It’s Wednesday, September 30. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Jed Rubenfeld on whether President Trump’s recent moves violate the law. The problem with New York mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plans to fight antisemitism. Aaron MacLean on why time is running out for Iran. And much more.
But first: how the GOP struck back against MAHA.
The movement to Make America Healthy Again may soon go the way of punk rock. It was supposed to crash into Washington like a wrecking ball, toppling the corporate interests that its activists claim have poisoned our food and pushed dangerous chemicals and drugs.
Instead, it seems like the corporate crowd has taken over—at least by the looks of the MAHA Summit held on Tuesday. Our Washington correspondent Audrey Fahlberg dropped by to see it firsthand, and watched MAHA leader Robert F. Kennedy Jr. rubbing elbows with representatives of the business elite, from Walmart to Anthropic.
It’s the latest sign of the long struggle over MAHA within the Trump administration. Audrey also sat down with Lee Zeldin, head of the Environmental Protection Agency and a key player in deciding which MAHA demands will turn into policy. Zeldin, a traditional pro-business Republican, says there’s a divide within the MAHA movement—between the serious reformers and minor influencers who have jumped on board “for clicks or relevancy, to gain following or fortune.”
As big businesses and libertarian-minded Republicans strike back, is there any future for MAHA’s more radical proposals, such as stricter restrictions on possible toxins in a popular weed killer? Read Audrey’s report to see where things are heading. —Mene Ukueberuwa
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Mamdani Says He’ll Fight Antisemitism. His Plan Says Otherwise. |
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On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled a $7.4 million strategy to combat antisemitism, calling it “a road map” for protecting Jewish New Yorkers. Moshe Davis, who wrote the city’s first such plan under Eric Adams before he was fired by Mamdani, says it leaves out the most important part: the violence against Jews that followed the October 7, 2023, attacks carried out by Hamas. Since then, Jewish New Yorkers have become the victims of more than half of the city’s hate crimes. Read his piece on what Mamdani should have said instead. | |
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The Strait of Hormuz Is Open |
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Seven months into the war with Iran, it’s been hard to tell who’s actually winning. Aaron MacLean argues the answer is becoming clear, breaking down the strategy that he says has given America the upper hand: the blockade of Iranian ports, expanded sanctions, and escort operations in the Strait of Hormuz. Dive into his analysis of why the Iranian regime may soon have to choose between meaningful concessions and economic catastrophe. | |
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Is Social Media Making Us Crazy? |
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Why does it feel like everyone is suddenly talking like a therapist? Lucy Biggers sits down with psychotherapist Joe Nucci, who spends his time breaking down mental health myths, to talk about what phones are doing to our brains in 2026. Known for his commonsense videos cutting through therapy trends online, he breaks down what’s real and what’s hype, why terms like “gaslighting” have gone mainstream, and whether a culture that sees people as victims is making us less capable of getting better. | |
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Are Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Legal? |
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Is President Trump acting lawlessly, or have his critics decided that anything they disagree with violates the law? Jed Rubenfeld examines three recent Trump administration moves and whether the White House can justify them legally: talking about sending ICE agents to polling stations, running political ads paid for with taxpayer money, and trying to deport Columbia University rabble-rouser Mahmoud Khalil. Read his latest column on whether the law is on the president’s side. | |
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