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Ukraine Runs Out of Patriot Interceptors as Trump and Zelensky Feud Over Energy Strikes

A source tells CNN almost no ballistic missiles were stopped in the latest Russian attack. Kyiv wants more Patriots; Washington wants a halt to strikes on Russian refineries.

The LeftDemocratic critics and Ukraine's European backers argue Washington is squeezing Kyiv's defenses while Moscow keeps hitting the grid — and while a diesel deal eases pressu…The RightThe administration and its allies say Ukraine's deep strikes on Russian energy are prolonging a war that is driving up global diesel prices for American families, and tha…The MiddleTwo operational facts can be true at once. Ukraine without Patriots cannot reliably stop ballistic missiles aimed at power plants — CNN's source and the casualty count in…

By Daniel Whitaker·October 15, 2026·3 min read

1. The Overview

What happened, in plain language, with sources.

2. The Left

The strongest progressive case, in its own words.

3. The Right

The strongest conservative case, in its own words.

4. The Middle

Where the evidence says reality most likely sits.

Politics

Trump Cancels Livestream of Nidal Hasan's Firing-Squad Execution After Bipartisan Backlash

Hegseth wanted the Fort Hood shooter's Dec. 3 execution public online. Eighty percent of Americans in a new poll said no. The sentence stands; the stream does not.

October 15, 2026

AP-NORC Poll: Eight in 10 Voters Want Major Change as Trump's Approval Sits at 36%

Economy and cost of living dominate. Most disapprove of the president's handling of prices and foreign policy. Democrats lead preferences for House and Senate control — with three weeks to go.

October 15, 2026

House Democrats Preview a 100-Day Affordability Agenda if They Take the Majority

Jeffries wants ACA credits, Medicaid reversals, tariff votes and Iran war-powers pressure in the first stretch. Republicans say it is a socialist wish list that still has to clear Trump's veto.

October 14, 2026

Economy

September CPI Hits 3.7% as Stocks Post Their Worst Day Since July

Gasoline drove more than half the monthly jump. Markets sold off, and both parties are already arguing over who owns the inflation problem three weeks before Election Day.

October 15, 2026

Record Diesel Prices Hit Farmers and Truckers. The White House Responds With Tax Relief, but the Refinery Shortage Remains.

An executive order defers federal diesel excise taxes and loosens dyed-diesel rules through Dec. 31. Economists say the core problem is lost refining capacity.

October 11, 2026

Under Warsh, the Fed Raises Rates for the First Time Since 2023. Both Parties Read It as a Verdict on the Economy.

A unanimous quarter-point hike aims to keep an energy shock from spreading into everyday prices. Democrats blame the president's policies. The president calls the Fed political.

October 10, 2026

World

Ukraine Runs Out of Patriot Interceptors as Trump and Zelensky Feud Over Energy Strikes

A source tells CNN almost no ballistic missiles were stopped in the latest Russian attack. Kyiv wants more Patriots; Washington wants a halt to strikes on Russian refineries.

October 15, 2026

Trump Opens the Door to Russian Diesel and Announces an 'Energy Ceasefire.' Strikes on Ukraine's Grid Continue.

A temporary sanctions waiver lets Russia sell diesel to the U.S. and the world. Backers say it brings down prices. A bipartisan group of senators says it throws Putin a lifeline.

October 12, 2026

Houthi Strikes on Riyadh's Airport Kill at Least 13 as Trump Weighs Joining the Saudi Fight

An American is among the dead. The president says 'we may' strike the Houthis. Critics warn against opening a second front without Congress.

October 11, 2026

Tech

AI Debt Jitters Hit CoreWeave and Oracle as Chip Stocks Sell Off Worldwide

CoreWeave plunged as its bond yields neared 15%. Oracle fell nearly 9%. Hot U.S. inflation and trillion-dollar AI capex plans are colliding with higher borrowing costs.

October 15, 2026

Democrats Roll Out AI Safety Plans as the White House Bets on a Voluntary Industry Pact

Cantwell wants mandatory pre-release testing and audits. Trump says the industry should practice 'tremendous self-regulation.' Congress is unlikely to act before the election.

October 9, 2026

Civic Education

Know Your Country

Essays that correct common misunderstandings about the Constitution and American history, grounded in primary sources.

Constitution Explained

Plain-English corrections of common misunderstandings about the Constitution, read in light of its original public meaning.

Constitution Explained

Is America a Republic or a Democracy? The Founders' Answer Is Better Than Either Slogan

The Framers built a constitutional republic on purpose. Its democratic engine runs through representation, and its brakes are written into the Constitution.

October 12, 2026

Constitution Explained

'Fire in a Crowded Theater' and Other Free-Speech Myths

The most quoted line in First Amendment debates comes from a case that sent a man to prison for opposing the draft. Here is what the law actually protects, and what it doesn't.

October 11, 2026

American History

Setting the record straight on the American story: the full context, the real achievements, and the ideals that let the country correct its own wrongs.

American History

Was America Founded as a Slave Nation? What the Founding Record Actually Shows

Slavery was a grave wrong present at the founding. But the founding also produced the ideas, the laws and, eventually, the sacrifice that ended it.

October 12, 2026

American History

Colonizer? What America Did With Victory in 1945

Great powers have usually kept what they conquered. After the largest war in history, the United States rebuilt its enemies, freed its largest colony, and fed a city its rivals tried to starve.

October 10, 2026

Guest Columns: The Debate Club

One question, two columnists: one from the left and one from the right, each making the strongest case for their side. Seats are open now. Apply to write.

Now Casting

Is the Press Pool Probe Law Enforcement or Retaliation?

Can antitrust law reach a coordinated decision by competing networks to stop covering the president, and should it?

From the Left

Seat open. Apply

From the Right

Seat open. Apply

Now Casting

Should the U.S. Join Saudi Strikes on the Houthis?

After the deadly attacks on Riyadh's airport, should American forces take direct military action against the Houthis in Yemen, and does the president need Congress first?

From the Left

Seat open. Apply

From the Right

Seat open. Apply

Now Casting

Binding AI Safety Law or Industry Self-Regulation?

Should Congress make pre-release testing and audits mandatory for frontier AI models, or let the voluntary White House Accord work first?

From the Left

Seat open. Apply

From the Right

Seat open. Apply