Senator Tim Kaine pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on compliance with the War Powers Resolution, which caps a president‑initiated conflict at 60 days without congressional approval. The Iran operation hits that deadline today, and Hegseth says a cease‑fire pauses the clock. Legal scholars counter that the law has no “pause button,” warning Republican backing could erode if Congress does not vote.

House Speaker Mike Johnson announced that after 76 days Congress passed a funding bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, ending the longest shutdown. The measure funds the agency but leaves ICE and parts of Border Patrol unfunded, while Republicans plan to inject $70 billion into immigration enforcement through the term’s end. The deal eliminates TSA lines and restores paychecks for thousands of federal workers.

American Airlines resumed the first commercial route to Venezuela in nearly seven years, reviving tourism and oil‑sector travel after the Trump administration lifted the 2019 ban. Passengers called the flight emotional, reflecting pent‑up demand among the diaspora and U.S. firms planning meetings with Venezuela’s new leadership. Airlines could profit from restored bilateral traffic, while investors watch for sanction shifts that might affect energy contracts.