No tariff decision today...

SCOTUSBLOG for live-blogging of the decisions coming down this morning....

Bloomberg Green examines the methane emission implications of US ramping up extraction of Venezuelans fossil fuels. Link in reply 👇

The US announced today that it is withdrawing from 66 more international organizations, agencies, and institutions, including the ILC! So disappointing and disheartening - this makes Int’l cooperation and coordination on shared challenges much more difficult. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

Today's op-ed by @oonahathaway.bsky.social in the @nytimes.com nails why it is so important for all states to defend the international legal order, and call out the intervention in Venezuela as unlawful. The whole piece is worth your time - gift link in the comment 👇

Very good basic analysis here 👌

For those who missed this over the weekend…that much more relevant after the events of this weekend! Link in first reply.

I have a thread over at the hellsite tracking state reactions to the Venezuelan regime change op btw. Sorry can’t do it here cuz there’s not enough ministries and I don’t have a List for that x.com/alonso_gd/st...

Here is my preliminary analysis of the US intervention in Venezuela, and brief explanation of the violations of international law so far. craigxmartin.substack.com/p/the-us-int...

Here is my preliminary analysis of the US intervention in Venezuela, and brief explanation of the violations of international law so far. craigxmartin.substack.com/p/the-us-int...

This is an extraordinary response from a leader of a political party in Canada - celebrating and endorsing a clearly unlawful act of aggression.

New episode of JIB/JAB - a discussion with @monicahakimi.bsky.social of Columbia Law about how to better understand and respond to the current crisis in international law. Fascinating and important conversation! Link in reply 👇

For those who missed it (I did), this episode of Bloomber's Zero podcast is an interesting discussion with Canada's former Minister of the Environment on the new government's retreat on climate change policy: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i...

For those who missed this over New Years ;-)

My thoughts on the importance of the conflict in Sudan-not only because it's the worst humanitarian crisis, if largely ignored in public discourse-but because the UN Security Council's failure to resolve it reveals further weakening of the UN collective security system. Link below 👇

The @nytimes.com confirmed earlier reports that the CIA conducted a drone strike on dock facility in Venezuela last week (link 👇), with large explosion but no casualties reported. 1/2...

Touché

A brief examination of the differences between the first and second tanker seizures, and on their significance and implications. open.substack.com/pub/craigxma...

Heres the 60 Minutes segment suppressed by CBS. open.substack.com/pub/yashar/p...

Some thoughts on the U.S. seizure and confiscation of the oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, and on some of the broader implications for international law. craigxmartin.substack.com/p/the-us-sei...

Read the full email Sharyn Alfonsi sent her team about CBS pulling their segment on the Trump admin’s deportations of Venezuelan migrants

More indications that Japan is considering departing from the long-established non-nuclear principles - which could lead to a nuclear arms race in Asia. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/12...

NY Times reports that this tanker was not on any OFAC sanctions list, and there was no seizure warrant authorizing it under domestic law - even more lawless than the first seizure. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/20/u...

Helpful short account. “Trump says Venezuela stole U.S. oil, land and assets. Here’s the history.” www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/1...

Some thoughts on the U.S. seizure and confiscation of the oil tanker off the Venezuelan coast, and on some of the broader implications for international law. craigxmartin.substack.com/p/the-us-sei...

Great post by @stevevladeck.bsky.social on the anniversary of Korematsu, explaining why the legal justifications and rationalizations for unlawful action is often more damaging to the rule of law than the action itself. Necessity, Legality, and the Rule of Law open.substack.com/pub/stevevla...

Perplexity just released an internal report on how the company actually uses its own platform internally - it is being touted as a useful guide for very practical application: www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/ai-...

Canada’s anti-greenwashing rules protect our health, but they’re under threat. Send a message to Ottawa: don’t give fossil fuel companies the license to lie to us. Choose truth, health and transparency instead. cape.ca/action/prote...

My thoughts on how the recently announced Canada-Alberta agreement on expanding Alberta’s oil and gas production violates Canada’s international law obligations regarding climate change - and why that matters. open.substack.com/pub/craigxma...

Interesting analysis in The NY Times of discussions between DoD and the State Dept about how to deal with boat strike survivors. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/u...

"Legally shaky"?! This headline in the @theguardian.com is irresponsible- there's overwhelming consensus among legal experts that the strikes are unlawful. The article itself states "The rationale has been widely rejected by most legal experts..." Media have to do better! bit.ly/3YfFU8k

Not surprising - it is impossible to square the government's pipeline deal with Alberta with Canada's climate change goals and obligations. www.thestar.com/politics/fed...

Exactly right.

This piece by @mikeschmitt.bsky.social, @rgoodlaw.bsky.social, and @tessbridgeman.bsky.social, on @justsecurity.org, is an outstanding precise analysis of the legal issues surrounding the “second strike”. www.justsecurity.org/125948/illeg...

The MSM are focusing on the wrong issues/questions. - It doesn't matter whether he saw survivors, or whether he specifically ordered a 2nd strike. - Evidence is he gave an order to kill them all (a "no quarter" order); ... 1/2 www.bbc.com/news/article...

As I and many others pointed out over a year ago, Hegseth made very clear his intention to disregard international humanitarian law and human rights law. Congress should not now be surprised - but it should do something about it!

ICYMI, Canada has published a new registry of all AI systems used by the federal government: www.canada.ca/en/treasury-...

Department of Defense Law of War Manual, Sec. 18.3.2.1 states the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders. What’s its key example? Wait for it . . . It’s "orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."

For those who may have been off the grid over Thanksgiving - some thoughts on how the extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean implicate the extraterritorial application of the right to life: open.substack.com/pub/craigxma...

This move to delay and possibly eliminate a rule to require oil & gas companies to reduce methane emissions is utterly irresponsible. Cutting methane is a crucial and relatively easy step in reducing GHG emissions. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/c...

On how much carbon budget remains for remaining below 1.5 degrees Celsius - virtually impossible now. substack.com/@climatelabb...

Just Security has compiled a very helpful timeline to keep track of all of the vessel strikes that Hegseth has ordered, along with the official legal rationales and criticisms that these actions have generated. Experts and allies are uniformly opposed. www.justsecurity.org/124002/timel...

This is exactly right - the 1st strike was murder and extrajudicial killing; but even on the administration’s misguided theory that IHL applies, the “no quarter” order and 2nd strike constitute a war crime. Good to see that Senators are being well briefed!

Former US military lawyers speak out: "The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both." Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes 1/2

Textbook war crime/extrajudicial killing "Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions." Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social

Some thoughts on how and why the obligation to respect the right to life applies to U.S. killings of alleged drug smugglers on the high seas. open.substack.com/pub/craigxma...

Analysis of what the videos of boat stikes reveal: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...

The vote in the UN 3rd Committee on Nov. 20, on a recurring resolution to reaffirm the jus cogens prohibition against torture, which has been typically adopted by consensus. This year a vote was required, and 3 states voted no...

“At a time when multilateralism is frankly, under a lot of strain, I think countries have come together and said, actually, we want multilateralism,” said Ed Miliband, the UK energy and climate secretary. on.ft.com/44t1cTv G20 defies Trump as leaders press on without the US