The Trump administration’s conduct in the Iran war is accelerating global chaos and deepening America’s dangerous isolation, Robert Kagan argues.

"Hegseth’s tenure has been marked by open and unrestrained sadism and bloodlust," and "the roots of his bloodthirstiness lie in his particular brand of right-wing Christianity." Truly frightening from @gregsargent.bsky.social newrepublic.com/article/2083...

Since the headline is a bit confusing, the NYT is reporting that on the same day we hit the girl's school in Minab, we also sent a missile full of tungsten steel pellets at a girl's volleyball tournament hundreds of miles away in Lamerd. Twenty one dead. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/29/w...

This is critical as 2 large QE efforts covered the shift.. rolling out

“I have seen up close what the Lebanese mud does to soldiers, to families, and to a nation that convinces itself that enough firepower is the same thing as a strategy,” writes Yair Golan in a guest essay. “It is not”

Exclusive: US SEC's ex-enforcement chief clashed with bosses over Trump cases before leaving, sources say reut.rs/4rWfULP

OPINION TODAY Israel's standing plummets among Democrats | U.S. military action in Iran remains unpopular as 53% expect negative personal financial impacts | More Americans disapprove than approve of U.S. blocking oil shipments to Cuba ... & much more: opiniontoday.substack.com/p/260317-top...

Scoop: The Pentagon barred press photographers from briefings on the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military conflict with Iran after they published photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that his staff deemed "unflattering."

President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a trade embargo on Spain has delivered yet another jolt to the European Union, forcing European leaders to rally around Madrid.

The U.S. and Israel are set to arm Kurdish groups to stage an incursion on Iranian territory, Arash Azizi reports: “Iranians have worried that their struggle might lead to civil war and chaos. That scenario now seems closer than ever.”

It’s a foreign policy of reckless action and spectacular violence—and no clear strategic objectives beyond creating content for social media. trib.al/FD0H0zp

Health care, new cars and new homes feel unaffordable to most Americans, a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll shows. (@laurenkaorigurley.bsky.social and Isabelle Gibson, Washington Post) More, via Opinion Today: opiniontoday.substack.com/p/260301

Ted Cruz: "I have no indication they were anywhere close to getting nuclear weapons"

President Trump launched strikes on Iran after a weeks-long lobbying effort by Israel and Saudi Arabia, according to four people familiar with the matter. U.S. intelligence assessments saw no imminent threat, but regional allies argued to strike.

"What worries me most is that the conflict may put more time on the clock of an Iranian regime that was about to expire," David Ignatius writes.

Melania Trump, who we actually know met Epstein on several occasions because there are pictures of her with him, would make more sense.

Trump spent 2.9 minutes of his speech talking about affordability - slightly more time than he spent praising the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team, but half the time he spent on crime, and one-third the time he spent on national security. www.nbcnews.com/data-graphic...

Great Democratic commercial

A majority of Americans feel the nation is doing worse compared to a year ago (CBS News / @today.yougov.com) www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-s...

Trump spinning the jobs numbers in SOTU. In fact, 2025 was the *worst* year for job creation outside of recent recessions in the past 20 years.

Second time after the Greenland crisis the EU Parliament puts the trade deal on ice. Arguably the EP is currently more powerful than the US Congress on trade policy.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr suggested that news media could include pro-America segments during “regular news programming,” or start each broadcast with a rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” or Pledge of Allegiance. trib.al/XlngAnq The initiative is a component of the White House's “Task Force 250.”

Exclusive: An internal State Department email obtained by @hana-kiros.bsky.social reveals that the U.S. plans to end all of its current lifesaving aid to seven African countries.

My latest: Susan Rice is right. Now Netflix must choose. Support independent, pro-democracy media. subscribe to Democracy Docket now. bit.ly/4qmEiFz

The European Parliament froze ratification of the EU’s trade deal with the United States today amid concerns that President Donald Trump’s latest tariff broadside breaches the terms of the transatlantic accord struck last summer.

The bottom line is that US protectionism will continue, and it may be even more chaotic, unpredictable and disruptive. Read @brucestokes.bsky.social's early analysis on the US Supreme Court striking down Donald Trump's tariffs⤵️

A new @today.yougov.com survey asked Americans to rate 20 U.S. presidents on a scale from outstanding to poor. Half of Americans rate Donald Trump as "poor," the most who do for any of the 20 presidents. More, via Opinion Today: opiniontoday.substack.com/p/260215

“It’s now clear that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been lying about his relationship with Epstein,” Rep. García posted on X. “Lutnick must resign or be fired. And he must answer our questions.” www.politico.com/live-updates...

Epstein survivors are sharing the most important ad you’ll see today. Please watch. Trump and his administration are trying to cover up this scandal, but we are not moving on from it.

NBC editing out the booing of JD Vance is a disgrace. It’s an international event. Americans have the right to know what the world is saying. NBC has bowed down to Trump.

Finally got around to a bit of research I'd been meaning to explore, and: There is no documented instance of an ICE officer being identified and assaulted while off duty because he wasn't masked. www.pbump.net/o/ices-excus...

Stephen Miller wasn't in the meeting, but the comms team was. This tells you this isn't a policy shift, it was just a meeting to figure out how to sell the bullshit better. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/noem-trump-meeting-minneapolis-ice.html

The abrupt threat of US tariffs on Europe triggered one of the most synchronized market selloffs this week since the pandemic — and had traders second-guessing once-reliable hedges

BREAKING: Todd Blanche’s aides directed federal investigators in Minnesota to shut down the investigation into the ICE officer’s fatal shooting of Renee Good—and instead probe the victim for possible criminal liability, according to reporting from MS Now’s Carol Leonnig and Ken Dilanian.

Maybe it is all innocent. But nothing about the Epstein Files has ever been innocent. Maybe the DOJ is simply being careful to protect victims. Or maybe the DOJ is once again doing what it believes is best for Trump, and everything else be damned. www.democracydocket.com/opinion/the-...

NEWS: Survivor Lisa Phillips backs request by Reps. Khanna and Massie for judge to appoint a special master to release the Epstein files. "I have no confidence that the Department of Justice, already 30 days late in complying with the Act with no end in sight."

Very good piece by @mashagessen.bsky.social, the author of Surviving Autocracy, who left Russia in 2013 as the authoritarian hammer really started coming down, and moved to the United States. Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/o...

It’s really too bad that Trump’s cabinet are all spineless worms or equally crazy because “the President has gone insane and is going to destroy the transatlantic alliance because they didn’t give him a Nobel Peace Prize” is kind of exactly the thing we have a 25th Amendment for

Honestly boycotting the World Cup would be the most effective and probably the least disruptive of all of the options available to Europe. I’m not sure how you can send teams and fans to contribute to a spectacle designed entirely to celebrate a guy trying to invade your territory.

Quite a quote from Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair, who was asked about his STOP THE GENOCIDE eye black after today’s game www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

A former federal agent after watching the New York Times breakdown of the ICE shooting:

The Virginia legislature today passed four constitutional amendments, all by day 3 of 2026 session: —protect abortion rights —repeal the same-sex marriage ban —allow mid-decade redistricting —greatly expand voting rights restoration. These will all go to 2026 referendums.

Americans were asked, “Do you think the ICE agent should face criminal charges for shooting the woman in Minneapolis?” 53 percent answered “yes” versus just 30 percent “no” — including 54% to 23% among independents — with the remainder responding “not sure.” www.mediaite.com/media/news/n...

Globally, the process of urbanisation is far from finished. This means more steel, more infrastructure, more humans are compiled into dense settlements all over the world. Fortunes are going to be made by people enabling this human migration.

President Donald Trump posted a chart on social media Thursday evening that included figures in the yet-to-be released December employment report

President Trump said the US will begin targeting drug cartels with military strikes, and suggested the operations could take place in Mexico.

Rep. @AOC: I understand that Vance believes shooting a young mother of three in the face three times is an acceptable America that he wants to live in, and I do not. That is a fundamental difference between Vance and I. I do not believe that the American people should be assassinated in the street.