This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss why the war in Iran has flared back up despite the increasing likelihood of political consequences for Trump and his allies, the promises and perils for the U.K.’s newest Prime Minister Andy Burnham with guest Adrian Wooldridge, and the chilling effect of the DOJ’s subpoenas of journalists for their reporting on Trump’s Qatari Air Force One.

Here are some notes and references from this week’s show:

Megan Messerly for Politico: ‘A politically impossible situation’: New poll shows Trump voters losing patience with Iran war

Idrees Ali, Patricia Zengerle, and Phil Stewart for Reuters: War in Iran has cost the US $37.5 billion so far, Pentagon says

Noah Robertson, Riley Beggin, and Jarrell Dillard for The Washington Post: The Pentagon, sinking billions into Iran war, is quickly running short on cash

Shannon Bond, Jenna McLaughlin, and Audrey Nguyen for NPR: In primetime speech, Trump doesn’t provide evidence for illegal voting

Eric Schmitt for The New York Times: Pentagon Withheld Dozens of U.S. Military Injuries in Iran War

Eric McDaniel for NPR: House passes Pentagon funding bill and a blueprint to unlock new dollars for Iran war

Mike Crawley for CBC News: Analysis: Why Trump is threatening new 50% tariffs on Canadian exports right now

Yale Budget Lab: The State of U.S. Tariffs

The Economist: Andy Burnham hits the ground strolling

Rosa Prince for Bloomberg: Opinion: Burnham Sends Up a Flare to Calm the Bond Market

The Editorial Board for The Washington Post: Opinion: New U.K. prime minister promises a fresh start with failed policies

Tom Clark for The Guardian: The ungovernable country? Why Britain keeps losing prime ministers

Tyler Pager for The New York Times: White House Says New Air Force One Will Be Out of Service for a Month for ‘Upgrades’

Ruth Marcus for The New Yorker: Comment: Trump’s War on Journalists

David Kurtz for Talking Points Memo (Substack): Morning Memo: Conceding Major Screwups, DOJ Pauses NYT Subpoenas

Ethan Shanfeld for Variety: Whitney Cummings’ Donald Trump Sex Trafficking Joke Was Cut From Mark Twain Ceremony on Netflix; Streamer Says Kennedy Center Axed It

Here are this week’s chatters:
 
Emily: The Emilys: A Novel by Heather Abel

John: Kiuko Notoya and Francesca Regalado for The New York Times: It’s So Hot That Japan Needs a New Word for It; Miriam Waldvogel for The Washington Post: Bam! See these killer whales explode fish into pieces.

David: Heavy Metal Parking Lot; Tom Cole for NPR: 30 Years Of ‘Heavy Metal Parking Lot,’ The Classic ‘Cult Classic’ Film

Listener chatter from Phoebe Saltzstein in Albuquerque, New Mexico: Ray Delahanty | CityNerd on YouTube

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus episode, Emily, John, and David discuss whether Trump and his Republican allies will break the Smithsonian after a White House report accused the head of the Museum of American History of pushing “radical activist ideology.” They also examine the Smithsonian’s uncertain legal status, and whether the museum’s real problem is chaotic organization rather than ideology.

In the latest Gabfest Reads, John Dickerson interviews Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan about their new book Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. Drawing on extensive reporting from inside the White House, they explore how Trump’s second term differs radically from his first, from his decision-making process to the people surrounding him and his relationship with power, money, and the presidency itself.

Email your chatters, questions, and comments to gabfest@slate.com. (Messages may be referenced by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Nina Porzucki

Research by Emily Ditto

You can find the full Political Gabfest show pages here.

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Find out more about David Plotz’s monthly tours of Ft. DeRussy, the secret Civil War fort hidden in Rock Creek Park.

Bonus Episode