Trump's Iran Pivot Tests the Limits of MAGA Unity

What's Happening

Politics

Trump's Iran Pivot Tests the Limits of MAGA Unity 

What's going on: The White House says President Donald Trump will give diplomacy two weeks before deciding whether the US will join Israel’s strikes on Iran. In the meantime, he may need to calm — and corral — his splintering base. The Wall Street Journal reports that the mere suggestion of military action has triggered backlash from longtime MAGA allies. Loyalists, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), have said any further US involvement would be a betrayal of “America First” and a return to neoconservatism. Most recently, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) got into a lengthy and nasty battle on Tucker Carlson’s show about the issue (Carlson has said Trump is complicit in Israel’s strikes on Iran). Meanwhile, foreign policy hawks like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Fox News host and conservative firebrand Mark Levin are urging military action.

What it means: The conflict in the Middle East is not only challenging Trump’s campaign promise to keep the US out of war — it may also be the biggest MAGA loyalty test yet. WSJ reports the Iran debate has cracked open the coalition that helped carry Trump back to power — with anti-interventionist hardliners on one side and national security hawks on the other. Steve Bannon, who is firmly against military action, seems to be trying to keep the peace. “We don’t like it, maybe we hate it, but, you know, we’ll get on board,” he told supporters. Not exactly a rallying cry.

Related: Should the US Get Involved in Iran? Americans Have Strong Feelings (Axios)

Immigration

ICE Raids Fuel School Absences

What's going on: Educators have long warned that immigration crackdowns wouldn’t just target adults — they’d ripple through classrooms, too. A new Stanford University study may have just proved them right. Researchers saw a 22% spike in missed school days across several California school districts during ICE raids in January and February compared to the same period last year. The youngest students were hit hardest: Pre-K absences jumped 30%, and elementary school absences rose 27%. As President Donald Trump intensifies efforts in blue states like California, The New York Times reports attendance dropped again — this time after Trump deployed troops to Los Angeles during protests against immigration raids.

What it means: With chronic absenteeism still a problem post-COVID, immigration crackdowns could stretch learning gaps even further. Border czar Tom Homan confirmed that enforcement will continue in industries like agriculture and hospitality, likely forcing some parents to think twice about pulling into the school drop-off line. Some families told The New York Times they’d rather keep their children at home than risk being separated. And even as some schools in California try to help by offering virtual options, advocates say more needs to be done. Among the changes officials may need to consider: rethinking transportation plans to help children get to school without exposing their parents.

Related: The LA Dodgers Say They Turned Away ICE — DHS Tells a Different Story (CNN)

Tech

Turns Out, People Still Prefer… People

What’s going on: Some consumers are making their feelings — their actual, human feelings — known about AI, and the message is clear: Stop replacing people with technology. After Duolingo and Audible announced plans to expand their use of AI, one woman told The Washington Post she was canceling both subscriptions. “If enough people leave, hopefully they kind of rethink this.” She’s not alone. The backlash is growing, and it’s not just about jobs. Critics point to environmental costs and argue the tech delivers an inferior experience. One example? AI narrators reading romance scenes — without ever having experienced one. For their part, most business leaders insist AI is only a workplace tool and not a replacement for employees, but actions speak louder than bots. 

Tell me more: AI chatbots have exploded in popularity, and businesses are racing to integrate them as a way to cut costs and boost efficiency. But some creators are fighting back, filing lawsuits against companies like Meta for allegedly using their work to train AI models without consent. Legal ramifications aside, there’s growing evidence that AI isn’t always good for business. A recent study shows that simply having the term “AI” in a product description was enough to turn off potential customers. So … is the AI shine already fading? Could the backlash spawn a movement back to people-powered creativity and products made by humans, for humans? Worth asking... preferably not a robot.

Related: Is It Possible To Use AI and Harm the Planet Less? (NYT Gift Link)

Settle This

Which of these comedians turned down a seat at "The View" because it didn't pay enough?

Extra Credit

Read

We’re not scientists, but we can say with almost 100% certainty that anything Taylor Jenkins Reid writes turns to book club gold. (Case in point: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six.) Her latest novel, Atmosphere, is no exception. Set against the high-stakes backdrop of 1980s NASA, the space-thriller-meets-love-story follows Joan Goodwin, an ambitious astrophysics professor who’s selected as one of the first women to join the agency’s space shuttle program. Cue big egos, old-school sexism, and Vanessa Ford — a curly-haired engineer who just might steal Joan’s heart. But when a mission takes a dangerous turn, Joan’s career — and Vanessa’s life — hang in the balance.

Game Time

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