainian conflict also hides a different reality: although there are real grievances and bad memories, the truth is that the biggest tragedies both nations experienced in the twentieth century were inflicted by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. That should unite these two countries, not divide them. JC: This week (19.04.2026 – Ed.) in Hungary we saw that using historical narratives to create grievance has no longer worked. Are you optimistic about the direction after Orban’s loss? AA: The Hungarian election was really important because it shows that people can actually resist powerful, dominant propaganda. The ruling party Fidesz controlled all of the TV, 90% of the newspapers, the constitutional court, the bureaucracy... and yet people had the nerve to vote against it and resist it. It’s also an important election because Hungary created a huge network of well-funded think tanks and foundations that were funding other far right groups and projects. So that loss is going to have a knock-on effect in other places too, maybe even in Poland. JC: What you’ve said about resisting propaganda reminds me of one of the interviews you did about talking to Russians in the post-Soviet era who claimed that people knew that the system was lying. Why do people choose to believe in these regimes anyway? AA: Because it’s useful. Stephen Kotkin, an American historian, once described how people would learn how to “speak Bolshevik”: It was just a language that you needed to use in order to get by in society. If you didn’t talk the way the regime wanted you to talk, then you might have problems, or lose your job, or your kids would not get into university. It was a way of getting along. Communist Poland was similar, at least in the early years. When I was writing a book about the Sovietization of Eastern Europe after World War II, I met a lot of people who wanted to talk a lot about the war, when many of them had done really heroic things. But almost nobody wanted to talk about the decade afterwards, between 1945 and 1956. This was when you had the short period of terror, violence and Polish Stalinism. To stay safe, people felt the need to just go along with what others were saying, or stay out of politics, or use communist jargon without necessarily believing it. I don’t judge them for it, and I wouldn’t describe all of those people as collaborators. It’s easy to feel moral certainty in retrospect, because we know that communism ended. But if you were living in 1949, it might not have been clear to you that communism was going to end. In very repressive societies, maybe about 10% of people who are really evil – collaborators, torturers. Maybe 10% of people are really brave and who find ways to resist. And then around 80% of people have kids, they have parents, they have to have jobs and they’ve had to get through it somehow. Strange though it may sound, I’ve found that the work I did on that book is now very useful in explaining some of what’s going on in the United States today. There are plenty of members of the Republican Party in Congress who know perfectly well that Donald Trump says many things that aren’t true. But they avoid criticizing him because it’s inconvenient, because they would get in trouble, because someone would attack them on the internet. So actually you don’t even need mass terror to get people to conform. JC: Is Gen Z reinventing agency? AA: We’ll see. In any generation you can find groups of people who want agency. If you live in a society that’s unfair, for example where a tiny number of people have captured most of the wealth, then at a certain point people rebel. This is always easier for younger people, who have you have less to lose. The question now is how the internet will affect the relationships between citizens and the state, and how it will change organizations. The “Twitter revolutions” people spoke about as early as 2008-9, mass protests organized online, have often proved to be very superficial. Although you can easily join something just by clicking, the work of creating a real movement requires physical participation. Successful mass movements of the past, for example the Civil Rights movement in the United States, were built by people who had spent many years together. They had participated in non-violent workshops together. They practiced and prepared. Just using the you can get everybody to show up at a certain moment, but then when the protest is broken up, nothing happens. It’s also true that the repressive regimes have more recently learned how to use the internet to undermine leaders and movements. Most of all, they now understand how to make people cynical. The form of propaganda that most modern authoritarians use - and I think the Russians really pioneered this - deploys sneering cynicism. Instead of praising the rulers, the regime propagandists mock the opposition movement leadership for being supposedly corrupt or sexually degenerate, with the goal of undermining any kind of idealism. JC: MAGA grew on the internet? AA: MAGA is a real grassroots movement. They had symbols, red hats, they showed up at rallies. But you’re right that the cynicism, the sarcasm and the distrust that the movement embodies came originally from the internet, and this is different. Fifty years ago, most European political parties had a social base in real organizations, in trade unions for Social Democrats, in church groups for Christian Democrats. As people stopped going to church and as the trade unions became smaller, the social base of these parties disappeared. Now people who wouldn’t have known one another in the past meet on the internet and create new movements, many of which don’t last. JC: Is history ending? Going in stale circles? AA: History never ends. In truth, human beings want contradictory things at the same time: order and freedom, stability and change. These things are never resolved, and when a society swings too far in one direction, people always push it the other way. But each time that happens, the result is different. Certainly it is true that we are now in a period when old philosophers and ideas from the 1930s are undergoing a revival. Carl Schmitt, who was a philosopher who was very influential on the Nazis, is back as an influence on both the far left and the far right, once again inspiring people to think that all politics has to be existential, that all politics is about defining and defeating enemies. In the US, some are also bringing back dominionism, the idea that we need a Christian and not a secular state. It’s also true that we are living through a more fundamental shift. The old left-right divide, which was mostly about the size of the state, is much less important now. Instead, we are arguing about more fundamental things: what are our rights, what protects our freedom. Or how much power do we want to give small elites, versus how much power to give ordinary people. In America a small group of very wealthy people now control information, because they control the social media platforms and AI, which means they determine what people will read and learn. Finding a way to preserve preserve zones of autonomy and independent thinking, this is going to be the main task for the next generation. JC: What is the one book that a person interested in Central Europe should read? AA: You could read my book “Iron Curtain: the Crushing of Eastern Europe” which tells the story of how the Soviet Union imposed its culture on the region. Or read Tim Snyder’s history of the region, “The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus 1569-1999.” And everyone should read “The Captive Mind” by Czesław Miłosz, which describes exactly the phenomenon we were talking about: why do people collaborate? I joined Scott Galloway and the brilliant Fiona Hill in a discussion about the wars in Ukraine and Iran, the future of global power, and what these conflicts reveal about America's role in the world. Scott told us that this was the 400th edition of his podcast, which is quite a number: My friend Francesco Chiamulera runs a brilliant series of literary events, Una Colline di Libri, A Hill of Books, in the Prosecco Hills, a region of vineyards and elegant hill towns in the Veneto, north of Venice. We did an event in Vittorio Veneto and also drove and biked around the countryside. Buy Autocracy Inc Buy Iron Curtain Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Dems press DOD, DOJ on criminals ending up with Army munitions
The Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, located near Kansas City, Missouri, is a government-owned but privately operated factory
Patient Feedback Helps Shape Care at Munson Army Health Center
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas -- Patients receiving care at Munson Army Health Center may be randomly selected to participate in the Joint Outpatient Experience Survey, commonly known as JOES, following their appointment.