The “Mar-a-gate v. Water-a-Lago” Edition

<p>This week, Alan, Quinta, and Scott were joined by their fellow <em>Lawfare</em> senior editor Molly Reynolds to talk through a week of big national security news stories, including:</p><ul><li>“Regrets? I’ve had a few.” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/15/celebration-uncertainty-fear-grip-kabul-one-year/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">One year has passed</a> since the chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan, which triggered the collapse of the U.S.-backed government and the return to power of the Taliban. What have we learned from this experience? And how should it inform U.S. engagement with Afghanistan moving forward?&nbsp;</li><li>“Half-Truths and Reconciliation.” Democrats in Congress have scored a huge climate win in the form of the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/08/11/1116229743/inflation-reduction-act-questions-answered" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">somewhat strangely named Inflation Reduction Act</a>, which passed both chambers by the slimmest of margins through a special procedure known as reconciliation that bypasses the supermajority requirement that the Senate usually operates under thanks to the filibuster. How big a deal is this? And is it a model that other policy proposals can follow?&nbsp;</li><li>“Déclassé.” While the Justice Department <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/15/us/politics/trump-search-affidavit.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">weighs whether to release more documents regarding its search of Mar-a-Lago</a>, former President Trump has offered a new explanation as to why he had so many classified documents in a storage unit there: he’d had a <a href="https://gazette.com/news/us-world/trump-claims-standing-order-declassified-records-as-soon-as-they-left-oval-office/article_22c5f7d9-2133-5649-9ac9-d845add9a3a9.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">standing order</a> to declassify whatever classified records he wanted to bring home with him. What is the latest in the investigation and where does it seem to be h