☕ Collective defense, explained

Good morning!

Fly high, Mondo Duplantis.

The American-born Swede broke the pole vault world record for the 14th time yesterday, clearing 6.3 meters on his third attempt to win his third straight world title. The jump marked his fourth world record of the season and came four years after his first Olympic title at the same Tokyo venue in 2021.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• U.S. forces destroyed a Venezuelan boat allegedly transporting drugs, killing three people in the second such operation this month. President Trump announced the strike on Truth Social, calling the boat operators "narco-terrorists" and providing legal justification for military action. The operation follows a week-long U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean near Venezuela, including five F-45 fighter jets and six Navy destroyers.

• Tyler Robinson allegedly confessed to killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Discord messages sent hours before his arrest last week, according to a company spokesperson. Robinson, 22, wrote "It was me at UVU yesterday. im sorry for all of this" in a group chat following Kirk's shooting at Utah Valley University, CBS reported. Kirk, 31, was hit by a single bullet while speaking at a Turning Point USA event on Wednesday. Robinson faces charges of aggravated murder and could receive the death penalty when he appears in court later today.

• President Trump filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the New York Times in a Florida court on Monday. The suit cites the newspaper's endorsement of Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign and accuses it of being a "mouthpiece for the Radical Left Democrat Party." Trump filed the case in Florida, where he maintains strong political support. The Times joins other major media outlets Trump has sued since taking office, including the Wall Street Journal, CBS's 60 Minutes, and CNN.

• A federal appeals court has ruled that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can keep her job, rejecting the Trump administration's attempt to fire her before this week's interest rate meeting. The three-judge panel said Trump violated Cook's due process rights by not allowing her to defend against mortgage fraud allegations, which she denies. Cook's attorneys argued her removal could throw the Fed's interest rate decision into "chaos" and undermine the central bank's independence. The Trump administration is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court before the Fed meets Tuesday and Wednesday to decide on rate cuts.

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At least 15 people have been fired or suspended from their jobs for social media comments about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed at a Utah university last week. An anonymous database is now tracking critics of the deceased podcaster. Here's what you need to know.

Charlie Kirk

Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and a close Trump ally, was killed while answering a question about gun violence at a university event. The shooting has been classified as political violence, sparking widespread online debate about Kirk's controversial views.

United Airlines suspended a pilot who called Kirk a "f*cking Nazi" and said, "There is no reality in which anyone is better off with him being alive." Universities in conservative-leaning states have fired employees for "inappropriate comments," while journalists, including MSNBC's Matthew Dowd and Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah, faced disciplinary action.

The database

An anonymous group called the "Charlie Kirk Data Foundation" claims to have collected over 63,000 examples of social media users criticizing Kirk or celebrating his death. The database allows searches by location, employer, and industry.

"We lawfully collect publicly-available data to analyze the prominence of support for political violence in the interest of public education," the group's X account states. The website was down at time of publication.

Political responses

Vice President JD Vance, guest-hosting Kirk's podcast this week, encouraged listeners to target critics: "Call them out, and hell, call their employer."

President Trump vowed to punish military members and immigrants for comments about Kirk's death, saying he would target "political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it."

I’ve got 2 minutes

Russian drones entered Romanian airspace yesterday, making it the second NATO country in days after nineteen drones were shot down after entering Poland.

The incursion of Polish airspace marked the first time since the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that the alliance had shot down enemy aircraft within a member state’s territory.

Poland has invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty, and the infringements of NATO states' airspace have led countries to worry about their obligations under Article 5.

This week

On September 9, Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine, sending 19 drones into Polish airspace. Poland immediately closed four major airports and scrambled F-16 fighters, backed by Dutch F-35s and Italian and German forces. NATO forces shot down four drones by September 10, while the rest crashed or were scattered across Polish territory.

Yesterday, a Russian drone flew 6 miles into Romanian territory and remained there for 50 minutes. NATO forces tracked the drone but didn't shoot it down, citing risks to civilian infrastructure.

Poland invoked Article 4 only a few days later, after alleging Russian drones violated its airspace.

NATO’s Articles 4 & 5

NATO (or the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) is a military alliance of 32 European and North American countries.

The treaty is intended to deter attacks on any of the 32 countries; if an enemy attacks one, then all 32 will contribute to defending against the attack. This obligation is contained in Article 5, and specifies that countries must help "by taking such action as [they] deem necessary". This can include sending troops, providing financial support, or offering diplomatic backing.

When Article 4 is invoked, a NATO ally convenes a meeting of allies to discuss a potential attack or invasion.

Russia’s response

The Russian Foreign Ministry called accusations of purposeful infringement "groundless" and claimed they had "no interest in any escalation." The Defense Ministry even said its drones couldn't reach Poland because they don't have enough range.

Investigators found the crashed drones had been fitted with extra fuel tanks specifically to fly further and markings associated with the Russian air force.

What’s next?

NATO allies are now discussing their obligations under the mutual defense treaty. The incidents test whether repeated "accidental" violations could trigger the alliance's collective defense mechanism, potentially drawing all 32 member countries into direct conflict with Russia.

It’s also the first time NATO has faced enemy aircraft penetration during an active conflict involving a nuclear power, creating unprecedented challenges for the 75-year-old alliance.

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