The Notorious Basement

UBC Lind Initiative 2026: Rachel Maddow YouTube video by UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs

UBC Lind Initiative 2026: Rachel Maddow youtu.be/BGqypLBWjKY?... @maddow.bsky.social

Pentagon Tells Congress First Week of Iran War Cost More Than $11.3 Billion

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/w...

US military spent $9 million on crab legs and lobster in the months before Iran war Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also authorized the $100,000 purchase of a Steinway & Sons grand piano for the Air Force chief of staff’s home, according to a watchdog report

I used to work for the government. In order to justify budgets, bad actors overspend at the end of the fiscal year. So the administration spent $93B on bullshit to justify massive Pentagon budget proposals, all while gutting health care and food assistance. www.the-independent.com/news/world/a...

Keep in mind that Pete Hegseth's reported Pentagon spending spree happened just months after Trump and Republicans made devastating cuts to the social safety net in exchange for huge tax cuts for the rich.

And defense spending may soon hit a record $1.5 trillion.

Priorities.

Pentagon bars press photographers over ‘unflattering’ Hegseth photos Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s staff took issue with photos taken in a rare briefing last week and decided to shut out press photographers from two subsequent news conferences.

The Defense Department has barred press photographers from briefings on the Iran war after they published photos of Pete Hegseth that his staff deemed "unflattering," according to two people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.

Not only this — but donors who give $1M+ to a Trump-backed group organizing events for the nation's 250th anniversary will gain special access to, and can seek favors from, Trump himself.

Everything is for sale. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/u...

GOP Crusade Against ‘Fraud’ Just Means Big Safety-Net Cuts Republicans are pushing more Medicaid cuts to pay for Trump’s Iran war and tax cuts. But they won’t come out and say that.

Republicans are pushing more Medicaid cuts to pay for Trump’s Iran war and tax cuts. But they won’t come out and say that.

Pentagon bars press photographers over ‘unflattering’ Hegseth photos Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s staff took issue with photos taken in a rare briefing last week and decided to shut out press photographers from two subsequent news conferences.

Exclusive: The Defense Department has barred photojournalists from briefings on the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran after they published photos of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that his staff deemed “unflattering,” according to two people familiar.

Congress failed to pass the SAVE Act last year for good reason: it’s an anti-voter bill. But now lawmakers have revived it despite overwhelming public opposition. Tell your senators to stop this attack on the freedom to vote:bit.ly/4srDVLB

Dozens of U.S. service members in Kuwait suffered serious injuries, including burns, brain trauma and shrapnel wounds, sources say About 30 U.S. service members remained hospitalized Tuesday after an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait.

Just like 2020 when Trump downplayed over 100 service members with traumatic brain injuries as “headaches”, and downplaying covid deaths, Trump is never honest with the American people about this if he thinks it makes him look bad. Because Trump is all about Trump. www.cbsnews.com/news/strike-...

Tracing the US military’s learning curve on fighting Iran’s drones: What to know

American forces face a steep learning curve as they scramble to deploy more cost-efficient defenses against Iran’s Shahed drones, which fly low and buzz like mopeds before smashing into their targets.

Here's what to know:

Drinking this much coffee a day is linked to a lower risk of several diseases People who consumed 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine a day were less likely to develop coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes or stroke.

People who consumed 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine a day were less likely to develop coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes or stroke.

Poll: Confidence in the Supreme Court drops to a record low The latest NBC News poll shows that the percentage of voters with a "great deal" or "quite a bit" of confidence in the court is at the lowest ebb since the question was first asked in 2000.

The percentage of voters with significant levels of confidence in the Supreme Court has dropped to its lowest point since NBC News began polling on the question in 2000, according to the most recent survey.

Effects of War Ripple Through Middle East Analysis, updates, and background.

Today is a special open access day at FP. For 48 hours only, we’ve dropped the paywall on all of our coverage of the Iran war. Take a look for yourself to see what FP is all about: foreignpolicy.com/projects/ira...

Iran’s Cheap, Plentiful Weaponry Puts US Military Under Unprecedented Strain As the conflict extends towards a third week, an arsenal of attack drones and ballistic missiles has helped make Tehran unlike any adversary the US has faced.

“The first 100 hours of the war may have used hundreds of Tomahawk missiles, which can fly more than 1,000 miles and hit targets just a few meters wide…

“Fewer than 100 Tomahawks are produced per year.”

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Iran’s Cheap, Plentiful Weaponry Puts US Military Under Unprecedented Strain As the conflict extends towards a third week, an arsenal of attack drones and ballistic missiles has helped make Tehran unlike any adversary the US has faced.

The US has burned through over 1,000 Patriot interceptors ($4 million each) to stop an onslaught of Iranian drones ($20k to $50k each).

Using my last gift link from Bloomberg, which is doing some of the best reporting anywhere on the war.

🎁 🔗

www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

TONIGHT: @nicollewallace.bsky.social joins @latenightseth.bsky.social to discuss the latest with the war in Iran, her @ms.now original podcast, "The Best People," and

Tune in tonight & watch "Deadline: White House" weekdays at 4pm ET on @ms.now.

State Department allows up to $40M to be used for evacuation flights for Americans in Middle East

The State Department has authorized the use of up to $40 million in emergency funds to pay for evacuation charter flights for Americans to leave the Middle East.

The dictator's new shoes? Trump demands his subordinates wear the same footwear. With revelations about a bizarre footwear fetish, the president joins a long line of autocrats throughout history by insisting that his subordinates copy his style — or else.

But apparently… it is real. Donald Trump reportedly has a footwear fetish. He’s testing the loyalty of his lieutenants by whether they’ll lace up in the same black shoes he wears. And yes, it’s creepy.

www.defiance.news/p/the-dictat...

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...

Gift link

When is the Trump admin ever going to be honest with the American people about what is happening in Trump's latest war?

The average American senior’s Medicare premiums last year were about 10% higher, or more than $200 annually, because of alleged overpayments to private Medicare Advantage plans, congressional investigators found. 🔗 on.wsj.com/3PcusZX

Oysters and clams in 9 states could be contaminated with norovirus, FDA warns Restaurants and retailers are asked not to sell oysters from Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and Manila clams from Lummi Indian Business Council, both in Washington state.

The FDA warns consumers about oysters and clams which could be contaminated with norovirus and were sent to nine states, including California, Florida and New York.

America Is an Oil Exporter. Why Does a Mideast War Raise U.S. Gas Prices? The U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran have intensified and the conflict has widened, shaking global energy markets.

The price of gasoline in the U.S. rose again on Tuesday, to an average of $3.54 a gallon, according to new data. That’s a 19% increase since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.

US official: ‘Not true’ Navy successfully escorted oil tanker through Strait of Hormuz Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed in a now-deleted social media post that the Navy escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz.

US official: ‘Not true’ Navy successfully escorted oil tanker through Strait of Hormuz

Live updates: Iran fires drones toward Saudi Arabia and Kuwait Iranian fired drones towards Saudi Arabia and Kuwait early Tuesday as the war in the Middle East shows no sign of abating.

BREAKING: About 140 U.S. troops have been wounded in the Iran war, including eight severely, the Pentagon says.

BREAKING:

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 140 US troops have been wounded in the Iran war, including 8 severely and 108 who returned to duty, Pentagon says.

Leavitt confirms that the current "ballpark" total of US soldiers injured fighting Iran is 150

see you in Tucson on Saturday! can't wait.

Noem associate Madison Sheahan bought 2,500 marked vehicles for ICE Despite ICE employees seeking to keep a low profile in public, ICE official Madison Sheehan placed a bulk order for marked vehicles.

DHS made a massive purchase of 2,500 new custom marked ICE vehicles that are now sitting in parking garages because nobody wants to use them: “ICE has never had marked vehicles. We don’t want to use these - we can’t.” www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immig...