1. FROM MY DESK
1. FROM MY DESK
When the U.S. launched its campaign against Iran six months ago, Pete Hegseth promised a quick, decisive blow that would avoid a long entanglement. Now, our reporting shows the Pentagon is quietly extending troop deployments, signaling the conflict could drag well into 2027. It’s part of an open-ended military strategy designed to give President Trump options in the war. But the move is putting a significant strain on servicemembers and their families—and creating a maintenance backlog that could take years to unwind. The Pentagon’s all-in approach comes as Trump sends mixed signals on what comes next.
When the U.S. launched its campaign against Iran six months ago, Pete Hegseth promised a quick, decisive blow that would avoid a long entanglement. Now, our reporting shows the Pentagon is quietly extending troop deployments, signaling the conflict could drag well into 2027. It’s part of an open-ended military strategy designed to give President Trump options in the war. But the move is putting a significant strain on servicemembers and their families—and creating a maintenance backlog that could take years to unwind. The Pentagon’s all-in approach comes as Trump sends mixed signals on what comes next.
Worries about runaway government spending. A new Federal Reserve chairman. The huge surge in bond issuance to fund the artificial-intelligence build-out. There are many forces pushing Treasury yields higher. But the main driver of the recent run-up: inflation. While a confluence of factors have powered the global bond slide that carried yields to multiyear highs around the world, a look inside market shifts suggests the key factor in the U.S. remains the sharp climb in energy prices driven by the war in Iran.
7. HAPPENING TODAY
Earnings: Victoria’s Secret, Campbell’s, Lululemon Athletica, Smith & Wesson
📰 Today’s paper
8. THE NUMBER
The rough share of Common App partner colleges now using “direct admissions” to accept students who didn’t even fill out an application. Facing a dwindling pipeline of 18-year-olds, schools are increasingly agreeing to admit applicants based on a handful of criteria like high school transcripts—a free process that skips required essays, questions about extracurriculars and standardized tests.
9. AND FINALLY…
Nothing makes humans happier right now than watching robots fail.
Feeling a little terrified about how quickly technology seems to be sidelining humanity? Try watching a robot sprint straight into a wall. It’s hilarious. In recent videos showing machines on two legs running track in Beijing, some succeeded in breaking Usain Bolt’s 100-meter record. And some slammed full tilt into a barrier, collapsing and reeling like drunks. More than one flopped backward in a cartoonish froth of sparks. It’s content that delivers pure physical comedy, guilt-free schadenfreude and a reassuring feeling of superiority.
10. BEYOND THE NEWSROOM
Opinion: Washington’s welfare buffet is fiscally unsustainable and promotes dependency. The GOP’s food stamp results show reform can succeed if lawmakers have the political will.WSJ | Buy Side: Great coverage is available with no medical exams from the best no-exam life insurance companies.
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Today’s newsletter was curated and edited by Morgan Smith and Tina Fuhr in collaboration with Editor in Chief Emma Tucker. Got a tip for us? Here’s how to submit.