Richard Stengel

I always told my journalists, there aren’t two sides to a lie. Yes, you should be non-partisan, but not neutral. Journalists must be biased in favor of the truth and facts. Biased in favor of democracy itself. We protect the press so the press can protect democracy. Let’s do that

It seems like the main goal of the US campaign in Iran is to open the Strait of Hormuz which was open before the US invaded.

Just looking at the news this morning, if I told a prospective Trump voter in 2024 that after a year of a second Trump administration, all the headlines would be about the president sending more troops, missiles, and ships to a war he had started in the Middle East, he would have said that's impossible.

I love that he said Leo was “soft on crime,” as if were a pol not pope. You know who else was soft on crime? Jesus. He told us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, to welcome the stranger. And, to bless the peacemakers. We’ve never had a president who knew less of the Gospel or who violated it more.

I love that he said Leo was “soft on crime,” as if were a pol not pope. You know who else was soft on crime? Jesus. He told us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, to welcome the stranger. And, to bless the peacemakers. We’ve never had a president who knew less of the Gospel or who violated it more.

I love that he said Leo was “soft on crime,” as if were a pol not pope. You know who else was soft on crime? Jesus. He told us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, to welcome the stranger. And, to bless the peacemakers. We’ve never had a president who knew less of the Gospel or who violated it more.

I love that he said Leo was “soft on crime,” as if were a pol not pope. You know who else was soft on crime? Jesus. He told us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, to welcome the stranger. And, to bless the peacemakers. We’ve never had a president who knew less of the Gospel or who violated it more.

The criticism of the "sunset" provisions in the Obama deal always seemed, well, naive. First, it was 15 years (these guys are asking for 20) and, second, you begin negotiations again a few years before it expires to extend it. That's called diplomacy. nytimes.com/2026/04/13/us/…

There may be no more literal example of America First = America Alone than Trump's threatened blockade of Hormuz. Trump said "many" nations would help: Zero have come forward. The blockade will further alienate nations we should want on our side, China, Turkey, India etc. Iran's calculation that they can tolerate more pain than the US can is still operative. Also, it's very high risk, medium reward.

For all his authoritarian tendencies, in the end Orban did the right thing: he conceded the election, did not make phony accusations of fraud, and called his opponent to congratulate him. That's the lesson American conservatives should take from Viktor Orban.

1. All int'l agreements are negotiated first by lower level staffers. 2. Principals can't negotiate deals while in the spotlight. 3. But the president has to turn everything into a spectacle. 4. The JCPOA agreement took two years, and that was on just one issue: nuclear enrichment. 5. These guys were supposed to iron out an agreement on the Strait, nuclear, oil, Lebanon, and missiles all in one night. 6. Impossible. 7. And, by the way, didn't he want to open the Strait?

You know what would be amazing if Vance and his team can negotiate an agreement where Iran doesn't enrich above 3.67% (far below weapons grade); gets rid of 98% of its stockpile of enriched uranium; has weekly inspections by the IAEA; keeps the straits open without charging anyone; and commits to all of this for at least ten years. Oh, yeah, that was the Obama Iran deal.

The greatest giveaway of the depravity of this admin is the easing of sanctions against Iran in order to keep oil prices low. It shows they care more about gas prices than whatever reason they invaded Iran in the first place. Sanctions are a more powerful weapon than missiles and the admin already gave it away as it enters negotiations.

The calculation the Iranians made was that they could withstand the military pain longer than Trump could withstand the economic pain, and they were right.

Let's see. Iran was earning $50 billion per year before the war from oil exports, and under a blanket of sanctions. Now its $100 billion per year sanctions free. Also, the $2 million per ship through Hormuz will generate up to a $90 billion per year of fee income under normal traffic. So what was $50 billion per year of dark money is potentially $150 billion of greenbacks and yuan. Looks like the mullahs have been reading "The Art of the Deal", too.

1. It’s a good thing. 2. A ceasefire is always better than warfare. 3. Let the negotiations begin. 4. But I will be surprised when there is a deal if it comes anywhere close to the guarantees the Obama admin got on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. 5. And their nuclear efforts is where all this got started. 6. And, oh yes, he got the Strait of Hormuz reopened which was open before he invaded.

An American president threatening the death of an ancient civilization is in some ways the end of the 250-year moral experiment of a constitutional republic that the framers saw as a model for all mankind.

Trump's war of choice in Iran is a blow to American soft power, that is, our global favorability. It's a return to the Ugly American trope, but this time with a venality and immorality that is unprecedented. America First = Little America, smaller, meaner, with less influence. theguardian.com/us-news/ng-int…

Trump is requesting $1.5 trillion for defense. That is roughly what the entire rest of the world spends on defense. China: ~ $300b. Russia ~ $200b. Rest of NATO: $500b. It is more than the next 20 countries combined. No wonder we can't afford daycare, Medicare, food stamps, energy—that is, the stuff people need.