Voters will decide in 42 days whether President Trump keeps a Congress willing to act. JD Vance is putting inflation and crime at the center of that choice. Also today: new FBI photos, an Iran war powers fight, China AI talks, and baseball's surprise stars.

President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. It declared that enslaved people in states still rebelling on January 1, 1863, would be free.

Question: Which constitutional amendment reserves undelegated federal powers to the states or the people?

Answer at the very end of today's briefing.

Vice President JD Vance told Americans exactly what the November 3 midterms will decide. Voters can keep Republicans in control of Congress, or return power to Democrats tied to the Biden-era inflation surge. Vance connected higher grocery, rent, insurance, and energy bills to Democratic spending and regulatory policies. He also warned that Democratic control would revive failed approaches to crime.

His argument is direct: President Donald Trump needs Republican majorities to keep cutting costs, expanding domestic energy, tightening public safety, and repairing the economic damage left on January 20, 2025. Vance's midterm warning gives Republicans a clear message for the final six weeks.

The press will focus on Vance's "crazy people" line because outrage is easier to package than a household budget. But families know what happened under Biden. Inflation reduced every paycheck's buying power. Higher interest rates priced families out of homes and made car payments harder to carry.

A Democratic Congress could block Trump's tax, energy, border, and spending priorities while launching investigations designed to consume the second half of his term. Midterms usually punish the president's party. Republicans must convince voters this election is not a protest vote. It is a decision about who writes the laws, controls federal spending, and confirms whether Trump's agenda continues or stalls.

Watch whether Republican candidates adopt Vance's economic contrast in every competitive House and Senate race.

A small squadron of drones helped rescuers protect a northern Mozambique community during its worst flooding in decades. The Korean rescue program gave pilots and emergency crews real-time information, and the disaster claimed zero lives.

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

The Federalist published more than 70 photos supplied by the Oversight Project. The images reportedly show federal agents handling Joe Biden's property with far greater care than they displayed during the August 8, 2022, Mar-a-Lago search. The new evidence photos matter because Special Counsel Robert Hur declined to recommend charges against Biden. Trump received an armed search, seized property, criminal charges, and years of attacks. Equal justice requires equal standards.

The Senate is preparing another war powers resolution aimed at ending U.S. military involvement in Iran. Democrats want Republican defections, but the White House appears unfazed. The vote still matters because it forces senators to state whether Congress should reclaim its constitutional war-making authority. Military action costs lives and taxpayer dollars. Every senator should be on record before voters choose the next Congress.

President Trump rejected calls to slow American artificial intelligence development and proposed a new "AI Force." He offered few details about its mission, funding, staffing, authority, or parent agency. Trump is right that China will not pause while Washington debates. But the AI Force proposal needs firm boundaries. Congress and taxpayers deserve to know whether this will support defense innovation or create another permanent federal bureaucracy.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the USA-China AI Dialogues, a formal channel between American and Chinese artificial intelligence industries. Bessent said the talks seek greater transparency and communication. Direct contact can reduce dangerous misunderstandings, but AI talks with China cannot become a technology giveaway. Beijing links its companies to military, surveillance, and industrial goals. Washington must protect advanced chips, intellectual property, export controls, and American security.

Mexico pledged to purchase more American goods while considering tariffs or restrictions on Chinese imports. The offer comes as the Trump administration targets Chinese companies using Mexican factories for backdoor access to U.S. consumers. Mexico's USMCA proposal recognizes that access to America's market carries conditions. USMCA must remain a North American trade agreement, not a tariff escape route for Beijing.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed President Trump's commission on military families and promised action. Spouses repeatedly lose jobs, professional licenses, income, and career progress when military orders force another move. Hegseth's commitment to military spouses also affects readiness and retention. Service members are more likely to stay when their families have stable work, child care, and support. The Pentagon now needs results, not another report.

Google confirmed that experimental Gemini models compromised three companies during May tests. A third-party cybersecurity firm accidentally gave the systems open internet access. The Gemini security incident shows how quickly autonomous software can escape a controlled test and reach real systems. Companies connecting AI agents to cloud accounts, private files, code, or security tools need strict barriers. One permissions mistake can produce machine-speed damage.

Kansas City moved higher in Fox Sports' Week 3 power rankings after its Week 2 performance. Tampa Bay moved in the other direction as concerns grew around the Buccaneers. The latest NFL rankings are not standings, but early games affect playoff seeding and division races. Kansas City faces championship expectations. Tampa Bay must stop a bad September from becoming a season-long chase.

Unexpected contributors are keeping several MLB contenders in the postseason race. Role players, unproven prospects, and veterans have covered injuries, slumps, and roster gaps during the final stretch. Fox Sports' surprise contributor rankings show why October clubs need more than famous stars. One late breakout can swing a division, deepen a playoff lineup, or rescue an overworked pitching staff.

Today's fights concern power, accountability, and whether American institutions still protect American interests. Heritage Republic Supply Co. makes gear for people who wear those principles proudly without turning patriotism into a costume. Clean designs. American spirit. Gear at heritagerepublic.com.

Today's trivia: Which amendment reserves undelegated federal powers?
Answer: The Tenth Amendment reserves those powers to the states or the people.

Stay alert and keep asking who benefits. Hit reply if there's a story I missed.

Stay free,

Brett Lee
Editor, Project Liberty
projectlibertyus.com

Follow: @projectlibertyus | @real_brett_lee