The U.S. said Sunday that it struck rocket launchers on Iran's Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, the first strikes in weeks. Meanwhile, Iran said it retaliated by targeting American bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. Aaron…
Page A4From§Eachthe noon edition — 31 August 2026
House returns after vacation to avoid shutdown, promptly resumes bombing Iran
Congress returns to session after nearly forty days on recess, with the official priority of preventing a government shutdown. The coverage from NBC News and The Hill notes the urgency—shutdown bills, live updates, and the pressure to keep government open. The same day, the U.S. launches strikes against Iran for the first time in weeks, with Trump threatening further action on Kharg Island (CBS News, The Hill, New York Times). The sequence is routine: Congress convenes, the war machine spins up, and the cycle repeats. The House’s commitment to averting a shutdown is quickly overshadowed by the resumption of overseas strikes, a pattern so regular it barely qualifies as news. The stakes are clear: domestic priorities take a backseat to military maneuvers, with costs and consequences passed quietly to the public. The official rationale is ‘security’—but the ledger reads ‘business as usual.’
“They take five weeks off while the bills stack up, come back for one day of 'work,' and the first order of business is bombing Iran. Shutdown gets a headline, war gets a rubber stamp, and the rest of us just get the bill.”
“The House has a duty to protect America, and sometimes that means decisive action overseas. A shutdown would be bad, but so would letting Iran get away with—wait, did I say bombing Iran was a priority? That doesn't sound like me. Anyway, it's all about responsible governance.”
The receipts
The renewed attacks were the latest sign that the war that began six months ago appears far from over.
The House is back ith a top priority of avoiding a government shutdown before the midterm elections.
The U.S. and Iran traded strikes for the first time in weeks. American attacks targeted apparent Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island. CBS News' Olivia Rinaldi reports.
The U.S. resumed strikes on Iran on Sunday, hitting rocket launchers on Larak Island that U.S. Central Command said were ready to deploy mines into the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then retaliated, carrying out attacks on American military…
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.