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March 2, 2026

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Notable

Trump may come to regret this. “We must not be numbed to the repeated, illegal use of the United States military. Nor should we discount what Mr. Trump’s extension of the forever war is doing to us.”

— Ben Rhodes, a contributing Opinion writer

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How to think about Iran. “This will not be easy, because this regime is deeply entrenched and is hardly going to be toppled from the air alone. Israel has not been able to eliminate Hamas in Gaza after over two years of a merciless air and ground war — and Hamas is right next door.”

— Thomas L. Friedman, Opinion columnist

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Germany’s chancellor has bigger problems than Trump. “With the Social Democrats — the coalition’s junior party — in electoral decline, it is up to the Christian Democrats to check the far-right charge. The future of German democracy is in their hands.”

— Anna Sauerbrey, an editor and writer at the German weekly Die Zeit

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Spotlight

Abraham Lule

The Big Problem With Tariffs Isn’t the Rates. It’s the Corruption.

The president still has a lot of leeway to impose tariffs. That’s an invitation for businesses to curry favor with him.

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ICYMI

This senator is a relic of a gentler G.O.P. How long can he hold on? “The old rules are gone. Politics is faster, crasser, louder, more aggressive than when he entered public service 40-odd years ago as a county judge. Its partisans are uncompromising and full of blood lust, and they demand champions who radiate a destroy-the-enemy, win-at-all-costs ferocity. Nowhere is this more vivid than in the Texas G.O.P.”

— Michelle Cottle, a political writer for Opinion

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More in Opinion

Guest Essay The Glorious Birds We Saved The whooping cranes’ fragile recovery highlights the need for renewed commitment to safeguarding America’s endangered species. By Margaret Renkl

Guest Essay Dying at Home Is Surprisingly Hard Too many hospice care responsibilities are placed on families. By Sandeep Jauhar

Guest Essay Don’t Let Trump Ruin the World Cup The World Cup Is a Chance for the U.S. To Show It Is More Than Trump By Simon Kuper

Will a Peacock Like Gavin Newsom Fly? California’s governor challenges the usual criteria for a presidential nominee. By Frank Bruni

Bret Stephens Trump and Netanyahu Are Doing the Free World a Favor American hearts should be moved by moments like this, when free nations band together to administer justice and supply hope. By Bret Stephens

letters The Attack on Iran: A Range of Voices Readers offer varied perspectives, including praise and criticism, on the strikes again Iran.

David French War and Peace Cannot Be Left to One Man — Especially Not This Man The Constitution isn’t a technicality. By David French

The Editorial Board A Tyrant Falls. Dangerous Uncertainty Begins. No one should mourn Ayatollah Khamenei, but Trump is creating the opportunity for chaos and violence with his campaign against Iran. By The Editorial Board

In Your Words

Re: “I’m an Immunologist. I Grew Up Unvaccinated.”

Thank you for an article that tries to emphasize and understand both sides of an issue. A rarity in our world. Love and fear drive people every day. They are the rulers and constant companions of our lives. The science may be clear, but people are still emotionally fallible and science can never change the root of human nature.— A comment posted by Mark M. from Sacramento, Calif.

Read more comments on the story here and check out our Letters to the Editor.

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