Congress tried to limit Trump while Tehran is still at the table. Senate Republicans blocked a Democrat war powers push. The Supreme Court shut the door on Carter Page. GOP senators want the Iran deal text. And SpaceX just passed Amazon.

Senate Republicans blocked Sen. Raphael Warnock’s Iran war powers resolution before it could reach final passage. The measure would have limited President Donald Trump’s ability to use force tied to Iran without new, specific approval from Congress. Democrats sold it as a constitutional check. Republicans called it what it was: an attempt to shrink Trump’s room to negotiate while his team is working diplomatic channels on Iran and regional security.

The procedural vote failed, leaving the commander in chief with wider authority to deter Tehran, protect U.S. forces, and respond if talks collapse.

Iran watches every vote in Washington. So do Israel, Saudi Arabia, the Houthis, Hezbollah, and every militia group trying to decide whether America still means what it says. If Congress publicly tells Tehran that Trump’s options are limited, Iran gains bargaining power before the ink is dry.

The media angle will be “war powers” and “checks and balances.” The real angle is deterrence. You do not get a better peace deal by announcing your weak points in advance. Republicans are betting Trump needs pressure, silence, and flexibility to close the deal.

Watch whether Democrats shift from blocking military options to demanding every page of the Iran agreement.

The Supreme Court refused to hear Carter Page’s petition against James Comey and other FBI officials tied to Russia-era FISA surveillance. Lower courts had already tossed Page’s civil claims, and the justices let those rulings stand. That means no discovery, no depositions, and no courtroom airing of who approved what. The Court did not defend the FBI’s conduct. It just kept the accountability door closed.

President Trump says an Iran deal is signed. Republican senators told Fox News they have not seen the terms, the enforcement plan, or the inspection rules. They want Congress to vote so the deal has lasting force and cannot vanish with the next administration. If the agreement is strong, sunlight helps it. If senators are kept blind, Tehran notices first.

Kamala Harris responded “Not surprised” to a New York Post report on a DOJ probe involving California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Harris framed it as political retaliation from the Trump administration against a possible 2028 rival. Newsom is already being treated like a national Democrat contender, not just a governor. The danger for Democrats is simple: if the probe has evidence, their “weaponization” line collapses fast.

CNBC reports SpaceX rose about 4% and passed Amazon in market capitalization. Elon Musk said SpaceX “might be able to reach approximately” $1 trillion in revenue by 2030. Investors are now pricing rockets, Starlink, and launch dominance like national infrastructure. Washington should pay attention too.

A company this large will shape defense contracts, spectrum fights, and federal tech spending.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear Genalo v. Black, a case on detention of illegal aliens during deportation proceedings. The dispute centers on how long the federal government can hold people awaiting removal. The Trump administration says detention authority is needed to complete removals and protect the public. If ICE cannot hold deportable aliens long enough to remove them, “catch and release” survives under a different name.

Most Americans do not understand how the system actually works. They know the slogans, not the machinery. My upcoming Government 101 Field Guide is the $9 digital field manual for how power moves through Congress, agencies, courts, budgets, investigations, and elections. Reply GUIDE to get on the early list.

Carter Page’s FISA fight just hit the end of the Supreme Court road. Years after the Russia probe, the FBI surveillance mess still ends with the same result: the target gets no real courtroom reckoning, and the officials who signed off walk away without public cross-examination.

They buried it because the original story powered years of media hysteria. Page was treated like proof of Trump-Russia rot. Now the legal cleanup gets a shrug. No prime-time panels.

No apology tour. No deep look at how the FBI used secret surveillance against a Trump campaign adviser.

What it means now is simple. FISA reform cannot depend on judges fixing every abuse years later. Congress and the Trump administration have to tighten the rules before the next campaign gets dragged into a secret court process the public never sees.

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Brett Lee Editor, Project Liberty projectlibertyus.com

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