We are devastated by this weekend's senseless violence on the Brown University campus. As we mourn the deaths of two students, we share the terror and grief of the entire Brown community, the deep concern for those who were injured, and the sorrow for their families and friends.

Reminder: The Pentagon has never passed an audit. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

In 2024, global military spending had its steepest annual rise since 1992, according to new data from @sipri.org. Reuters reports on the record revenues for the weapons industry, citing our research with @quincyinst.bsky.social. www.reuters.com/graphics/BUS...

In 2024, at least 61% of the discretionary budget went towards military-related spending.

Join DismantleTheMic.org on Dec. 11 at 6pm ET for a webinar on stopping the war machine, featuring Julian Aguon, Brittany DeBarros and Costs of War contributor William Hartung. Register: tinyurl.com/StopWarMachine

The Trump administration's drone strikes in the Caribbean are "less of an aberration and more of a continuation and intensification of the War on Terror," notes our forthcoming contributor @elizabethrb.bsky.social in @inkstickmedia.com. inkstickmedia.com/the-war-on-t...

The Trump administration is reportedly considering ground operations in Venezuela to fight "terrorism". If Afghanistan and Iraq are any indicator, these actions will likely harm countless civilians. [1/3] www.cnn.com/2025/11/27/p...

Costs of War co-founder @cathylutz.bsky.social on why now is the time to question the "military normal": substack.com/home/post/p-...

Records show that Raytheon was allowed to claim about half a million dollars in tax refunds for jobs it did not create, reports @inkstickmedia.com and Carolina Public Press. inkstick.substack.com/p/exclusive-...

The connections between play, patriotism and war run deep. Our latest cultural analysis looks at the militarization of toys. [THREAD]

The Trump administration halted special immigrant visas from Afghanistan after a former member of one of Afghanistan's CIA-backed units was accused of shooting two U.S. National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C. [1/2] www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

The Trump administration halted special immigrant visas from Afghanistan after a former member of one of Afghanistan's CIA-backed units was accused of shooting two U.S. National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C. [1/2] www.reuters.com/world/us/us-...

The so-called "War on Terror" looks poised to continue in Venezuela without congressional authorization. www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...

On average, over the course of the war in Afghanistan, 24 percent of active-duty women and 1.9 percent of active-duty men experienced sexual assault. Sexual assault prevalence in the military is likely two to four times higher than official government estimations.

A new book by Costs of War contributor William Hartung and Ben Freeman looks at how we got to a trillion dollar military budget — more than half of which goes to military contractors. www.commondreams.org/opinion/tril...

In a first, Ukraine plans to seek nearly $44 billion in damages from Russia for emissions caused by the ongoing war. time.com/7335449/ukra...

Since the agreed upon ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, 67 Palestinian children have been killed in “conflict related incidents,” says UNICEF. news.un.org/en/story/202...

The White House is ready for war with Venezuela, but the majority of Americans are unenthusiastic. Only Congress can intervene by asserting its war powers, writes @cathylutz.bsky.social and @lutzfernandez.bsky.social. responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-war-ve...

The post-9/11 wars directly killed at least 940,000 people; an additional 3.6-3.8 million have died due to the reverberating impacts of war, bringing total deaths to at least 4.5 million people. costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/findings

A trillion dollar 2026 military budget would likely privatize well over $500 billion in public funds, writes @stephensemler.bsky.social. popular.info/p/how-trumps...

A Costs of War cultural analysis paper looks at how the military uses social media platforms to shape narratives around war, drive recruitment, and wage cyberwarfare. [THREAD]

Israel’s entire inventory of combat capable aircraft comes from the U.S.; Israel’s attack and transport helicopters are also all of U.S. origin.

The name change from DoD to Department of War could cost up to $2 billion dollars, reports @nbcnews.com. www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...

With COP30 underway, it's worth noting that the U.S. military is the world's largest institutional greenhouse gas emitter.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the U.S. has spent over $9.65 billion on military activities in Yemen, Iran, and the wider region. Including military aid to Israel, the U.S. has spent over $31 billion on the post-10/7 wars.

This Veteran’s Day, we’re remembering the 7,053 service members killed in the so-called “War on Terror,” and the estimated 30,177 service members and veterans that died by suicide in the 20 years that followed Sept. 11, 2001.

More than 200,000 Iraqi civilians were killed in the wake of the post-9/11 wars writes @ishaantharoor.bsky.social, citing our research. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...

H.R. 1 diminishes transparency around Pentagon and military-related spending and increases it beyond the $1 trillion mark in FY 2026.

The Iraq war was perhaps Dick Cheney's "most lasting, and darkest, legacy," writes CNN's Ben Wedeman, citing Costs of War research on the financial costs of the post-9/11 wars: $8 trillion and counting. www.cnn.com/2025/11/05/m...

Dick Cheney, one of the key architects of the post-9/11 war era, has died. An estimated 3.6-3.8 million people have died indirectly in post-9/11 war zones, bringing the total death toll to at least 4.5-4.7 million and counting.

@christopherleonard.bsky.social reports on the wave of labor unrest that has swept America’s workers in the weapons industry over the past year, citing our research with @quincyinst.bsky.social on Pentagon spending going to military contractors. www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Mamdani spoke of his aunt’s fear after 9/11. Backlash revealed how Islamophobia persists — A recent @salon.com article cites a report from the @costsofwar.bsky.social project that found hate crimes against Muslims increased between 2000 and 2009.

Listen to Costs of War co-founder Neta C. Crawford on Gaza, and how U.S. democracy suffers as a result of long-term militarization.

Costs of War contributor @david-vine.bsky.social on how the Israeli government appears to have orchestrated mass expulsion in Gaza – one of several tools of genocide.

@levernews.com breaks down our latest research with the @stimsoncenter.bsky.social on just what military contractors are getting out of the reconciliation bill, the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. www.levernews.com/the-emperors...

Listen to Costs of War contributor Linda Bilmes on the billions spent in U.S. post-10/7 military operations, and the trillions spent in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The House of Dynamite production team chose not to seek collaboration with the Pentagon to remain independent. Now the Pentagon is objecting over its depiction of missile defense systems as fallible. The scriptwriter stands behind the depiction. [1/2] www.theguardian.com/film/2025/oc...

Two U.S. administrations proceeded as though they had no leverage against Israel to stop the killing in Gaza. Costs of War contributor and @quincyinst.bsky.social expert William Hartung on why this wasn’t true:

“People will die for years afterwards of things that they wouldn’t have had to die from in Gaza,” says Costs of War co-founder Neta Crawford on the long-term impacts of war.

Ending the displacement of Palestinians as well as the mass killing and destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure are clear requirements for peace, writes Costs of War contributor @david-vine.bsky.social. fpif.org/peace-in-gaz...

U.S. strikes against cartel members are based on the same failed post-9/11 counterterror war paradigm; research shows it not only caused large-scale death and destruction, but was also strategically ineffective. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Military and related spending, including the regular Pentagon budget plus funding provided by H.R. 1, or the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” is over 13 percent higher in FY26 than in FY25 and will primarily benefit military contractors.

NEW: The military spending portion of the reconciliation bill, or H.R. 1 (“One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) will primarily benefit military contractors, according to a new joint brief with the @stimsoncenter.bsky.social. [THREAD]

Starting soon—register here: events.brown.edu/event/320525...

Tomorrow, Costs of War contributors will discuss their new research on two years of the post-10/7 wars. Time: Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 2pm ET. Moderated by @tparsi.bsky.social with the @quincyinst.bsky.social. Register here: events.brown.edu/event/320525...

The U.S. has provided at least $21.7 billion in military aid to Israel since October 7, 2023. This figure excludes arms sales agreements to be paid by the U.S. in the future.

Event: Join Costs of War contributors on their new research on two years of the post-10/7 wars on Wednesday, Oct. 22 at 2pm ET. Moderated by @tparsi.bsky.social of the @quincyinst.bsky.social. events.brown.edu/event/320525...

Displacement in Gaza and the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023 [THREAD] Nearly all the people living in Gaza—90% or more—have been forcibly displaced. Many have been displaced multiple times.

As a ceasefire begins, NPR cites Costs of War and @quincyinst.bsky.social research on U.S. aid to Israel since October 7, 2023: $21.7 billion. www.npr.org/2025/10/13/g...

The U.S. has provided at least $21.7 billion in military aid to Israel since October 7, 2023. This figure excludes arms sales agreements to be paid by the U.S. in the future.