Behind the Curtain: Trump's escalation trap  —  For five years in office, President Trump has operated with intuition, impulse and improvisation.  — The Iran war, now entering Week 3, is the first time Trump's style has made it impossible for him to easily talk or improvise his way out.

Judge Strikes Down Kennedy's Vaccine Policies  —  Ruling on a lawsuit brought by several prominent medical organizations, a district court said the federal government did not base its decisions on science in limiting Covid shots and changing the childhood immunization schedule.

Trump briefed that Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is probably gay — and president has priceless reaction  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump was stunned to learn last week that US intelligence indicates new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei may be gay — and that his father …

Exclusive: Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino to Retire After Leading Largest Interior Immigration Operations in U.S. History  —  Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent and CBP Operations Commander Gregory Bovino is set to retire at the end of March, bringing an end to a nearly 30-year career with the agency.

Trump Airs a House Republican's Terminal Diagnosis, Claiming to Have Reversed It  —  The president leaned on House Speaker Mike Johnson to name a Florida Republican whose grave prognosis was imperiling the party's already slim voting margin.  Both said his prospects had improved.

Gamblers trying to win a bet on Polymarket are vowing to kill me if I don't rewrite an Iran missile story  —  Bettors are using death threats to try to get The Times of Israel's military correspondent to change his report on a missile impact in central Israel.  This is his alarming account

Trump is losing one battle after another.  Cue the posts. … Trump's Sunday night outburst took on all of them, but it was most notable for how he cast the Supreme Court — one that has staved off the destruction of his agenda and even his own criminal prosecution — as “a weaponized, and unjust Political Organization.”

No, America is Not Respected  —  Thanks to Trump, we're held in contempt even by our closest allies  —  There's a real Baghdad Bob feel to pronouncements from the Trump administration these days.  The war is going great!  We've been totally victorious!  Also, other countries …

Trump's Sunday night crashout  —  With help from Eli Okun, Ali Bianco, Irie Sentner and Makayla Gray  —  Good Monday morning.  This is Jack Blanchard, loading up on bottled water and cans of beans and heading to the basement.  Good luck out there.  Get in touch.  —  Yes, we're still talking about the weather.

Susie Wiles, Trump's White House Chief of Staff, Has Breast Cancer  —  Ms. Wiles said that the disease was caught in its early stages and that she would remain in her role.  —  Susie Wiles, President Trump's White House chief of staff and the first woman to ever hold that position …

Trump's cancellation of licenses for immigrant truckers takes effect  —  Around 200,000 people will start losing commercial licenses under a federal rule that takes effect Monday, a move that could mean higher prices for consumers.  —  Some 200,000 immigrant truck drivers will begin to lose …

'We're going to have a problem': Republicans want Trump to move on from 2020 … “I'm always one to believe you should look forward, not backward,” said Charlie Gerow, a Pennsylvania-based GOP strategist and Trump convention delegate who hosted a meeting of fake electors in 2020 at his Harrisburg-based public affairs firm.

Number of U.S. troops wounded in Iran war surpasses 200 across 7 countries  —  The injuries have occurred as Iran launches waves of missile and one-way attack drones in response to the Trump administration's expansive assault.  —  The number of U.S. troops who have been wounded or injured during …

The War Development(s) That Should Truly Scare Us  —  How Iran could speed up de-dollarization and how Trump could put boots on the ground in Iran—sort of.  —  ∙ Paid  —  Housekeeping: With travel and our Texas live shows this week I'm not sure what the Triad schedule will look like.

Video proves Delta flew Liam Ramos and his dad to ICE detention center  —  Liam Conejo Ramos and his father were flown to a Texas detention center via Delta Air Lines the day after they were captured by federal agents who allegedly used the 5-year-old boy as bait, according …

I Wrote Research Funding Announcements for NIH for 22 Years.  This Year They've Published 14  —  For decades, the National Institutes of Health published between 650 and 850 Notices of Funding Opportunities each year.  These announcements tell the research community which diseases need study …

6 wounded after Hezbollah rocket impact sparks fire in northern Israel  —  IDF begins ‘targeted ground op’ to expand south Lebanon buffer against Hezbollah; Katz says displaced Lebanese will not return to area until residents of Israel's north are safe  —  First responders at the site …

Supreme Court to hear arguments over push to end legal protections for migrants from Haiti, Syria  —  The Supreme Court will hear arguments over the Trump administration's push to end legal protections for people fleeing war and natural disaster from countries around the world, including Haiti and Syria.

Poll: Israel's standing plummets among Democrats, fueling primaries on the left  —  More registered voters view Israel negatively than positively in the latest NBC News poll, driven by change among independents and especially Democrats.  —  American voters' feelings on Israel …

Illinois primaries showcase the rise of the bizarro-world super PAC  —  The News  —  CHICAGO — State Sen. Robert Peters found himself in a tricky spot days ahead of his Democratic primary race: dubbed a “corporate pawn” by a corporate-funded super PAC.  —  He's an unlikely candidate for the label.

Slavery and Birthright Citizenship  —  The administration's rationale in the birthright citizenship case contradicts the central purpose of the 14th Amendment's Citizenship Clause.  —  Meet The Authors  —  Trump v. Barbara, the birthright citizenship case, is currently before the Supreme Court.

Behind Mamdani's Smile, a Politician Who Can Be a Ruthless Operator  —  Mayor Zohran Mamdani, while charming in public, has thrown sharp elbows in private as he pushes his political brand and agenda among fellow Democrats.  —  Zohran Mamdani was on the brink of completing his buoyant ascent …

Why David Boies Thinks We Should Support Trump's Iran War  —  The prominent lawyer says that Democrats should get behind the President, and make sure that he finishes the job.  —  For decades, David Boies has been one of the most renowned and impactful lawyers in America.

In Choosing ‘Epic Fury,’ Trump Names a War and Defines His Presidency … By his own account, President Trump was asked to personally pick the name of the military operation against Iran and was bored by all the choices presented to him.  “They gave me, like, 20 names, and I'm like, falling asleep,” he said last week.

MAGA Turns on Itself, and It's Ugly  —  The Cross Section is a reader-supported publication.  To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.  —  There's a bit of a disagreement happening among influential media personalities in MAGA world, a rift opened up by the Iran War.

Finland cannot send mine clearance vessels to Strait of Hormuz, Navy says  —  Finland's three mine clearance vessels are designed for Finnish conditions and cannot be deployed outside the Baltic Sea, according to the Finnish Navy.  —  Calls by Donald Trump for allied help to secure the Strait of Hormuz …