Iran is testing President Trump while disrupted shipping pushes your energy costs higher. Today, I break down Trump's response, Democrats' escalating civil war, the FCC's new Republican majority, and the Senate candidate who tried deleting his anti-gun record.

On August 12, 1898, the United States and Spain signed the Protocol of Peace, ending hostilities in the Spanish-American War. Military strength forced negotiations, but diplomacy closed the conflict.

Question: How long is one term for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives?

Answer at the very end of today's briefing.

President Donald Trump added new demands in negotiations with Iran's regime and warned that the United States has strong military options. Oil prices climbed as hopes faded for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy routes. Markets are pricing risk in real time.

Traders see a regime willing to squeeze global commerce while negotiating over American demands. Trump's warning tells Tehran that delay carries a cost. It also tells allies that Washington will not accept permanent disruption at a shipping chokepoint.

You will pay for a prolonged standoff long before diplomats announce another meeting. Higher shipping and insurance costs move through gasoline, home heating, food, manufacturing, and delivery prices. The press will focus on Trump's language because conflict creates better television than tanker schedules. The missing story is pressure.

Iran gains bargaining power when markets panic, while Trump gains bargaining power when Iran believes military force is credible. Empty warnings invite more obstruction. Reckless action could widen the conflict. The job is to make the threat credible enough that force becomes unnecessary. Watch whether shipping traffic resumes, insurers lower their risk premiums, and Tehran accepts the new American demands.

A Brown University student spent the summer helping Providence teenagers practice English through journals, games, and trips into the community. The students used their new skills in real conversations with cashiers and neighbors. Confidence grows when someone takes the time to teach.

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

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker accused Trump of putting people in danger "to save himself" after a credible Iranian threat in July. The Secret Service moved Trump onto a small military jet as part of its protective response. Pritzker offered no public evidence that Trump overruled security professionals. Iran threatened the sitting president, yet CNN turned the protective response into a character attack.

Trump is leaving an open Democratic seat unfilled, producing a 3-1 Republican majority at the Federal Communications Commission. Chairman Brendan Carr can now act faster on spectrum, broadband, telecom regulation, and Biden-era rules. Trump has not removed the remaining Democratic commissioner. Personnel decisions determine policy, and Trump learned that lesson from his first term.

CNN's KFILE found that Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed removed public access to more than 100 videos. The deleted material reportedly included attacks on the Second Amendment and criticism of immigration enforcement. El-Sayed won his primary before the footage returned to public view. Candidates delete records because consultants know honest answers could cost votes.

A Pentagon assessment found that three U.S. strikes against Iran-backed Houthi forces in April 2025 resulted in significant civilian casualties, according to a newly disclosed report. Houthi forces have a documented history of operating from civilian areas, embedding weapons and personnel among noncombatants to complicate precision targeting. The campaign targeted a group that has fired repeatedly on American ships and international shipping lanes. Military officials say targeting protocols continue to be refined as intelligence and battlefield conditions evolve.

Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan won the Democratic Senate nomination by roughly 20 points. Her decisive primary victory marked another defeat for the political orbit surrounding Senate leader Chuck Schumer. Democratic activists are rejecting establishment control in competitive races. Schumer's authority depends on fundraising and candidate discipline, and both weaken whenever voters reject his preferred lane.

One hidden video reportedly shows El-Sayed proposing to abolish the Second Amendment in exchange for a government-recognized "right to have health care." CNN reported that he concealed up to 100 videos. His anti-gun proposal was not an offhand comment buried in an interview. Michigan voters now get to decide whether the deleted record reveals the real candidate.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang wants lenders to finance data centers using Nvidia GPUs as long-term collateral. The plan could support roughly $500 billion in AI construction, but the collateral value depends on chips retaining resale demand. Faster upgrades and tighter China export controls could wreck those assumptions. If lenders treat GPUs like rapidly depreciating equipment, financing costs will jump and weaker projects will die.

A Syrian court sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad to death after his regime fell in December 2024. Assad remains in Russia under political asylum, so the death sentence remains symbolic unless Moscow hands him over. The verdict helps Syria's new rulers reject the old regime. Actual enforcement depends on Vladimir Putin, not a courtroom in Damascus.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai says Gemini now has one billion monthly users. OpenAI also says ChatGPT exceeds one billion users, putting both systems at global consumer scale. Schools and employers will soon treat AI fluency like basic computer literacy. Google and OpenAI also gain immense power over which answers appear, which sources vanish, and how information gets filtered.

Most Americans do not understand how the federal government actually works. They know the names of the branches, but not who controls budgets, appointments, regulations, investigations, and enforcement. The upcoming Government 101 Field Guide is a $9 digital field manual built to show you where power sits and how decisions get made. Reply GUIDE to get on the early list.

A credible Iranian threat against President Trump triggered a Secret Service security response in July. The agency moved the sitting president onto a small military jet. That detail now matters because Pritzker is using the protective action to accuse Trump of cowardice without showing that Trump ignored or overruled protocol.

The original foreign threat disappeared from the framing. Democrats and cable hosts shifted attention toward travel optics because blaming Trump is easier than confronting Iran's willingness to threaten an American president. The result pressures the Secret Service to explain sensitive decisions publicly, which could expose procedures that should remain protected.

Today's trivia: How long is a U.S. House term?
Answer: Members of the U.S. House of Representatives serve two-year terms.

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Brett Lee
Editor, Project Liberty
projectlibertyus.com

Follow: @projectlibertyus | @real_brett_lee