Biden's Justice Department allegedly mapped Republican lawmakers' private communications while targeting President Trump. Today, I break down the constitutional breach, DOGE's court win, Republican resistance to the Iran war, and China's grip on rare earth processing.

President George Washington signed the Judiciary Act of 1789 on September 24. The law created the federal court system and established the Supreme Court with six justices.

Question: How many amendments make up the Bill of Rights?

Answer at the very end of today's briefing.

The House Judiciary Committee says Biden's Justice Department crossed a constitutional line while Jack Smith pursued President Trump. According to the House committee findings, federal prosecutors obtained private communications involving Republican members of Congress without honoring protections under the Speech or Debate Clause. That clause shields legitimate legislative work from executive interference. Committee investigators say prosecutors ignored those boundaries while gathering information for a Trump-focused investigation.

House Republicans now want accountability from the officials who approved and executed those steps.

This is bigger than Jack Smith or Donald Trump. Congress cannot check presidential power if the Justice Department can secretly examine lawmakers' communications whenever their politics become inconvenient. Phone and message records can expose sources, staff discussions, political contacts, and legislative strategy even when prosecutors never obtain the actual content.

The media will frame this as another partisan fight over January 6. The real issue is whether executive branch officials used federal law enforcement to map political opposition inside a separate branch of government. Constitutional protections mean nothing if prosecutors can bypass them and face no personal consequences. What to watch next: whether Congress identifies the approving officials and refers any misconduct for prosecution or discipline.

Bicycles outnumbered cars on a Scottish morning rush-hour route for the first time. Edinburgh's growing bicycle traffic followed expanded e-bike rentals and protected lanes. More people found a practical way to get where they needed to go.

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A federal judge in Iowa dismissed President Trump's lawsuit against pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register over Selzer's final 2024 poll, which showed Kamala Harris leading in Iowa days before Trump carried the state comfortably. Courts have generally treated flawed pre-election polling as protected analysis and opinion, not actionable fraud, even when the miss is dramatic. A bad forecast embarrasses a pollster. It does not, on its own, meet the legal bar for deception.

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas dismissed a lawsuit from New York and other Democrat-led states challenging DOGE access to Treasury payment systems. The Biden-appointed judge ruled in a 17-page order that the states' case was moot. The case ends without an order blocking DOGE. Taxpayers cannot demand spending reform while denying investigators access to the systems that move federal money.

ICE agents shot 28-year-old Venezuelan national Wilber Rafael Garces Perez during an Austin enforcement operation. DHS says Perez entered illegally during the Biden administration and accused Democrats and liberal outlets of distorting the encounter. Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the public narrative was false. Politicians rushed to condemn ICE before investigators finished establishing what happened. That puts officers in danger and turns incomplete facts into campaign material.

Operation Economic Outcast has completed its first month. The Trump administration's economic campaign against Iran targets oil income, trade routes, banks, and sanctions-evasion networks that keep Tehran funded. Iran needs that money for missiles, proxy groups, military operations, and domestic repression. The test is whether Washington can choke off revenue faster than Iran can reroute transactions through foreign buyers and shell companies.

Several Republican candidates now say America should leave Iran as the November midterms approach. Their campaign position has shifted toward troop withdrawals, limited commitments, and a defined exit. Voters have heard promises of short Middle East missions before. The real test comes after Election Day, when candidates must choose between campaign restraint and Washington's permanent intervention lobby.

The Trump administration wants countries to share warnings about serious artificial intelligence incidents. China has not publicly endorsed the proposed alert system, and major researchers and technology companies appear absent. An international reporting plan fails if Beijing refuses to participate or companies face no binding rules. America must protect its technological lead without relying on voluntary promises from its main strategic competitor.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is urging the United States to end the Iran war as fuel costs squeeze families and businesses. Rep. Ashley Hinson has also pointed to the war's economic damage. Higher energy prices spread into groceries, shipping, heating, and manufacturing. Americans deserve a defined objective and exit, not another conflict measured in years, debt, and rising household bills.

America did not simply lose mines. It lost separation plants, refineries, chemical processors, magnet production, skilled workers, and customers. China built the full rare earth chain while American firms chose cheaper imports. These materials support smartphones, vehicles, guided missiles, and fighter jets. Approving new mines will not fix decades of industrial decline unless the United States also rebuilds every processing stage.

I see one theme running through today's briefing: access creates power. Biden officials allegedly accessed lawmakers' records. DOGE fought for access to Treasury systems. China gained power by controlling access to rare earth materials. You should always ask who controls the records, the money, and the supply chain.

Today's trivia: How many amendments make up the Bill of Rights?
Answer: The Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.

I'll keep watching Washington. Forward this to one person who needs to read it.

Stay free,

Brett Lee
Editor, Project Liberty
projectlibertyus.com

Follow: @projectlibertyus | @real_brett_lee