Morning Philosophy
βFar better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much.β
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Personal Command Update
Good morning, Anthony.
Saturday, September 26, 2026Black Mountain, NC6 min read
Morning Philosophy
βFar better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much.β
β
Hard Deadlines β Today
No hard deadlines today.
Todayβs Calendar
Nothing on the calendar today.
Canvas β Upcoming
Paper 151350.202650due Tue 9/29
Ch. 7 and 8 exercises51133.202650due Tue 9/29, 1:30 PM
Rough draft of grant proposal narrative51133.202650due Tue 9/29, 1:30 PM
Final draft of grant proposal narrative51133.202650due Thu 10/1, 1:30 PM
WEEK FIVE SQUAD AMBUSH50264.202650due Fri 10/2
WEEK FIVE SQUAD AMBUSH51287.202650due Fri 10/2
Honors Program Breakfast (Recognized Cadets Only)Honors Program Communitydue Fri 10/2, 7:00 AM
Announcements
Spycraft and Statecraft50987.202650 Β· 2026-09-22
Intelligence Community Directive 203 & Papers50987.202650 Β· 2026-09-22
Weather & Dress
Clear sky Β· 47β76Β°F (now 48Β°, feels 44Β°)
precip 0% wind 10mph
sunrise
sunset
WEAR β comfortable β no jacket needed
Daily Leadership Lesson
A leader who protects their team from every consequence of failure removes the very friction that produces learning.
Today, let a mistake play out to its natural (safe) consequence before stepping in, then debrief it together.
β¦
Journal Memory
No journal memory selected.
Major World News
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a summit marked by a cordial tone, following a state dinner, as both leaders navigate a critical period in US-China relations. The visit included symbolic elements like pageantry, though its substantive outcomes remain to be seen in the broader context of trade and geopolitical tensions.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a defiant speech at the UN General Assembly, criticizing critics including New York politician Mamdani, as Middle East crises dominated discussions. The session also featured addresses from the Palestinian Authority and Yemen, underscoring escalating regional tensions.
Iran has proposed a deal to the US to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, a critical global shipping chokepoint. A US official confirmed that constructive discussions are underway through mediators, signaling potential de-escalation in a region-critical dispute.
Major United States News
The Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to use a contested data system for checking voter citizenship, overriding a lower court that found the system violated federal privacy protections. Critics warn the data's reliability is questionable and could lead to U.S. citizens being wrongly purged from voter rolls, raising major implications for future elections.
FBI special agents' blood and urine test results were stolen in a hack, exposing sensitive personal health data. Experts warn the breach could leave agents vulnerable to blackmail, scams, and targeted attacks, raising serious national security and privacy concerns.
Jim Copenhaver, who was shot during the 2024 Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, has died. The same shooting killed another attendee and grazed then-candidate Trump's ear, making this a significant follow-up to one of the most consequential political violence incidents in recent U.S. history.
South Carolina News
South Carolina ETV and Public Radio will host, broadcast, and livestream a U.S. Senate debate as part of its 'South Carolina Election 2026' coverage. This gives voters a chance to hear directly from candidates ahead of the election. Details on debate scheduling and participants were not specified in the snippet.
South Carolina officials are addressing concerns that popular prediction markets may amount to unregulated gambling. This suggests a regulatory review or action targeting these platforms within the state. The specific nature of the response or enforcement was not detailed in the snippet.
A new ranking places South Carolina in a notable position for financial distress compared to other states. This kind of economic indicator can reflect broader trends in household debt, bankruptcy, or fiscal health among residents. Specific ranking figures were not included in the snippet.
Military & National Security
A federal appeals court upheld the Pentagon's decision to blacklist AI company Anthropic from military contracts, citing supply chain risk concerns. The ruling is a win for the Trump administration and adds to scrutiny over how national security designations are applied to major AI firms. Reuters traces how the legal conflict unfolded.
CNN reports a Pentagon data breach involving military personnel records, raising national security concerns. The scope of the breach and how it happened remain to be detailed, but any exposure of military personnel data is significant given potential risks to operational security and personnel safety.
The Washington Post reports the Pentagon has quietly increased its official count of U.S. troops wounded during the Iran conflict, adding dozens more to the tally. This raises questions about transparency and the accuracy of initial casualty reporting from the engagement.
Opinion Piece
David A. Graham argues that the Trump administration has left hundreds of appointed government positions unfilled, a vacancy crisis that undermines its own stated priorities. The piece suggests that without confirmed leadership in key roles, the machinery needed to actually implement the administration's agenda is missing, creating a structural gap between rhetoric and governance.
| βͺοΈ | Calendar | 0 event(s) |
| π’ | Canvas Assignments | 0 due today, 7 upcoming, 2 announcements |
| π’ | Weather | Clear sky, 47β76Β°F at Black Mountain, NC |
| π’ | News | world:3; us:3; local:3; military:3 |
| π’ | Opinion Piece | The Absences Haunting the Trump Administration |
| π’ | Morning Philosophy | Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glβ¦ |
| π’ | Daily Leadership Lesson | A leader who protects their team from every conseβ¦ |
| βͺοΈ | Journal Memory | No passage met the bar today |