* The UK’s Telegraph reports first-hand sighting of Russian armored vehicles crossing into Ukraine, also witnessed by Shaun Walker from the Guardian. This is a different column of vehicles than the “aid” convoy [NYT] of 260 trucks sent by Russia to “help” [see also this AP video].
* Jessica Lewis from the Institute for the Study of War was on MSNBC to discuss the Islamic State’s goals and modus operandi.
* From the CSIS think tank: next level questions on Iraq operations.
* Venezuela continues to sink towards failed-state levels of violence: gunmen wreak havoc in Caracas emergency rooms [AP].
US Paramilitary Law Enforcement
* The backlash against the federally-funded militarization of local police forces across the US is healthily bipartisan [Bloomberg video]. Events such as the police behavior on display in Ferguson were easily predictable, and previewed by SWAT teams with a pretty aggressive [Reason] representation of themselves.
* But mainstream media and politicians end up again in a mostly reactive posture. Up until now there was little reporting of, or political resistance against, massive equipment transfers from DoD to law enforcement in small towns and suburbs.
High-Res Sat Imagery
* Earlier this week ULA launched DigitGlobe’s WorldView-3 commercial imaging satellite, whose 31cm pixel resolution [MapBox] was reserved [DefenseOne] until recently to US and intelligence customers.
Asia/Pacific
* China is struggling [MIT Technology Review] with its effort to develop shale gas. This may portend more aggressiveness around more straightforward energy sources – like the South China Sea.
* Today’s video shows the EW antenna being mounted on Australia’s Hobart destroyer:
