National Security Law Today

Russia’s War of Attrition: Massive Losses and Tiny Gains with Seth Jones

Four years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the war has become a slow-moving conflict defined by massive losses and limited gains on the battlefield. This week, Elisa sits down with Seth Jones, President of the Defense and Security Department and Harold Brown Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to discuss findings from his latest report, Russia’s Grinding War: Massive Losses and Tiny Gains for a Declining Power. Together they examine Russia’s staggering casualty numbers, the slow pace of its advance, and what these trends reveal about Russia’s long-term economic and geopolitical trajectory.Seth Jones is President of the Defense and Security Department and Harold Brown Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)References:Report: Jones, Seth G., and Riley McCabe. Russia’s Grinding War in Ukraine: Massive Losses and Tiny Gains for a Declining Power. Center for Strategic and International Studies, 27 Jan. 2026.VideoCast: Are Russia and Ukraine Headed to 2 Million Casualties? CSIS. Jan. 30 2026Stanford University's Global AI Vibrancy ToolThe Warsaw Pact, 1955

The Anthropic Dispute: Government Authority in the Age of AI with Alan Rozenshtein

A standoff between the Pentagon and one of the world’s leading AI companies is raising new questions about the limits of government authority. This week, Elisa sits down with Alan Rozenshtein, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota and Research Director at Lawfare, to unpack the dispute between the Department of War and Anthropic over the use of advanced AI tools. Together, they explore whether existing law can compel technology companies to cooperate with national security demands and what the Defense Production Act might mean in the age of artificial intelligence.Alan Rozenshteinis an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota and Research Director at LawfareReferences:Endrias, Michael, and Alan Z. Rozenshtein. “Pentagon’s Anthropic Designation Won’t Survive First Contact with Legal System.” Lawfare, 2 Mar. 2026.The Defense Production ActDoD Directive 3000.09, “Autonomy in Weapon Systems,” November 21, 2012E.O. 14365, "Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence"10 US Code 3252IEEPANSLT, Ep. 392, "Empire AI: OpenAI’s Rise and the Race for Global Power with Karen Hao"NSLT, Ep. 399, "Crash, Bailout, or Breakthrough? The Future of America’s AI Bet"

Preventing Nuclear Chaos: What Happens if Iran’s Government Falls? with David Albright

As tensions rise and the United States surges military assets into the Middle East, a critical question emerges: what happens to a nuclear program if a government collapses? This week, Elisa sits down with David Albright, founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, to assess the risks surrounding Iran’s nuclear capabilities and the consequences of regime instability. Drawing on historical precedent and insights from his recent op-ed, they examine what sites must be secured, why advance planning is essential, and whether the U.S. and its allies are prepared to prevent sensitive nuclear material from falling into the wrong hands.David Albright is founder and President of the non-profit Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, D.CEVENT: Register for our in-person luncheon on March 5 in Washington, D.C., featuring journalist Jason Rezaian and attorney David Bowker on hostage diplomacy and the wrongful detention of Americans overseas. View the full program here.References:Albright, David, and Andrea Stricker. “The Nuclear Threat After Tehran Falls.” The Wall Street Journal, 2 Feb. 2026.

The Insurrection Act: History, Authority, and Constitutional Limits with William Banks and Harvey Rishikof

This week, we revisit a foundational conversation on the Insurrection Act, originally recorded in June 2020 with William Banks and Harvey Rishikof. Together, they trace the Act’s history, unpack the scope of presidential authority it confers, explain how it may be invoked, and examine the constitutional principles that should guide its use.William Banks is former Chair of the Standing Committee on Law and National Security Harvey Rishikof is Senior Counselor of the ABA Standing Committee on Law and National SecurityEVENT: Register for our in-person luncheon on March 5 in Washington, D.C., featuring journalist Jason Rezaian and attorney David Bowker on hostage diplomacy and the wrongful detention of Americans overseas. View the full program here.References:The Insurrection ActPosse Comitatus ActBanks, William C., and Stephen Dycus. Soldiers on the Home Front: The Domestic Role of the American Military. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2016.Banks, William C. “Providing ‘Supplemental Security’–The Insurrection Act and the Military Role in Responding to Domestic Crises.” Journal of National Security Law & Policy, vol. 3, Dec. 15, 2009

News Roundup: Foreign Financing, Defense AI, and Synthetic Biology Risks

In this News Roundup, Elisa unpacks the latest AI-driven developments making headlines—from Chinese financing across U.S. energy and data infrastructure to emerging battlefield AI systems and early research raising concerns about AI-generated pathogens. She also examines evolving strategies for powering data centers, the strategic implications of a potential SpaceX–xAI alignment, and how Anthropic’s latest model signals a new phase in the global AI race.EVENT: Register for our in-person luncheon on March 5 in Washington, D.C., featuring journalist Jason Rezaian and attorney David Bowker on hostage diplomacy and the wrongful detention of Americans overseas. View the full program here.References:NSLT Ep. 127, The Insurrection Act Today with William Banks and Harvey RishikofParks, B. C., Zhang, S., Escobar, B., Walsh, K., Fedorochko, R., Vlasto, L., et al. (2025). Chasing China: Learning to Play by Beijing’s Global Lending Rules. Williamsburg, VA: AidData at William & Mary