Federal investigators reportedly collected private banking data from thousands of Americans because they supported Donald Trump. Today, I break down Jack Smith's donor subpoenas, DOJ election charges, Maine's gun-buying delay, Tesla's $30 billion bet, and the names set to define October baseball.

The Navy commissioned USS Nautilus on September 30, 1954. It was the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine and later became the first vessel to travel beneath the North Pole.

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

Answer at the very end of today's briefing.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley confronted former Special Counsel Jack Smith on Tuesday over cancelled checks belonging to at least 4,782 Americans. Grassley said Smith's Arctic Frost investigation collected checks from donors who supported President Trump's 2020 campaign and related political groups. Those checks could expose bank account numbers, routing numbers, signatures, and other private financial information.

Smith took control of related cases after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed him special counsel on November 18, 2022. He left the Justice Department in January 2025 after dropping his federal cases against Trump.

The media will focus on whether investigators had legal paperwork. That misses the central abuse. A subpoena can still be grossly overbroad. Federal prosecutors reportedly swept private financial records from thousands of citizens whose identifiable conduct was donating to a lawful presidential campaign.

Political participation cannot become automatic justification for government scrutiny. If investigators had individualized evidence against specific donors, they should explain it. If they did not, Congress needs to determine who approved this collection, which agencies accessed the records, how long they retained them, and whether the information was shared beyond Smith's team. Every donor, Republican or Democrat, has an interest in those answers.

Watch next for Grassley to demand the subpoenas, approval records, and full list of agencies that received the data.

Olive ridley sea turtles have reportedly built the first recorded nests of their kind on America's West Coast. The turtles came ashore on Southern California beaches, giving researchers and beachgoers a rare reason to celebrate.

For more stories like this, follow @feelgoodnewsusa — real good news, no partisan spin.

The Federalist reports that Jack Smith's investigators pulled its journalists and communications into the broader Arctic Frost dossier while building cases against Trump. The outlet says its staff was swept up alongside donors and political allies, despite no accusation that any Federalist reporter broke the law. A special counsel investigating a president has no legitimate reason to examine a news outlet's internal operations. Congress should demand a full accounting of every journalist and outlet pulled into this dragnet.

A lawmaker wants Apple to disclose its communications with the Trump administration before removing apps that tracked ICE activity. Apple cited threats to federal agents, but the inquiry asks whether officials pressured Apple to act. ICE agents deserve protection from threats and obstruction. The government still cannot quietly use private companies to suppress lawful reporting about public operations.

Sen. John Cornyn pressed Jack Smith on whether his appointment carried lawful constitutional authority. Smith was never confirmed by the Senate, yet he prosecuted President Trump in two federal cases. Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the documents case on July 15, 2024, citing appointment concerns. Congress cannot allow attorneys general to create powerful prosecutorial offices without firm statutory authority.

Twenty-six states want the Supreme Court to review Maine's mandatory 72-hour waiting period for firearm purchases. The law delays transfers even after lawful buyers begin the federal background-check process. The states argue the restriction violates the Second Amendment and lacks support in America's historical firearms tradition. Maine is testing whether states can burden a constitutional right by imposing delays on everyone, including citizens facing immediate threats.

A new culture column argues that men are losing spaces built around friendship, competition, sports, work, and blunt conversation. The writer defends male friendship without demanding that every interaction satisfy corporate social rules. Men do not need permission to build friendships on their own terms. Supporting women's success does not require treating male spaces as defects that need correction.

The Justice Department charged nine foreign nationals in cases involving alleged unlawful voting and false claims of citizenship. Two other foreign nationals pleaded guilty to similar offenses. DOJ's federal election crackdown also involved action connected to a Postal Service employee. Prosecution matters, but prevention matters more because a ballot cannot be cleanly removed from public trust after it enters the system.

Rep. Ro Khanna sent questions to DeepSeek, Alibaba, Moonshot AI, and a U.S. intelligence agency about their ability to handle a major AI security incident. He also proposed a U.S.-China AI treaty aimed at preventing worldwide damage. Beijing cannot be trusted with paper promises alone. Congress should demand hard safeguards against AI-enabled attacks on power grids, markets, military systems, and American data.

Tesla secured $30 billion in new credit facilities while planning at least $25 billion in capital spending this year. The company says it does not expect to draw from the new credit lines during 2026. Cybercab factories, AI chips, and Optimus production will consume cash quickly. Elon Musk now must turn bold engineering projects into businesses before expansion costs begin weakening Tesla's balance sheet.

Fox Sports named 26 players expected to define the 2026 MLB postseason. Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong lead the playoff list. Ohtani and Judge enter October with established reputations and enormous expectations. Crow-Armstrong represents baseball's younger generation, where speed and elite defense can change a series as quickly as one home run.

Most Americans do not understand how the federal government actually works. They know the headlines, but not the agencies, procedures, pressure points, or constitutional limits behind them. The Government 101 Field Guide gives you a practical digital field manual for understanding the system and holding officials accountable. Get the $9 Field Guide here.

Maine adopted its 72-hour firearm waiting period in 2024. The dispute has now reached the Supreme Court, where 26 states are asking the justices to reject delays imposed on lawful buyers who begin the federal background-check process.

This case received little attention because waiting periods sound mild when described as administrative safeguards. The real issue is whether states can impose blanket delays on an enumerated right without proving that each buyer poses a threat. A Supreme Court ruling could either stop that tactic or invite blue states to extend it.

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.

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Brett Lee
Editor, Project Liberty
projectlibertyus.com

Follow: @projectlibertyus | @real_brett_lee