The Frontier

Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Thiel had an extremely close relationship over several years, with frequent calls, meetings, and gift-giving from Epstein.

Epstein offered Thiel between fifty million and one hundred million dollars for investment and offered him access to his island, helicopters, and a top sleep doctor in New York.

Epstein was deeply interested in cryptocurrency and an alternative financial system, and saw Thiel as a potential ally to usher this new world into existence.

Epstein cultivated Thiel’s interest in politics and geopolitics by introducing him to influential global players, including intelligence community figures like future CIA Director Bill Burns.

Epstein advised Thiel to avoid criticizing Donald Trump to maintain influence within Trump's circles, advice Thiel followed by only saying positive things afterwards.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin denied under oath to AOC that he discussed Bayer's litigation over glyphosate in a July 2025 meeting, but internal EPA emails showed Bayer thanked the agency for updating its glyphosate webpage.

AOC argued Bayer's Supreme Court case on glyphosate hinged on the EPA withdrawing its support for California’s cancer warning, creating a conflict of interest.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie criticized a provision in the farm bill granting immunity to Bayer and farmers from lawsuits if glyphosate causes cancer.

Bayer spent over nine million dollars lobbying the federal government in 2025 and had already paid twelve billion dollars in settlements over glyphosate lawsuits.

Levan Mohammad won the Democratic Party endorsement in Utah's 1st district by organizing with community leaders and campaigning on affordability, progressive values, and fighting corporate influence.

As a former TikTok congressional affairs manager, Mohammad said the company faced immense pressure from pro-Israel officials and lobbyists after October 7th, but initially resisted throttling content due to geopolitical polarity between the US and China.

Robert Pape argues the US has lost control of the Iran war, evidenced by Iran negotiating without America and the UAE leaving OPEC+, which fragments the US-backed counterbalancing coalition in the region.

Pape says oil price increases to $117 a barrel mark the start of actual shortages from the Strait of Hormuz closure, predicting rising inflation and unemployment by May and a prolonged economic 'misery index'.

Iran's condition to 'open' the Strait is that ships must coordinate with its military and pay a $2 million toll per transit, which would generate an estimated $60 billion annually.

Pape warns the Iran war has global consequences, depleting US missile defenses for Taiwan and pushing Russia and Iran closer as they now collectively control 30% of the world's oil.

Donald Trump claimed via Truth Social that Iran is in a 'state of collapse' and asked the US to 'open the Strait of Hormuz' as soon as possible, a statement Ryan Grim and Emily Jashinsky treat as a fantasical production of his mind.

According to Grim, Iran's actual proposal was not a formal deal but a demand that the US lift its naval blockade, after which Iran would outline Strait management and then discuss other topics like its nuclear program.

Brent crude oil reached $114 per barrel. Grim argues the Treasury Department has been artificially suppressing oil futures through short positions and currency swaps, losing taxpayer money for geopolitical purposes.

The UAE announced it will exit OPEC on May 1. Grim notes this is not an immediate blow as the UAE is already producing well below its quota of over 3 million barrels per day.

BP's profits more than doubled, beating expectations, with the Iran war cited as boosting oil prices. Grim and Jashinsky note BP's historical role in the 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned of an imminent 'bond crisis' due to a confluence of risks like geopolitics and government deficits, stating 'we don't know what confluence of events causes the problem.'

Grim argues extreme wealth concentration makes the economy more vulnerable to crisis, citing that the 'Magnificent Seven' tech stocks comprise 30% of the S&P 500.

A California 'billionaire tax' initiative secured enough signatures for the ballot. In New York, Mayor Adams and Council Speaker Julie Menin are pushing to reduce a tax loophole for high earners to generate nearly $1 billion.

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act requires new cars by 2027 to have technology to passively monitor drivers and prevent operation if impairment is detected, a so-called 'kill switch.'

A fight is underway in Congress over reauthorizing Section 702 of FISA. Grim reports House Democrats, including CBC members, are facing pressure to support reforms after the provision was used to spy on Black Lives Matter protesters.

Grim notes House Speaker Mike Johnson previously advocated killing FISA Section 702 but reversed his position after receiving classified briefings, calling it a 'predictable Washington cycle.'

Senator Lindsey Graham introduced a bill to authorize $400 million in taxpayer funds to build a secure ballroom for the President at the White House following an assassination attempt.

Saagar argued that a normal Secret Service barricade, costing $10-20 thousand per event, would be sufficient for security instead of a permanent ballroom, shifting the focus to improving Secret Service competency.

Krystal reported that the Trump administration secretly gave Clark Construction a no-bid contract to renovate fountains in Lafayette Park. The original $3.3 million estimate ballooned to a $17.4 million contract.

Legislation (HR 8445) has been introduced to extend U.S. veterans benefits like job re-employment rights and foreclosure protections to American citizens who serve in the Israeli Defense Forces.

New U.S. immigration guidance lists participation in pro-Palestinian protests and criticism of Israel as 'overwhelmingly negative' factors for green card applicants.

Analyst Shiel Ben-Ephraim said Israeli opposition leaders Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid have united against Netanyahu, but their views are now indistinguishable and both support continuing military campaigns.

Shiel Ben-Ephraim stated the IDF chief warned 2026 will be a year of fighting on all fronts, but this reflects the current geopolitical alignment under Netanyahu, who uses war to distract from his legal troubles and the October 7 investigation.

Shiel Ben-Ephraim reported Hezbollah is using IEDs and drones attached to Ethernet cables, tactics learned from Ukraine, which the IDF cannot intercept, killing and injuring Israeli soldiers in Lebanon despite a U.S.-ordered halt to advances.

Ann Coulter argued the Iran war is a larger betrayal than Trump's immigration failures, stating Trump's pre-election messaging promised no war and his campaign retweeted warnings that Kamala Harris would start a conflict.

Ann Coulter said immigration restriction remains a politically winning issue for Trump despite his unpopular war, contrasting with Marco Rubio whom she distrusts due to his past support for amnesty legislation.

Krystal cited new reporting that the alleged assassin at the White House Correspondents' dinner may not have fired any shots, and that Secret Service gunfire may have accidentally hit one of their own.

Saagar notes the current U.S. red line against Iran focuses solely on keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, a demand detached from prior nuclear or proxy issues. The strait was fully open before the war started on February 27th.

Krystal cites an Axios report stating Trump told an advisor the only thing Iranians understand is bombs. She argues Trump undermined ceasefire talks by expanding the naval blockade and canceling negotiations in Islamabad.

Saagar reports Brent crude oil has returned to its pre-ceasefire price, indicating Iran's economic strategy is working. He notes Iran may soon fill its oil storage, forcing a critical decision to shut down production.

Krystal highlights Secretary Marco Rubio's Fox News interview, where he rejected Iran's new proposal to negotiate only on the Strait of Hormuz while setting aside nuclear talks, calling it unacceptable.

Saagar cites a Wall Street Journal report that last week saw the lowest-ever traffic through the Strait of Hormuz due to the U.S. blockade. Only one LNG tanker transited yesterday compared to the usual hundreds.

Krystal details a U.S. seizure of the tanker NT Majestic carrying 1.9 million barrels of Iranian oil. An Iranian official condemned the act as piracy and warned of retaliatory strikes on regional oil facilities.

Saagar references Jeremy Scahill's report that Iran's strategy rests on three points of leverage: munitions, markets, and the U.S. midterm elections. Iran aims to deny Trump a victory and prolong the conflict.

Krystal notes key U.S. allies are breaking ranks. A Japanese tanker secured transit through the Strait, and Germany's chancellor called the war a humiliating disaster for the U.S. with no exit in sight.

Saagar reports the UAE announced it will leave OPEC and OPEC+ on May 1st. The move, driven by financial pressure and frustration with Saudi quotas, removes 10-13% of the cartel's total production capacity.

Krystal cites an Atlantic report that Vice President JD Vance suspects Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is misleading Trump about U.S. weapons stockpiles and the war's progress. Vance has raised concerns in closed-door meetings.

Saagar details a New York Times report on depleted U.S. munitions: 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles, over 1,000 Tomahawks, and 1,200 Patriot interceptors were used. Replenishing stocks could take six years, compromising plans to defend Taiwan.

Krystal reports that Secretary Pete Hegseth took Kid Rock on a joyride in Apache helicopters at Fort Belvoir. She frames it as a sign of the administration's misplaced priorities during an ongoing war.

Saagar notes the House is voting on a War Powers resolution from Josh Gottheimer to end military action against Iran within 30 days. The only Democratic co-sponsor, Jared Golden, now faces pressure to vote for his own measure.

Krystal and Saagar argue that distrust in official narratives about the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting is fueled by government failures, previous security lapses, and a culture of official secrecy that mirrors the 1970s.

Joe Kent, former National Counter Terrorism Director, says there have been three breaches of President Trump's security perimeter since he returned to the campaign trail. He claims the DHS Inspector General was blocked from investigating the Butler shooting by top DHS leadership.

The shooter, Cole Allen, was a Caltech graduate and former NASA intern whose LinkedIn shows he interned at NASA in 2014. A strange X account under the name Henry Martinez, with a Pepe the Frog avatar, made a single post on December 21, 2023, saying 'Cole Allen'.

Two weeks before the dinner shooting, the Secret Service investigated but could not solve a mystery shooting near the White House in Lafayette Park, finding only rifle shell casings at 16th and I Streets.

The Trump administration provided a lower level of security for the White House Correspondents' Dinner despite the presence of the President and many cabinet members, creating a massive single point of failure in the line of succession.

Krystal reports that US-Iran talks in Islamabad collapsed after Trump canceled his negotiating team's trip, citing Iran's unmet demands and internal leadership confusion.

An Iranian advisor accused Pakistan of lacking credibility as a mediator, asserting it consistently sided with US interests and failed to challenge American positions.

Krystal notes Pakistan was interested in mediation due to its reliance on Qatar for 99% of its natural gas, requiring open Strait of Hormuz access.

Iranian Foreign Minister Arachi embarked on a diplomatic tour including Islamabad, Musket (Oman), and Moscow, which Saagar interprets as a direct message challenging Washington.

Krystal notes Israel sent Iron Dome systems and troops to the UAE during the Iran War, indicating the UAE's direct involvement in the conflict.