Michael Derby

Not great!

I was in a 2 hour briefing today on the Iran War. All the briefings are closed, because Trump can't defend this war in public.

I obviously can't disclose classified info, but you deserve to know how incoherent and incomplete these war plans are.

1/ Here's what I can share:

Tried to write in cursive tonight and that skill is gone.

US lawmakers worry Trump may put 'boots on the ground' in Iran Democratic U.S. senators expressed alarm on Tuesday about the Iran war, saying they were worried that President Donald Trump could deploy U.S. ground forces and noting the high risks ​given Russian support for Tehran's military.

US lawmakers worry Trump may put 'boots on the ground' in Iran reut.rs/3P1ACw2

The White House’s Financial Disclosures for Top Officials Are Incomplete Border Czar Tom Homan’s financial disclosure has not been finalized by the federal ethics office.

The White House’s Financial Disclosures for Top Officials Are Incomplete www.notus.org/trump-white-...

My dress shoes, which I never wear anymore, are Florshiems!

its cool how we’ve spent decades anticipating this exact scenario where a cornered iran would mine or otherwise deny access to the strait and the US gov is just like “woah, no idea they’d play this card in response to [operation: no iranian government official left alive]”

Sure sounds like somebody at DOGE took the Social Security numbers and personal information of every American on record, and put it on a thumb drive to bring home to Elon Musk’s AI company.

We must never lose sight of how absolutely fucking hallucinatorily batshit this is. The other guy says when you surrender now? That means *you* are the one suing for peace

This is real life.

Video Refutes ICE Claim That Ruben Ray Martinez “Ran Over” Federal Agent Before Fatal Shooting In Texas, newly released body-camera and surveillance footage casts doubt on an ICE official’s claims about the killing of Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen who was fatally shot by a fede...

The officer who killed Ruben Ray Martinez has been identified as Homeland Security Investigations agent Jack Stevens.

Kash Patel’s latest firings ousted agents with expertise in Iran The FBI director gutted a specialized, global espionage unit of counterintelligence agents, just days before Operation Epic Fury.

Patel fires FBI Iran experts just in time for war. Counter-terror generally has already been taken apart.
www.ms.now/news/kash-pa...

Trump Is Obsessed With These $145 Shoes—and Won’t Let Anyone Leave Without a Pair — The Wall Street Journal The president has started doling out dress shoes to friends and advisers: ‘All the boys have them’

So with everything else going on, WSJ reports Trump is obsessed with giving people dress shoes and guessing their size and those who get them are too frightened not to wear them.

and sapped trust. The powerful supranational institutions that today provide a framework for defining tasks, mediating conflicts and identifying remedies were conspicuously absent in 1914. Moreover, the

I’m on a flight rereading the conclusion of Sleepwalkers, the great study of the beginning of World War I, and… well. Hmm. The powerful supranational organizations that mediate conflicts have been swept off the scene.

US Navy tells shipping industry Hormuz escorts not possible for now The U.S. Navy has refused near-daily requests from the shipping industry for military escorts through the Strait of Hormuz since ​the start of the war on Iran, saying the risk of attacks is too high f...

US Navy is refusing to escort ships through the Straight of Hormuz: “The ‌Navy's assessments spell continued disruption to Middle East oil exports and reflect a divergence from President Donald Trump’s statements.” Via Reuters

Arizona Is Now at the Center of Election Investigations Both the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are probing the results of the 2020 election in Arizona.

Exclusive: HSI, a branch of DHS that usually investigates drug cartels and human-trafficking networks, is probing the 2020 election results in Arizona, Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Sarah Fitzpatrick, and Nick Miroff report.

Trump in the briar patch now.

Iran Can Turn the Persian Gulf Into a Minefield As war rages across the Middle East, every mariner’s eye is on the Strait of Hormuz. This narrow waterway, which connects the confines of the Persian Gulf with the open waters of the Indian Ocean, is ...

CBS reporting that Iran may be mining the Strait of Hormuz. Here's @admiralstav.bsky.social for @opinion.bloomberg.com on what damage Iran could actually do:

www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

Trump administration says cost of Iran war's first two days was $5.6 billion, source says U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said it used $5.6 billion in munitions during ​the first two days of strikes against Iran in ‌a report provided to U.S. congressional committees, a source familiar with the information said on Tuesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said it used $5.6 billion in munitions during the first two days of strikes against Iran in a report provided to U.S. congressional committees, a source familiar with the information said on Tuesday.

EISEN: How do you see this war ending?

WITKOFF: I don't know

I am pleased to report that within the last few hours, we have hit, and completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow! President DONALD J. TRUMP 106 ReTruths 394 Likes 3/10/26, 1:20 PM

Trump: there are no mines
Trump 40 minutes later: we have destroyed the mine boats

I wonder if he knows the U.S. once dropped two atomic bombs in the course of war.

Elon Musk's xAI wins permit to build power plant in Mississippi despite pollution concerns Mississippi regulators authorized xAI to build a power plant with 41 natural gas-burning turbines in Southaven to power its nearby data centers.

Musk wins again. Mississippi regulators gave xAI permits to build out a power plant in Southaven with 41 natural gas-burning (aka methane burning) turbines. Residents and environmental advocates have objected due to air pollution and noise pollution... More at @cnbc.com www.cnbc.com/2026/03/10/e...

Given the state of opinion polls, I suspect the answer to this question is clear.

Whistleblower claims ex-DOGE member says he took Social Security data to new job The Social Security inspector general’s office is investigating allegations that the former DOGE engineer took sensitive data on a thumb drive in a major potential security breach, said people familia...

Whistleblower claims a Musk DOGE worker took confidential social security info to a private employer: "A claim that, if true, would constitute an unprecedented breach of security protocols at an agency that serves more than 70 million Americans." Via WashPost

Turns out in war, TACO may not be an option.

Iran live: As many as 150 US troops wounded in Iran war, sources say In a statement, the Pentagon estimated the figure to be approximately 140 wounded and said the vast majority of them were minor.

As many as 150 American soldiers have been wounded so far in the Trump/Israel Iran war. Government claims most of the previously undisclosed injuries are minor. Via Reuters

I have literally watched something like 5 hours of this DOGE bro testimony. I'm completely obsessed, it's weirdly captivating. The circular arguments, the disdain from everyone involved, a true pleasure to watch

Follow 404 Media on Instagram (www.instagram.com/404mediaco/) for more like this

Secretary Wright tweeted that the US Navy escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, a headline that got blasted out across all the wire services.

And then he promptly deleted the tweet.

NBC News poll Voters hold negative views of Al. In fact, the only topics less popular in the survey were the Democratic Party and Iran.

Truly a perfect news alert