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Vol. VII · No. 490Sunday Edition
Righteous MediaEst. 2019
Episode 489

Cease Fire in the Crossfire. The Pentagon vs the Pope.

Operation Epic Fury

The Brief

→ Four things from today’s episode
01

Why Hegseth's hearing was the first real oversight in 60 days. and why combat veterans Seth Moulton and Pat Ryan led the charge

02

The $25 billion question. Strait of Hormuz still contested, enriched uranium missing, regime intact — what did Americans actually buy?

03

Gas at $4.23, up 42% since late February, with fertilizer an. Gas at $4.23, up 42% since late February, with fertilizer and diesel climbing alongside it

04

Why Paul calls this a sucking chest wound for the U.S. military. 41% of the Navy now in the Gulf region

The smoke hasn’t even cleared from Operation Epic Fury, and the administration is already spiking the ball. While Secretary of War Pete Hegseth declares a "Capital V" military victory, the reality on the ground tells a much more volatile story. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down and Israel launching independent strikes on Lebanon just hours after a supposed ceasefire, we aren’t seeing peace—we’re seeing a "complicated new normal" where American influence is hitting its limit. Paul Rieckhoff joins us to drill down into why this "victory" feels like a dangerous "incomplete" that has left the U.S. more isolated than ever.

We explore the strategic pivot from Iran toward a potential new front in Cuba, as critics warn of a "forever war" mentality that ignores constitutional guardrails. As the 25th Amendment enters the mainstream conversation and military leaders are urged to "break glass" and speak out, the country faces a gut-check moment. Is the U.S. military being used as a pawn in a larger geopolitical game, or is there a "circuit breaker" left in the Pentagon to stop the escalation?.