Ray McGovern letters to Washington

 As a prominent anti-war activist and former CIA analyst, Ray McGovern has written several high-profile letters and open memos addressed to officials in Washington, D.C. Depending on the context of your search, you are likely looking for one of these two notable letters:

1. The 2010 Memo to Representative David Obey ("Obey Obeys")

On May 27, 2010, McGovern wrote a highly publicized open memorandum titled "Duck the Challenge" to Representative David Obey (D-WI), who was then the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. [1]

• The Core Message: McGovern expressed his profound disappointment in Obey's decision to continue funding the war in Afghanistan via a $33 billion supplemental appropriations bill. [1]
• Key Context: Obey had previously referred to the war in Afghanistan as a "fool's errand," yet he still moved forward with funding it, citing that he was "bone-tired". McGovern sharply criticized this justification, writing: "When 'heartland progressives' get 'bone-tired,' that is precisely the time when they should stick to their principles and go out fighting." [1]

2. The 2006 Letter Returning His CIA Commendation Medallion

In March 2006, McGovern sent an open letter to Congressman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI), who was serving as the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. [1]

• The Core Message: McGovern used the letter to officially return his Intelligence Commendation Award medallion in protest of the agency's involvement in human rights abuses. [1]
• Key Context: He stated that he did not want to be associated in any capacity with an intelligence community that engaged in torture. To draw attention to the letter, McGovern and other activists walked the halls of Congress wearing orange jumpsuits and mouth gags to protest conditions at Guantanamo Bay. [1]

If you are looking for a specific text or a different letter written by McGovern (such as his memos through Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity), let me know which official or topic you are focusing on!

 --> The latest this week past.

The latest letter authored by Ray McGovern was released on November 3, 2026. It is an official open memorandum titled "Iran Is Not Bluffing," published through the Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS). [1]

• The Target: The memorandum is addressed directly to President Donald Trump.
• The Core Message: McGovern and the VIPS group issue a stern warning regarding the immediate risk of conflict escalation in the Middle East. The letter details the severe strategic and economic disasters awaiting the United States if it resumes or escalates military operations against Iran, ultimately urging the administration to seek diplomatic de-escalation. [1]

You can read the announcement and related updates directly via Ray McGovern's Official Site. [1

This link was prompted by Ray's appearance at Dialogue Works.

 https://www.youtube.com/live/DdsT9ZEAZSc?si=LmFwPqIdZEAonBDf

What do we know about Reflect Orbital, a California startup, that wants to use satellites with large mirrors to redirect sunlight to Earth after dark?

 Reflect Orbital, a Hawthorne, California-based aerospace startup founded in 2021 by Ben Nowack and Tristan Semmelhack, is developing a "sunlight-as-a-service" model. The company intends to launch a constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites equipped with ultra-thin, highly reflective mirrors to capture sunlight from space and bounce it down to specific locations on Earth after dark. [1, 2, 3]

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🛠️ The Technology & Rollout

• The First Test (Eärendil-1): In July 2026, the FCC approved the company's first demonstration satellite, Eärendil-1. The 142 kg spacecraft is designed to launch inside a container the size of a microwave oven before unfurling an 18-by-18-meter aluminized plastic mirror. [1, 2, 3]
• Target Beams: Operating at an altitude of roughly 600–650 km, the satellite aims to cast an illuminated spot about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) wide. [1, 2]
• The Relay System: Because a single satellite in low Earth orbit races across the sky quickly, it can only light a specific patch for roughly 4 to 5 minutes. To provide steady, continuous light, thousands of satellites would need to sequentially pass the beam from one to the next. [1, 2]
• The Long-Term Vision: Reflect Orbital has outlined a goal to operate up to 50,000 mirror satellites by 2035, scaling up to production mirrors spanning 54 meters across. [1]

Intended Applications

The company claims its dimmable beams (ranging from "moonlight to noon light" intensity) can serve several commercial and humanitarian functions: [1, 2]

• Solar Energy Booster: The primary economic driver is reflecting sunlight directly onto ground-based solar farms during evening peak hours to extend renewable energy generation after sunset.
• Emergency Response: Providing targeted overhead illumination for nighttime natural disaster relief and search-and-rescue teams.
• Industrial & Agriculture: Extending evening working hours at remote industrial sites or manipulating the growth cycles of crops. [1, 2, 3, 4]

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⚖️ The Debate: Arguments Pro and Con

The prospect of commercialized, on-demand nighttime sunlight has triggered a stark division between tech optimists and the scientific/environmental community.

The Proponents' Case (The "Pros")

• Extending Clean Energy: Solar power's biggest limitation is that it stops generating electricity when the sun goes down, right as consumer demand spikes. Proponents argue that orbital mirrors offer a unique, battery-free workaround to maximize existing clean energy infrastructure.
• Disaster Utility: Having immediate, high-intensity light beamed over a collapsed infrastructure or remote search area could save lives during critical overnight rescue windows.
• Market Demand: Reflect Orbital has reportedly received over 260,000 inquiries and applications from over 150 countries, indicating significant corporate and civil interest in on-demand lighting. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

The Critics' Case (The "Cons")

• Severe Light Pollution & Astronomy Risks: A peer-reviewed study by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) identified Reflect Orbital’s proposed fleet as the brightest proposed satellite constellation. Astronomers warn that the intense light would ruin deep-space exposures from major observatories. Even outside the direct 5 km beam, atmospheric scattering would create a widespread "skyglow" affecting areas up to 34 km away.
• Ecological Disruption: Biologists and environmentalists note that life has evolved under strict cycles of day and night. Constant or unpredictable nighttime illumination could disorient migratory birds (which navigate by stars), expose nocturnal prey to predators, and disrupt the internal clocks of defenseless plant life, potentially causing crops or trees to fail to bloom or prepare for winter.
• Human Health Impacts: Increased nighttime skyglow suppresses melatonin production, which doctors warn can disrupt human circadian rhythms, leading to sleep disorders and long-term immune deficiencies.
• Regulatory Blindspots: Critics point out a massive loophole: the FCC approved the radio communication license because its jurisdiction is restricted to frequencies and debris. It holds a decades-old categorical exclusion from environmental impact reviews, meaning the US government granted a license without studying the ecological, visual, or climate impacts of beaming artificial sunlight at night. [1, 2, 3]

Who owns Iran International web link?

 Iran International - English who owns/sponsors this link?

Iran International is officially owned by Volant Media UK Ltd, a private limited company based in London. [1, 2]

While the network identifies itself as an independent, privately owned UK news entity, extensive investigative reporting and public filings outline a complex web of corporate ownership and substantial financial backing: [1]

• Saudi Government Ties: Media investigations, most notably by The Guardian, revealed that the station was launched with an estimated $250 million fund provided by a secretive offshore entity with close links to the Saudi Arabian royal court and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. [1]
• Corporate Leadership: The director of Volant Media, Adel Abdulkarim, is a Saudi-British national with long-standing business ties to prominent Saudi executives linked to the royal court—such as those on the board of the Saudi Research and Marketing Group (SRMG). [1, 2]
• Massive Debt Relief: According to financial reporting by the Financial Times, Volant Media has accumulated immense losses exceeding £410 million. By late 2024, the network was sustained via a major £650 million debt-for-equity swap, pointing to a massive, continuously subsidized geopolitical media project rather than a traditionally profitable commercial network. [1]

Official Stance:
Both Iran International and Volant Media strongly deny receiving government funding or having links to the Saudi state. They maintain that the channel is entirely funded by private individuals, operates with full editorial independence, and functions as a public service news channel for the Iranian diaspora. [1]

One comment refers to this as a" Pahlavi owned Channel". What does that imply?

When a comment refers to Iran International as a "Pahlavi-owned channel," it implies a connection to the Pahlavi dynasty—the former royal family of Iran that was overthrown during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

While the channel is legally owned by Volant Media (as noted previously), this phrasing carries specific political implications:

• Pro-Monarchy Bias: It suggests that the channel heavily favors or promotes the political interests of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled Crown Prince of Iran. Critics and political opponents frequently accuse the network of giving disproportionate, highly favorable airtime to Pahlavi and the monarchist faction of the Iranian opposition.
• Political Framing: In Iranian political discourse, labeling a media outlet as "Pahlavi-owned" or "Pahlavist" is often used by detractors (including the Iranian government, reformists, and rival opposition groups) to undermine its credibility as an objective, independent news source. It frames the network as a propaganda tool aimed at restoring the monarchy.
• The Narrative of Imperial Backing: Because the Pahlavi family has historically had close ties to Western governments, the comment also subtly implies that the network's editorial line aligns with Western and regional geopolitical interests that favor regime change in Tehran.

In short, the comment is pointing out a perceived strong ideological slant toward the Iranian exiled royalty, rather than literal, legal ownership by the Pahlavi family.