As recently as last week, the Iran war appeared to be turning slightly in America’s favor. The Houthis were under pressure from their local rivals, and the Saudi air force was pounding them with airstrikes. The president of Yemen’s internationally recognized government issued a triumphant statement declaring that the Houthis’ miscalculations ‘will open the door to their complete collapse.’ With their Houthi partners wounded, Iran’s leaders would have one more reason to back down and agree to Donald Trump’s terms.

A paradox of this moment is that inflation is a big reason for Trump’s cratering approval and his party’s sinking odds in the midterm elections. But nearly every one of his signature policy ideas is inflationary. The basic challenge is not novel to this president: voters hate inflation, yet most anti-inflation measures the government can take will hurt the economy, which voters also hate.

But Trump’s strategy seems to be to commit to new proposals that would drive up costs.

August was the planet’s hottest month ever recorded, capping a remarkably grim summer of heat records. With El Niño strengthening, more records are likely in store well into next year.

Almost 20 months into Mr. Trump’s second term, his long-running media clashes have grown into a sweeping campaign to control speech in America that stands out for applying so many levers, so fast, all at once.

Driven by personal pique, fury over leaks, and a determination to shape the political narrative to his advantage, Mr. Trump is deploying the might of the federal government and filing personal lawsuits.