Upshot: $25 billion for the war. Is that a lot?

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April 30, 2026

The New York Times

What $25 Billion Spent on the War in Iran Really Means

It exceeds the annual budgets of numerous federal agencies, and the Pentagon’s yearly budget for munitions.

By Margot Sanger-Katz, Alicia Parlapiano and Emily Badger

Midterm Test

Which Democratic U.S. Senate candidate once made “fish, family and freedom” a major campaign message?

Mary Peltola, Alaska

James Talarico, Texas

Roy Cooper, North Carolina

Graham Platner, Maine

(Answer at bottom of the newsletter)

Politics on Tilt
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WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FROM UPSHOT FRIENDS

The New York Times

Oil Price Surges as Effects of War Reverberate

Crude oil prices hit a fresh high since the start of the war in Iran, as energy supplies from the Middle East remain disrupted.

By Emmett Lindner

A chart of Iran’s enriched uranium shows a range from 2018, when Trump pulls out of the nuclear deal, to 2025, at which point enriched uranium has increased considerably.

The New York Times

How Iran Accumulated 11 Tons of Enriched Uranium

Two months after the United States began a war meant to prevent Iran from ever building an atomic bomb, the fate of its stockpile of enriched uranium remains a mystery.

By Blacki Migliozzi and William J. Broad

President Trump climbs a stairway to board Air Force One.

Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Republicans Brace for Brutal Midterms as Trump’s Popularity Slips

The elections are still six months off, and some within the G.O.P. say there is still time to right the ship.

By Shane Goldmacher

The New York Times

It’s the Age of Electricity and America Isn’t Ready

Our grid is too old and our supply of electricity too small. If we don’t meet this moment, we will face an impoverished future.

By Robinson Meyer

Cast Your Vote for the Greatest Living American Songwriters

Times critics, with the help of more than 250 experts, made their list of the 30 greatest living American songwriters. Now it’s your turn to choose.

POLLING AROUND THE NATION

In recent weeks, Democrats have led by five to six points in the generic ballot, which measures the overall race for control of Congress. Senator Jon Ossoff, Democrat of Georgia, is leading in early general election polling in the state.

The New York Times

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Quiz answer: Mary Peltola says she plans to focus on state and local issues like Alaska’s fishing industry and the rising cost of living.

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