Matt Bell has been farming in North Carolina for more than half his life. He voted for President Trump but said farmers are "fighting for survival" as they combat rising prices.
Page A4From§Eachthe early evening edition — 23 September 2026
THE TOLL
GOP candidates campaign against a war their party won't let the House vote to end
As it ran on the front
The dead soldier arrived in the record five days late, and so did the number.
On September 18th, Capt. Bianca Wilkerson, 37, of Norfolk, died in what the Pentagon called a non-combat incident. The public did not learn her name until September 23rd, when The Hill reported her death had pushed the disclosed toll to 19 — five days between the dying and the counting. That gap is not new: on the 19th, four days before that report, Common Dreams cited five Pentagon officials, speaking anonymously, putting the true toll at 22, not whatever number the building was defending that week. The 19 the Pentagon confirmed this week is still three below the 22 its own people had already leaked. That is not a discrepancy. That is a ledger being amortized in public, one funeral at a time, so no single week has to carry the whole number.…
…(cont) The number is what Rep. Thomas Massie tried to make Congress own on September 15th, when he filed eight articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for waging a war Congress never authorized and for a run of boat strikes rights groups call killings without due process. Speaker Mike Johnson's answer, the next day, was to call it a publicity stunt and cancel Thursday's votes, sending the House home into the seven-week recess it is still inside — a dilemma The Hill this week called Republican leadership's to sit on until the midterms, and Democrats' problem to inherit after.
Sitting on it did not make it disappear. Republican candidates in competitive races are now telling CBS News they want the war wound down — not because a war-crimes finding moved them, but because Trump's approval sits at 32%, a record low, with diesel prices at a record high beside it. Johnson himself, the same man who called impeachment a stunt, is now the one publicly calling for "a resolution" — his word — to a war he has spent this recess refusing to let the House vote on. Sen. Tim Kaine called the whole operation "triply illegal" this week, citing three House war-powers votes already on the books. And Trump, meeting Iranian officials for the first time since June, is still promising annihilation of the regime in the same breath as the talks.
His energy stock holdings, according to a CNBC analysis of his own financial disclosures, are up as much as $4.4 million since the war started. Nineteen Americans have died so that count could climb. Twenty-two, if you believe his own building.
“Look at the order of operations: they hide the body count for five days, they cancel the vote on the guy who ran the war in one day, and it takes seven weeks of bad polling before anybody with an "R" next to their name says the word "end." That's not conscience, that's a focus group. The stock portfolio went up while the casualty list did — figure out who that math works for, because it sure isn't Capt. Wilkerson's family.”
“Look, a non-combat death getting logged a few days late is standard casualty accounting, that happens in every administration — did I just say every administration, I mean, this is a process issue, not a coverup. And Massie's impeachment thing, that's one member, that's not the conference, the Speaker called it correctly, it's a stunt. As for candidates wanting a resolution — that's called listening to voters, that's leadership, that's — okay, we've been at this for six months, maybe don't lead with that one.”
Earlier in this story
- Republicans demand a swift end to a war their own president just offered to end by annihilation. By Mort · the early evening edition, 22 September 2026
- Curtis calls Trump Jr.'s oligarch-funded party 'corruption'; Senate GOP will only investigate with Hunter Biden included. By Lou · the early bird edition, 22 September 2026
- Hegseth calls it devastation to Iran's capabilities; U.N. experts count a school, a sports complex, 120 children By Mort · the breakfast edition, 22 September 2026
- Hegseth, demanded fired twice this month and facing impeachment paperwork, will chair the Pentagon's first homeland defense board By Mort · the late evening edition, 21 September 2026
- Rogers's ad asking for an end to the Iran war he spent 20 years demanding runs 75 seconds By Lou · the late evening edition, 21 September 2026
- Rogers spent two decades demanding war with Iran, now films a grocery-store ad calling for it to end By Lou · the early evening edition, 21 September 2026
The receipts
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) called on the Trump administration Wednesday to swiftly end its military operations against Iran amid legislative pressure to bring this monthslong conflict to a close. Kaine noted the House’s passage of three Iran war powers resolutions, calling the conflict “triply illegal”
The Pentagon has failed its audit eight years running - the only major federal agency never to pass one Military Times, 19 December 2025
Senate Democrats, minus Fetterman, urge Hegseth to provide receipt for Iran war costsAll of the Democrats in the Senate — excluding Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman — signed an open letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, pressing him to give Congress a cost breakdown of the war in Iran. The letter, although largely symbolic, reflects the frustration of many Democrats in Congress over what they perceive as a...
Democrats are running an average of 11.5 points ahead of their 2024 baseline across 2026 special elections MultiState Elections, 2026 special-election tracking
Republican candidates in tight races distance themselves from Trump, Iran war ahead of midtermsSome Republican candidates in competitive midterm contests are pushing for the Trump administration to wind down the war with Iran and focus more on Americans struggling with affordability. CBS News political reporter Zak Hudak joins to discuss.
The US targeted “clearly identifiable” civilian sites in Minab and Lamerd, killing over 100 children, the UN found.
The Republican lawmaker cited incidents like the US’s elementary school massacre in Minab, Iran, early in the war.
The Pentagon has officially upped the number of service members who have died in the Middle East since the start of the Iran war, adding one additional death to bring the disclosed total to 19. Capt. Bianca C.
Democrats are running an average of 11.5 points ahead of their 2024 baseline across 2026 special elections MultiState Elections, 2026 special-election tracking
More Republican candidates break with Trump as midterms approachMore Republicans in competitive races are calling on President Trump to end the war in Iran, hoping to create distance from the president's record-low poll numbers and his inflation-fueling war. CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett has more.
The Trump administration—which calls itself the "most transparent administration in history"—is once again under fire for its lack of transparency after The Washington Post on Friday published a report in which US officials said more American troops have died during the Iran War than the Pentagon has disclosed. Five officials familiar…
The Pentagon has failed its audit eight years running - the only major federal agency never to pass one Military Times, 19 December 2025
House has lame-duck impeachment dilemma with HegsethWelcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story House has lame-duck impeachment dilemma with Hegseth The impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posed a dilemma for Republican leaders ahead of the midterms, but it could be Democrats in the…
President Donald Trump on Thursday said he is weighing whether or not to "annihilate" Iran in a renewed effort to end the illegal 201-day US-Israeli war of choice, musings that came on the heels of a report by United Nations experts who said the United States likely committed war crimes during earlier attacks on the Middle East nation.…
The Pentagon has failed its audit eight years running - the only major federal agency never to pass one Military Times, 19 December 2025
Tillis supports Hegseth impeachment resolution: 'He needs to go'Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who voted to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is renewing his call for President Trump to fire the Pentagon chief after Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned. “He needs to go, whether it’s impeachment or the most expedient route — just the president to replace him — would be great,”
A UN fact-finding mission has reported that two US airstrikes which killed at least 178 civilians in Iran constitute war crimes. Plus: Andy Burnham says he is “determined” to hit net zero by 2050, Sweden’s left-of-centre coalition wins the general election, Netanyahu is pushing to strip IDF critics of their citizenship, and the…
US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday that with seven weeks to go until Election Day, it was time for lawmakers to "go home to their districts and make the case to the American people"—a day earlier than scheduled. But with the US public overwhelmingly disapproving of President Donald Trump's war in Iran and demanding…
U.S., Iran hold first talks since June as Trump threatens annihilation CNN fact check, 25 April 2025 (all 53 instances)
U.S., Iran hold first talks since June as Trump threatens annihilationU.S. and Iranian delegations met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, rekindling diplomacy amid Trump's threat to "annihilate" the regime.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is urging “a resolution” to the Iran war, sending the strongest signal to date that Republicans on Capitol Hill are feeling the political sting of the long-drawn conflict heading into the midterm elections. "It's been a priority and an objective of every administration, for 50 years nearly, to ensure that…
The death happened last Friday, but the Pentagon has not publicly announced the death, reports say.
Matt Bell said he initially supported Trump's policies but now feels he and other farmers were "sold a bill of goods" that there was a plan to "put America's farmers and ranchers first."
As US diesel prices are hitting record highs, President Donald Trump's approval ratings are hitting record lows. A poll from Reuters released on Monday shows Trump's approval rating clocking in at just 32%, the worst rating recorded over either of his two terms. One reason for Trump's rock-bottom ratings has been increasing…
The fossil fuel industry is raking in big profits thanks to President Donald Trump's illegal war with Iran, and a new analysis finds that it's plugging a sizable chunk of these gains into propaganda. A report published by Clean Creatives on Wednesday reveals that fossil fuel firms across the world have "engaged 802 advertising and PR…
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) announced Thursday that four Republicans, including him, have signed the Epstein Files II discharge petition and expressed confidence it will pass the House. The news comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) sent lawmakers home for a seven-week recess ahead of the midterm elections.
The Pentagon has failed its audit eight years running - the only major federal agency never to pass one Military Times, 19 December 2025
Pentagon No. 3 frustrates senators in closed-door briefing on Iran war, Trump defense strategyDemocratic and Republican lawmakers alike emerged Thursday from a closed-door briefing frustrated by what they said was a lack of clear answers from Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby on the Trump administration’s National Defense Strategy and the ongoing Iran war. The briefing with the Senate Armed Services Committee started off…
A recently published economic analysis estimates that President Donald Trump’s illegal war with Iran has cost US consumers an average of $1,760 per household—including a total of $121 billion in extra spending on energy alone—since the conflict began less than 8 months ago. The war, which Trump launched without congressional…
This amounts to more than 80 trades per market day for the president in his first 17 months back in office.
U.N.-commissioned rights experts say there are "reasonable grounds" to believe the U.S. committed war crimes with strikes that killed scores of Iranian civilians.
· Massie launches effort to impeach Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Massie Files Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth for Illegal Iran War, Boat Murders from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Johnson slams Pete Hegseth impeachment articles: ‘It’s a publicity stunt’ from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Trump's Top Oil Stocks Have Made Him Up to $4.4 Million Richer During Iran War: Analysis from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Big Oil Stocks Surged Due to Iran War—and New Filings Show How President Trump Cashed In from the morgue, 27 Aug 2026
· Hegseth on "devastation" to Iran's capabilities from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Trump admits Iran war will not end before midterms from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Iran War Trump Said Would Be Quick Has Now Lasted 6 Months With 'No End In Sight' from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026
· CBO Finds Trump's Iran War Has Already Cost Nearly $40 Billion—And That's a 'Conservative' Estimate from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Tillis urges Trump to fire Hegseth over 'inept management' of military from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Tillis renews calls for Hegseth’s firing after Driscoll’s departure: ‘I have never witnessed more inept management’ from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· Massie names Epstein 'coconspirators,' discusses new Epstein files legislation from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· Read Thomas Massie’s eight impeachment charges against Pete Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Fake Republican midterm convention site still redirects to Epstein files from the morgue, 7 Sep 2026
· Trump says he has a ‘big decision’ coming up on Iran: ‘Do I want to go in and annihilate them’ from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Fox News Poll: 71% think Trump administration lacks plan to end Iran war from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran recently downed at least 2 American drones, officials say from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Live updates: Energy secretary downplays rising gas prices as US, Iran trade strikes from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· U.S. Strike on Iranian School May Have Been War Crime, U.N. Report Says from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN investigators conclude ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe certain US strikes in Iran were war crimes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· US Condemned for 'War Crimes' After Bombing of Wedding Party in Iran from the morgue, 2 Sep 2026
· US investigating if missile hit Iranian wedding ceremony, killing 4 from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Trump says he has a ‘big decision coming up’ on Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· White House issues explosive response to UN-backed report claiming US committed war crimes against world’s No.1 sponsor of terror, Iran from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Human rights experts: 'Reasonable grounds' to believe US committed war crimes with Iran strikes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran downed at least 2 American drones in recent days, U.S. officials say from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Iran: Account of US Air Force colonel's rescue 'fictional' from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Consumer Burden of Trump Iran War Exceeds $100 Billion as Oil Prices Pass $100 a Barrel from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· 'A Serious and Alarming Threat': US Bombing, Blockade Deepen Iran Medical Crisis from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Consumer Confidence Hits Lowest Level in Months as US Faces 'Trump's Reckless Tariffs and War With Iran' from the morgue, 25 Aug 2026
· U.S. Air Force officer rescued from Iran speaks for the first time to 60 Minutes from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Rep. Thomas Massie forcing vote on Pete Hegseth's impeachment from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Massie saying Johnson is sending the House home early to prevent Hegseth impeachment from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· ‘You’re Elected to Fight and Kill the Other Side’: How Congress Lost Its Way from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Army combat veteran challenging Mike Lawler calls Hegseth national security 'hazard,' backs impeachment from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Former Air Force secretary says he 'couldn't serve' in Trump administration from the morgue, 6 Sep 2026
· Former Air Force secretary: Hegseth's Pentagon 'dysfunctional' from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· House Republicans split over leaving Washington early for campaign trail from the morgue, 1 Sep 2026
· 'How are we gonna get through this?' Many Americans are struggling as prices rise from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· 'Trump Did It!': At $5.85 a Gallon, Diesel Price Hits All-Time High in US Thanks to War on Iran from the morgue, 4 Sep 2026
· Gas prices reach Labor Day high amid Iran war from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· Trump Hammered Over Iran War That Drove Gas Prices Above $4 Per Gallon Every Day in August for First Time Ever from the morgue, 31 Aug 2026
· Warsh under pressure as Fed weighs rate hike from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Inflation held at 3.4% in August in consumer price index, creating tough choice for Warsh Fed from the morgue, 11 Sep 2026
· Warsh indicates Fed could raise rates to cool inflation from the morgue, 28 Aug 2026
· Key U.S. Bond Rate Near 20-Year High as Oil Prices Keep Climbing from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· 10-year Treasury yield hits highest level since 2007, oil surges above $105 as Fed expected to hike interest rates from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Benchmark mortgage rate hits 14-month high as bond yields keep rising from the morgue, 10 Sep 2026
· Benchmark mortgage rate hits highest mark in over a year from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· Goldman Sachs warns oil prices could hit $120 as U.S. fuel costs surge from the morgue, 8 Sep 2026
· GOP Rep Thomas Massie introduces 8 articles of impeachment against War Secretary Pete Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Republican Rep. Massie moves to impeach Defense Secretary Hegseth over Iran war from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Thomas Massie Forces Vote To Impeach Pete Hegseth from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Pete Hegseth Faces Growing Criticism as War With Iran Rolls On from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· Hegseth Quietly Extends Middle East Troop Deployments Into 2027 as Iran War Drags On from the morgue, 3 Sep 2026
· Costco imposes purchase limits on motor oil, hikes prices by nearly double from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· As gas averages $4.31 nationwide, diesel fuel hits all-time high: "It's painful. It's real hard" from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Costco Raises Motor Oil Price, Caps Customer Purchases As Iran War Drags On from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· 'Can't Message That Away': GOP Frets as Trump Administration Desperately Spins Record-High Diesel Prices from the morgue, 5 Sep 2026
· European Union member states agree to a natural gas price cap in an attempt to limit economic damage from the global energy crisis. The price cap can be triggered beginning on February 15, if for thre from the morgue, 19 Dec 2022
· Spike on 10-year bond yields renews concerns over U.S. debt from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· 10-Year Treasury Yield Reaches 5%, Highest Level in Years from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Treasury reveals $6B in debt buybacks, triple the normal level – but markets slump from the morgue, 9 Sep 2026
· Trump blames rise in diesel prices on Ukrainian strikes against Russian oil refineries from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· Trump blames rising diesel price on Russia-Ukraine war from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
· What Is Driving Diesel Prices Up? Energy Chaos Caused by Two Wars. from the morgue, 14 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.