Russia in CAR, US Military Overreach, Pentagon’s Replicator, and More

Hello, everyone.

It’s no secret that the Mormon church has a reputation for leaning conservative, but in a new interview Inkstick field reporter Taylor Barnes conducted, the son of a prominent LDS leader discusses his late father’s historic effort to move the church on the issue of nuclear weapons.

Halfway across the world, the Central African Republican has been an important staging ground for the Wagner Corps, an infamous Russian paramilitary group. Now, as Dan M. Ford writes, Moscow is pressuring CAR to replace Wagner with the Africa Corps, another paramilitary group that is under the direct control of the Russian government.

That’s not all we’ve got at Inkstick. And if you’re not already, please follow us on LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube.

“In the Central African Republic, Russia Hopes to Shift Wagner Control to Africa Corps” by Dan M. Ford (Sept. 2)

Following years of influence by the Wagner paramilitary group, officials in the Central African Republic (CAR) have said that Russia has asked the government to replace it with Africa Corps and to pay in cash, rather than minerals. CAR is hesitant, but may have few options.

Bluesky this. Link this.

“How Trump’s Military Overreach Threatens Us All” by Devra Baxter & Vanessa Schonig (Sept. 3)

Since returning to office, US President Donald Trump has launched a drive to militarize many aspects of daily life, including immigration enforcement. The military is now being used in ways once unimaginable — stationing troops in US cities, detaining migrants in military prisons, and invoking wartime powers to expel them.

Bluesky this. Link this.

“Interview: ‘My Dad Moved the Mormon Church on Nukes’” by Taylor Barnes (Sept. 4)

Decades ago, a charismatic Mormon attorney, Ed Firmage, helped organize a colorful coalition of Utah and Nevada civil society members against the MX nuclear missile project. Firmage’s son speaks about his father's legacy of lobbying Mormon leadership to oppose nuclear weapons at a critical moment in Utah and the Cold War.

Bluesky this. Link this.

Donate now

“Deep Dive: Pentagon’s Replicator Initiative Raises Questions” by Inkstick (Sept. 5)

The Congressional Research Service recently published a detailed analysis of the Department of Defense’s Replicator Initiative, a high-profile effort to rapidly field thousands of autonomous systems across multiple domains. The report took a hard look at the initiative’s strategic ambitions, technological challenges, and congressional oversight concerns.

Bluesky this. Link this.

Inkstick relies on donations, reader support, and fundraisers to exist. Please consider supporting our work. Thanks for being a part of Inkstick’s community.