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A coalition of peace groups including Peace Action and RootsAction launched a national campaign Wednesday calling for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to resign from leadership roles, citing their inadequate opposition to the Donald Trump administration's Iran war.

The groups filed a petition arguing that Schumer and Jeffries delayed a vote on Iran until after military operations began and failed to clearly oppose the conflict before or after launch.

President Donald Trump administration officials entered panic mode Sunday when oil prices skyrocketed following military operations in Iran, with the president reportedly "flipping out" as barrel prices approached $120. Financial Times columnist Ed Luce revealed the presidential meltdown on MSNBC, confirmed by White House insiders to Politico.

The spike exposed a fundamental miscalculation: administration officials never anticipated Middle East military operations would trigger energy market turmoil. Despite the disruption, a former Trump official stated the administration requires a "consistent, multiweek read" of oil prices before reconsidering strategy, indicating short-term spikes won't alter military decisions.

President Donald Trump verbally attacked Rep. Thomas Massie Wednesday, ahead of campaign stops in Kentucky and Ohio. Trump posted that Massie would "go down as the WORST Republican Congressman," in congressional history, worse than Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.

The clash stems from Massie's role in forcing the Department of Justice to release Jeffrey Epstein files and his vote against Trump's legislative priorities. Trump has spent months recruiting a primary challenger, former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, to unseat the seven-term lawmaker. Massie dismissed concerns about the intra-party feud, stating supporters back both Trump and his campaign promises.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright's accidental post about Navy tanker escorts triggered a dramatic oil market collapse Tuesday, erasing $84 million in market value within minutes. The tweet claimed the U.S. Navy was escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, causing crude futures to plunge 19% before the post was deleted.

The Department of Energy later acknowledged the video was incorrectly captioned. Benchmark crude fell 12% to $83.45 a barrel, the steepest one-day decline in four years, with an intraday low of $76.73 representing a 36% drop from Sunday's peak. Airlines also suffered, with Delta, American, and United each dropping over 2%. Oil market volatility reflects ongoing uncertainty surrounding Iranian conflict and administration signals, prompting Saudi Aramco's CEO to warn of "catastrophic consequences" if disruptions continue.

Financial Times editor and columnist Ed Luce warned President Donald Trump's being forced to confront the consequences of his actions in Iran and he's responding poorly, Luce added. When oil prices surged above $120 per barrel after the Gulf of Hormuz closed, Trump panicked and began reassuring markets the war would end soon, effectively revealing his negotiating position to Iranian leadership.

Luce characterized this as a "big reveal," explaining Iran now understands Trump expected a quick 12-day conflict and is unprepared for prolonged engagement. The analyst argued that Iran likely has greater pain tolerance than Trump and now possesses a strategic advantage without needing advanced military capabilities. Trump's public messaging about ending the war quickly undermined his negotiating strength and provided Iran crucial intelligence about his willingness to exit the conflict.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) contradicted the Trump administration Tuesday, calling the strike on an Iranian girls' school that killed approximately 175 civilians a "horrible mistake." During a CNN interview with Kasie Hunt, Kennedy refused to hide behind ongoing investigations, directly contradicting Trump's denial that the strike occurred and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's claim that the Pentagon is investigating.

A New York Times story revealed American forces likely dropped the bomb on the school. Kennedy expressed regret about the attack, stating he wished it hadn't happened and assuring it wasn't intentional, though acknowledging the investigation may prove him wrong. He emphasized that "the kids are still dead" and argued that when mistakes occur, they should be admitted rather than denied or investigated indefinitely.

The FBI issued a warning to California law enforcement that Iran could launch drone attacks against the West Coast in retaliation for American military strikes, according to an alert reviewed by ABC News.

The warning, issued late last month, stated that as of early February 2026 Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the U.S. coast, targeting an unspecified locations in California if the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran.

President Donald Trump appointed Erika Kirk, widow of late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, to the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors, the position her husband was set to hold before his September assassination. The appointment triggered significant social media backlash, with critics questioning Kirk's qualifications. Kirk has no military or educational leadership experience, prompting accusations of political favoritism. Conservative commentators used the appointment to highlight concerns about merit-based hiring, with some invoking DEI talking points. Social media users questioned why qualified candidates with lifetime military service were passed over. Some expressed concern about the timing and appropriateness of the appointment for a grieving widow with young children at home. The board oversees morale, discipline, curriculum, and fiscal affairs at the academy.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham intervened during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Tuesday after Sen. Bernie Moreno attacked Democratic witnesses and colleague Sen. Jeff Merkley without allowing him to respond. Moreno mocked the witnesses' position on immigration law and criticized their qualifications. When Merkley attempted to respond, Moreno refused to let him speak, continuing his criticism. Merkley pointed out that Moreno was both attacking witnesses and colleagues on the dais. Graham interjected forcefully, declaring "I'm in charge!" and insisting that Moreno allow Merkley to answer questions. Merkley reminded Moreno that Republicans had blocked a bipartisan immigration reform bill in 2013, suggesting they return to collaborative efforts. He advocated for ending partisan accusations and working together to produce meaningful legislation rather than continuing contentious exchanges.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson delivered a contentious pitch to voters Tuesday at President Donald Trump's Florida resort, calling it "foolish" to vote against Republican candidates in November. This comes as an NBC News poll shows Democrats well-positioned to retake the House, with some Republicans fearing Senate losses too. Even Sen. Rand Paul predicted "disastrous" midterm results for the GOP. Johnson framed the election as a contest "between normal and crazy," claiming the Republican majority has "defied expectation and historical trends," while governing. Speaking at the Trump National Doral Miami, where membership costs $50,000 initiation plus $1,000 monthly dues, Johnson attacked Democrats as "Marxists, open socialists, the far-left insurgent politicians," pushing the party "over the edge," and leaving America behind. He vowed Republicans would defy historical odds again.

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An FBI memo from a 2020 interview documents a woman's account of her sexual assault. In the early 2000s, when she was 16 years old, Jeffrey Epstein took advantage of the then minor while on a speakerphone call with Donald Trump, the memo said. The woman, recruited by Epstein as a junior in high school, told FBI agents she visited his New York home three times. During the third visit, she was brought to an upstairs massage room where Epstein was on a call with Trump. According to the memo, the massage escalated into sexual assault, after which Epstein gave her $300. Trump and Epstein had a documented friendship from the 1980s until reportedly cutting ties around 2004, though a 2011 email suggests potential later contact. Trump faces no criminal charges related to the allegation. Many Epstein documents contain unverified allegations that do not constitute evidence of wrongdoing.

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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended President Trump's Iran military decision during a Tuesday briefing after CBS correspondent Nancy Cordes questioned the rationale. Cordes noted that Trump initially claimed Iran would strike U.S. targets within seven days, later reducing that estimate to three days. She asked where Trump was obtaining this information. Leavitt insisted Trump was "not making anything up" and stated his decision was based on intelligence and negotiations with Iran over the past year. She emphasized that Trump would not allow the Iranian regime to threaten or attack the United States. When Cordes asked if Trump was fabricating justifications for war, Leavitt pushed back firmly, insisting the president acted on facts and intelligence. She concluded by stating Iran "chose this path to death and destruction."

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The District of Columbia Bar filed ethics charges against DOJ pardon attorney Ed Martin for sending a threatening letter to Georgetown University Law Center while serving as interim U.S. attorney. Martin questioned the school's diversity and inclusion policies, and the court filing alleges he used coercion to punish disfavored viewpoints and suppress DEI teaching. Before Georgetown could respond to his inquiries, Martin notified the school that his office would no longer employ its students as fellows, interns, or employees. D.C. Disciplinary Counsel Hamilton Fox argues these actions violated the First and Fifth Amendments by restricting the law school's free speech and religious rights. The DOJ responded by accusing the bar of partisanship. Martin, who represented January 6 rioters, previously headed the DOJ's weaponization working group before losing that position.

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