Today’s edition of quick hits.
* This resolution passed on a 214-208 vote, with four Republicans breaking ranks: “For the second time in as many months, the House voted to curb President Donald Trump’s authority in Iran. Politically, Democrats think it means lawmakers may finally be ready to stand up to Trump on the war. Practically, it means very little.”
* On a related note, shortly after the House vote: “[S]enators voted 47-49 on a motion to discharge an Iran war powers resolution, falling short of the majority needed to advance the resolution that would rein in Trump’s authority in Iran. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, joined most Democrats in favor of the motion. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., joined most Republicans in opposition.”
* A welcome reversal: “The Justice Department said on Thursday that it would withdraw the subpoenas that sought phone records and grand jury testimony from New York Times journalists who had reported on the security capabilities of President Trump’s new Qatari-built Air Force One jet.”
* The obvious result of regional instability: “International oil prices rose to their highest level since early June, crossing the $100-per-barrel threshold this morning as escalated fighting in the Middle East stokes fresh concern over global supply. Brent crude, the key international benchmark, rose more than 6%, to $100 per barrel, after Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen reportedly attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea overnight into Thursday.”
* Isn’t the Carroll case over? “E. Jean Carroll already received the $5 million (plus interest) she won from President Donald Trump in one of the writer’s two civil cases against him. But the president is trying to claw back the money as he mounts a long-shot attempt to convince the Supreme Court to reconsider reviewing his appeal in that case, even though the justices recently declined review without any of them dissenting.”
* An interesting legal question: “Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new initiative to test and treat troops for low testosterone has prompted a federal judge to question the differences between that kind of testosterone replacement therapy and hormone treatment for transgender men in the military.”
* Ideally, this is a question Senate Republicans would take seriously: “Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is denying he privately told senators he ‘made a mistake’ by setting up his department’s $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund to give payouts to Jan. 6 rioters, even as two Democratic senators say he told them directly he regretted setting up the slush fund.”
See you tomorrow.
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