Top Items:
Greg Sargent / New Republic:
MAGA Dolt Hegseth Accidentally Reveals Big Hole in Trump Victory Claim — Now that Donald Trump has backed off his threat to obliterate a nation of 93 million people, his propagandists are already retconning it into proof of his Solomon-like foresight and wisdom.
Discussion:
Off Message, The Hill and Reuters
RELATED:
William Kristol / The Bulwark:
It's Not a TACO. It's a Surrender. — Iran 1, Trump 0 — William Kristol, Andrew Egger, and Jim Swift — Well, that was all pretty dumb, wasn't it? Happy Wednesday. — Trump Surrenders — I'm old enough to remember when President Trump assured us, “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
Financial Times:
Iran demands fees for ships passing Hormuz during ceasefire — Country's oil exporters' union says toll to be paid in cryptocurrency and vessels monitored for weapons — Iran will demand that shipping companies pay tolls in cryptocurrency for oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz …
New York Times:
Once ‘Ultra MAGA’, Trump Supporters Fume About Iran on Truth Social — A growing chorus of disaffected Trump supporters is sounding off in the replies to his posts on the social media platform he founded. — The people logging into Truth Social each day tend to count themselves among …
Discussion:
Forbes and The Daily Beast
Politico:
‘Seems like losing’: What the US hasn't won in Iran … Yet the hardliners who have ruled Tehran for the past 47 years are still in charge. Iran still possesses its stockpile of highly enriched uranium — one of President Donald Trump's key reasons for starting the war.
Discussion:
France 24
Julian Borger / The Guardian:
Middle East ceasefire in serious doubt as Israel assaults Lebanon and Iran blocks oil tankers — Inclusion of Lebanon is significant difference in interpretation of truce agreed at 11th hour on Tuesday — The fate of the two-week ceasefire in the Iran conflict looked uncertain on Wednesday …
Discussion:
Al Jazeera, Reuters, The Hill, Bloomberg, CBS News, France 24, New York Times, NBC News, Christian Science Monitor, Council on Foreign Relations, Telegraph, Reason, GB News, Foreign Policy, The Forward, One America News Network, Mercury News, MercoPress, New York Sun, Fox News, Los Angeles Times and Straight Arrow News
Wall Street Journal:
Iran Tightens Its Grip on Hormuz Despite Cease-Fire — Trump demanded opening the strait. Tehran's Revolutionary Guard is limiting ship traffic and charging tolls — Iran told mediators it would limit the number of ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz to around a dozen a day and charge tolls under …
Discussion:
Associated Press, MS NOW and Radio Free Europe/Radio …
Associated Press:
Live updates: US, Israel and Iran agree to a tentative ceasefire, even as the terms remain unclear
Discussion:
Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Associated Press, CBS News, NPR, Al Jazeera, UPI, Breitbart, France 24, The Guardian, Politico, Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, The Hill, WUSA, PoliticusUSA, KSLNewsRadio, Washington Post, 19FortyFive and RedState
Reuters:
Hezbollah pauses attacks under US-Iran ceasefire, sources close to group say
Hezbollah pauses attacks under US-Iran ceasefire, sources close to group say
Discussion:
Axios, Associated Press, ABC, The Times of Israel, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times, Washington Examiner, NBC News, Fox News, Reuters, The Guardian, The Hill, Drop Site News, UPI, Daily Caller News Foundation, The Daily Caller, Bangor Daily News, France 24, Metro.co.uk, Townhall, Meidas+ and Truthout
Phillips P. OBrien / Phillips's Newsletter:
Midweek Update #5; This Is No TACO: This Is Complete US Strategic Failure
Midweek Update #5; This Is No TACO: This Is Complete US Strategic Failure
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Zeteo, Newsweek, Public Notice, The Hill, Washington Post, NextDraft, The Mahablog and Townhall
Robby Soave / The Hill:
Megyn Kelly: I'd still back Trump even if he dropped a nuke — Dems are worse!
Megyn Kelly: I'd still back Trump even if he dropped a nuke — Dems are worse!
Cate Martel / The Hill:
Trump, Iran claim victory under shaky ceasefire deal
Trump, Iran claim victory under shaky ceasefire deal
Discussion:
Associated Press, Politico, CNBC, Reuters, NOTUS, Al Jazeera, Straight Arrow News, Breitbart, Washington Times, Adam Kinzinger, Zeteo, Raw Story and Washington Examiner
Erika Solomon / New York Times:
What Is In Iran's 10-Point Proposal, and How Does It Compare to U.S. Demands?
What Is In Iran's 10-Point Proposal, and How Does It Compare to U.S. Demands?
Discussion:
The Hill, CNN, The Status Kuo, All Rise News, The Independent, Breitbart, Al Jazeera, Mediaite, Jacobin, 19FortyFive, The Daily Wire, New Republic and Raw Story
Yaroslav Trofimov / Wall Street Journal:
Gulf States Fear an Emboldened Iran after Trump's Cease-Fire
Gulf States Fear an Emboldened Iran after Trump's Cease-Fire
New York Times:
After Cease-Fire, Ship Traffic in Strait of Hormuz Remains Throttled
After Cease-Fire, Ship Traffic in Strait of Hormuz Remains Throttled
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, The Hill, The Guardian, Bloomberg, Reason, Metro.co.uk, Raw Story and 19FortyFive
Wall Street Journal:
A Closer Look at Iran's 10 Demands—and Which the U.S. Might Accept
A Closer Look at Iran's 10 Demands—and Which the U.S. Might Accept
Discussion:
New York Times, Fox News, Megyn Kelly and Washington Examiner
Robert Mackey / The Guardian:
Trump and former loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene trade jabs as Maga split over Iran widens - US politics live
Trump and former loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene trade jabs as Maga split over Iran widens - US politics live
Discussion:
The Hill, Raw Story, Wonkette, Newsweek and NewsMax.com
Barak Ravid / Axios:
Iran ceasefire clouded by confusion, contradictions
Iran ceasefire clouded by confusion, contradictions
Discussion:
The Guardian, The Hill, Reuters, Politico, The Independent, Al Jazeera, Truthout, Bloomberg, Council on Foreign Relations and The Nation
Lylla Younes / Drop Site News:
Massive Israeli Assault on Lebanon Threatens U.S.-Iran Ceasefire
Massive Israeli Assault on Lebanon Threatens U.S.-Iran Ceasefire
Discussion:
The Hill, Associated Press and Al Jazeera
Thomas Wright / The Atlantic:
A New Geopolitical Reality Is Here — America's adversaries are uniting as its own coalition falls apart.
A New Geopolitical Reality Is Here — America's adversaries are uniting as its own coalition falls apart.
Discussion:
New York Times and IJR
Associated Press:
Israel Says Deal Doesn't Extend to Fighting in Lebanon
Israel Says Deal Doesn't Extend to Fighting in Lebanon
Discussion:
New York Times, Forbes, The Atlantic, New York Post, Raw Story, Home & Away, The Gateway Pundit and Deseret News
Associated Press:
US, Israel and Iran agree to a 2-week ceasefire but much remains unclear and some attacks continue
US, Israel and Iran agree to a 2-week ceasefire but much remains unclear and some attacks continue
Discussion:
Chatham House, Washington Examiner, Vox, Politico, The Hill, PolitiFact, Newsweek, Foreign Policy, Associated Press, Mediaite, The Forward, Bloomberg, Salon, MPR News and NewsMax.com
Hailey Fuchs / Politico:
Pam Bondi still on the hook for Epstein testimony, Oversight panel says … Oversight Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) issued a subpoena to Bondi last month after five Republican lawmakers on the panel joined with Democrats to compel her testimony. The campaign to force Bondi to sit for questioning …
Discussion:
Scripps News, Talking Points Memo and Truthout
RELATED:
HuffPost:
Pam Bondi Backs Out Of Deposition On Jeffrey Epstein — DOJ claims the former U.S. attorney general can just ignore a House committee's subpoena because she's not in the job anymore. — WASHINGTON — Former Attorney General Pam Bondi is backing out of a deposition scheduled for later …
Adam Pack / Fox News:
Ousted AG Bondi declines Epstein deposition, but lawmakers say subpoena still holds
Ousted AG Bondi declines Epstein deposition, but lawmakers say subpoena still holds
Discussion:
NPR, The Hill, IJR, NewsMax.com and NOTUS
US Department of Justice:
Former Army Employee and Top Secret Clearance Holder Arrested and Charged with Leaking Classified National Defense Information — For Immediate Release — The FBI arrested Courtney Williams, 40, of Wagram, North Carolina yesterday and a federal grand jury indicted her today in connection …
Discussion:
Bloomberg, The Hill, Associated Press, twitchy.com, Daily Caller News Foundation and The Gateway Pundit
RELATED:
Shaun Gallagher / WRAL-TV:
Army veteran charged with leaking classified Delta Force secrets to journalist — Courtney Williams, a U.S. Army Special Operations veteran, faces federal charges for allegedly transmitting classified military tactics and procedures to journalist Seth Harp for his 2025 book on Fort Bragg.
New York Times:
White House Secures Foreign Steel for Ballroom Project — ArcelorMittal, a European steel maker, is donating tens of millions of dollars of foreign steel for President Trump's new ballroom. — President Trump has championed the U.S. steel industry, promising to strengthen …
Andrew Howard / Politico:
‘A wow moment’: Democrats' election hot streak goes scorching … “It's a wow moment in Wisconsin politics,” said former Republican strategist Brandon Scholz, who left the party in 2021. “Republicans ought to be sitting down tonight and going, 'Okay, we just screwed up another race.
Discussion:
Democracy Docket, New York Times, NBC News, WPR, CNN, USA Today, Sabato's Crystal Ball, New York Magazine, Mercury News, Raw Story, Fox News, CNBC, New Republic and The Independent
RELATED:
Chris Nesi / New York Post:
Crazed homeless man accused of slaughtering Iryna Zarutska on train found incompetent to stand trial — The deranged homeless man accused of savagely butchering Iryna Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, on a Charlotte light rail train has been found “incapable to proceed” on state murder charges.
Christopher Hale / Letters from Leo:
The Pentagon Threatened Pope Leo XIV's Ambassador With the Avignon Papacy — The Free Press has documented a closed-door Pentagon meeting in which a senior Trump official lectured Pope Leo XIV's ambassador on American military supremacy. — ∙ Paid … Make A One-Time Gift to Support My Work
Discussion:
The Parnas Perspective, New Republic and The Independent
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Weighs Punishing Certain NATO Countries Over Lack of Iran War Support — U.S. troops could be shifted toward alliance members in president's good graces — WASHINGTON—The Trump administration is considering a plan to punish some members of the NATO alliance that he believes …
Discussion:
New York Times, CBS News, Newsweek, The US Sun, Al Jazeera and The Gateway Pundit
RELATED:
Politico:
Newly created Polymarket accounts bet big on US-Iran ceasefire in hours before Trump's announcement … One of these wallets, created Tuesday around 10 a.m. ET, placed roughly $72,000 in bets at an average price of 8.8 cents. The buy-in for each betting event ranges from $0 to $1 each …
Paul Krugman:
Ignorance and Ignominy — So the world's greatest military power went to war with a poor, medievalist theocracy. It was an incredibly uneven match. Here's are the GDPs of Iran and the United States in 2024: — Yet Iran won. The Iranian regime has emerged far stronger than it was before …
Discussion:
DeLong's Grasping Reality
Michael R. Sisak / Associated Press:
Long Island architect Rex Heuermann pleads guilty to murdering 7 women and admits he killed another — A Long Island architect who led a secret life as a serial killer pleaded guilty on Wednesday to murdering seven women and admitted he killed an eighth in a string of long-unsolved crimes known as the Gilgo Beach killings.
Discussion:
NBC News, Fox News, New York Times, The Daily Caller, Washington Times, The Hill, The US Sun, The Daily Wire, KING-TV, UPI, Rolling Stone and New York Magazine
Catherine Belton / Washington Post:
After pager attack on Hezbollah, Hungary offered help to Iran — Revelations about a 2024 call offering aid raise questions about Hungary's ties to Iran as the Trump administration is supporting Prime Minister Viktor Orban for reelection. — Soon after the deadly Israeli attack …
Discussion:
Politico, The Times of Israel, Reuters and Washington Examiner
Steve Benen / MS NOW:
Trump DOJ rallies behind convicted informant who lied to FBI about Biden — Alexander Smirnov was sent to prison for lying to the FBI. So why are Trump-aligned prosecutors trying to set him free? — This likely escaped the attention of many Americans, but in the last Congress …

