Bulwark Takes

Ben Parker and Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling (Ret.) break down the latest escalation across the Middle East, including an attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, a critical alternative route designed to move oil around the Strait of Hormuz. With the pipeline damaged and the Houthis taking control of key positions along the Red Sea, the region’s major shipping routes are facing growing disruption.
The attacks threaten far more than oil. The Bab al-Mandab and Red Sea are critical routes for food, grain, packaged goods and cargo moving between the Gulf, Europe, Asia and Africa. Mark explains why Iran and the Houthis appear to have the initiative, why the U.S. is increasingly responding rather than setting the terms of the conflict, and how Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan and NATO could become entangled as the war continues to expand.
Plus, the Somali pirates becoming active again and shippers now face another threat once they make it through the region’s increasingly dangerous choke points.
Your health matters and taking care of yourself shouldn’t be complicated. Head to Zocdoc.com/BulwarkTakes to get started and check that appointment off your to-do list.

Catherine Rampell and JVL break down the latest inflation numbers and why the Trump administration is desperately trying to convince Americans that rising prices are actually good news. Inflation hit 3.4% in August, real wages are falling behind, consumer confidence is sinking, and diesel prices have crossed $6 a gallon for the first time.
They also give their takes on the looming fight between Trump and the Federal Reserve, as Kevin Warsh faces a potentially impossible choice between doing what the economy requires and doing what Trump wants.
Plus, they take a closer look at Trump’s promise to send Americans $5,000 checks and why the plan may be even dumber than it sounds.
Your health matters and taking care of yourself shouldn’t be complicated.  Head to Zocdoc.com/BulwarkTakes to get started and check that appointment off your to-do list.
Read more from Catherine: https://www.thebulwark.com/receipts

Will Sommer and Andrew Egger dig into Katie Miller’s previously undisclosed financial stake in Elon Musk’s xAI and why it may shed new light on her relentless promotion of Grok. Miller has posted hundreds of times repeatedly attacked OpenAI, Anthropic, and other AI companies while boosting Grok as the AI for “true patriots.” But the Washington Post found through White House financial disclosures that she owns roughly $1 million in xAI stock.
After the Post broke the story, FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson rushed to defend Katie and instead of declining to comment, Ferguson accused the Post of partisan attacks.
Your health matters and taking care of yourself shouldn’t be complicated.  Head to https://Zocdoc.com/BulwarkTakes to get started and check that appointment off your to-do list.
Read Will’s False Flag newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/false-flag

…and for more Andrew Egger, check out Morning Shots: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/morningshots

Join Tim Miller, Sonny Bunch, Lauren Egan and Andrew Egger as they cover JD Vance's midterm convention speech live.
For 3 Day Blinds’ buy 1 get 1 50% off deal, head to https://3DayBlinds.com/BULWARKTAKES.

Catherine Rampell and Andrew Egger take on the increasingly hard-to-dismiss warnings about superintelligent AI, after an Anthropic researcher quit over fears that the technology could eventually threaten humanity. They ask whether anyone can actually control increasingly powerful AI, whether the Trump administration is making the problem worse, and why Washington seems so unprepared for what may be coming. Plus: Hunter Biden launches a meme coin—and it goes about as well as you’d expect.
For 3 Day Blinds’ buy 1 get 1 50% off deal, head to https://3DayBlinds.com/BULWARKTAKES.
Read Andrew's Morning Shots newsletter: https://www.thebulwark.com/p/our-orange-napoleon-wants-a-big-arch-arlington-memorial-trump-burgum-ai-openai-anthropic-extinction-risk-911-september-11-canada-trade-war
Jeff Stein — “Sam Altman Privately Rejected Giving OpenAI Shares to the Government”: https://washingtonsun.com/technology/sam-altman-privately-rejected-open-ai-government-equity