It’s Monday, February 23. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Will Rahn pays tribute to America’s hockey heroes. Are aliens real? We asked Tyler Cowen. Jed Rubenfeld, Kenneth Rogoff, and Rupa Subramanya on where the tariff fight goes next. Plus: How Tehran whitewashes its crimes. And much more.

But first: Tucker, Trump, and the right-wing war over the Jews.

On Friday, Tucker Carlson released a three-hour interview with Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel. The podcaster who, in recent months, has thrown white nationalists and Holocaust deniers softball questions subjected the ambassador to a grilling.

The interview ruffled feathers—on the American right, in foreign capitals, and beyond. But according to Michael Doran, it also laid bare exactly what Tucker Carlson is playing at. In an important, if disturbing, essay, Michael reveals how—and why—perhaps the most powerful media figure on the right today is trying to persuade Americans that Israel, and the Jews, are to blame for the problems we face. Read it here:

Carlson’s Huckabee interview—which featured extensive debate over scripture—made clear that the fight over antisemitism on the right isn’t just a political clash. It’s also religious. In his latest Free Press dispatch, Peter Savodnik reports on the divides among Christians over Israel and the Jews, and talks to those trying to fight back against the rising tide of hate. Read his report on a Christian civil war:

And where is the president in all this? Eli Lake reports on how the White House is navigating surging antisemitism and Tucker’s growing hostility to Trump’s policies. For a long time, Trump tried to skirt questions about Tucker. But that appears to be getting harder. Eli’s sources tell him that Trump spoke to Tucker about Israel. But if they hoped Tucker’s Huckabee interview would be a chance for a reset, they would soon be disappointed. Read Eli on Donald Trump’s Tucker Carlson problem:

—The Editors

The Boys of Team USA

Will Rahn

Sunday’s gold medal hockey game between Team USA and Canada could have easily been a lopsided affair: All things pointed in the Canadians’ favor. Instead, it was the best game in a generation—and the Americans won. Their victory was for their fallen teammate Johnny Gaudreau—and for all of us. “I’m so proud to be an American today,” said Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal, after the game. So is Will Rahn. Read his tribute to the boys of Team USA. Read full story

The Truth About Aliens Hiding in Plain Sight

Tyler Cowen

Barack Obama recently told an interviewer that he believes aliens are real. Almost immediately afterward, he clarified online that he had seen no evidence of alien contact while in office—but by then, President Trump promised a full release of all alien-related documents. So is the truth out there? We asked Tyler Cowen what he expects from the extraterrestrial files. Read full story

How Tehran Whitewashes Its Crimes Abroad

Jay Solomon and Negar Mojtahedi

In late December and early January, Iranians took to the streets to protest the regime’s leadership. But the regime in Tehran has sought to tell a very different story—and has done so with support of media outlets in the West. Jay Solomon and Negar Mojtahedi report on how Iran’s online propaganda network turned a domestic uprising into a global conspiracy, with the help of American journalists. Read full story

Trump’s Tariff Defeat

In the first blockbuster of its term on Friday, the Supreme Court finally decided the tariffs case—and it struck them down. It’s a major rebuke of President Donald Trump’s signature policy, and its effect will extend to every corner of the economy. But does last week’s ruling really mean the end of the tariffs? Our columnists, correspondents, and contributors help you make sense of the law, the economics, and the on-the-ground impact of the decision.

Up first, our legal columnist Jed Rubenfeld explains how the Court left the door open for a tariff revival—and how President Trump is capitalizing on it already. Read Jed on what will happen now:

Despite the controversy, Friday’s ruling hasn’t moved markets much. But as leading economist Kenneth Rogoff argues today, the economic impact is only a secondary story here. Read his piece to find out why the ruling against tariffs is really a bigger battle over the future of American institutions:

And third, Rupa Subramanya talks to a soybean farmer whose business has been hit hard by the tariffs. She asked him about how the ruling would change his bottom line: