President Trump just stopped nearly $1 billion from leaving the Treasury. Today, I break down the rarely used tool behind that move, a deportation loophole involving psychological reports, Trump's fight with CNN, and the biggest games across football, hockey, and the WNBA.

On September 26, 1960, John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon met in the first nationally televised presidential debate. About 70 million Americans watched, permanently changing how candidates speak directly to voters.

Question: How many states must ratify an amendment before it becomes part of the Constitution?

Answer at the very end of today's briefing.

President Donald Trump stopped nearly $1 billion in spending Friday night through a pocket rescission. Roughly $810 million was tied to immigration and refugee programs. The White House also targeted foreign debt relief and business grants connected to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. A pocket rescission allows the president to withhold money close to the end of the federal fiscal year, preventing agencies from rushing unspent funds out the door.

This is only the second use of the mechanism in roughly 50 years, according to the Washington Examiner. Both modern uses came during Trump's second term.

The media will frame this as another fight over executive authority. Taxpayers should focus on the money. Congress approves huge spending packages, agencies sit on portions of that cash, and then Washington treats the remaining balance as untouchable. Trump is challenging that assumption before the money reaches refugee organizations, foreign debt programs, and DEI grant recipients.

The real battle is whether federal agencies have an automatic right to spend every authorized dollar, even when priorities change and the fiscal year is closing. Presidents are supposed to manage the executive branch, not merely sign checks prepared by permanent bureaucracies. Congress will complain because rescissions reduce its control over the purse. Advocacy groups will complain because their expected funding disappeared.

Taxpayers finally have someone asking whether the spending should happen at all.

Watch next for congressional challenges, agency lawsuits, and Trump's next pocket rescission.

A quiet cemetery in Desert Hot Springs, California, holds an unexpected piece of presidential history. Charley Stewart's Haven for Pets contains the grave of Liberty, President Gerald Ford's golden retriever, alongside pets once loved by Liberace and Hollywood stars.

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

President Trump is renewing pressure on CNN and MS NOW, arguing both networks cover his administration with relentless, one-sided negativity rather than fair reporting. The push touches White House access and credentialing rather than a formal broadcast ban. Press access fights cut both ways. Any administration narrowing access for critical outlets invites the same treatment from the next one, regardless of which networks are targeted.

A neuropsychologist is warning that immigration-focused evaluations can become tools for delaying lawful deportations. The author cites training promoted by the Hispanic Neuropsychological Society on documenting cognitive and psychological conditions in immigration cases. Such reports can support asylum, hardship, and removal-relief claims. Courts need real clinical evidence, not advocacy dressed in medical language. Independent review would help expose reports built around legal goals instead of sound diagnoses.

Retired Marine Col. Rick Brown's experience shows why military recruits deserve the truth about risk. Infantry troops usually face greater danger than legal, supply, or administrative personnel, but no specialty comes with a safety guarantee. Deployments, attacks, accidents, and changing missions can put anyone in harm's way. Recruiters should not sell technical assignments as ordinary civilian jobs with uniforms. Service is a commitment that can demand sacrifice without warning.

President Trump is expected at Neyland Stadium as Texas faces Tennessee at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC. Texas joined the SEC in 2024, and this matchup carries early conference and playoff weight. Trump's presence will bring federal security, national attention, and a packed political spotlight to Knoxville. Fans will watch the football, but the crowd's reaction will become part of the story before kickoff.

ESPN placed the Miami Dolphins 32nd in its rankings after an 0-2 opening to the 2026 season. The ranking itself does not affect playoff standings, but the losses already hurt Miami in a crowded AFC. Division position, wild-card tiebreakers, and confidence can disappear quickly during a 17-game schedule. Week 3 now carries more pressure than any September game should. Miami must prove its problems are fixable before 0-2 becomes a full collapse.

Ivar Stenberg has five preseason points through two games for the San Jose Sharks. The 18-year-old scored three goals, added two assists, and posted a plus-3 rating after being selected second overall in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Preseason numbers require perspective, but elite talent should look elite against players fighting for roster spots. Stenberg is already giving San Jose signs that its long rebuild may be accelerating.

The Minnesota Lynx and Las Vegas Aces lead the title outlook entering the 2026 WNBA playoffs. Minnesota is seeking a league-record fifth championship and its first since 2017. Rookie Olivia Miles joins the Lynx's veteran core, while Caitlin Clark returns for Indiana's postseason push. Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers will make their playoff debuts. The league now has established contenders and young stars capable of drawing new viewers when games matter most.

I see one thread running through today's briefing: institutions avoid accountability until somebody applies pressure. Trump is testing whether agencies must spend every last dollar, courts must accept advocacy-driven evaluations, and media companies deserve permanent White House privileges. You should judge each fight by the same standard. Who benefits, who pays, and who answers when the system fails?

Today's trivia: How many states must ratify a constitutional amendment?
Answer: Three-fourths of the states must ratify an amendment before it becomes part of the Constitution.

Keep watching where Washington sends your money. Hit reply with what's on your radar.

Stay free,

Brett Lee
Editor, Project Liberty
projectlibertyus.com

Follow: @projectlibertyus | @real_brett_lee