Trump Responds to Iranian Blockade of Strait of Hormuz By Blockading It
After walking out of peace talks in Pakistan, the U.S. and Iran are now playing a game of chicken.
Iran
Operation Eternal Darkness Threatens Iran Ceasefire Deal
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi play a little war vs. music game before they go back over COVID craziness and the joys of Pokémon.
A.I. NIMBYs
Plus: Bitcoin tolls at the Strait, Trump vs. MAGA, inflation rises, and more...
Strait Talk
Plus: Mamdani vs. self-driving cars, blue state wealth and exit taxes, Hillary Clinton's awful affordability agenda, and more...
Lindsey Graham Says the President Can Start a War, but Only Congress Can End It
The feeling is perfectly consistent: Graham feels it should be as easy as possible for the U.S. to start a war, and as hard as possible to end one.
Has the Iran War Ceasefire Already Ceased?
Both sides claim that they’ve agreed to stop fighting and open the Strait of Hormuz, but the fighting is still happening and Hormuz is still closed.
Trump Is Openly Targeting Innocent Civilians
He's using tools that were advertised as humane, but he isn't hiding the cruelty involved.
'Every Bridge in Iran Will Be Decimated'
Plus: Artemis astronauts set record, D.C.'s terrible electricity policy, Ye returns, and more...
Why Does Trump Want the Biggest Defense Budget Ever?
Plus: Trump’s budget ignores the deficit, NASA’s Artemis program faces delays and rising costs, and a listener asks about libertarian alternatives to Medicare for All.
Ro Khanna: Congress Has Surrendered on War
The California congressman discusses the Iran war, unchecked executive power, California’s wealth tax debate, and the search for a shared American identity.
'I Am Blowing Up Everything'
Plus: There is no exit strategy in Iran, Artemis II approaches the Moon, federal taxpayers get to beautify D.C., and more...
Trump's Call for a $1.5 Trillion Military Budget Is Irresponsible, Wasteful, and Unrealistic
The proposal is "an enormous waste of taxpayer dollars and would make Americans less, not more, safe." Thankfully, Congress is unlikely to adopt it.
Trump's Answer to Iran's Hormuz Crisis: Sell Oil We Don't Have
The administration claims we're a "net oil exporter," but unfortunately that's not quite true.
Birthright Citizenship, Noem Family Circus, and Project Hail Mary
A wide-ranging episode of Freed Up covering foreign policy, legal battles, internet stupidity, airport misery, and a few unexpectedly spirited culture debates.
War and/or Peace
Plus: back to the moon, one year since "Liberation Day," birthright citizenship at the Supreme Court, Jonathan lives, and more...
Trump Bullying Allies To Help in Iran Suggests He Knows the War Is Not Going Well
NATO allies aren’t obligated to join the war. The sooner Trump accepts that, the better.
The Islanders Expelled To Build the West's Middle East Fortress
The British Empire evacuated the Chagos Islands to build a military base, which the U.S. is using in the Iran War. Now, a court ruling is giving the original owners hope of going home.
Inside the U.S. Military Buildup in Israel
Iran has reportedly made U.S. bases in Arab countries “uninhabitable.” Israel is pitching itself as an alternative.
Social Media Is Not Tobacco
Plus: Hollywood is over, the war in Iran is not, Democrats are fighting about affordability, and more...
You're Wrong About Social Media Being Addictive
Plus: The Pentagon prepares for possible ground troops in Iran, a listener asks how libertarians should answer the appeal of collectivism, and ICE descends on airports.
Trump's 'Military Operation' Wordplay Can't Hide Iran War
A war by any other name must still be authorized by Congress.
Trump's War in Iran Risks Ruining His Entire Foreign Policy
The president’s attempt to manage the consequences of the war is adding wrinkles to his diplomatic goals in Ukraine, China, and other countries.
10 Boats, 10,000 Troops
Plus: a pause on power plant bombing, an executive order to fund the TSA, a tentative plan to end the DHS shutdown, and more…
How Will Congress Fund a $300 Billion War With Iran?
Lawmakers used to offset its emergency spending. They don't anymore.
America's Deeply Unserious Federal Government Is Becoming a Real Problem
From long TSA lines to air traffic control issues to the chaotic war in Iran, it's all the result of a government that won't take its powers or responsibilities seriously.
Trump Can't TACO His Way Out of Iran
The president is good at backing out of a losing bet—but this time, it's out of his hands.
The New Forever War in Iran Keeps the Dog Wagging
The domestic political uses of foreign wars.
The Iran War Has Already Hurt Oil Production More Than the '70s Energy Crisis Did
The conflict is squeezing global supply and pushing prices up.
Facebook Guilty
Plus: Trump declares victory over Iran again, Afroman trial reflections, and more...
Donald Trump and Markwayne Mullin Insist That Politics Should Prevail Over Principle
The president and his new DHS secretary are enraged by jurists and legislators who refuse to toe the party line.
'What Are the Goals?' Some Republicans Questioning $200 Billion for Iran War.
With the Pentagon's track record, lawmakers are right to be skeptical.
A War by Any Other Name
From Korea to Iran, the United States has employed countless euphemisms that not only obscure the true nature of its wars but also the constitutional limits designed to constrain them.
Trump-Ayatollah Inc.
Plus: Ohio's THC seltzer ban, Bernie Sanders' silly chat with Claude, and more...
Have an ICE Flight
Plus: Trump seems to back down from his Iranian ultimatum, Lindsey Graham is eager for another Iwo Jima, and more...
Joe Kent Defects, Robots, and Mad Men Sequel Ideas
Robby Soave and Christian Britschgi discuss political fallout from the Iran war, Tulsi Gabbard's pivot, and Rand Paul calling out Markwayne Mullin.
Same Lies, New War: Trump and the Iraq Playbook
Unfortunately, Trump's war in Iran is every bit as shortsighted—and illegal—as the one in Iraq that he once called "a big, fat mistake."
$200 Billion War?
Plus: boots on the ground, The Bachelorette cancels season, Meta reverses itself on virtual reality, and more...
Cesar Chavez Accused of Sexual Abuse
Plus: Mullin vs. Paul, the metaverse lives, the Pentagon wants $200 for the war in Iran, and more...
Trump's Temporary Waiver of the Jones Act Only Illustrates Why the Law Should Be Permanently Trashed
The Trump administration has issued a 60-day waiver of a federal law that limits the number of ships allowed to carry goods between American ports.
Joe Kent Is the First Iran War Crack in the Trump Admin
The top intelligence official resigned because there was no “imminent threat” from Iran and blamed Israel for starting the war.
Flight Prices Rise
Plus: AI and entitlements, a new Turing prize winner, eight donuts a day, the first trailer for Dune 3, and more...
Brendan Carr's Crusade To Reshape TV Journalism Is Blatantly Unconstitutional
The First Amendment does not allow the FCC chairman to police news coverage.
The Media's Overpopulation Panic
Plus: Strait talk, vaccines and the courts, Ted Cruz vs. the Oscars, and more...
Why the Media Pushes Public Health Myths
Plus: The FCC threatens broadcast licenses over war coverage, J.D. Vance positions himself as an Iran war skeptic, and remembering Reason Senior Editor Brian Doherty.
Brendan Carr Says He Can Police TV Journalism Because Broadcast Licenses Are 'Free'
The FCC chairman's reasoning is faulty.
FCC Chair Threatens Media Outlets That Don't Report Good Iran War News
Brendan Carr, who relishes his role as Trump's "media pit bull," sent a threatening X post while visiting the president at Mar-a-Lago.
