Bluffing our way into a catastrophe. https://t.co/Dl4nQLTCuB

— Slate (@Slate) May 16, 2019

Six years ago, I told you all that John Bolton believed the ONLY effective course of action in Iran was war. That's because he said it outright. https://t.co/giScv89fwz

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) May 15, 2019

Former CIA deputy director @JMcLaughlinSAIS is always worth reading. Additional proof:

“I am struggling to understand the Trump administration’s policy toward Iran…. But looking carefully at the White House’s approach so far, I just don’t get it.”
https://t.co/wWMdiGFKj7

— David Priess (@DavidPriess) May 15, 2019

British general contradicts U.S. claims of escalating Iran threat @barbarastarrcnn reports @TheLeadCNN https://t.co/Kr9Y5ckUO5 pic.twitter.com/rHmfQHiwxh

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 15, 2019

Thursday's Times
"Britain and US in spat over threat from Iran"#tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpapers
(via @AllieHBNews) pic.twitter.com/P4L292uEhD

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) May 15, 2019

Cool the Iran war talk https://t.co/syR8kYf1zZ

— David Frum (@davidfrum) May 15, 2019

Sen. Graham after State Dept. orders personnel to leave Iraq posts: "I would urge the State Dept. and DoD to come down here and explain to us what's going on" with alleged threats from Iran. "We need to understand what we're doing."https://t.co/sE3cURbALx pic.twitter.com/vhRDcdMLSz

— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) May 15, 2019

So two days later is there any further corroboration of the "initial" intel assessment from a **single anonymous official** that Iran was responsible for damage to Saudi oil tankers?

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) May 15, 2019

U.S. pulls staff from Iraq, says Iran gave 'blessing' for tanker attacks https://t.co/oK1H7ZRiF6 pic.twitter.com/HQfKj9TzFU

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 16, 2019

To add on to this excellent thread: in 33 years of USG service, I don’t recall an ordered departure before for what appears to be signaling purposes. Threats in Iraq are continuous, but we didn’t draw down in 2014-15. Why now? https://t.co/xUsTrUQckV

— Barbara A. Leaf (@SafiraLeaf) May 16, 2019

People on Baghdad’s streets and in its halls of power maintain that the prospect of war is remote, despite eerie parallels to the 2003 invasion of Iraq https://t.co/VYEWoYCYPa

— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 15, 2019

Senator @TomCottonAR tells Firing Line if it comes to war with Iran, he is confident the United States would win, and would win swiftly. “Two strikes, the first strike and the last strike,” says the Senator. pic.twitter.com/twTdrFTwHu

— Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (@FiringLineShow) May 14, 2019

Iran will defeat the American and Israeli alliance: Iranian defence minister https://t.co/5pHPVMFTgc pic.twitter.com/GKsHC7uGJp

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 15, 2019

Analysis: The United States meant to isolate Iran. It looks increasingly isolated itself. https://t.co/zP3jzEu6uI

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 15, 2019

Abused 12-Year-Old Alabama Girl Doesn’t Think She Can Handle Being A Mom On Top Of Everything Else https://t.co/qoofzFadnJ pic.twitter.com/mHweOtFKOG

— The Onion (@TheOnion) May 15, 2019

#BREAKING: Gov. Kay Ivey signs most restrictive abortion ban in the nation into lawhttps://t.co/qhywOxKedS pic.twitter.com/u2TNUNmX8s

— NBC 15 News (@mynbc15) May 15, 2019

Alabama abortion ban seems destined for Supreme Court @DianneG reports @TheLeadCNN https://t.co/M9VOgMwue7 pic.twitter.com/EBh9J1xnST

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 15, 2019

“[Trump] deeply understands… this is a political issue. This is one of the reasons he chose VP Pence… People on both sides of the debate will say a moral issue… human rights, reproductive issue. It is, at its core, a political issue” – @AshleyRParker w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/jOFvOtlYX6

— Deadline White House (@DeadlineWH) May 15, 2019

How republicans built a presidency above the law and handed it to Trump https://t.co/fFT8IqJyRS

— Jonathan Chait (@jonathanchait) May 15, 2019

Attorney General Barr Teases Pelosi at Capitol: "Did You Bring Your Handcuffs?"

He won't be the last to laugh, I assure you. https://t.co/p3M3QYzJfI

— The Hummingbird 🐦 (@SaysHummingbird) May 15, 2019

me: “Bill Cohen, young GOP Congressman during Nixon impeachment, says Trump is worse. you agree?”

House Judiciary Chair Nadler: “yeah, i do. Nixon never posed existential challenge to separation of powers and limited government that Trump does”https://t.co/tjlIMbCo02

— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) May 15, 2019

Trump pardons billionaire friend Conrad Black, who wrote a glowing book about him https://t.co/5vDeJIC02Q

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 16, 2019

No schadenfreude here, just a thought: One thing that might tilt 45 away from wanting to become 46 could be a shift in his $$ calculus: If even his illegal emoluments don’t offset losses like these, maybe, just maybe, he’d rather exit with a Pence pardon?https://t.co/YDQZOhxZ0q

— Laurence Tribe 🇺🇦 ⚖️ (@tribelaw) May 15, 2019

Rebels hope to kill off May's Brexit deal in 'last-chance' vote https://t.co/1gXaY5dVIc pic.twitter.com/T62JFr65rk

— Reuters (@Reuters) May 15, 2019

The PM didn’t want to talk about it earlier – but – if Brexit bill falls, does she go to? One Cabinet member tells me ‘there is no question’ – blog up in a bit https://t.co/uwscPTrSaT

— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) May 15, 2019

The #BrexitParty’s 26% is far less than they hoped.

They thought they’d pick up the UKIP vote (27% in last #EuropeanElections) plus half the Tory vote (23%) to reach 40% – but they failed.

And 74% are NOT supporting them & their no-deal worst kind of #Brexit#newsnight https://t.co/UgjLofDRiq

— Richard Corbett (@RichardGCorbett) May 14, 2019

Wow. Another important story about Farage’s funding from @Turloughc. A traffic analysis of Brexit Party’s website shows just 1,200 visitors on day Farage said it got 16,000 PayPal donations. How?? Probably a simple explanation right, @nigel_farage?https://t.co/u1DVPI9bP7

— Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) May 15, 2019

VLAD THE IMPOSTER:

Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party website lets literally anyone sign up and donate cash – and there’s no way of tracing where the money is from.https://t.co/XDuXXBBjSe pic.twitter.com/fX1hPkG5lS

— Mikey Smith (@mikeysmith) May 15, 2019

“Labour’s refusal to oppose Brexit is killing it on the doorstep. It should quit the talks.” And this is Paul Mason. PAUL MASON. https://t.co/0FiKO2ip8U

— Oh God, What Now? – the politics podcast (@OhGodWhatNowPod) May 15, 2019

Still unsure what the Irish backstop is, or why it was negotiated? Read our explainer by @DPhinnemore and @hayward_katy on how and why the backstop was nagotiated, and why it has proved such a sticking point in the #Brexit process. https://t.co/MRuTD5Fg7l pic.twitter.com/7y08qUKEz0

— UK in a Changing Europe (@UKandEU) May 15, 2019

This is an opportunity for the climate AND the economy.
100% renewables is just the start, let's continue to 800%, and beyond!https://t.co/sCQKLIKPNg

— Aaron Hammond (@AaronCHammond) May 15, 2019

Well-known Canadian weather expert tackles climate change and eco-anxiety https://t.co/RdyIAZwRKt via @torontostar

— Kenneth Johnson (@cryofront) May 15, 2019

Today San Francisco banned facial recognition technology. It will not be allowed to be used by local agencies, like the transport authority, or law enforcement.

Britain needs a serious debate about #AI #tech #humanrights #discrimination. Instead, we’re still talking Brexit. https://t.co/LGi23uwsFJ

— Schona Jolly KC (@WomaninHavana) May 15, 2019