







Critics say segment about airman’s rescue was made to boost public perception of Trump’s unpopular war
Revisiting Iran's Missile and Drone Campaign
An early reflection on my writing and thinking during the war

Trump Accidentally Wrecks His Own Biggest Claim About Iran
Have we won the war against Iran or not?

Pentagon Exodus Under Hegseth, Venezuela Oil and Democracy, Clancy Trial Deadlocked : Up First from NPR
The Pentagon is losing experienced leaders under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, raising concerns about depleted weapons stockpiles and the military’s ability to manage a prolonged war with Iran.President Trump says Venezuela isn't ready for elections, while his Energy Secretary signs new oil deals in Caracas with the unelected government.In Massachusetts, jurors in the Lindsay Clancy trial told the judge they are deadlocked after five days of deliberations, raising the possibility of a mistrial in the case of a mother accused of killing her three children.Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Andrew Sussman, Tara Neill, Carmel Wroth, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas. Our director is Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis and Patrick Murray. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.And our deputy Executive Producer is Kelley Dickens.(0:00) Introduction(01:57) Pentagon Exodus Under Hegseth(05:41) Venezuela Oil and Democracy(09:23) Clancy Trial Deadlocked

A War for Oil: Economist Michael Hudson on U.S. Quest to Control the World's Oil Trade
A photo of Iran’s bombed schoolgirl graveyard went viral. Why did AI say it wasn’t real?
Numerous faked images and a string of startlingly inaccurate responses from Gemini and Grok are part of a tidal wave of AI slop engulfing coverage of the Iran war

Why ‘Flooding the Zone’ Works for Trump - Dame Magazine
Trump’s allies openly described a strategy to overwhelm the press with simultaneous crises. The structure of modern journalism makes it work

Senators grilled Hegseth on Iran. Here are 3 big moments from the hearing
Hegseth said at the top of the hearing that the supplemental funding was an “urgent, necessary injection of resources” for the department’s needs. He didn’t directly mention the Iran war in his opening statement.

Situational awareness
I consider this article to be a form of American propaganda. There are a number of things in here I agree with, or believe may happen, but don't necessarily ...

Israel-Iran conflict unleashes wave of AI disinformation
Fake AI videos relating to the conflict have gained over 100 million views online, BBC Verify finds.

Trump and Hegseth use 9/11 memorial remarks at Pentagon to defend war on Iran
President and defense secretary try to link worst terrorist attack in US history to current unpopular war

“We’ve Been Told There’s Another Plane in the Air and It’s Heading Here”
A 9/11 remembrance and thank you.


Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media
A bold and eye-opening exposé on how power and propaganda distort the news, now more relevant than ever • With an updated introduction“[A] compelling indictment of the news media’s role in covering up errors and deceptions in American foreign policy.”—The New York Times Book Review Renowned scholars Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky reveal how U.S. news media, far from being independent watchdogs, often function as tools of elite influence. With probing analysis, they present their Propaganda Model, a framework that explains how systemic bias shapes the stories we’re told, the voices we hear, and the truths that remain hidden.Through deeply researched case studies, from the Vietnam War to coverage of “worthy” vs. “unworthy” victims, Manufacturing Consent exposes the structural forces that drive news organizations to reinforce power rather than question it. It’s a sobering portrait of a media system more interested in maintaining order than informing the public.This edition includes an introduction updating key examples and expanding the Propaganda Model’s relevance to issues like the coverage of NAFTA, the media’s treatment of global protests, and environmental regulation.Manufacturing Consent is a powerful assessment of how propagandistic the U.S. mass media are, how they systematically fail to live up to their self-image as providers of the kind of information that people need to make sense of the world, and how we can understand their function in a radically new way.Whether you’re a student, activist, or citizen looking to see beyond the headlines, this book will transform how you understand the media—and the world around you.

Exclusive: Downed US pilot reported seeing Iranian drones swarm in ‘jellyfish’ formation | CNN Politics
A US fighter jet pilot rescued by special forces after being shot down over Iran in April described a shocking sight before ejecting from his aircraft: multiple Iranian drones hovering in the air, moving as one, in a formation that resembled a jellyfish, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

Trump scoffs at Iran’s demand for war reparations and other Mideast developments
U.S. President Donald Trump is scoffing at Iran's demands that the U.S. pay for devastation caused by five months of war.
