Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) is traveling through Saudi Arabia as the Houthis actively launch airstrikes at the kingdom, which has caused the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh to issue a security warning for Americans in the country.
Page A2From§Eachthe matinee edition — 6 October 2026
Senator tours Saudi Arabia under the sirens a month-old G7 demand was supposed to have silenced.
As it ran on the front
The chief calls the crew to Riyadh to look at a toolbox that's already sitting open on the floor.
On September 17, the United Nations' own fact-finding mission said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe two U.S. strikes inside Iran were war crimes — an accountability tool, built and signed, left on the shelf. Two days later, on the 19th, an explosion near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport put Saudi Civil Defense on the air for the first time, warnings routed to residents of Riyadh and the surrounding area — a siren wired to a war that hadn't reached Saudi soil before that morning.…
…(cont) The planner studies what came next. Three days after that siren, on September 22, the G7's foreign ministers signed a statement: Iran must stop arming the Houthis, the escalation is a threat to "regional and global energy security," full stop. The same day, Secretary Rubio asked a different question out loud — if NATO allies can block U.S. base access during a fight with Iran, what is the alliance's "biggest strategic benefit" even for. Two tools landed on the table that single afternoon: a formal demand carrying seven governments' names, and a basing rule Rubio himself named as leverage. The count of those two picked up in the two weeks since: zero.
The tinkerer tests the shelf against this week's load. Into that same stretch of airspace, Senator Chris Murphy flew into Doha on Saturday evening, then on into Saudi Arabia itself, while the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh issued a security warning for Americans and the sirens kept sounding.
The muscle doesn't build the fix. The muscle takes down the idea that there was no fix sitting ready. There was: a G7 demand, a basing rule, a war-crimes finding — three tools, signed and dated, all of them older than this week's airport hits. The pilot's whole job is getting someone to reach for one of them before the next siren, not during it.
“They sign a G7 letter telling Iran to knock it off, then let two more airports get hit before anybody rereads it. Rubio wants to know what NATO's even for while the real backup — Turkey, Pakistan — shows up without it, which tells you exactly what NATO's for: press conferences, not planes. A senator can fly into that mess for a primary photo, but your own embassy tells you to stay home; that's the whole racket, folded into one plane ticket.”
“A senator visiting the war zone personally, that's oversight, that's leadership — except the Examiner's own headline calls him a possible 2028 candidate, so maybe it's — no, it's oversight. And Rubio's not whining about NATO, he's raising a tough burden-sharing question, four days after the G7 already told Iran to cut it out, which, okay, that timing's not great. Did I say that? That's not landing the way I wanted it to.”
Earlier in this story
- Party pulls money from a Senate race it's losing to fund two others it's also losing. By Mort · the noon edition, 6 October 2026
- Retiring Sen. Tillis admits the Hegseth vote was a mistake and Trump's impeachment was legitimate. By Lou · the milkman edition, 6 October 2026
- Tillis confirms Hegseth, demands his firing for a month, then calls his own yes vote his biggest regret. By Lou · the late evening edition, 5 October 2026
- Trump vows to defeat communists once and for all, having just lost to the pollster he sued. By Sal · the breakfast edition, 4 October 2026
- Tennessee's lethal injection fails to kill Christa Pike twice, succeeds in killing the commissioner's job once. By Mort · the midnight edition, 4 October 2026
- The promised Republican sweep required three days of rallies in Texas, Oklahoma and Alabama, plus a steel plant. By Lou · the noon edition, 3 October 2026
The receipts
The Houthi rebel group has targeted multiple Saudi Arabian airports in the latest airstrikes between the two sides, as several Middle Eastern countries flock to the kingdom’s defense against the Yemeni terrorist group. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed that its King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport and…
Iran's Houthi allies deny losing ground to Yemen's Saudi-backed military, but oil prices ease despite the Middle East crisis erupting in a battle over control of another key waterway.
· Iran must stop arming Yemen's Houthi forces, G7 say from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Rubio questions ‘point’ of NATO after allies blocked US from using bases during Iran conflict from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· UN investigators conclude ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe certain US strikes in Iran were war crimes from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Riyadh airport explosion prompts Saudi Arabia to issue air raid alerts as Houthi fighting escalates from the morgue, 19 Sep 2026
· U.N. experts say U.S. may have committed war crimes with 2 Iran strikes from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Trump Says 'Big Decision' Coming on Whether to 'Annihilate' Iran from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Pentagon No. 3 frustrates senators in closed-door briefing on Iran war, Trump defense strategy from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· Senate Democrats, minus Fetterman, urge Hegseth to provide receipt for Iran war costs from the morgue, 17 Sep 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 supports Hegseth impeachment resolution: 'He needs to go' from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie Files Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth for Illegal Iran War, Boat Murders from the morgue, 15 Sep 2026
· Massie launches effort to impeach Hegseth 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
· Farmer who voted for Trump says farmers are "all just in survival mode" from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Farmer who voted for Trump says "I can't stay in business" amid rising costs from the morgue, 18 Sep 2026
· Massie says he’s convinced enough Republicans to pass Epstein Files II discharge petition from the morgue, 18 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
· Big Oil Stocks Surged Due to Iran War—and New Filings Show How President Trump Cashed In from the morgue, 27 Aug 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 Inquiry Finds US Strike on Minab, Iran That Killed 123 Children Was War Crime from the morgue, 17 Sep 2026
· UN Suspects US War Crimes in Iran 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
· US Energy Consumers Have Spent $121 Billion Extra Since Trump Launched Iran War: Moody's 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
· Did Johnson Just Adjourn Congress for 7 Weeks to Avoid Massie's Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth? 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
· Since 2025, Trump Made More Stock Trades Than All 535 Congress Members Combined from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· Fossil Fuel Advertising Contracts Hit Record High as Big Oil Pockets Billions From Iran War from the morgue, 16 Sep 2026
· 'How are we gonna get through this?' Many Americans are struggling as prices rise 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
· '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
· Massie Moves to Force Impeachment Vote Against Hegseth, Citing Civilian Deaths from the morgue, 15 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.