Top Items:
Jonathan Saul / Reuters:
US Navy tells shipping industry Hormuz escorts not possible for now — The U.S. Navy has refused near-daily requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war on Iran, saying the risk of attacks is too high for now, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Reuters, Forbes, IJR, Washington Times, Associated Press, Daily Kos, Human Events, The Maritime Executive, The Hill, The Gateway Pundit, UPI, Mediaite, Asia Times, The Spectator, Al Jazeera, The Preamble, CNBC and New York Times
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New York Times:
How Trump and His Advisers Miscalculated Iran's Response to War — In the lead-up to the U.S.-Israeli attack, President Trump downplayed the risks to the energy markets as a short-term concern that should not overshadow the mission to decapitate the Iranian regime.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, The Hill, Modern Diplomacy, Al Jazeera, Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg
Natasha Bertrand / CNN:
Iran begins laying mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources say — The Middle East Oil & gas Investing National security — Iran has begun laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important energy chokepoint that carries about one-fifth of all crude oil, according to two people familiar …
Discussion:
USNI News, Bloomberg, CBS News, The Hill, NewsMax.com, The Verge, The Gateway Pundit, The Week, RedState, DNYUZ, The Independent, Forbes, Mediaite, New Republic, Blaze Media, The Daily Wire, Associated Press and Axios
Matt Novak / Gizmodo:
Gas Tax Holiday Floated as Band-Aid for Skyrocketing Prices at the Pump — Democratic senators have pitched the Gas Prices Relief Act. — The average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. hit $3.53 on Tuesday, up from $2.90 a month ago, according to AAA. Needless to say, Americans are not happy about it.
Discussion:
New York Magazine, CNBC, CT Mirror, MS NOW, WXIA-TV, The Hill, Governor of California, KXTV and The American Spectator
Barak Ravid / Axios:
Scoop: U.S. asks Israel to halt strikes on Iran's energy infrastructure — The Trump administration asked Israel on Monday not to carry out further strikes on energy facilities in Iran, particularly oil infrastructure, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
Discussion:
Human Events, Mediaite, BBC, Radio Free Europe/Radio …, The War Zone, NewsMax.com, The Hill, Reuters and The Gateway Pundit
New York Times:
Why Voters Might Finally Blame Trump for Rising Costs — Trump's Iran war will affect more than just gas prices. — The war in Iran is setting off a global economic shock wave. In this episode, the Opinion editor Steve Stromberg speaks with the Bulwark economics editor …
Politico:
The White House isn't panicking about oil prices. That may change in a few weeks. … “Assuming the economy continues to turn around once the active part of the war is concluded, you'll have the whole summer from May through August to ride the turnaround,” the person said.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com and Quinnipiac University Poll
Aaron Blake / CNN:
Does Trump even know what's happening in Iran?
Does Trump even know what's happening in Iran?
Discussion:
Asia Times, HuffPost and DNYUZ
Herb Scribner / Axios:
5 scenarios for how the Iran war could end
5 scenarios for how the Iran war could end
Discussion:
The Independent, CNBC, The Hill, Reuters, Scripps News, Fox News, Algemeiner.com, Melanie Phillips, Foreign Affairs, France 24, NewsMax.com and UPI
Wall Street Journal:
Republicans Grow Nervous Over Iran War, Gas Prices
Republicans Grow Nervous Over Iran War, Gas Prices
Discussion:
Associated Press, Politico, Axios and Fox News
New York Times:
U.S. Showers Iran With Bombs in Most Intense Strikes of the War, Pentagon Says
U.S. Showers Iran With Bombs in Most Intense Strikes of the War, Pentagon Says
Discussion:
The Intercept, Bangor Daily News, Bloomberg, HuffPost and Los Angeles Times
Finya Swai / Politico:
MAGA war skeptics rage over Lindsey Graham
MAGA war skeptics rage over Lindsey Graham
Discussion:
The Wrap, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, The Hill, The Daily Caller, DNYUZ, Mediaite and Esquire
Claire Carter / Washington Examiner:
Trump says US destroyed 10 ‘inactive’ Iranian mine-laying vessels
Trump says US destroyed 10 ‘inactive’ Iranian mine-laying vessels
Discussion:
DNYUZ, France 24, The US Sun, Scripps News, Raw Story, Bloomberg and Reuters
Washington Post:
Whistleblower claims ex-DOGE member says he took Social Security data to new job — The Social Security inspector general's office is investigating allegations that the former DOGE engineer took sensitive data on a thumb drive in a major potential security breach, said people familiar with the process.
Discussion:
NewsMax.com, Mediaite, The Independent, NOTUS, Engadget, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, Raw Story and New Republic, more at Techmeme »
Wall Street Journal:
Deleted Tweet From Energy Secretary Sends Oil Markets on Another Wild Ride — A now-erased post from Chris Wright whipsawed crude for the second-straight session — For days, the global oil market has swung wildly while traders from New York to London to Singapore have watched footage …
Discussion:
Raw Story, The Independent, Daily Mail, The Hill, NewsMax.com, Washington Examiner, Mediaite, Bloomberg, Washington Post and CNBC
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
IEA Proposes Largest Ever Oil Release From Strategic Reserves
Discussion:
UPI, Modern Diplomacy, CNBC, The Maritime Executive, Al Jazeera, Reuters and Fox Business
Torrie Herrington / NOTUS:
White House Walks Back Chris Wright's Claim of U.S. Oil Tanker Escort
White House Walks Back Chris Wright's Claim of U.S. Oil Tanker Escort
Discussion:
Politico, Raw Story, Mediaite, New Republic, The Wrap and The Floridian
CNN:
Democrat Shawn Harris to face Trump-endorsed Republican Clay Fuller in runoff to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene, CNN projects — Republican Clay Fuller will face Democrat Shawn Harris in a runoff to replace former GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia's 14th Congressional District, CNN projects.
Discussion:
New York Post, CBS News, Politico, Bloomberg, One America News Network, Newsweek, New York Times, WTOP News, Axios, Scripps News, WXIA-TV, NBC News, The Gateway Pundit, Townhall, NewsMax.com, Fox News, RedState, Courthouse News Service, The Independent, The Hill, MS NOW, ABC News, Daily Mail, KVUE-TV, Associated Press, NPR and Washington Examiner
RELATED:
Jeff Zeleny / CNN:
How the special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene is testing the power of Trump's endorsement
Discussion:
New York Times, WDEF-TV, The Guardian, NOTUS, DNYUZ, NewsMax.com, IJR, RedState, NBC News, UPI, Newsweek, WXIA-TV, The Hill and Jewish Insider
Ed Morrissey / HotAir:
LIVE RESULTS: Special Election for MTG Seat in Georgia
LIVE RESULTS: Special Election for MTG Seat in Georgia
Discussion:
CBS News, The Hill, Washington Examiner, NBC News, Fox News, MS NOW, Newsweek and NewsMax.com
Jordain Carney / Politico:
Thune eyes action on SAVE America Act next week — without a ‘talking filibuster’ — Senate Majority Leader John Thune is aiming to take action on a GOP-only election bill next week — without pursuing a longshot procedural gambit advocated by some Republican hard-liners.
RELATED:
Glenn Thrush / New York Times:
Bondi Is Said to Move to Military Housing Because of Threats — The attorney general relocated from a Washington apartment to a base in the area within the past month, according to people familiar with the situation. — Attorney General Pam Bondi has quietly relocated to one of several military bases …
Discussion:
Raw Story and The Independent
Hannah Allam / ProPublica:
The U.S. Built a Blueprint to Avoid Civilian War Casualties. Trump Officials Scrapped It. — Images from the missile strike in southern Iran were more horrifying than any of the case studies Air Force combat veteran Wes J. Bryant had pored over in his mission to overhaul how the U.S. military safeguards civilian life.
Discussion:
PBS NewsHour and New York Times
RELATED:
Axios:
Scoop: White House tells House Republicans to stop talking about mass deportations … - Nearly half — 49% — of Americans say Trump's mass deportation campaign is too aggressive, including 1 in 5 voters who backed the president in 2024, a Politico poll from January found.
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, The Independent, New York Magazine and Mediaite
RELATED:
Dan Froomkin / Press Watch:
The war makes it more urgent for journalists to call out Trump's derangement — Let's say the president is mentally unfit for duty. — Let's say that has been pretty clear for a while now, what with his delusion that he won an election he lost, his chaotic imposition of illegal and irrational tariffs …
RELATED:
Steven Nelson / New York Post:
Sen. John Kennedy apologizes for Iran school strike after Trump suggests enemy misfire
Sen. John Kennedy apologizes for Iran school strike after Trump suggests enemy misfire
Discussion:
CNN, Axios, PBS NewsHour, NewsMax.com, Mediaite, PolitiFact, BizPac Review, MeidasTouch News, The Hill, New York Times, ABC News, TMZ.com, New Republic, Washington Examiner, Politico and Newsweek
Joe Heim / Washington Post:
‘Titanic’ statue of Trump and Epstein on the Mall draws praise, scorn — The statue is the third satirical installation placed on the Mall by a mysterious group of artists that highlights the relationship between the two men. — The anonymous artists who have targeted President Donald Trump …
Discussion:
The Independent, Raw Story, New Republic and LGBTQ Nation
RELATED:
Brandi Buchman / HuffPost:
Another Statue Of Trump And Epstein Appears On National Mall — This Time Inspired By ‘Titanic’
Another Statue Of Trump And Epstein Appears On National Mall — This Time Inspired By ‘Titanic’
Discussion:
Roll Call
Washington Post:
Drone hits U.S. diplomatic facility in Iraq as Mideast violence deepens — The attack on a major U.S. diplomatic compound in Baghdad was suspected to be a retaliatory move by pro-Tehran militias against the U.S.- and Israeli-led war on Iran. — A drone assault hit a major U.S. diplomatic facility …
Discussion:
Reuters and Middle East Monitor
CNN:
Justice Department leans on prosecutors in Brennan probe as other Trump-foe investigations fizzle — Donald Trump Federal agencies National security Trump legal cases — Justice Department prosecutors leading an investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan are facing increasing pressure …
Discussion:
Raw Story
RELATED:
David Nir / The Downballot:
Democrats win GOP seat in New Hampshire, notching 10th straight special election flip — The third time was the charm for New Hampshire Democrat Bobbi Boudman, who flipped a Republican-held seat in the state House in a special election on Tuesday night. — Boudman, a financial analyst …
Jacob Wendler / Politico:
Trump pick for State Department drops out after drawing heat for comments about ‘white culture’ … In announcing his withdrawal in a social media post, Carl thanked the administration for nominating him and praised the White House for being willing not “to simply pick nominees from the same stable …
Discussion:
The Guardian, NOTUS, Reuters, Advocate, IJR, NBC News, Raw Story, NewsMax.com, Jewish Insider, Deseret News and Mediaite
Reuters:
Exclusive: As many as 150 US troops wounded so far in Iran war, sources say — As many as 150 U.S. troops have been wounded so far in the war with Iran, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. — The figure has not been previously reported and is far higher …
Discussion:
ABC News, UPI, Truthout, Al Jazeera, The Daily Signal, Axios, Politico, Raw Story, Krassencast, CBS News, Forbes and Mediaite

