congress

A handy guide to all Congress happenings on both sides of the aisle. Thank goodness for this political body that keeps Presidential power in check.

Ten Thousand Bombs Fell. The Number Didn’t Move.
From "swift victory" to quagmire: six months of the 2026 Iran war At 2:00 AM on February 28, 2026, in Tehran. A bunker-buster tore through Khamenei's residence. Hours later, Iranian state television interrupted its regular programming. The announcer wore a black robe and read a statement with no accompanying footage. Three sentences: The Leader is martyred. The enemy will pay. The Strait of Hormuz is closed.
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
Russia’s Election Was Predictable. What Comes Next Is the Part That Matters.
After Russia’s Parliamentary Election: A Vote With No Suspense, and Who It Will Press Down on Next Moscow time, Sunday evening, at United Russia party headquarters. Dmitry Medvedev and Sergey Lavrov stood in front of a screen as the numbers jumped. Staff brought tea. No one drank it. This scene had been written before the vote. The only difference was where the percentage on the screen would finally stop.
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
Europe’s Spy Chiefs Say Russia Is Preparing to Test NATO. The Baltics Are Saying: Don’t Panic.
The eve of the storm: The Russian threat and NATO’s credibility dilemma in the eyes of European intelligence A report based on September 2026 intelligence assessments
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
Britain Sent One Tanker to Saudi Arabia. Here’s Why It Could Decide the Red Sea.
UK refuels Saudi jets: how one Voyager links Yemen, the Red Sea, and Britain’s bills On 22 September 2026, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham told reporters aboard a flight to New York that the UK had agreed to Saudi Arabia’s request for the Royal Air Force to provide air-to-air refuelling for Saudi jets. He said the recommendation came from the defence secretary and the foreign secretary, and that he had approved the “defensive” support the night before. The agreement is time-limited and will be kept under review. In the coming days, an RAF Voyager tanker will carry out the mission, refuelling Saudi aircraft on missions to defend against drones and missiles. Britain said the mission will not support offensive strikes against the Houthis.
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
Trump Promised an “AI Force” in One Truth Social Post. Three Days Later, the White House Website Had Zero Results.
Trump’s “AI Force”: one post, zero agency codes On September 19, 2026, Trump posted on Truth Social. Forty minutes after the post went up, a former Commerce Department official asked in a Signal group: “Is the AI Force a military branch, a White House office, or just another working group?” No one in the group answered. Twenty minutes later, a congressional aide dragged the electronic version of the National Defense Authorization Act into a search box, typed “AI Force,” and got zero results.
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
Blood for Oil, Soldiers for Russia: Why North Korea Is Sending Its Men Into Putin’s War
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia could receive as many as 50,000 North Korean troops, revising his earlier estimate of 30,000. The figure has not been independently confirmed. Reuters reported that Zelenskyy did not publicly explain the basis for the new estimate.
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
The Day Westminster’s Era Was Declared Over: Three Cracks That Could Break Britain
Three Cracks, Connected I In the meeting room at Cardiff Bay there was a long table. A dark blue tablecloth. Four chairs, one on each side. Outside, the Welsh Government building was a wall of glass. September sun hit it and threw back a glare.
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
Iran Has Eight Days to Reach Trump Through Beijing
The Messenger and the Shock Absorber At 4 p.m. on September 15, 2026, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a single sentence on its website.
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
Singapore Raised Its Prime Minister’s Pay by 64%. The Math Is Only Half the Story.
Formula Restart: How Singapore’s 64% Ministerial Pay Raise Works and What It Changes On 8 September 2026, in Singapore’s Parliament, Lawrence Wong delivered a ministerial statement. He accepted the recommendations of the independent committee on political salaries. The annual benchmark for an MR4 entry-level minister would rise from S$1.1 million to S$1.8 million. The Prime Minister’s salary would rise from S$2.2 million to S$3.6 million. The increase was about 64%. The previous adjustment was in 2012, fifteen years earlier.
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
The Neighbor Finally Said No: Inside Canada’s Trade War With America
When the “Obedient Neighbor” Decides to Hit Back: Why Canada Dares to Say “No” to the United States August 21, Ottawa. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney halted trade negotiations with the United States and recalled the Canadian negotiating delegation from Washington.
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
Trump Said No to Saudi Arabia: The Red Sea Will Pay the Price
The weight of a “no” On September 10, 2026, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump twice. The first call was a briefing on Yemen. Hours later, he called again to ask U.S. forces to strike the Houthis.
By Jinabout a month ago in The Swamp
Trump’s Midterm Promise
News of the Republican National Convention circulate social media with the most recent promise from Trump. Trump claimed to offer Americans (oh, I’m sorry, I mean, adult American citizens) a dividend of $5000 because America is economically strong. Once he spat that promise, the stadium erupted with applause while opposing content creators flooded their accounts, ready to post the latest.
By Iris Harrisabout a month ago in The Swamp