Overview

• An internal National Guard “media roll up,” accidentally emailed to the Washington Post, found 53% of online posts negative and just 2% positive about the D.C. mission, with themes of “leveraging fear,” a “wedge” with civilians, and troops’ “shame.”
• More than 1,000 students from American, Georgetown, George Washington, and Howard universities walked out to oppose the federal takeover, with lawmakers Ed Markey and Pramila Jayapal joining some events, organizers said.
• The Joint Task Force in Washington has touted declines since Aug. 11, including drops in robberies and carjackings, as federal officials reported 2,177 arrests and 222 guns seized through Sept. 8, while independent comparisons highlight differing datasets that complicate the claims.
• A federal judge ruled the earlier Los Angeles mobilization unlawful before an appeals court stay allowed it to continue, D.C. officials have sued to block the capital deployment, and eleven retired generals warned in a court brief that politicized call-ups erode the military’s apolitical standing and morale.
• The New Republic reported the D.C. deployment has been extended into December and the Boston Globe noted a new executive order establishing a National Guard quick reaction force, even as some troops are assigned “beautification” tasks like trash pickup and mulching.