The Supreme Court has restored a Homeland Security program that lets states verify the citizenship status of people on voter rolls while a legal challenge proceeds. The justices voted 6–3 to stay a lower-court order that had blocked the expanded checks. Supporters say states need a reliable way to identify noncitizen registrations; opponents warn that eligible voters could be wrongly flagged. The ruling leaves the underlying case unresolved as election officials prepare for November.

Sen. Jon Husted has called for a quick end to the Iran war and lower gas prices. He voted against a Senate measure directing the president to end U.S. hostilities. Rep. Ashley Hinson also called for an immediate end after opposing a House war-powers resolution. Only seven House Republicans supported that resolution. Luke Nicastro puts the focus on what lawmakers did with Congress’s power over war as voters face higher fuel costs.

The Army Reserve has surveyed troops in six types of formations about their availability for a possible 90-to-120-day deployment under U.S. Southern Command. The internal request did not name Cuba or issue deployment orders, but officials familiar with the planning linked it to potential Cuba operations. The inquiry reveals that military planners are preparing options as Washington raises pressure on Havana. What those options would entail, and whether the White House will use them, remains unclear.

A Virginia mother was convicted after letting her five-year-old walk alone to a pond inside a gated community. Marilyn Simon sees a wider problem in the case: neighbors, schools and authorities increasingly treat ordinary childhood independence as neglect. When parents fear intervention for allowing children room to explore, kids lose chances to judge risks, solve problems and grow in confidence. A society that trusts families less may leave its children less capable of facing the world.