Source: The Bulwark
by Will Sommer
“Despite his presidential campaign promises to put America first, Donald Trump didn’t seem to upset his media allies too much when he bombed Iran last June, or when he sent Delta Force to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. But those engagements were limited, free of American fatalities, and didn’t appear to produce much in the way of immediate consequences for Trump or the country. Even white nationalist Nick Fuentes became an old-school Monroe Doctrine imperialist. Trump’s latest attacks on Iran this weekend, however, have given rise to a much more negative reaction in right-wing media.” (03/02/26)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/maga-already-hates-trumps-iran-war
Source: Independent Institute
by Ivan Eland
“Trump not only needs to inform the American people about why he is taking the nation into a potentially escalatory war in their name but also to get their representatives in Congress to approve it, even now that it has illegally commenced. (Before the war started, American public support for an attack on Iran was only about 20 percent.) Trump will point to past bad presidential precedents to claim that he doesn’t need to do this — a ready opening for an authoritarian-leaning president that has been widening for some time. Congress needs to protest loudly and, finally, at long last, begin to rein in a rogue executive, but it probably won’t.” (03/02/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/03/02/iran-military-action-urgency-legitimate-purpose/
Source: David Friedman’s Substack
by David Friedman
“Obviously there are amounts of warming that could make Earth uninhabitable. That raises two questions: How much warming could be produced by burning fossil fuel? How much is consistent with human life continuing?” (03/02/26)
https://daviddfriedman.substack.com/p/consequences-of-climate-change
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“AFP journalists in Kabul heard multiple explosions and gunfire on Tuesday, as Afghan and Pakistani troops keep up their border battles. The blasts in the Afghan capital were heard alongside anti-aircraft weapons and gunfire from across the city, and came as the Afghan defence ministry said “the fighting is still ongoing” against Pakistani forces. An AFP journalist in Jalalabad city, between Kabul and the frontier, reported hearing explosions and various weapons being fired. At the nearest border crossing, around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Jalalabad, residents in Torkham told AFP the days-long fighting was continuing. The neighbours have clashed along the frontier since Thursday, when Afghanistan launched a border offensive in response to Pakistani air strikes.” (03/03/26)
https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260303-kabul-blasts-afghan-pakistani-troops-border-clashes
Source: Politics Politics Politics
“Final Texas Primary Predictions! Pentagon vs. Anthropic Explained. The False Front of Executive Actions (with Kenneth Lowande).” (03/02/26)
https://www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/p/final-texas-primary-predictions-pentagon
Source: Washington Post
by Robert Satloff
“From FDR to Bush, promises of Middle East freedom ended badly.” (03/02/26)
https://archive.is/cXtD4
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
by Nico Perrino
“The most acute challenges to free expression often come during times of war. The Sedition Act of 1798 criminalized criticism of the federal government amid fears of war with France. During World War I, the Espionage Act led to more than 2,000 prosecutions for speech ranging from teaching that Christians should not kill in war to protests over draft exemptions. The Cold War brought McCarthyism, blacklists, and loyalty oaths. After each of these periods, Americans came to regret the country’s censorship frenzy. … Not every war needs to be followed by censorship and then regret. We can learn from this historical pattern and refuse to censor in the first place.” (03/02/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/calls-censorship-are-familiar-wartime-mistake
Source: Persuasion
by Damon Linker
“There is no real principle behind the president’s foreign policy. The war against Iran proves it.” (03/02/26)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/donald-trump-interventionist
Source: SCOTUSBlog
“The Supreme Court on Monday night cleared the way for New York to go forward with the 2026 elections using the state’s existing congressional map. Over the objections of the court’s three Democratic appointees, the justices granted a request from a Republican member of Congress, a group of voters, and state election officials to pause an order by a state trial court that would have required the state to redraw the map to add Black and Latino voters.” (03/03/26)
https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/03/supreme-court-grants-republicans-request-to-pause-order-to-redraw-new-york-congressional-map/
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“The world’s largest acidic geyser is putting on a show again, erupting for the first time in six years after a quiet hiatus, officials at Yellowstone National Park say. The Echinus Geyser — located in the park’s famous Norris Geyser Basin — had been in slumber since 2020, and it’s unknown whether the eruptions will continue into the summer. Researchers say geysers can sometimes become active for a month or two before falling dormant again. ‘Geysers are always turning on and off. That’s Yellowstone being Yellowstone!’, the US Geological Survey wrote on X. A geyser is a spring of water which has been heated geothermally, and which erupts at various rates. It is formed from a tube-like hole that goes down into the Earth’s surface and is filled with water. When the water at the bottom, which is near molten rock called magma, heats in the tube it begins to boil and is forced upwards and erupts. After eruption, the water slowly goes back down into the tube. Then the process starts again.” (03/03/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39w4mexvwyo
