Today in the newsletter: Fertilizer prices are crushing rural farmers. Also, attacks on Gulf state aluminum smelters leave America exposed.
Middle East
Trump Sabotages His Own Much-Exaggerated Iran Deal
Did the president screw up a possible agreement with his own impulsivity? Or was the imminent deal that he touted on Friday an illusion all along?
Aftermath: How the War Might Cancel Your Flight
In today’s newsletter: Higher aviation travel prices and even mass cancellations are imminent. Also, China is a big winner and loser from the war.
Out of the Chaos, a Green Future?
Today on Aftermath: How the war in Iran may lead to a boost in renewable energy
Aftermath: Plastics Clogged in the Persian Gulf
In today’s inaugural newsletter: plastic supply chains, sulfuric acid export bans, and the war drags on.
The Faltering War Economy
Trump’s war craters the economy in multiple ways, even if it somehow ends soon.
How the Iran War Threatens the AI Economy
Supply chain disruptions threaten the flow of computer chips, which power AI models.
Re-enacting the Crusades
Pete Hegseth’s Christianity—tribal, with plenty of enemies who deserve the sword—is central to the MAGA worldview.
Israel and the Cease-Fire
Will Bibi Netanyahu manage to keep the war going, or will Trump finally appreciate that U.S. interests and Bibi’s are far from identical?
Marcus Foundation Bankrolls Pro–Iran War Group
A foundation associated with Home Depot has been the biggest funder of one of the loudest voices for war against Iran.

