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President Donald Trump has amplified (and been the subject of) many conspiracy theories during his time as a public figure. Online speculation, without evidence, that recent assassination attempts against him in Butler, Pennsylvania and the White House Correspondent’s dinner were staged have only grown in recent weeks. But the conversation around the death and disappearance of multiple top governm...

After the killings of two American citizens in Minneapolis and the firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operation is attempting a bit of a reset. From calling ICE agents “NICE” agents on social media to reducing visible presence on the streets, it’s clear new Secretary Markwayne Mullin wants federal agents out of the spotlight. But are the goals o...

King Charles is in the midst of a four-day state visit to the US to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence. The visit comes at a time when US-UK relations are notably strained, thanks to the war with Iran and calls for greater Jeffrey Epstein-related accountability. But President Donald Trump is usually receptive to royalty – so will this trip help mend fences, or give European allies more...

Tech titans Elon Musk and Sam Altman are set to face off in court this week in a case centered on OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit model. Musk alleges Altman and his company have strayed from their founding mission to develop artificial intelligence for the good of humanity rather than corporate profit (OpenAI denies the allegations). But is this just petty billionaire beef, or could it tell us...

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday aimed at beefing up research of psychedelic drugs like ibogaine that could be used in mental health treatments. Some veterans and people who have struggled with addiction who have used ibogaine say this could be a breakthrough that could lead to wider access, but some medical experts are warning approvals shouldn’t be rushed. We hear why...

Roughly 95,000 employees left federal science agencies between September 2024 and December 2025, according to the Partnership for Public Service. Former NASA climate scientist Kate Marvel recently joined that group, citing the administration’s funding cuts and attacks on climate and environmental regulations in her resignation letter. However, she remains hopeful about the future of the study of c...

Last week, US Vice President JD Vance was dispatched abroad for a pair of high-profile assignments. But after stumping for Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister suffered a huge election loss and marathon talks Vance led to end the war with Iran wrapped up without a deal. So what does this say about the political power of the MAGA movement’s heir apparent? And how does someone shaped by Cathol...

The Trump administration’s effort to build a national citizen database is running into roadblocks in court and alarming some election officials on both sides of the aisle. But what is this data for? And how could it be used? We hear from one election official about why he’s pushing back, and look at how election integrity concerns are playing out in other parts of the country.  For more: Trump is...

The firing of the US Army chief of staff and two other generals is just the latest personnel shakeup under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. But why do this during wartime? We examine whether disagreements between Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll are behind the move, and how Hegseth’s ongoing fixation on so-called “culture wars” and loyalty could impact service members.  For more: Trump and H...

Amid a stalled Surgeon General nomination, a federal court ruling striking down vaccine overhauls (at least for now), and anger from ‘Make America Healthy Again’ activists, some are wondering whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has lost his grip on the movement that helped propel President Donald Trump back to the White House. We hear from one activist outraged by an...

A crew of four astronauts are preparing for a historic mission that will take them around the far side of the moon and back, the furthest human space travel in more than 50 years. Like any space mission, the run-up has been filled with delays and safety concerns, but experts say this mission is a key part of an ambitious plan from the Trump administration to establish a lunar colony and eventually...

A California jury found Meta and YouTube liable on all counts in a case that accused the tech giants of intentionally addicting a young woman and injuring her mental health. Experts say the landmark decision could open the door to a flood of other litigation that could reshape how these companies operate. But will anything actually change? We also hear from one of the hundreds of other plaintiffs...

The war with Iran has sent shockwaves through the global oil markets and jacked up gas prices in the US. But it has also caused a surge in fertilizer prices, which is straining US farmers who were already dealing with the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. We hear from one Iowa soybean and corn farmer who says his industry is suffering from the Trump administration’s self-inflicted wounds...

Prediction markets are opening new doors to bet on pretty much anything - even outcomes during war. But things can get pretty heated when money is on the line, and now at least one state is stepping in to accuse a major prediction market of running an illegal gambling operation. WIRED’s Kate Knibbs talks about the “casino-ification” of everything and what this could mean for the future of politics...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not been shy about how his Christian faith has shaped him. However, some activists fear his views could be encroaching on the secular military in unprecedented ways and influencing how commanders are framing the war in Iran. We explore a controversial pastor connected to Hegseth who is leading a growing movement rooted in Christian nationalism and the idea that w...

Last year, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency took a chainsaw to the federal government, slashing jobs and cutting programs in the name of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. While it did not reduce spending, current and former government officials tell CNN that some of the cuts are hampering government readiness amid the Iran war. Now, the government is looking to ramp up hiring aga...

The war in Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for transporting roughly 20% of the world’s oil. As a result, ships are stuck and gas prices are climbing in the US. We look at the Trump administration’s possible solutions, and the key psychological benchmark that could push their political problem to a breaking point.  For more: The grim choice facing the Trump admin...

Anger directed at OpenAI is spreading after it struck a deal with the Pentagon to use its AI models in classified systems, just hours after its rival, Anthropic, refused. OpenAI said it had shared Anthropic’s concerns about mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, so why did they sign? And what does this mean for other companies looking to do business with the Trump administration?  For more: Som...

As Iran continues to retaliate against the US and Israel, civilians in major Gulf countries are caught in the crossfire. Will these nations be forced to respond? And do they have the military firepower needed to keep up? We break down what we can learn from the military operations thus far and look at how an Iranian power vacuum could complicate the endgame.  For more: The rationale for striking I...

After months of planning, the US and Israel struck Iran as part of a massive operation aimed at unseating the hardline Iranian regime. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the strikes, according to Israeli sources. Iran has retaliated, hitting US military bases and major population centers across the region. So how long will the conflict last? And is regime change even feasible? We...

The killing of Mexican cartel boss Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes shocked the country and set off cartel violence in the streets, trapping American tourists in the process. However, experts say the operation could say even more about President Donald Trump’s war on drugs than Mexico’s.  For more: The death of ‘El Mencho’ exposed the reach of Mexico’s cartel crisis. Will US tourists stay aw...

Victims of Jeffrey Epstein say the historic arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the brother of King Charles III, is a step in the right direction. But high-profile figures in the US still have not faced similar consequences, weeks after the Justice Department released more than 3 million documents related to the late financier and convicted sex offender. We hear from a group of survivors who say...

A raft of resignations from some of Silicon Valley’s top AI companies came with some dire warnings about user safety and potential impacts on the American workforce. Are these concerns worth paying attention to, or overhyped? We hear from one former safety researcher who says companies are not fully grappling with the implications of advertising within chatbots.  For more: AI researchers are sound...

"I am trying every breath that I have so that I can get you what you need." Those words from ICE attorney Julie Le to a federal judge earlier this month underscores the toll the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown in Minneapolis is taking on the Justice Department. But what happens now that the surge is winding down? And will any new prosecutors want to sign up for this work? ...

At the Winter Olympics in Italy, American athletes are speaking out, Vice President JD Vance was booed, and some locals are protesting against ICE. Some are asking if the US has achieved “villain” status. Experts say moments like these underscore the loss of American standing on the world stage under President Donald Trump. But is this a brand problem, or something deeper?  For more: Trump’s growi...