A bipartisan group of senators called on the president to reverse plans to purchase diesel fuel from Russia. Democracy Now reported their letter in its Tuesday headlines. The government that sanctioned Russia for invading Ukraine is now buying fuel from it because the conflict with Iran cut off the supply.

Diesel hit a record $6 a gallon for late September. The government allowed truckers to burn tax-exempt farm fuel. A hurricane headed for oil platforms in the Gulf. And the solution the administration found was to buy fuel from the country it told the world should be isolated.

The sanctions were supposed to punish Russia for crossing a sovereign border. The fuel deal rewards Russia for having the supply the conflict took away from everyone else. One policy says Russia must be punished. The other policy says Russia must be paid. Both are active at the same time.

Senators from both parties signed the letter. That alone tells you how far the contradiction has gone: when members of both parties agree the machine is contradicting itself, the contradiction is no longer a matter of opinion.

The machine sanctioned Russia. The machine started a conflict that broke the fuel supply. And now the machine is buying fuel from the country it sanctioned to replace the supply its own conflict destroyed.

BREAKING

One Billionaire Has Spent 366 Million Dollars on Midterm Campaigns — a New Documentary Shows How

Elon Musk has given Republicans $366 million in campaign contributions during the 2025-2026 election cycle. Democracy Now devoted a full segment Tuesday to a new documentary by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney that traces how Musk’s political spending has reshaped the midterm landscape.

Three hundred and sixty-six million dollars from one person. That is more than most campaigns raise in total. The same person receives billions in government contracts through his rocket company and his satellite company. The president bought millions in his rocket company’s bonds days before signing a policy order that benefits it.

The revolving door is no longer a metaphor. One person funds the campaigns, receives the contracts, and builds the technology the government uses for surveillance, defense, and space. The money goes in. The contracts come out. The policy follows.

The machine does not hide the money. It files it. Three hundred and sixty-six million dollars, on the record, from one person. That is not a donation. That is an investment. And the return is already being paid.

EXPOSED

Eighteen Ships Have Been Hit in the Strait This Month Alone — the Fastest Pace Since the Conflict Began

Since the start of October, at least 18 ships have been hit in or around the Strait of Hormuz. Democracy Now reported the figure in its Tuesday headlines. It is the fastest pace of maritime strikes since the conflict began in February.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard confirmed it struck another tanker this week. The strait carries roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil. Iran’s parliament said it would remain closed until seven conditions are met. And the Houthis warned of a “swift and painful” response if the United States joins Saudi-led operations in Yemen.

Three carrier groups are in the region. Turkey and Pakistan have sent troops. The strait is closed. Ships are being hit at a record pace. And the president said the conflict would end “right after the election.” The election is 21 days away.

The machine said it would be short. Eight months later, 18 ships in 13 days. The pace is accelerating. The exit is not.

DEVELOPING

One Hundred and Thirty-Nine People Perished When a Boat Capsized in Waters Made More Dangerous by the Conflict

A boat carrying migrants capsized off the coast of Djibouti, near the entrance to the Red Sea. One hundred and thirty-nine people perished. Eighty-four are still missing. Democracy Now reported the disaster in its Tuesday headlines.

The boat was headed for Yemen. The waters it crossed have become some of the most dangerous shipping lanes in the world since the Houthis began striking vessels and the conflict closed the Strait of Hormuz. The people on the boat were not combatants. They were migrants looking for work or safety. They drowned in waters that the conflict made more dangerous.

The cost of the conflict is not only measured in missiles, fuel, and interest rates. It is measured in the people who drown in the waters the conflict turned into a conflict zone.

The machine counts the ships it strikes. It counts the troops it loses. It counts the barrels it burns. It does not count the 139 people who drowned in the waters it made dangerous.

They rely on the shadows.
It’s time to turn on the lights.