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** Wednesday Reads
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** February 4, 2026
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America's Twin Deficit Time Bombs
By Desmond Lachman
Senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute

The US economy has long been shielded from the unsustainability of its trade and budget deficits. It may not be for much longer. Read more here ([link removed]) .
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How a US-Iran Clash Could Spiral Out of Control
By Sina Azodi
Director of the Middle East Studies program at The George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs

A future conflict between America and Iran might resemble the June 2025 war, in which Tehran was careful to telegraph its punches—but it could also escalate far more quickly. Read how here ([link removed]) .
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Why the ICE Crackdown Is a Mistake
By Cheryl Benard,
Former program director in the RAND Corporation’s National Security Research Division

US immigration enforcement would do better to focus on the border than on rounding up undocumented workers within the country. Read why here ([link removed]) .
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What Nuri al-Maliki’s Iraqi Comeback Means for the US
By Charbel Antoun,
Journalist

The revival of Iraq’s most polarizing Shia leader signals Iran’s intent to set the terms of engagement with the Trump administration. Read more here ([link removed]) .
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Assessing Developments in Anti-Technological Extremism with AI Data Centers
By Jordyn Abrams,
Research fellow at the Program on Extremism at The George Washington University

As AI develops, anti-technology extremism is evolving—making AI data centers symbolic, high-risk targets for ideologically diverse actors. Read more here ([link removed]) .

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