Behind The Ballot

Israeli strikes on Iran’s South Pars gas field sparked major regional escalation, with Iranian retaliation targeting Gulf energy infrastructure and threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. and NATO considered steps to keep trade routes open. The conflict has rapidly expanded, involving extensive airstrikes, rising U.S. troop deployments and costs, growing risks of wider confrontatio...

Pentagon officials said the first six days of U.S. operations against Iran cost over $11.3 billion, prompting Democrats to demand public hearings on strategy and authorization amid frustration over classified briefings and rising civilian and economic concerns. President Trump delivered mixed messages—questioning the mission’s necessity while considering escalation options such as ground troop dep...

Mikal sits down with Mussab Ali, Mussab Ali is a Pakistani-American educator, activist, and politician who became the youngest elected official in Jersey City history after winning a seat on the Jersey City Board of Education in 2017 at age 20, later serving as its president from 2021 to 2022. Born in Lahore, Pakistan, he immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in Jersey City, where...

The war between the United States, Israel, and Iran—now in its second week—has escalated from initial U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites into a wider regional conflict marked by retaliatory attacks, civilian casualties, and major economic disruption. Strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure reduced output and briefly pushed oil prices as high as $117 per barrel, raising inflat...

President Donald Trump fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and nominated Sen. Markwayne Mullin as her replacement amid criticism over immigration policy, while the DOJ released additional Epstein files that triggered congressional scrutiny of Attorney General Pam Bondi. The Supreme Court also ruled Trump’s tariffs under IEEPA unconstitutional, potentially forcing more than $175 billion i...

The war began when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, missile facilities, air defenses, and leadership targets in Tehran, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggering immediate Iranian retaliation with missiles and drones against U.S. bases across the Gulf, including damage at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Since then, U.S. and Israeli forces hav...

The February 28 U.S.–Israel assault on Iran—Operation Epic Fury (U.S.) and Operation Roaring Lion (Israel)—has expanded into a broader regional war after precision strikes killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of senior officials using shared U.S.-Israeli intelligence. Nearly 2,000 military and nuclear targets have been hit, while Iran and Hezbollah have retaliated with missile and drone a...

Reports indicate President Trump and allies are considering major federal actions ahead of the 2026 midterms, including a draft executive order tightening voting rules and renewed legal battles over election control, while the SAVE Act has stalled in the Senate due to Republican divisions. At the same time, the Supreme Court struck down Trump-era tariffs—triggering massive refund claims—and expand...

President Donald Trump’s record-long State of the Union speech focused on the economy, immigration, tariffs, crime, and foreign policy, portraying his first year back in office as a major national turnaround. However, fact-checkers found dozens of false or misleading claims, especially on the economy and trade. Trump overstated economic decline under President Biden, exaggerated the impact of his...

After the Supreme Court of the United States struck down President Trump’s IEEPA-based tariffs, Senate Democrats proposed the Tariff Refund Act of 2026 to return roughly $175 billion in collected duties, prioritizing small businesses. Trump’s approval has fallen to 39%, with about 60% disapproving of his handling of tariffs and inflation, giving Democrats midterm openings in red and battleground s...

In a 6–3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), with Chief Justice John Roberts writing that the law was not meant for broad trade policy, leaving up to $200 billion in tariffs and major refund questions unresolved. Trump denounced the decision and quickly announced a new 1...

This week saw mounting political turbulence: Stephen Colbert accused CBS of caving to regulatory pressure after it refused to air his interview with Senate candidate James Talarico over FCC “equal time” concerns, while UN experts urged independent investigations into the “Epstein Files” and Rep. Ted Lieu called for U.S. action; DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stepped down amid immigration backl...

A partial DHS shutdown began after Senate Democrats blocked a GOP funding bill over immigration enforcement reforms, leaving thousands of federal workers unpaid while ICE operations and a major new detention center in New York move forward. At the same time, the House passed the SAVE America Act, backed by the Heritage Foundation, requiring proof of citizenship to vote despite only about 99 docume...

Amid rising fears of a Department of Homeland Security shutdown, Pam Bondi testified that Senate Democrats’ blockade of the DHS funding bill jeopardized national security and border operations, arguing the White House had offered reasonable compromises that were rejected. She framed the standoff as part of broader Democratic obstruction on immigration enforcement and election integrity measures li...

Mikal sits down with Jackson Franklin, Jackson Franklin is a Democratic candidate running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District (IN-5) in the 2026 election. He’s a 25-year-old progressive, a Staff Sergeant and combat medic in the Indiana Army National Guard, and a nationally registered paramedic who has served since 2019, including a deployment to Kosovo in...

Brendan Gill is an Essex County Commissioner and Democratic candidate running in the special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District to fill the seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. He has a long background in Democratic politics, including serving as a senior advisor to prominent New Jersey Democrats and managing Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2017 campaign, and has won key local endorsements i...

A Senate hearing featured Secretary of State Marco Rubio defending the Trump administration’s operation to remove Nicolás Maduro and outlining a cautious transition plan for Venezuela, while drawing sharp bipartisan scrutiny over military authority and long-term strategy. Simultaneously, Democrats blocked a major DHS funding bill over demands for ICE reforms after a fatal enforcement incident, as...

Democrats see leverage in the DHS funding fight and are pressing for real ICE and Border Patrol reforms, fueled by political fallout from the Minneapolis killing. Trump and Senate Republicans, unusually conciliatory, are seeking to avoid a shutdown through administrative actions, while Schumer and Senate Democrats prepare to block the DHS bill and push for investigations as the funding deadline ap...

Mikal & Muhamed sit down to discuss Trumps latest (and very interesting) speech in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum where he discusses Greenland and more. Pam Bondi is under fire and facing possible charges for contempt in her handling of the Epstein files. 

Mikal & Muhamed sit down to discuss the recent comments from PA Governor Josh Shapiro on vetting questions from then Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris regarding his Israeli loyalty, the two state solution is discussed, Trump's recent remarks on Greenland, as well as economic changes and issues highlighted by the Tariffs.

Mikal & Muhamed sit down to discuss the statements by President Trump discussing cancelling the midterms in fear he will be impeached and press secretary Karoline Leavitt calling it a "joke". ICE and their growing unethical behavior is in the national spotlight once more, and international developments are also discussed.

Mikal & Muhamed sit down to discuss the ongoing developments of the week where Trump is seeing large scale push back for the ICE murder of Renee Good, as well as having more House republicans retire and break rank for Trump's offensive against Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve Chair who he himself instated in his first term. Greenland chooses Denmark over the US, and the greater implications...

Mikal & Muhamed sit down to discuss the recent murder of an innocent women from Minnesota at the hands of Jonathan Ross, an ICE agent who claimed self-defense. The Recent War Powers resolution passed in the senate requiring Trump to go through Congress for further attacks against Venezuela is called "Unconstitutional" by the White House, and more.

Mikal & Muhamed sit down to discuss the recent arrest of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro and more international developments that have unfolded in recent days

Mikal & Muhamed sit down to discuss the ongoing shaking up of the GOP establishment as MTJ retires in a month and other republican lawmakers are rumored to also be announcing their retirements. The Supreme Court Decision on the President's authority over independent agencies, the economy, and Pete Hesgeth possibly being a war criminal are all discussed.