There Was No Delcy Rodríguez in Iran
The Trump administration thought it was repeating the Venezuelan model in Iran—when it was doing something much more ambitious and risky.
Foreign Policy
Why Populism Leads to Decline
Johan Norberg discusses what makes societies prosperous, why protectionism and nostalgia keep returning, and how populism feeds cultural decline.
Thomas Massie Loses, Proving That Deficit Hawks and Foreign Policy Doves Aren't Welcome in Trump's GOP
If this is how the Republican Party treats the libertarian-leaning lawmakers in its midst, then libertarians should take note and act accordingly.
Trump's 'Golden Dome' Estimated To Cost $1.2 Trillion, New Report Reveals
The project’s critics have compared it to Reagan’s failed “Star Wars” initiative.
A North Carolina Goodyear Plant Is the Latest Victim of Trump's Misguided Tariffs and Costly Iran War
Another example of the flawed logic behind the Trump administration's tariff policies: You can't make a tire without rubber, and the U.S. doesn't produce rubber.
Pete Hegseth Can't Explain Why America Needs a $1.5 Trillion Military Budget
Sen. Mark Kelly says it "feels like that number was just kind of pulled out of thin air."
New Attacks in Hormuz
Plus: a different type of pizzagate, Kevin Warsh as the new Jerome Powell, and more...
Hantavirus Fear Comes to the Remotest Islands in the World
Tristan da Cunha and Pitcairn Island are nearly impossible to get to. Somehow, hantavirus-exposed travelers ended up on both.
John Fetterman: 'I'm a Very Pro-Capitalist Democrat'
Sen. John Fetterman discusses the state of the Democratic Party, immigration, foreign policy, and the dangers of political extremism.
Congress' Energy Crisis Solution: Bring Back an Office That Funded Women's Empowerment Initiatives Overseas
Instead of holding the president accountable, lawmakers are trying novel ways to reduce energy prices caused by Trump’s war in Iran.
Even Dictatorships Don't Fight Wars This Way
The American public never got a satisfying explanation for why Trump attacked Iran in the first place.
The War Comes for Your Wallet: Inflation Hits 3.8%, Highest Level in 3 Years
Prices are now rising faster than wages, just like during much of the Biden years. The war in Iran is largely to blame.
How Much Has the Iran War Actually Cost? A Lot More Than $25 Billion.
Direct military costs have exceeded $70 billion by one estimate, and Americans have paid more than $37 billion in higher energy costs since the war began.
A Venezuelan Mother's Desperate Search for Her Dead Son Is Representative of Ongoing Human Rights Violations
Meanwhile, Trump claims Venezuelans are “dancing in the streets.”
D.C. Circuit Seems Disinclined To Let Pete Hegseth Punish a Senator for His Speech
The defense secretary argues that military retirees like Sen. Mark Kelly are not allowed to say things he unilaterally deems "prejudicial to good order and discipline."
Just Don't Call It a War
Plus: AOC says you can't earn a billion dollars, Mythos, hantavirus, and more...
Trump's Bluff to Iran Didn't Work
After trying to open the Strait of Hormuz by force, the U.S. is ready to accept an Iranian proposal it had rejected.
Damned if You Do
Plus: Ella Emhoff's SSRIs, measuring childhood independence, the hantavirus cruise ship, and more...
Can We Ever Trust the Government To Be Honest About War?
Trump joins a long line of presidents unwilling to be transparent about the causes and goals of their adventurism abroad.
Congress Gave Away Its Authority To Declare War and Enabled Trump's Iran War
Congress hasn't voted to declare war since 1942, yet the legislative branch constantly refuses to rein in presidents.
Why Do Big City Democrats Keep Electing Socialists?
Plus: Trump announces “Project Freedom” in the Strait of Hormuz, King Charles visits the U.S., and a listener asks why voters keep rewarding bad politicians.
Project Freedom
Plus: Rudy Giuliani hospitalized, rules relaxed for foreign physicians, cities without children, and more...
AI Companies Learn the Word No
Some of the people building AI have started acting like it might be dangerous.
Civilians Across the Middle East React to the Iran War: 'A Fear That Settles in Your Heart'
"Now they are hitting everything. Nowhere is safe. But don't worry, we are okay," one Iranian woman texted her American relative.
A Pointless War: How Iran Hawks Finally Got Their Way
President Donald Trump and his predecessors spent decades putting the U.S. on a path toward war against Iran.
Trump Had 60 Days To End the Iran War. Instead, He's Just Pretending It's Over.
Legally, Trump must either cease operations or ask Congress for approval. He did neither, and Congress just went on recess.
How High
Plus: FISA reauthorization passes the House, a very capitalist museum, escalation in the redistricting wars, and more...
Is Ukraine Helping Al Qaeda Conquer West Africa?
The proliferation of drones to Malian rebels is a bizarre, unexpected form of blowback.
Trump's Shameful Effort to Deport Russian Dissenters Fleeing Putin
The administration seeks to deport them back to Russia, in spite of overwhelming, moral, legal, and strategic reasons not to do so.
War Hawks' 'Credibility' Obsession Makes America Less Credible
Trump is making the same mistakes Nixon did, doubling down on pointless threats to save face.
The Shooter's Manifesto Was Uncomfortably Normal
Plus: Mamdani’s city-run grocery plan, the Trump administration considers a Spirit Airlines bailout, and Iran peace talks drift without a clear endgame
Long Before the Canal, Global Trade Built Panama City
The narrow geography of the 50-mile Central American isthmus made it an obvious choice for trade routes between the Atlantic and Pacific.
Allowing Censorship of Military Retirees Like Sen. Mark Kelly Would Set a Chilling and Dangerous Precedent
To justify punishing a legislator for his speech, a FIRE brief notes, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth relies on a Supreme Court precedent that is clearly inapposite.
'Shoot and Kill'
Plus: California fails to unmask ICE agents, the illogic of medical-only marijuana rescheduling, driverless cars in D.C., and more...
The Trump Administration Might Send Afghan Refugees to Danger in Congo
About 1,100 Afghans currently stranded at a military base in Qatar could be relocated to the crisis-addled African country.
Rubio Falsely Accuses Iranian Exiles of Being Soleimani's Nieces
The State Department and ICE claimed to have caught Islamic Republic nepo babies “enjoying a lavish lifestyle.” Instead, they tore apart an innocent family.
Globalization Made Howard Lutnick a Billionaire. Now He's Railing Against It as Trump's Commerce Chief.
Globalization helped make everyone else much richer, too.
How the Media Failed American Foreign Policy
America is a global empire that needs information about itself in order to function.
Neither War nor Peace With Iran
The Trump administration is stuck in a standoff that is unstable and damaging to the entire world.
Led by Republicans, Americans' Support for NATO Fades
Has the Cold War-era military alliance outlived its usefulness?
The Trump Administration Is Worried About High Fertilizer Prices. Its Top Trade Official Lobbied for Them.
Before joining the Trump administration last year, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer lobbied for tariffs that limited fertilizer imports and drove up prices for American farmers.
Kodak Invented This Film for World War II Spy Planes. Then It Became Art.
Aerochrome photography is a beautiful example of a warlike technology being turned toward peaceful ends.
Can New York Survive Mamdani's Tax Plan?
Plus: Trump orders psychedelic drug research, Palantir calls for national service, and confusion surrounds Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
This Big Tech Firm Wants To Reinstate the Draft
A look at Palantir’s bootlicking new manifesto.
Woodrow Wilson's War at Home
Silencing "Fighting Bob" details how the government targeted anti-war critics like Sen. Robert La Follette.
Pete Hegseth Wants the D.C. Circuit To Let Him Punish a Senator for Criticizing Him
The defense secretary's asserted authority to control the speech of retired military officers "would chill public participation by veterans," a brief supporting Mark Kelly warns.
