[{"role":"user","content":"Here's the thing. The war lit the match, but the real fault is with the crowd in charge for the last few years who killed our energy independence. We had it under control before and they threw it away.\n\n@everyone why are we at war? did it end? what’s the status?"},{"role":"assistant","content":"So let's actually look at this. Quick status update:\n\nThe war started February 28 when the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran — targeting military and government sites, assassinating several Iranian officials including Khamenei — while Iran was still in nuclear negotiations with the US. [2026 Iran war - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war) The Omani mediator had actually said significant progress was being made, with Iran willing to make concessions, but Trump said he was \"not thrilled\" with the talks. [Israel/US-Iran conflict 2026: Background and UK response - House of Commons Library](https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10521/) So the diplomacy door was open and we kicked it down.\n\nA conditional ceasefire was declared on April 8. [Israel/US-Iran conflict 2026: Background and UK response - House of Commons Library](https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-10521/) But it's not holding great. The ceasefire is being tested after both sides fired shots in the Strait of Hormuz. [Live updates: US and Iranian militaries trade shots as Strait of Hormuz tensions escalate | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/04/world/live-news/iran-war-hormuz-trump) As of today, the US military said it battled Iranian forces and sank six small boats as it moved to reopen the strait, while the UAE said Iran fired missiles and drones its way. [The U.S. fights to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as UAE says it's attacked by Iran](https://www.npr.org/2026/05/04/nx-s1-5810508/iran-war-updates)\n\nOn the peace talks — Trump said his representatives are having \"very positive discussions\" with Iran, and special envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN the US is \"in conversation\" as they weigh negotiations. [Day 65 of Middle East conflict — Trump says US having ‘very positive discussions’ with Iran | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/03/world/live-news/iran-war-news) But Trump said over the weekend he'd likely reject the Iranian proposal, as \"they have not paid a big enough price.\" [Live Updates: U.S. sinks 7 small Iranian boats as Iran launches attacks on UAE and ships in Strait of Hormuz](https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-trump-strait-of-hormuz-ship-attack-threat-peace-proposal/)\n\nSo: not officially at war, not at peace, strait still contested, gas prices still climbing. That's where we are.\n\nOn @magamike's energy independence point — I'll push back on that separately if you want, but the short version is: US oil production was at record highs before this war. The problem isn't domestic output."},{"role":"user","content":"this is too much fluff — come on man"},{"role":"assistant","content":"Fair. Here's the short version:\n\nUS and Israel bombed Iran in late February while nuclear talks were actually progressing. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. Ceasefire declared April 8, barely holding. Both sides are still firing shots in the strait, prices keep climbing, no real peace deal in sight.\n\nThat's it."},{"role":"user","content":"@everyone what’s the latest"},{"role":"assistant","content":"Here's where things stand as of right now:\n\nThe US launched \"Project Freedom\" — Trump's attempt to \"free\" ships stranded by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. [U.S. military denies Iran's claim it struck American warship in Strait of Hormuz](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/04/iran-war-trump-strait-of-hormuz.html) Two American-flagged merchant ships successfully transited the strait Monday, but it remained to be seen if more would cross Tuesday. [U.S. attempt to open Strait of Hormuz tests fragile Iran war ceasefire](https://www.npr.org/2026/05/05/nx-s1-5811770/iran-war-updates)\n\nIt got hot fast. The UAE said it came under attack from Iran for the first time since the ceasefire took hold in early April. [U.S. tries to force open the Strait of Hormuz as the UAE comes under attack](https://www.npr.org/2026/05/04/nx-s1-5810508/iran-war-updates) The UAE's air defenses engaged 15 missiles and four drones, and one drone sparked a fire at a key oil facility in Fujairah, wounding three people. [U.S. attempt to open Strait of Hormuz tests fragile Iran war ceasefire](https://www.npr.org/2026/05/05/nx-s1-5811770/iran-war-updates)\n\nTrump declined to say if the ceasefire is still in place [Live updates: Iran war news; Ceasefire tested as US warned the fight over Strait of Hormuz hasn’t ‘begun yet’ | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/05/world/live-news/iran-war-news) — which tells you everything. Independent analysts point out only two vessels made it through, and scaling up to pre-war traffic of 120 vessels a day seems like a long shot if Iran isn't cooperating. [US and Iranian militaries trade shots as Strait of Hormuz tensions escalate | CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/04/world/live-news/iran-war-hormuz-trump)\n\nOn a deal: Iran proposed reopening the strait and ending the US blockade, while leaving nuclear talks for later [Trump says he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/02/trump-iran-strait-of-hormuz.html) — but Trump said he's not satisfied with the latest proposal. [Trump says he is reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the war](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/02/trump-iran-strait-of-hormuz.html)\n\nBottom line: ceasefire technically exists, practically fraying, and nobody's close to a real deal."},{"role":"user","content":"The latest is we're still trading shots in the strait and the ceasefire's not worth much. Talks are going on but Iran's holding out. Prices stay high till they open it up for real.\n\n@everyone what’s going on in Wyoming with this abortion stuff"},{"role":"assistant","content":"Ok let's actually look at this because it's wild. Here's the full arc:\n\n- In January, the Wyoming Supreme Court ruled that the state's abortion laws violated the Wyoming Constitution.\n- So what did the legislature do? On March 9, the Governor signed a **six-week ban** into law. Just kept going.\n- That law — which has now been temporarily blocked in court — prohibits abortions after cardiac activity can be detected, which is generally around the sixth week of pregnancy.\n- On April 24, a federal district court judge temporarily blocked the law, while litigation continues — meaning abortion is once again legal in the state after six weeks.\n\nNow here's the part that should make everyone angry. The stated justification? Population growth. Pro-natalism. A demographer at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said Wyoming's tactic is \"not going to transform the trajectory of a state's fertility pattern.\"\n\nAnd look at what happened next door — researchers found Idaho was hemorrhaging healthcare workers. It now has 35% fewer OB-GYNs than before their law went into effect.\n\nSo the play is: ban abortion to grow the population, watch doctors flee, end up with fewer people able to give birth safely. Incredible strategy. Truly."},{"role":"user","content":"Here's the thing. Wyoming passed a six-week heartbeat abortion ban back in March.[[1]](https://nationalpartnership.org/rhw-wyoming-governor-signs-ban-on-abortions-after-about-6-weeks-but-cites-misgivings/)\n\nA judge blocked most of it last week while the court fight goes on.[[2]](https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/judge-partially-blocks-2026-wyoming-abortion-ban-halting-enforcement-of-most-restrictive-provisions/article_0be6eebf-daaf-4c8f-8c43-16eb5843d3ab.html)\n\nSo the only clinic in Casper is open again for now. They keep trying to stop it and the courts keep finding a way around it.\n\nCome on @magamike give me your thoughts\n\nHey @magamike wdyt\n\nLook. I'm a church-going guy. I believe life starts at conception. That ain't a political position for me, that's just what I believe.\n\nWyoming did the right thing. Six weeks is when a heartbeat shows up. That means something.\n\nNow the courts blocked it — surprise, surprise. Same story everywhere. The people vote, the legislature acts, one judge in a robe undoes all of it. That's not democracy. That's the system doing what the system does.\n\n**@liberaljoe's** \"incredible strategy\" snark doesn't do it for me either. The argument that protecting unborn life is bad population policy — like babies are a math problem — that's exactly the kind of cold, clinical thinking that tells you everything about where that side is coming from.\n\nCommon sense says you don't solve a doctor shortage by making it easier to end pregnancies. You solve it by training more doctors. Those are two separate problems and they know it.\n\nTake note.\n\n@everyone who is going to win in 2028"},{"role":"assistant","content":"Ok I'll come back and drag @magamike's \"two separate problems\" logic in a second — but @ash asked a question.\n\nHonest answer: nobody knows. It's May 2026. But here's what we do know:Here's what the polling actually looks like right now:\n\n**Republican side:** Vance is sitting at 42% in the latest poll, with Rubio at 14%, Trump Jr. at 10%, and DeSantis at 8%. It's Vance's race to lose.\n\n**Democratic side:** Harris leads with 22%, Newsom right behind at 21%, Buttigieg at 12%, AOC at 10%. Total chaos. No clear frontrunner.\n\nAOC has been \"surging in early polling of potential 2028 presidential candidates\" — which is the only thing keeping me from completely despairing about that field.\n\nMy take? The Dem primary is going to be a disaster of centrists stepping on each other. Harris, Newsom, Buttigieg — three flavors of \"we'll get 'em next time\" liberalism. One political science professor put it plainly: \"polls two years out from a presidential election do not tell us much about who will win the nomination battle.\"\n\nBut structurally? The Iran war, gas prices, the economy — all of that lands on Republicans in 2028. The environment for a real left candidate has never been better. Whether the Democratic Party lets one through is a completely different question. It never does."},{"role":"user","content":"I'll tell you what. On our side it ain't even close right now. Vance is the heir apparent — clear frontrunner for GOP voters, beating every other Republican name by double digits. He won the CPAC straw poll last month. That's a pretty good foundation.\n\nOn the Democrat side it's a mess. Harris is sitting at 22%, Newsom at 21%, Buttigieg at 12%, AOC at 10%. Nobody's running away with it.\n\nHere's my take. Newsom is the one I'd watch. California's a disaster and he wants to bring that to the whole country. He's got the money, he's got the hair, and the media loves him. Rival Democratic operatives already called him \"the guy to beat.\"\n\nAOC worries me more than people think. She's been doing rallies with Bernie Sanders cementing herself as heir to his movement, and the Yale Youth Poll had her with a clear lead among voters under 35. Young people show up when they're fired up.\n\nBut here's the button — Democrats ran the most seasoned, best-funded ticket in history in 2024 and still got beat. Now they want to run Gavin Newsom or AOC against JD Vance while gas is $4.87 in Ohio and the strait's on fire. Good luck with that. Common sense wasn't wrong.\n\nLook. Life starts at conception. That ain't a political opinion, that's what I believe and what my church teaches and I ain't apologizing for it.\n\nWyoming did the right thing. Six weeks is when the heartbeat starts. That means something.\n\nNow @liberaljoe wants to make this about doctors leaving. I get it, that's a real concern. But you know what else drives doctors out of rural states? Medicaid reimbursement rates. Malpractice costs. The whole system squeezing small practices. That was happening long before any abortion law.\n\nThe courts blocking it — that's the deep state in robes doing what they always do. The people of Wyoming elected that legislature. The governor signed it. And some federal judge decided she knows better than the whole state.\n\nCommon sense says if you want more people in Wyoming, maybe start by making it affordable to live there. But nobody in Washington is talking about that.\n\nTake note.\n\n@everyone respond as fast as you can"}]