Inside Trump’s Effort to “Take Over” the Midterm Elections In mid-December 2020, federal officials responsible for protecting American elections from fraud converged in a windowless, dim, fortified room at the Justice Department’s downtown Washington, D.C., headquarters. They had been summoned by Attorney General William Barr. Over the preceding weeks, Donald Trump’s claims … [Read more...] about Inside Trump’s Effort to “Take Over” the Midterm Elections
What Viktor Orbán’s election loss means for Putin, Trump and the rise of right-wing populism
Matthew Sussex, Australian National University Hungary’s most consequential election in decades has just delivered an important victory for democracy and accountability. For Hungarians, opposition leader Péter Magyar’s emphatic defeat of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his ruling Fidesz Party ends 16 years of corruption and quasi-authoritarianism. The outcome will … [Read more...] about What Viktor Orbán’s election loss means for Putin, Trump and the rise of right-wing populism
Grand Central Attack Tests The Policing Debate
Several days ago, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani touted a 28% drop in the city’s murder rate. That narrative was abruptly challenged Saturday morning when a chaotic scene of terror erupted at Grand Central Terminal. A man claiming to be “Lucifer” went on a machete rampage, targeting elderly commuters before being fatally shot by the NYPD.The nightmare began at approximately … [Read more...] about Grand Central Attack Tests The Policing Debate
Distrust for Netanyahu-led government sours some Israelis’ outlook
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson in Mevaseret Zion, Israel What are we supposed to think? There’s a temporary ceasefire, the terms of which are still under discussion. And anyway, it’s only set to last for two weeks, and what happens after that? People in Israel are happy, thinking that normal life can return, children can go back to school, adults can go to work and shops and … [Read more...] about Distrust for Netanyahu-led government sours some Israelis’ outlook
THE LONG ‘I TOLD YOU SO
4 ways the war in Iran has weakened the United States in the great power game
China and Russia view the U.S. grand strategy as increasingly out of focus. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson Jeffrey Taliaferro, Tufts University “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” Napoleon Bonaparte’s maxim may well have been in the minds of policymakers in Moscow and Beijing these past weeks, as the U.S. war in … [Read more...] about 4 ways the war in Iran has weakened the United States in the great power game
Did Donald Trump’s gut fail him on Iran war?
Harry Cohen, the founder and autocratic president of Warner Brothers, once said he had a way of judging whether a movie would be a success. “I have a foolproof device for judging a picture,” he said. “If my fanny itches, it’s bad. If my fanny doesn’t squirm, it’s good.” Donald Trump said the war will be over “when I feel it in my bones.” Funny? Bones? It’s all about valuing … [Read more...] about Did Donald Trump’s gut fail him on Iran war?
US ceasefire with Iran: What’s next? A former diplomat explains 3 possible scenarios
Iranians hold national flags in Tehran’s Revolution Square on April 8, 2026, after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images Donald Heflin, Tufts University President Donald Trump on April 7, 2026, announced a ceasefire between the United States and Iran, after more than a month of war marked … [Read more...] about US ceasefire with Iran: What’s next? A former diplomat explains 3 possible scenarios
Tyrants thrive when people are ‘functionally illiterate’ about democracy
The big question that will animate future historians - assuming that this country has a future - is how voters in the world's oldest democracy inexplicably hired a sociopathic madman to run it into the ground and destabilize the global economy. It's surely a combination of many factors - disaffected working-class whites, the polarizing impact of social media, a wimpy … [Read more...] about Tyrants thrive when people are ‘functionally illiterate’ about democracy
Trump Extends Deadline to Iran for Two Weeks
President Trump on Tuesday extended his deadline for Iran to agree to negotiations by two weeks, delaying what had been framed as an imminent military confrontation and injecting new uncertainty into an already volatile situation. The United States and Iran have agreed to a two week ceasefire as part of the extension, according to Axios, a development that could reshape the … [Read more...] about Trump Extends Deadline to Iran for Two Weeks
OBSCENE TRUMP
When a president is unfit for office, here’s what the Constitution says can happen
Kirsten Matoy Carlson, Wayne State University Bipartisan calls for President Donald Trump’s removal from office increased on April 7, 2026, after he issued threats to destroy “a whole civilization” if Iran refuses to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. These calls have come from across the political spectrum, from Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and … [Read more...] about When a president is unfit for office, here’s what the Constitution says can happen
PRESIDENT NUCKIN FUTZ
Trump is losing what's left of his mind On Easter Sunday, Donald Trump posted to Truth Social, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it! ! ! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP” Trump supporters, including … [Read more...] about PRESIDENT NUCKIN FUTZ
Trump’s threat means the world’s future may lie in the hands of career military officers.
I have no crystal ball, and I’m not a betting person. But my fear, with less than four hours ticking on Trump’s own doomsday clock, is that at a minimum, the US military will take out all bridges, power plants and desalination plants in Iran. We’ve already begun bombing today, as has Israel. I see a man inextricably trapped, perhaps for the first time in his … [Read more...] about Trump’s threat means the world’s future may lie in the hands of career military officers.
IS TRUMP’S THREAT TO DESTROY IRANIAN CIVILIZATION AN UNPRECEDENTED THREAT?
President Donald Trump's seemingly genocidal threat to wipe out Iranian civilization if it doesn't comply with his list of demands has ignited a mushroom cloud of bipartisan denunciations including from many of his most prominent supporters. Some call him mad. Some say they fear he is now the antithesis of Ulysses Grant who said: "Although a soldier by profession, I have … [Read more...] about IS TRUMP’S THREAT TO DESTROY IRANIAN CIVILIZATION AN UNPRECEDENTED THREAT?
TRUMP THREATENS TO “BLOW UP” IRAN UNLESS IT OPENS THE “F***IN’ STRAIT” WITHIN 48 HOURS
It's customary on Easter for Presidents to use whate3ver media they traditionally use to wish Americans a happy Easter on Easter Sunday. President Donald Trump chose a different route: he issued a profanity- laced Truth Social post threatening to blow up Iran's infrastructure unless it opens the "f***in' strait" of Hormuz by Tuesday. He told Axios that " if they don't make a … [Read more...] about TRUMP THREATENS TO “BLOW UP” IRAN UNLESS IT OPENS THE “F***IN’ STRAIT” WITHIN 48 HOURS
TRUMP WHITE HOUSE CABINET POSITIONS
Pam Bondi’s extreme political loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough to save her job
President Donald Trump participates in a roundtable discussion in Memphis, Tenn., with Attorney General Pam Bondi on March 23, 2026. AP Photo/Bruce Newman Austin Sarat, Amherst College After President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 2, 2026, news reports suggested that she fell from grace, not for being too … [Read more...] about Pam Bondi’s extreme political loyalty to Trump wasn’t enough to save her job
Fact checking the firehose
Donald Trump’s Easter luncheon speech was a case study in how quickly a single address can outpace the capacity of any one person to document its departures from reality. On April 1, 2026, President Donald Trump addressed an Easter luncheon at the White House that was closed to the press. The audience was friendly: evangelical leaders, cabinet members, faith community … [Read more...] about Fact checking the firehose
Trump Frames Iran War as Nearing Completion Amid Contradictions
In a brief address, President Trump touted U.S. military success and energy dominance while repeatedly describing Iran as “no longer a threat,” despite his vow to continue military action in the coming weeks. President Trump delivered a pointed update Tuesday on “Operation Epic Fury,” the U.S. campaign against Iran, repeatedly declaring Iran “decimated” while also promising … [Read more...] about Trump Frames Iran War as Nearing Completion Amid Contradictions