The Trump administration struggles to justify its new war with Iran, while Democrats struggle to effectively explain why Americans should oppose it. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to Trump's first live remarks following the killing of six American soldiers and dissect the administration's conflicting comments about the war's rationale, objectives, and timeline. Then, they discuss how Democrats are talking about it, why not even all of MAGA is on board, the Department of War declaring Anthropic a "supply chain risk," and the Ellison family's impending takeover of CNN. Then, Lovett talks to Senator Ruben Gallego about Iran and the Democratic Party's Senate primaries in Maine and Texas.
Chapo Trap House - 1015 – Monitoring the Situation feat. Séamus Malekafzali (3/2/26)
We are at war with Iran. Journalist and Chapo veteran Séamus Malekafzali returns to help us break down what has happened in the past few days, the spillover into neighboring and nearby Gulf countries, and what the future of this conflict might look like. We also return to the Israeli-USian murder-suicide pact, the protests from neighboring countries versus the celebrations from the Iranian diaspora community, and whether the Fourth Reich will ever fall.
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Getting Hammered® - #Todayin1776: Abigail Hears the Battle for Dorchester Heights From Her Home
This is fascinating! Abigail Adams begins a letter to John Adams in Philadelphia that she won't finish until eight days later on March 10. Why? Because she is continually interrupted by bombing in nearby Boston, which unbeknownst to her is the beginning of the consequential taking of Dorchester Heights by the Colonial Army. She also talks about attacks on Adams' reputation, the trouble some friends get into defending him, and her thoughts on "Common Sense."
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The Source - Rationale for U.S. war on Iran questioned
U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have sharply escalated tensions in the Middle East, raising fears of a wider regional conflict and fresh questions about the legal and strategic case for military action.
The Gist - Eli Lake: “It Could Be An Epic Historic Geopolitical Mitzvah”
The U.S. is in its third day of war with Iran, prompting inevitable warnings of another Iraq-style quagmire. But is that the right historical analogy? Long-time national security reporter Eli Lake (The Free Press) joins Mike to explain why this air-only regime decapitation strategy is completely unprecedented in modern warfare. They break down the dangerous math of missile defense, the race to secure Iran's nuclear material, and why this is Trump's ultimate foreign policy gamble.
Produced by Corey Wara
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
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The Source - The fallout from Trump’s crackdown on H-1B visas
There are significant changes to the H-1B visa program. The Trump administration is replacing the random lottery system with a process that will prioritize visas for higher-skilled and higher-paid individuals. There is an intensifying crackdown by the Trump administration on H-1B visas. Critics say the changes could hurt universities, hospitals, startups, and tech employers that rely on foreign talent.array(3) {
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The Bulwark Podcast - Bill Kristol: A Madman’s Way of War
Trump cannot enunciate a clear reason for why he's chosen to go to war against Iran, and the administration is not even bothering to coordinate a message that clarifies its objective. While the military campaign appears aimed at regime change, Hegseth denies it is. And instead of speaking directly to Americans, POTUS himself has taken on a Jekyll and Hyde approach to his rationales in a series of private interviews: he's waffled between "freedom," to installing a caretaker regime à la Venezuela, to maybe even revenge. In any event, the United States seems like it's being dog-walked by the Israelis and the Saudis, and the corrupt deals between the Trump family and Gulf Arab states may be a factor. Plus, anti-interventionist JD is in the cuck chair, and a preview of Tuesday's Senate primary in Texas.
Bill Kristol joins Tim Miller.
show notes
- Tim and Sarah on the administration's war messaging
- 'Bulwark on Sunday' with Bill, Tim, and Mark Hertling
- Tickets for our LIVE show in Austin on March 19: TheBulwark.com/Events.
1A - What operation ‘Epic Fury’ means for the US, Iran, and beyond
The United States is once again at war in the Middle East.
The Trump administration, with support from Israel, made targeted air strikes against high-profile targets in Iran this weekend. Tehran responded by firing its own missiles at nearby Israeli and American military bases. This all comes after weeks of talks between Washington and Tehran over the latter’s nuclear program and a major military buildup on the part of the U.S. in the Middle East. Several U.S. service members have been reported dead as a result of Iran’s retaliation.
President Donald Trump explained his rationale for the attacks in an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social Saturday morning, saying he hoped to destroy Iran’s nuclear program and cripple its military.
Now, leaders, analysts, and the world are wondering what yet another conflict in the region means for the futures of those who live there, the future of the global energy market, the midterm elections, and much more. We sit down with a panel of experts to unpack it all.
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
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The Trump administration, with support from Israel, made targeted air strikes against high-profile targets in Iran this weekend. Tehran responded by firing its own missiles at nearby Israeli and American military bases. This all comes after weeks of talks between Washington and Tehran over the latter’s nuclear program and a major military buildup on the part of the U.S. in the Middle East. Several U.S. service members have been reported dead as a result of Iran’s retaliation.
President Donald Trump explained his rationale for the attacks in an eight-minute video posted on Truth Social Saturday morning, saying he hoped to destroy Iran’s nuclear program and cripple its military.
Now, leaders, analysts, and the world are wondering what yet another conflict in the region means for the futures of those who live there, the future of the global energy market, the midterm elections, and much more. We sit down with a panel of experts to unpack it all.
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
The Commentary Magazine Podcast - Iran Out Of Time
We continue our ongoing coverage of the Iran War by discussing this morning's press conference with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, and the implications of American strategy on the day after. Plus Christine recommends People in Glass Houses.
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Bad Faith - Episode 554 Promo – Woke Trek? (w/ Wyatt Cenac & Josh Olson)
Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast
After four years, the original Trek Chat crew reconvenes to talk about the newest addition to the Star Trek franchise: Starfleet Academy. The show has attracted criticism from Trekkies for being "too woke" and out-of-step with the spirit of Star Trek. But does this critique actually hold up? Comedian & actor Wyatt Cenac returns alongside screenwriter and prolific podcaster Josh Olson for the sprawling Star Trek episode at least one of you has been asking for for years. (Recorded before we started a war with Iran. We'll get back to business shortly. Enjoy this brief respite from the world).
Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod).
Produced by Armand Aviram.
Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).