War Powers

$15 Million to Beat One Congressman — Is That What Loyalty Looks Like?

Rep. Thomas Massie faces the most expensive primary challenge of any sitting House Republican, backed by $15 million in anti-Massie spending and Trump's personal blessing. But with Massie leading by 17 points in internal polls and a 94% lifetime conservative rating, Ella Smart asks whether the GOP's loyalty tests are actually strengthening the party — or just proving that dissent has a price tag.

Mar 31, 20265 min read0060

Kentucky rural landscape representing the battleground of the May 2026 Republican primary in the state's 4th Congressional District

Jack Smart- Politics

Nobody Asked Congress: The Iran War That Happened Without You

Five weeks into Operation Epic Fury, 50,000 U.S. troops are deployed, Marines and the 82nd Airborne are arriving with ground-capable forces, and Trump has made more than a dozen claims of imminent victory that haven't come true. The one thing that hasn't happened? A congressional vote.

Mar 31, 20265 min read009

Jack Smart- Politics

Three Million Reasons This Isn't Just Coastal Rage

The "No Kings" protests on March 28, 2026 may have been the largest single-day demonstration in American history — and the most striking fact isn't the size. It's the geography.

Mar 29, 20265 min read007

Jack Smart- Politics

$200 Billion for Bombs. Americans Are Rationing Insulin.

The Pentagon wants $200 billion more for the Iran war. Democrats keep losing the votes to stop it. But they're not playing to win — they're playing to build a record. Here's why that matters, and what the real cost of this war looks like when you put it in terms most Americans can actually feel.

Mar 26, 20265 min read006

Ella Smart- Politics

Peace Talks Are Happening Because the War Is Working

Iran received a 15-point US ceasefire proposal Wednesday via Pakistani intermediaries — covering nuclear rollback, IAEA monitoring, missile limits, and Strait of Hormuz access. Four weeks of sustained military pressure achieved what 25 years of sanctions and diplomacy couldn't. The strategy isn't failing. It's working.

Mar 26, 20265 min read005

Jack Smart- Politics

Nobody Voted for This War. Now It Wants $200 Billion.

The Senate just blocked war powers for the third time — the war marches on without congressional authorization, gas is up 80 cents a gallon, Medicaid is on the chopping block, and the Pentagon just handed Congress a $200 billion invoice. It's time to talk about what democracy actually requires.

Mar 25, 20265 min read006