Is It War?
America's longest, most depressing game show
Foreign Policy
Killing Drug Lords Won't End Mexico's Cartels. Ending the Drug War Might.
The death of El Mencho shows why decades of prohibition enforcement have only strengthened cartels.
Why J.D. Vance Is a Risky Bet for Republicans in 2028
Vance's support for unpopular policies could spell trouble for the GOP in 2028. But this could be a good thing for the party's future, says Jonah Goldberg.
Jobs Are Down While the U.S. Spends $2 Billion a Day on War With Iran
The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that instead of adding jobs last month, the economy lost nearly 100,000.
Trump Bragged About Lower Gas Prices. Then He Bombed Iran.
You can have low gas prices or war in the Middle East, but not both.
Noem Out at DHS
Plus: Markwayne Mullin tapped, people will die, Lone Star beer comes to D.C., and more...
Senate Punts on Iran War Powers as Ground War Grows More Likely
Lawmakers are refusing to acknowledge what is increasingly looking like a big, long war.
Karoline Leavitt's Unfair Criticism of CNN's Coverage
When Americans die, the administration is going to get questions.
Yes, the Iran War Is a 'War of Choice,' and a Bad One
Supporters of Trump's actions want to create an aura of necessity to shield the president from urgent criticism.
My New Dispatch Article on "Why Donald Trump's Iran War is Unconstitutional"
The article explains why the war requires congressional authorization,and why this requirement is important.
Trade Wars, Meet Actual Wars
Plus: Congress shrugs, a cat cafe unionizes, and Liz Wolfe checks in, and more...
Yes, States May Prosecute ICE Agents for Misconduct
Plus: An unsettling comparison between the Iran War and “Lyndon Johnson going into Vietnam.”
3 Reasons Why Trump's Math on Drug Boat Bombings Doesn't Add Up
The president claims that thousands of American lives are saved every time the government blows up a suspected drug boat.
This Bill in New York State Would Protect Lawyers From AI Competition
And a committee in the state Senate just unanimously approved it.
Jonah Goldberg: The GOP Is Becoming Anti-Conservative
Jonah Goldberg discusses the Iran war, Trump’s governing style, the rise of the populist right, and why he believes the GOP is drifting away from conservatism.
Arm the Resistance?
Plus: Yes, it's a war; nuclear options; Texas' primary election; Bad Bunny's big show, and more...
A Few Republicans Think War With Iran Is a Bad Idea
"I mean, look, America is a republic, not an empire," Rep. Warren Davidson said on Monday. It's time for Congress to act like it.
Forever Wars
Plus: The shifting rationale for the war in Iran, the new HBO, solving the loneliness crisis, and more...
The Iran War Is Unconstitutional
The president has no lawful authority to launch a war absent a congressional declaration of war.
Trump's War With Iran Is Unjustified and Unpopular
Plus: Congress is reluctant to assert its war powers, the Pentagon brands Anthropic a national security threat, and a listener asks whether regime change is ever morally defensible.
The Goalposts of the Iran War Keep Shifting
Trump and his team can’t get their story straight on why they started this war, how long they plan to fight it, and whether they'll put boots on the ground.
Bombed Iran
Plus: 3 Americans killed in retaliation, former President Bill Clinton testifies about Jeffrey Epstein, and more...
Trump Should Have Made His Case for War to Congress and the American People
The administration was wrong to unilaterally and unconstitutionally commit the U.S. to war.
The Secret Phone Recordings of Henry Kissinger, a 'Habitual Liar'
A new collection of transcripts underscores the vast scope of Kissinger's systematic deception.
What the ICE Crackdown and China's One-Child Policy Have in Common
Population control is technocratic hubris at its most intimate and brutal.
Photo: Venezuela's Political Prisoners
As of early February, only about 300 prisoners have been freed, leaving hundreds still detained despite official promises.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Is Reported Dead
Khamenei's rule was marked by a combination of cruelty and incompetence. His death may have unfolded much the same way.
"Law Is Irrelevant to the U.S. Attack on Iran," by Prof. Jack Goldsmith (Harvard)
"And Congress is on the hook as much as the president."
An Unconstitutional War
Trump's attack on Iran is obviously unconstitutional. The moral and policy issues are a closer call.
Anthropic Labeled a Supply Chain Risk, Banned from Federal Government Contracts
OpenAI has entered a contract with the Defense Department allowing all lawful use of ChatGPT after Anthropic refused to remove its restrictions on domestic mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons systems.
Trump and Israel Start the Iran War
The war is aimed at regime change, has spread across the Middle East, and was started without the consent of the American people.
Blind Refugee Found Dead 5 Days After Release From Border Patrol Custody in Buffalo
The Department of Homeland Security claims that the refugee was dropped off at a “warm, safe location” in Buffalo, New York. But he never made it inside.
Anthropic CEO Refuses Pentagon Demands To Remove Safeguards on Military AI
Dario Amodei penned a public letter explaining the danger of the Defense Department's request to remove certain constraints from Claude, and refusing them outright.
Why Don't Democratic Leaders Want To Vote on the Iran War?
A war powers resolution has been stuck in Congress—and Democrats are reportedly happy to let Trump walk into a quagmire.
Pentagon to Anthropic: If You Won't Let Us Use Your AI for Mass Surveillance or Autonomous Weapons, Expect Punishment
Pete Hegseth has threatened to invoke the Defense Production Act to force Anthropic to come around.
Small Business Owners Celebrate Supreme Court Striking Down Trump's Tariffs
The battle against the president's so-called reciprocal tariffs is won, but the war for free trade and a stable business environment continues.
Even Without the 'Emergency' Powers SCOTUS Rejected, Trump Has a Bunch of Tariff Options
There are many laws that explicitly authorize the president to impose taxes on imports, but they include limits that Trump was keen to avoid.
War With Iran?
Plus: the same ole hawkish lies, a familial connection to Barry Goldwater's nomination, and the future of media is prediction markets on Substack.
The Hawks Are Lying Us Into Yet Another Middle Eastern War
Like the Iraq War, the planned war with Iran is built on false premises. Unlike the Iraq War, there hasn’t even been a real public debate.
Can Iran's Protest Movement Topple the Regime?
Exiled journalist Fardad Farahzad discusses how Iranians get uncensored news, the state of the protest movement, and whether the Islamic Republic is losing its grip on power.
Trump's Blatantly Unconstitutional Attempt To Punish His Congressional Critics Hits 2 Roadblocks
A grand jury and a federal judge rejected the president’s vendetta against legislators who produced a video about the duty to refuse unlawful military orders.
The Olympics Will Never Achieve World Peace If It Keeps Clamping Down on Free Speech
Plus: Olympic hockey almost didn’t happen, how to pad the medal count, and a reader survey on fixing the Olympics
The E.U. Wants 'Deforestation-Free' Products. Consumers May Pay the Cost.
In its effort to protect global forests, the E.U. is imposing complex tracking requirements that could raise prices and create new trade hurdles.
A Federal Judge Explains Why Trump Can't Jail Legislators for Producing a Video That Offended Him
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon notes that Sen. Mark Kelly's comments about unlawful military orders were "unquestionably protected" by the First Amendment.
The El Paso Drone Scare Is the Future of National Security Paranoia
Fear over mysterious objects in the sky keeps disrupting society.
