The one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere.
Trump hit a new low — and the usual suspects in the media stay quiet or defend him
Trump’s comments on Robert Mueller’s death drew swift condemnation, while some allies ignored it or offered cover
Don Lemon is ready to stand up for press freedoms. Are the rest of us?
The former CNN anchor and independent journalist spoke about attacks on the free press while advising student journalists
ICE Seeking Office Space in Over 40 States
Project Saltbox: An RFI released today details ICE’s plans to rent co-working space for over 300 personnel nationwide
ICE is seeking co-working space for over 300 personnel nationwide, according to market research released earlier today. In the request, the agency outlines their need for flexible workspace (private offices and/or workstations).
DOGE goes nuclear: How Trump invited Silicon Valley into America’s nuclear power regulator
Ars Technica: “Assume the NRC is going to do whatever we tell the NRC to do. Last summer, a group of officials from the Department of Energy gathered at the Idaho National Laboratory, a sprawling 890-square-mile complex in the eastern desert of Idaho where the US government built its first rudimentary nuclear power plant in 1951 and continues to test cutting-edge technology.
How the Daughter of a Russian Intelligence Officer Became a Recruiter for Epstein’s Trafficking Network
Important Stories tells the story of Lana Pozhidaeva — an MGIMO graduate, model, and daughter of career intelligence officers — who for many years was involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s network and recruited women for him from the former Soviet Union
Rubin: The Tax Nerd Who Bet His Life Savings Against DOGE
Richard Rubin reports on a young economist who staked his “life savings”—$342,195.63—on federal spending increasing during the first year of the Trump Administration, compared to the final quarter of the Biden Administration. And he won.
More on the intersection of prediction markets, herd wisdom, and mandatory spending—plus the economist’s winnings—below the fold.
What is the cost to Americans of the War in Iran?
Via Ben Amata, Government Information Librarian, University Library, California State University, Sacramento: “Neither DOD nor the Whitehouse are providing budgetary information at their websites, to Congress, or to the public on the Iran war costs. Some in Congress are commenting.
- https://www.congress.gov/119/crec/2026/03/18/172/49/CREC-2026-03-18-pt1-PgH2587-4.pdf
- https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-172/issue-50/house-section/article/H2609-6?hl=iran+war&s=1&r=1
- https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/volume-172/issue-42/house-section/article/H2452-5?hl=iran+war&s=1&r=18
- See also – NPR – How much is the Iran war costing us? It’s really hard to estimate the total cost of war in the middle of one. Over the first six days of the Iran war, an estimated $11.3 billion was charged to the public purse. But long-term costs take years to manifest. Even daily costs are fuzzy. Take munitions: the Department of Defense hasn’t budgeted for many of the bombs it’s dropping. One more time. The bombs – the bombs! – are not totally priced in.
- TIME – How Much the War in Iran is Costing Americans
- National Priorities Project – Hegseth’s Request for $200 Billion for Iran War Should Go To Needy Americans
- CSIS – Iran War Cost Estimate Update: $11.3 Billion at Day 6, $16.5 Billion at Day 12
The Economist no paywall: “…In this war, Israel’s aim is clear: to demolish the threat posed by Iran’s regime. By contrast, Mr Trump and his cabinet have offered a mess of shifting assertions—about Iran’s missiles, nuclear weapons, regime change, following Israel’s lead, a “feeling” Iran was about to attack and settling scores after decades of enmity. Politically, vagueness gives Mr Trump room for manoeuvre. Strategically, his failure to say what Epic Fury is for is its biggest vulnerability. The result is a split-personality war.
- One face is operational. America and Israel have destroyed Iran’s navy and grounded its air force. They are wrecking its missile capability and its arms industry and targeting the regime and its brutal enforcers. Dominance of the skies means that America and Israel can fight on at will. Interceptor missiles are meanwhile defending bases and cities in Israel and the Gulf countries, even as Iran strikes at more targets than it did during the conflict last June. So far, at least, there are enough interceptors to keep going. The other face of this war is political, and it emerges from Iran’s strategy, which is about sowing doubt and confusion. To survive would count as victory for Iran’s regime. So far, it is succeeding. Far from falling apart, it is rushing to escalate horizontally—a fancy way of saying it is lashing out in all directions. This has a number of consequences.
- One is that other countries are being sucked in. Iran has attacked the Gulf states, which have bet their future on being havens from the chaos gripping the rest of the Middle East. Fighting has also erupted in Lebanon as Israel smashes Hizbullah, Iran’s main proxy. France and Britain will defend their bases from attack. On March 4th NATOair defences shot down an Iranian missile bound for Turkey. Another consequence is economic. Iran has tried to shut the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off perhaps 20% of global oil supplies. It has also struck energy infrastructure, including the world’s biggest gas-liquefaction complex and Saudi Arabia’s largest refinery. The price of Brent crude is up by 14% since February 27th, to $83 a barrel. A megawatt-hour of natural gas in Europe costs €54 ($63), over 70% more than last week. As Asian buyers scramble for supplies, prices could go higher. The global economy could yet suffer a hit. If oil reaches $100 a barrel, GDP growth could be lowered by 0.4 percentage points and inflation raised by 1.2 points.
- The third potential consequence is chaos inside Iran. Roughly 40% of its 90m people belong to ethnic minorities, including Arabs, Azeris, Baluchis, Kurds and Lurs. The Arab spring showed how countries can fall apart. America and Israel are putting pressure on the regime by backing Kurdish insurgents—a reckless idea that could end up stoking Persian nationalism or civil war. Mr Trump may not care about this, but he could not ignore the effects spilling over Iran’s borders into the Gulf states, Iraq, Syria and Turkey…”
