From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
By Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain – Drop Site News
As the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran stretches into its second week, President Donald Trump has been floating the idea that he wants to declare Mission Accomplished. “We will. We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough,” Trump declared on Monday afternoon in a speech before Republican lawmakers in Florida. Continue reading “Trump Might Want to End the War. Iran Won’t Do It on His Terms.”
Private insurers are padding their pockets with billions in alleged overpayments from Medicare Advantage, and hardworking American seniors are footing the bill through higher Part B premiums, according to a congressional report obtained by the Wall Street Journal.
By Noah Robertson – Washington Post
The Pentagon burned through $5.6 billion worth of munitions during the first two days of its military assault on Iran, according to three U.S. officials, a figure that underscores the deepening alarm among some on Capitol Hill over the speed at which U.S. forces have eaten into the scarce supply of America’s most advanced weaponry. Continue reading “Early Iran strikes cost $5.6 billion in munitions, Pentagon estimates”
As the Israeli war continues to escalate, the Lebanese Parliament has voted 76-41 to extend their term in office by two additional years. Elections were meant to be held in May, but the soaring number of displaced civilians would make holding a vote exceedingly difficult, even assuming the war itself ends by then. Continue reading “Lebanese Parliament Extends Term as Israeli Escalation Displaces 700,000”
By Jeremy Scahill – Drop Site News
Iran is considering reducing its strikes in most Arab nations that house U.S. military bases while expanding attacks against Israel, a senior Iranian official told Drop Site. Iran’s political and military leaders believe their ballistic missile and drone operations targeting U.S. bases and infrastructure have largely achieved their intended aim of degrading major radar systems and depleting stockpiles of interceptors, said the official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss internal deliberations. Continue reading “Iran Weighs Tactical Shift in Persian Gulf Strikes While Intensifying Attacks on Israel”
Summary:
Black smoke filled the skies, and water mixed with oil rained down on the Iranian capital of Tehran on Sunday, following a US-Israeli strike that blew up oil facilities, marking a new escalation of the bombing campaign. Continue reading “Black Rain Falls on Tehran After US-Israeli Strikes Blow Up Oil Infrastructure”
By Max Blumenthal – The Grayzone
By AZFamily Digital News Staff
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — More than 170 people were arrested during a sex trafficking sting that spanned three weeks, according to the Scottsdale Police Department.
Scottsdale police said the operation happened between Jan. 21 and Feb. 14 and was led by the agency’s Human Exploitation and Trafficking Unit, also known as “HEAT.”
Detectives worked with several other Valley and northern Arizona law enforcement agencies to conduct the sting targeting sex buyers, child predators and people involved in illegal sex work.
However, Scottsdale police said they used decoys and that no actual children were placed in danger. Continue reading “173 arrests made during Scottsdale PD’s weeks-long sex trafficking sting”
Summary:
President Trump said in an interview with Axios on Thursday that he must have a say on who is chosen as Iran’s next leader following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, contradicting other administration officials who say the US’s goal is not regime change. Continue reading “Trump Says He Must Have a Say in Picking Iran’s New Leader”
The war has entered its seventh day, but there could be a glimmer of hope for some kind of diplomatic-led offramp as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian indicated Friday that several countries have begun mediation efforts to end the war with the United States and Israel, but insists negotiations must confront those who started the conflict. “Some countries have begun mediation efforts. Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region, yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity and sovereignty,” Pezeshkian wrote on X. Continue reading “Oil Explodes To 29-Month Highs After Trump Says “No Deal” With Iran Except Under “Unconditional Surrender””
The White House is expected to ask Congress for an extra $50 billion in military spending to replenish stockpiles of weapons used in the Iran war and other recent Middle East conflicts, Reuters has reported. Continue reading “White House Expected To Ask Congress for Extra $50 Billion for Iran War”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday boasted of the “death and destruction” the US military can rain down on Iran, as reports say that US and Israeli airstrikes have killed over 1,000 Iranian civilians in just four days. Continue reading “Hegseth Brags of ‘Death and Destruction’ as US and Israeli Airstrikes Massacre Civilians in Iran”
The continued fallout from the Epstein Files cover-up has apparently done little to imbue Congress with any sense of shame. The legislative branch continued to show how the upper echelon of the U.S. government is more concerned with protecting sexual predators than providing Americans with a modicum of transparency after the House of Representatives voted to block a resolution that would have forced the release of sexual harassment claims made against lawmakers dating back decades. The resolution brought to a vote by Republican South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace called for the public disclosure of all reports on file with the House Ethics Committee on investigations into members of Congress over allegations of sexual harassment or improper sexual relationships with staff members. The House cunningly maneuvered around advancing the resolution, choosing instead to take the Machiavellian tactic of passing a motion to refer it to the House Ethics Committee in an emphatic 357-65 vote.
The United States and Israel continue their history-shaping shock and awe style military campaign against Iran, with Israeli forces also now intensifying strikes in Lebanon. Since Saturday, at least 1,230 people have been killed in what’s clearly morphed into a regime change operation on Tehran, according to official numbers, which are expected to climb by the day. The war is expanding to nearby countries like Azerbaijan, and possibly even Turkey – in addition to the Gulf states. Continue reading “Massive Wave Of Iranian Missiles Pummeled Israel Overnight, As Trump Hopes Of ‘Quick Victory’ Fading”
A growing number of civilians are flooding out of towns and villages in southern Lebanon over the past 48 hours. Some 30,000 civilians were displaced already Monday, and the number is expected to grow markedly as Israeli troops launched a new ground invasion of the country. Continue reading “Evacuations Soar as Israel Launches New Ground Invasion of Lebanon”
Jeremy Scahill, Murtaza Hussain, and Sharif Abdel Kouddous discuss the latest developments in the U.S.-Israel war on Iran with Karim Makdisi, an associate professor at the American University of Beirut and a co-host, with his brothers, of the Makdisi Street podcast. With Hezbollah entering the war and Israel slowly moving troops into Lebanon, they discuss the spreading conflict in the context of Israel’s broader agenda in the region. Continue reading “U.S.-Israeli Bombing and Assassination Campaign Intensifies in Iran as Israel Threatens Wider War Against Hezbollah”
