War With Iran, Tech on Trial, and a New Race to the Moon

Maya: Good Morning, everyone, and welcome back to the Morning Rundown. David: Glad you're here. Grab your coffee. Maya and I will do the doom scrolling for you. Maya: Yeah, because the headlines today are a lot. We've got Pentagon talk about a final blow against Iran, Iran hardening Kharg Island, and Trump pushing a hardline peace plan. David: Right. We'll ask whether strength first, then diplomacy is the only language Tehran and Beijing actually respect, and how that lines up with an America that is tired of forever wars. Maya: Then we're in tech and business. A jury just hit Meta and Google over- Over addictive design, AI layoffs keep rolling and there's a warning that if this keeps going, it could basically break capitalism. David: We'll debate how far courts should go, why Letitia James is facing pushback on lawfare, and why a serious space race might be a healthier big bet for American power. Maya: Speaking of space, Artemis II is setting up a real moon base future. China's moving quietly and even that new Webb Hubble shot of Saturn? Pattern feels like a reminder we can aim higher than constant outrage. David: Mm-hmm. So, let's start with Iran, Trump's plan, and what American strength should look like right now. Maya: Segment one, U.S. politics and global affairs coming up next. Okay, so we're starting this morning with Iran because the stakes here are huge and they're getting real fast. David: Yeah, no small talk today. What's the latest you're watching? Maya: The Pentagon is openly talking about a massive final blow on Iranian targets if Tehran keeps escalating. At the same time, Iran has been hardening defenses on Kharg Island, that's their main oil export hub, which tells you they're bracing for something more like a real ground and air fight. fight not just one-off strikes. David: Right. Kharg is basically the cash spigot for the regime. You don't fortify that unless you think this could turn into a much bigger war. Maya: And that's the piece people at home feel even if they're not tracking maps. They hear final blow, they see oil infrastructure in play, and they're like, okay, so is gas going to five bucks again, and are we sending more troops back into the Middle East? David: Exactly, and this is where the tension is. Militarily, the U.S. is trying to reestablish deterrence after- After Iran's attacks through its proxies, politically most Americans are tired of these endless, open ended missions. Maya: Yeah, people remember Iraq, Afghanistan-they do not want forever war Iran edition. Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. David: And yet if you let the regime hit partners and shipping in our bases with no serious response, you invite more of it. So you get this very strained talk about one decisive hit that ends it. Maya: Which, I mean, history says that's rarely how it works. that works. David: Totally. Maya: Now, layer on the diplomatic side, because this is where it gets interesting. We're hearing about a U.S.-backed plan that would strip Iran of its highly enriched uranium stockpile as part of a deal, and Trump is pushing this 15-point peace proposal. David: Yeah, and Pakistan has floated hosting talks trying to be the neutral venue. Maya: On paper, that sounds like progress. In reality, how serious do you think each side is about a negotiated deal right now? Now. David: So I'd say Washington under Trump is serious about a deal on its terms: maximum pressure first, then you talk. The plan to remove enriched uranium is basically you don't get to sit this close to a nuclear weapon and call that peace. Maya: That's very much the conservative view, right? You want diplomacy, but only after you've reasserted strength. David: Exactly: you squeeze the financing, hit key military assets, rally allies, then say, OK, if you want sanctions relief and no more strikes. Here are the fifteen conditions. Maya: And Trump keeps saying Iran wants a deal now. David: Yeah, and that's not crazy. Their economy is in bad shape, protests keep boiling up and a serious hit on Kharg would be a body blow for their budget. They want relief, they just don't want to look weak at home. Maya: Meanwhile China is calling the idea of talks a glimmer of hope, trying to present itself as the calm adult in the room. David: The responsible stakeholder, sure, but Beijing also buys a lot of your A lot of Iranian oil at a discount; they want stability on their terms, and they're happy to watch Washington bleed political capital in the region. Maya: So, from a right leaning lens, how do you read this? Is this strength working or are we drifting toward another quagmire? David: I'd put it this way: strength first, diplomacy second is the only language Tehran respects. Every time the West eased up, Iran pushed further. But there is a hard limit for Americans on another giant ground war in the Middle East. Maya: BGHOST2mhm So you're saying, hit hard enough that they actually believe you, but be disciplined enough not to stumble into occupation and nation building. David: Yeah, you punish attacks, you protect shipping, you push them to the table. But if you find yourself talking about years of stabilization, you've already lost the plot. Maya: And at home people are looking at their grocery bill, their rent, and they're like, why are we even still over there beyond hitting direct threats? David: That's the pocketbook side of foreign policy. Wars spike oil, oil hits everything, and when Washington shrugs at that, voters notice. Maya: There's also this broader trust issue. Folks hear final blow, hear peace plan, and they don't totally trust either the Pentagon or Tehran to be straight with them. David: Yeah, and honestly, some don't trust Big Tech, prosecutors, or Wall Street either. Whether it's Tehran or tech CEOs, a lot of this week's news is about who holds the holds the power, and who finally pushes back? Maya: So the question I keep coming back to is, when these powerful players get challenged, does anything really change for regular people, or is it just a different set of elites fighting over the steering wheel? Shifting gears, a federal jury just hit Meta and Google with a landmark verdict saying their platforms helped addict kids, and they have to pay. David: Yeah, this is huge. As a millennial who grew up analog and then got sucked into social, I look at parents now and think, how are you supposed to fight algorithms that are literally built to keep your kids scrolling? Maya: Right. The jury basically said, look, you didn't just host content, you designed the product to hook minors. ignored the harm, and then buried tools that might help families. So almost like what conservatives have been yelling about for years. Too much power over kids, over speech, hiding behind we're just a neutral platform. David: Exactly, and this is not Congress. This is regular people on a jury saying, no, this crossed a line. Maya: I'm torn, though. On one hand, as a future parent, I'm like, yes, finally someone hits these guys where it hurts. On the other hand, do we want courts deciding what counts as too addictive? Food? Games? David: Yeah, that's the risk. You want accountability without turning every bad habit into a lawsuit. Maya: That if you're running experiments on kids' attention and then selling that to advertisers, I don't hate a little fear in those boardrooms. David: Same. And for years, tech leaders talked like they were above basic responsibility. Now you've got judges and juries finally saying, actually, you answer to someone. Maya: Speaking of Big Tech getting nervous, Meta just laid off another chunk of staff while shoveling billions into AI. David: Yeah, year of efficiency, part two. Maya: It's wild. They always say AI will create more jobs, but if you're a mid- mid-career coder getting that email, you're not feeling very created for. David: No, and that ties to something senior Citibanker said, warning heavy AI use could lead to a tragic end for capitalism. Maya: Okay, break that down. Like, what does that even mean in plain English? David: Okay, simple version. Capitalism works when regular people work, earn money, and buy stuff. If companies replace tons of workers with AI, profits go up for a while, but... But paychecks vanish. No paychecks, no customers. Maya: So you get this weird loop where the people training the AI out of a job can't afford the products anymore. David: Exactly. Markets shrink, inequality spikes, resentment grows. At some point voters or politicians say, alright, we're done with this version of capitalism. Maya: And conservatives listening are like, we like markets, but not a rigged casino where tech giants win and everyone else gets a learn to code speeches. while their job disappears. David: Right. The healthy version of capitalism has competition, work, family formation, not a tiny group of firms owning the AI models and everyone else getting a stipend and a TikTok feed. Maya: Honestly, that sounds like a dystopian Black Mirror episode, not an economic plan. David: Yeah, I'm not anti-AI, but we need rules that keep power from collapsing into a few companies that set the terms for work. work, speech, everything. Maya: Which is kind of today's theme, right? Who checks the people with all the levers? David: Yeah, because it's not just tech. You got this referral from a Trump era official calling for an investigation of New York AG Letitia James over how she went after him. Maya: So, for folks who missed that headline, the argument is basically if prosecutors turn the justice system into a political weapon, they shouldn't be shocked when someone says, okay. Now you get scrutiny too. David: Exactly; lawfare cuts both ways: if you cheer aggressive creative cases against your political enemies, you're also normalizing aggressive creative reviews of your own conduct. Maya: I mean, conservatives have felt for a while that there's one set of rules for Trump, another for the people trying to take him down. So hearing that an AG might face an investigation of her own choices, it lands as, finally, some pushback. David: And the through line here is power with no feedback. Tech bosses who think parents can't touch them. AI investors who assume workers will just adapt. Prosecutors who assume they'll never get questioned. Maya: The fight now is, can regular citizens, juries, voters actually tug some of that power back without blowing everything up. David: And funny enough, we used to put these same hopes and fears somewhere else. Maya: Space. David: Yeah! we once looked up at the moon and thought that's where the next big leap is, not just in apps and algorithms. Maya: So, after the break, we're going to talk about that older big bed, the new moon race, and whether things like Artemis really build American strength better than another AI widget. David: Stay with us. Maya: Shifting gears fast here, I just love this visual: four astronauts slingshotting around the moon, seeing the far side with their own eyes. David: Yeah, that image hits different. So walk us through it simply. Artemis II is basically Apollo on training wheels? Maya: Kinda, yeah. So Artemis II is NASA's first crewed mission in this new program. They don't land. They loop around the moon, test the big rocket, the Orion capsule. all the life support stuff. David: So this is the dress rehearsal with human beings. If that works, then you move to boots back on the surface. Maya: Exactly. Artemis III is the one that aims to actually land near the lunar south pole, and long term, the plan is a small base there plus this mini space station in lunar orbit called Gateway. David: So living at the south pole of the moon sounds cool until you realize it's basically camping on a frozen gravel pile. pile. Maya: Oh, totally. You're talking cramped habitats, radiation everywhere, dust that tears up your lungs and machinery, not sci-fi luxury condos. David: And this is where China comes in, because while we argue about budgets, Beijing is quietly checking off the homework. Maya: Yeah, talk about that radiation thing, because that was wild. David: So China's recent lunar lander measured what scientists called a big radiation cavity. under the surface. Think of it as a pocket where the levels are lower. That matters for long term basis because if you can bury habitats in the right spots, you shield crews without hauling massive shielding from Earth. Maya: So they're literally mapping out where future moon bunkers go. Meanwhile, half our space debate is culture war memes about naming spacecraft. David: Right, and this is why conservatives especially should care. Space is national security. Whoever figures out how to live and work off planet first has the strategic high ground, the tech edge, the prestige. Maya: And the jobs, by the way. You need welders, machinists, electricians to build these rockets and habitats. It's not just Silicon Valley coders. David: Exactly. Space policy is industrial policy. It's energy research, mining tech, navigation, material science. A serious Artemis program is basically a big clear America. AMERICA FIRST SCIENCE PROJECT Maya: But then, the pushback I hear is, we have problems here; why spend on the moon? David: Yeah, so my answer is one, space spending is a tiny slice of the budget; two, if we don't lead, China will; and three, these programs spin off real tech that helps at home, medical devices, weather prediction, telecom. Maya: And honestly, there is a values piece. Would you rather your teenager zone out on TikTok TikTok all night, or watch an Orion launch and say, I want to learn engineering. David: Fair. You are basically saying pick your obsession. Dope means slot machines on your phone or Saturn. Maya: Speaking of, that Saturn image this week was so pretty. Webb and Hubble teamed up two totally different telescopes, one in infrared, one invisible light, to give this crazy detailed view of the rings. David: Yeah, it looked almost fake, like someone turned the contrast up. You had storm bands on the planet, razor-sharp rings, these tiny moons peeking through. Maya: That is the kind of thing that made a lot of us fall in love with space as kids. Not some Pentagon PowerPoint, but whoa, that's Saturn. We did that. David: And it connects back to the serious side, the same country that can align two giant observatories on a gas giant half a billion miles away. That country can still build, still lead. Maya: If we choose to. David: If we choose Maya: to; and I like that this new moon race is at least pointed at building something, not just tearing the other side down in court or in social media. David: Yeah, compete hard with China, be honest about costs, but give kids something to look up at instead of just doomscrolling. Maya: All right, after the break we'll bring it back down to earth with a quick check in on what all this means for your wallet and your week. David: All right, that's it for today. If you remember one thing, it is this. Strength and clarity up front, whether with Iran or big tech, is the only way you actually get peace and fairness later. Maya: Right. That whole Iran final blow debate plus what happens when AI guts paychecks is all the same question. Who has power and who finally draws a line? David: Exactly. And if this helped you sort through the noise, hit follow, leave a quick review, and share the show. Share the show with a friend. Maya: Yeah, that stuff really does matter for us. Thanks for starting your day with the Morning Rundown. David: We'll be back in your feed soon. Maya: Until then, take care and stay sharp.