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SecDef Hegseth orders “comprehensive review” of Biden Afghanistan withdrawal

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a sweeping review of the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, with a focus on the 2021 Kabul airport bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members.

Key Details:

  • Hegseth’s order targets failures tied to the deadly Abbey Gate bombing during the rushed August 2021 withdrawal.
  • Sean Parnell, a combat veteran, will lead the review panel, tasked with examining previous investigations and holding leaders accountable.
  • The move underscores the Trump administration’s pledge for transparency and justice for the families of fallen troops.

Diving Deeper:

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday ordered a “comprehensive review” of the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, calling for accountability in the wake of a terrorist bombing at Kabul’s airport that left 13 American service members dead.

Hegseth said the Pentagon had already conducted an initial review of the withdrawal but concluded a deeper investigation was necessary to honor those lost and to expose the failures that led to their deaths.

“Over the last three months, the Department has been engaged in a review of this catastrophic event in our military’s history,” Hegseth said in a letter published Tuesday. “I have concluded that we need to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure that accountability for this event is met and that the complete picture is provided to the American people.”

The withdrawal, which former President Joe Biden initially branded a “responsible exit,” turned chaotic when the Taliban surged through Afghanistan in the summer of 2021. Biden defied the Trump-era May 1 withdrawal deadline, instead attempting to keep troops in the country through September 11. The Taliban responded with over 22,000 attacks in four months, eventually overrunning the Afghan military and taking Kabul without resistance on August 15.

Just eleven days later, a suicide bomber affiliated with ISIS detonated an explosive at Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport. The explosion killed an estimated 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. troops — the deadliest single day for American forces in Afghanistan in a decade. Despite prior warnings of threats near the airport, no action was taken to secure the area, and no U.S. officials have been held responsible.

Hegseth has tapped Sean Parnell, former Army captain and Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, to lead the panel reviewing prior investigations and identifying breakdowns in leadership and intelligence. Parnell, who served 485 days in Afghanistan and was wounded in combat, brings personal experience and resolve to the role.

“This team will ensure ACCOUNTABILITY to the American people and the warfighters of our great Nation,” Hegseth emphasized.

The Trump administration, which negotiated the original withdrawal deal with the Taliban, has remained committed to uncovering the truth behind the Abbey Gate bombing. In March, U.S. agents captured “Jafar,” the alleged mastermind behind the attack. According to Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Trump’s former counterterrorism adviser, Jafar confessed to orchestrating over 20 attacks that killed more than 1,000 people.

At the 2024 Republican National Convention, Trump spotlighted the grieving families of those killed in Kabul. Christy Shamblin, relative of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee, praised Trump for his compassion and commitment. “Donald Trump knew all of our children’s names… He allowed us to grieve,” she said.

Hegseth, who raised the issue during his confirmation hearing, closed his statement with a direct rebuke of past leadership. “There has been no accountability for the disaster of the withdrawal in Afghanistan, and that’s precisely why we’re here today.”

Pete Hegseth” by Gage Skidmore licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED.

International

Harvard sues Trump Administration over foreign student ban

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Quick Hit:

Harvard University is suing the Trump administration for barring it from enrolling international students, claiming the move is unconstitutional retaliation for resisting federal demands.

Key Details:

  • Harvard filed the lawsuit Friday in federal court in Boston, arguing the government violated its First Amendment rights and singled it out for political retribution.

  • The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, alleges Harvard allowed anti-American agitators to target Jewish students and even collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party—charges Harvard has denied or said it will respond to later.

  • Noem has given Harvard 72 hours to turn over records, video, and audio tied to foreign students involved in protests or face continued sanctions—including a freeze on over $2 billion in federal grants and possible revocation of the school’s tax-exempt status.

Diving Deeper:

Harvard University is taking legal action against the Trump administration, filing a federal lawsuit on Friday in response to the administration’s ban on enrolling international students. First reported by POLITICO, the university called the decision an unconstitutional act of retaliation, claiming it would harm more than 7,000 foreign students who are part of its academic community.

“With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard’s student body,” the lawsuit stated. The university emphasized that international students are “central” to its mission, contributing from over 100 countries—most in graduate-level programs.

The move from the Department of Homeland Security came Thursday, citing campus safety issues and deeper geopolitical concerns. The administration accused Harvard of fostering an environment where “anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators” have targeted Jewish students and claimed the university had ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Specifically, it alleged that Harvard hosted members of a Chinese paramilitary group in 2024.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the action, saying it “should serve as a warning to any university putting ideology over national security.” Noem’s office also demanded that Harvard hand over all records tied to foreign student involvement in campus protests—going so far as to ask for audio and video evidence—within 72 hours. Failure to comply would mean continued restrictions and could trigger further consequences, including loss of tax-exempt status.

In response, Harvard officials said the school had already taken steps to address concerns about campus safety and antisemitism. President Alan Garber noted that reforms to university governance were already underway and insisted that Harvard would not compromise on “its core, legally-protected principles.”

This marks the second lawsuit Harvard has filed against the Trump administration. A prior legal challenge targeted the freezing of $2.2 billion in federal funds and what the school described as coercive efforts to control internal policies, including demands for leadership changes and “viewpoint diversity” audits. That initial standoff followed weeks of public tension between the university and the White House.

Harvard’s athletic department has also been impacted. Many of its teams rely heavily on foreign talent, with Sportico reporting that more than 20% of its 2024–25 varsity athletes hail from outside the U.S. Some teams—like men’s rowing and squash and women’s soccer and golf—feature international athletes on most of their rosters.

The university said it will seek a temporary restraining order to block DHS from enforcing the enrollment ban, and vowed to defend its institutional independence and the rights of its students against what it sees as politically motivated overreach.

(AP Photo/Steven Senne)

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Business

Bill would prevent congressional members from trading stocks

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U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, has co-introduced a bill to prevent members of Congress from trading stocks.

The Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act requires all members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children to put their stocks in a qualified blind trust or divest the holding. In doing so, Kelly’s office said this ensures members and their family members cannot use inside information to influence trades and profit off those transactions.

“As Americans work hard to keep up with rising costs, the last thing they should have to worry about is whether their elected representatives are using inside information to make a quick buck,” said Kelly in a press release. “This isn’t rocket science; the only way to stop insider trading in Congress is to stop members of Congress from trading stocks. Period.”

Kelly said he believes he already has the support of the American people.

Pointing to a survey by the Program for Public Consultation at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, Kelly said 86% of Americans back such a measure. That includes 88% of Democrats, 87% of Republicans and 81% of Independents.

“Fixing this would go a long way toward restoring trust — and fixing what’s broken in Washington,” said Kelly.

U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Georgia, also introduced the bill. Ossoff said members of congress have “extraordinary access to confidential information” at the same time they are making federal policy. Because of this, Ossoff said members of Congress should not be playing the stock market.

“Stock trading by members of Congress massively erodes public confidence in Congress and creates a serious appearance of impropriety, which is why we should ban stock trading by members of Congress altogether,” said Ossoff.

The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, and Michael Bennet, D-Colorado. Bennett, who is The Center Square for governor of Colorado, said it is “common-sense legislation.”

Kelly has already placed his assets in qualified blind trusts, released his official Senate schedule and refused corporate PAC contributions for his campaign.

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