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March 10, 2026
American farmers dealt new blow as Trump's Iran war escalates
(Newsweek) As the U.S.–Israeli bombardment of Iran continues with no end in sight, the economic shockwaves are already hitting American farmers, with some struggling to buy fertilizer and gasoline prices rising. The war zone sits at the crossroads of the world’s fertilizer supply. Since the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran a week ago, maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a near standstill. The waterway moves roughly 20 percent of the world’s daily oil and a quarter of its nitrogen fertilizer. Chet Edinger, a corn and soybean farmer from Mitchell, South Dakota, saw it coming.
Go to discussionPete Hegseth's Pentagon spending splurge, 93 billion, in September alone
(Raw Story) According to government watchdog Open The Books, the Department of Defense's spending in September reached levels not seen since at least 2008 — a total of $93 billion. The extravagant purchases have taken on new importance now that the Pentagon may be on the verge of depleting its munitions stockpile as Trump's war on Iran escalates. The waste was staggering. The Pentagon spent over $225 million on furniture alone — the highest amount since 2014. This included $12,000 on fruit basket stands and more than $60,000 on premium Herman Miller chairs.
Go to discussion'We've got to pay attention': GOP anxiety spikes over rising energy prices
(Politico) The economic fallout from President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran is imperiling the GOP’s legislative sales pitch ahead of the midterms, with energy price spikes threatening at least some of the pocketbook gains Americans are seeing from the sweeping tax cuts Republicans enacted last year. Analysts with the Wall Street advisory and investment firm Evercore ISI estimated Monday that the impact on household costs attributable to the current crisis could erase the tax benefits from the “big, beautiful bill” for at least the bottom 30 percent of Americans — even if oil prices come off their $100-plus-per-barrel highs.
Go to discussionTrump's Sons Launch Jaw-Dropping Bid to Cash in on Dad's War
(Daily Beast) Donald Trump’s sons could be in for a payday over their father’s planned $1 billion-plus military equipment purchases. Donald Jr. and Eric Trump are investors in a new drone company targeting Pentagon contracts, with plans to go public on the Nasdaq, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Trump administration has made domestic drone supply a national security priority, banning new models of Chinese drones—which had long dominated the consumer and commercial markets—and launching the Pentagon’s Drone Dominance initiative.
Go to discussionTrump Advisers Urge Him to Find Iran Exit Ramp, Fearing Political Backlash
(WSJ) President Trump said he was eyeing a quick end to the war in Iran, as some of his advisers privately urged him to look for an exit plan amid spiking oil prices and concerns that a lengthy conflict could spark political backlash. Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday, Trump characterized the military mission as mostly having achieved its goals. “We’re way ahead of schedule,” he said, adding he thought it would be over “very soon.”. He didn’t provide a clear timeline for ending the Iran operation. When asked about helping the Iranian people who have risen up against the regime, Trump sounded ready for a quick conclusion rather than to continue to push for leadership change.
Go to discussionDemocrats vow to shut down Senate over Iran conflict
(The Hill) A group of Senate Democrats are threatening to use every procedural tool at their disposal to hold up business on the Senate floor unless Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other senior officials testify before key committees under oath on the military conflict with Iran. “We have collectively agreed that we’re going to use the levers that we have,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) said Monday evening. “We should be having hearings on the biggest military engagement since the war in Afghanistan.”
Go to discussionChicago Archbishop Condemns White House's 'Horrifying' Video On Iran War
(Huff Post) Cardinal Blase J. Cupich has joined a growing chorus of Catholic leaders in speaking out against President Donald Trump’s foreign policy moves. Cupich, who has served as archbishop of Chicago since 2014, blasted the Trump administration’s insensitive messaging around the Iran war after the White House posted a video featuring clips of “Gladiator” and “The Matrix” and other movies spliced with actual Iran strike footage to social media last week. “A real war with real death and real suffering being treated like it’s a video game — it’s sickening,” he wrote in a statement titled “A Call to Conscience” Saturday.
Go to discussionGOP lawmaker says Muslims 'don't belong' in US, draws harsh criticism
(USA Today) A Republican lawmaker from Tennessee made comments on social media quickly condemned as Islamophobic after two men were accused of trying to ignite homemade bombs in New York City, in what authorities said was being investigated as an "act of ISIS-inspired terrorism." "Muslims don't belong in American society," Rep. Andy Ogles wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on March 9. "Pluralism is a lie." Ogles, an ultra-conservative member of the Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives, posted the statement the same day the men were charged in the attempted bombing, which occurred on March 7.
Go to discussionRep. Kevin Kiley leaves GOP to become an independent, complicating Johnson's majority
(CBS) Rep. Kevin Kiley of California said Monday he was immediately leaving the Republican Party to become an independent. "I'm also today asking the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives to have that reflected in the official roster," Kiley said in a call with reporters. The move complicates House Speaker Mike Johnson's narrow majority, though Kiley said he plans to caucus with the Republican Party "for the remainder of this term."
Go to discussionSupreme Court Justices Jackson and Kavanaugh clash over handling of Trump cases
(NBC News) Internal Supreme Court divisions over how the high court has frequently ruled in favor of the Trump administration in emergency situations spilled out into public Monday with liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh locking horns. The court's conservative majority has on a regular basis blocked lower court rulings that have stymied President Donald Trump's agenda, sparking criticism from within and outside the judiciary.
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