Top Items:
Axios:
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.
Discussion:
Semafor
RELATED:
Edward Luce / Financial Times:
Donald Trump warns Nato faces ‘very bad future’ if allies fail to help US in Iran — US president tells the FT in an interview that China summit could be delayed — Donald Trump has warned that Nato faces a “very bad” future if US allies fail to assist in opening up the Strait of Hormuz …
Discussion:
NBC News, Washington Examiner, Politico, The Hill, The Independent, CNN, New York Magazine, The Guardian, New York Post, Fortune, Israpundit, Reuters, The Daily Wire, The Gateway Pundit, France 24, Fox News, Semafor, NPR, DVIDS, Mediaite, Bloomberg, IJR, Axios, Blue Virginia and HuffPost
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
Trump's Fork in the Road to Tehran — He only has bad options. — William Kristol, Andrew Egger, and Jim Swift — Leading the New York Times this morning: Israel is stepping up its ground attacks against the Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon, while other nations appear to be shrugging …
Discussion:
Reuters
Politico:
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.
Ravi Mattu / New York Times:
Trump's Threat to Delay Summit With Xi Casts New Shadow Over China Relations — President Trump warned that he could postpone a meeting set to begin in just over two weeks if China refuses to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. — President Trump threatened to postpone a long-planned summit …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, CNN, Associated Press, Al Jazeera, Fortune and CNBC
Paul Krugman:
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 …
Bloomberg:
Trump Leaves Allies and Foes Guessing on Endgame for Iran
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal and The Guardian
Steven Erlanger / New York Times:
In Iraq, the U.S. Tried to Bring Allies on Board. Not in Iran.
Bloomberg:
US Allies Wary of Joining Trump's Strait of Hormuz Mission
US Allies Wary of Joining Trump's Strait of Hormuz Mission
Discussion:
France 24, Washington Examiner, Modern Diplomacy, BusinessDay, NewsMax.com and Reuters
Bloomberg:
Trump's Call for Chinese Warships Hits on Sensitive Topic for Xi
Trump's Call for Chinese Warships Hits on Sensitive Topic for Xi
Discussion:
The Atlantic, UPI, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Fox News, The Independent and WTOP News
Punchbowl News:
3/16/26☀️ AM: … With war raging in the Middle East, the Department …
3/16/26☀️ AM: … With war raging in the Middle East, the Department …
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune
Axios:
Trump eyes “Hormuz Coalition,” seizure of Iran's Kharg Island oil hub
Trump eyes “Hormuz Coalition,” seizure of Iran's Kharg Island oil hub
Discussion:
HotAir, The Guardian, Fox News and Associated Press
Milena Wälde / Politico:
Trump warns NATO (again) of ‘very bad future’ if allies don't secure Strait of Hormuz
Trump warns NATO (again) of ‘very bad future’ if allies don't secure Strait of Hormuz
Discussion:
Reuters, Washington Examiner, The National Pulse, NewsMax.com, MS NOW, WTOP News, Fortune and Al Jazeera
Alexander Ward / Wall Street Journal:
Exclusive: Trump Administration Plans to Announce Coalition to Escort Ships Through Strait of Hormuz
Exclusive: Trump Administration Plans to Announce Coalition to Escort Ships Through Strait of Hormuz
Discussion:
Axios, CNBC, Mediaite, The Independent, NewsMax.com, Washington Examiner and Al Jazeera
New York Times:
Entering War's Third Week, Trump Faces Stark Choices
Entering War's Third Week, Trump Faces Stark Choices
Discussion:
Associated Press and The Wrap
Will Weissert / Associated Press:
Two weeks into war with Iran, Trump has been knocked back on his political heels
Two weeks into war with Iran, Trump has been knocked back on his political heels
Discussion:
The Hill, KHOU-TV, WTOP News, HuffPost, Digby's Hullabaloo, Fortune and Washington Post
Emanuel Fabian / The Times of Israel:
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
Gregory S. Schneider / Washington Post:
As states scrap for congressional seats, Virginia could tip the scales — The party's well-funded canvassing and advertising campaign for a referendum that could add four blue seats to Congress has Republicans scrambling to respond. — RICHMOND — Karen Taylor Dantzler heard the arguments …
Discussion:
Axios
RELATED:
Politico:
'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.
Discussion:
Raw Story
Elizabeth Ginexi:
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 …
Becket Adams / The Hill:
‘Lobstergate’ shows just how far our media have sunk — It is a terrible time to be a news consumer. Sadly, the only way to explain today's media is to write them off as either malicious or hopelessly incompetent. — Consider “lobstergate,” one of the more achingly idiotic so-called controversies in recent years.
Discussion:
Townhall
Gillian Brockell:
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 …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo
Steven Nelson / New York Post:
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 …
Noah Berlatsky / Public Notice:
The real affordability hoax — PN is supported by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ — 🤝 Subscribe to PN 🤝 — “The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money,” Donald Trump boasted last week on Truth Social.
New York Times:
Trump's Effort to Target Rivals Stall as Judges Cut Short Basic Investigative Steps — A ruling Friday that derailed an investigation into the Federal Reserve chair at an exceptionally early stage showed the limits of President Trump's campaign of legal retribution.
Ben Kamisar / NBC News:
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 …
Discussion:
Chicago Sun Times
Josh Marcus / The Independent:
Afghan who fought with US special forces dies in ICE custody as Trump on track for deadliest year of detention in more than two decades — Mohammad Nazeer Paktyawal served with U.S. forces in Afghanistan and legally evacuated the country, then died within a day of being taken into ICE custody, according to his family
Discussion:
Austin Kocher, KHOU-TV, FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth and Reuters
Politico:
‘I think she will be loyal’: Jeffrey Epstein's role in Peter Attia's rise … Several days later, the model was invited to meet Attia and “several friends” for drinks at the five-star Baccarat Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, alongside “two additional top candidates,” according to an email that she forwarded to Epstein.
Spencer Kimball / CNBC:
U.S. is allowing Iranian oil tankers through Strait of Hormuz, says Bessent … The United States is allowing Iranian oil tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Monday. — “The Iranian ships have been getting out already …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Reuters, Washington Times, Asia Times, CounterPunch, CBS News, Fox News and New York Times
Ilya Somin / Lawfare:
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.
Alan Blinder / New York Times:
Professors Are Changing What They Teach, Even Far from Trump's Gaze — Harvard is the White House's biggest target, but professors all over the country have been censoring themselves, avoiding provocative topics and rewriting grants. — Rewritten syllabuses. Self-censored lectures.
Jan Ransom / New York Times:
One of Epstein's Levers of Power: Access to Elite Private Schools — Jeffrey Epstein used his money and influence in the world of elite private schools to assist friends and acquaintances. — After Jeffrey Epstein agreed to pay more than $14,000 in private school tuition for the children …

