Senate Again Rejects Curbs on Trump's Iran War Powers as Strikes, Domestic Probes Escalate
Top Stories
- Senate rejects fourth war powers challenge on Iran: For the fourth time since the war with Iran began on February 28, Senate Democrats forced — and lost — a vote to curb President Trump's war-making authority, according to CBS News. CBS News' "The Takeout with Major Garrett" reported the next phase of the conflict remains uncertain as a U.S. blockade entered Day 3.
- Prosecutors denied entry at the Federal Reserve: CBS News reported that prosecutors from Jeanine Pirro's office made an unannounced visit to the Federal Reserve to access the building's ongoing renovations and were turned away. National Review separately characterized the probe as the "Trump DOJ's Farcical Powell Probe."
- Live Nation/Ticketmaster ruled an illegal monopoly: A jury found Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated as an illegal monopoly over large concert venues in a suit joined by dozens of states, CBS News reported.
- DOJ moves to vacate Jan. 6 convictions: CBS News reported the Justice Department is moving to vacate convictions against 12 former Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members, most of whom had been convicted of seditious conspiracy-related charges.
- Gabbard sends criminal referrals tied to first Trump impeachment: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has referred a government watchdog official and a whistleblower to the DOJ over the complaint that helped trigger Trump's first impeachment, per CBS News.
Left Perspective
Outlets on the left leaned into oversight and civil-liberties angles:
- CBS News framed the failed Senate war-powers vote as the fourth Democratic-led attempt to constrain the president's Iran campaign.
- CBS News highlighted the denied prosecutorial visit to the Federal Reserve as notable executive-branch pressure on the central bank.
- CBS News covered the detention of longtime courtroom interpreter Meenu Batra by ICE, noting she had worked legally in the U.S. for more than 20 years.
- CBS News reported Justice Sonia Sotomayor's apology to Justice Brett Kavanaugh over "hurtful" and "inappropriate" remarks she made regarding ICE arrests.
- CBS News reported three killed in the latest U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat in the eastern Pacific, noting Trump's framing of "armed conflict" with Latin American cartels.
- CBS News covered the Trump administration's move to downplay contraception in the Title X program as U.S. births fell 1% in 2025.
- CBS News reported the FDA will weigh easing restrictions on peptides, following HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s statements that he is a "big fan."
Right Perspective
Right-leaning coverage emphasized ideological critiques and institutional questions:
- National Review argued in "JD Vance's Post-Liberal Populism Reaches the Point of Diminishing Returns" that the vice president's alignment with figures like Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán is yielding diminishing political returns.
- National Review urged Congress to reauthorize FISA Section 702 again, framing it as essential to national-security surveillance capabilities.
- National Review labeled the DOJ's investigation surrounding Fed Chair Jerome Powell "farcical," criticizing the administration's posture toward the central bank.
- National Review published "Canada's Anti-American Defense Industrial Strategy," critiquing PM Mark Carney's defense procurement direction.
- National Review ran "The Male Feminism Con Job," a cultural commentary centered on Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.).
- National Review also covered the Whitney Biennial in a mixed arts review.
International View
- CBS News reported FIFA President Gianni Infantino reiterated that Iran will participate in the World Cup "for sure" despite the ongoing U.S.–Iran war.
- CBS News reported an eighth grader armed with five guns killed 9 and wounded 13 in a school shooting in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey — a day after a separate school attack injured 16.
- CBS News marked three years since the start of Sudan's civil war, with Mercy Corps CEO Tjada D'Oyen McKenna telling the outlet that systems sustaining life in Sudan have "functionally collapsed."
- CBS News reported Trump's claim that China has agreed not to send weapons to Iran, with Politico's Phelim Kine providing analysis.
- National Review characterized Canadian PM Mark Carney's defense industrial plan as "anti-American."
- CBS News reported backlash in Australia over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's visit.
Underreported
- Sudan's civil war anniversary: Despite the scale described by Mercy Corps' CEO in CBS News' coverage — a "functional collapse" of life-sustaining systems after three years — the story received limited day-of attention relative to Iran and domestic political stories.
- U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats: CBS News reported three more killed in an eastern Pacific strike tied to Trump's declared "armed conflict" with cartels, an ongoing lethal campaign drawing less coverage than other military news.
- St. Louis police shooting accountability: CBS News carried the mother of 17-year-old Emeshyon Wilkins, fatally shot by a St. Louis police officer nearly two years ago, still seeking accountability.
- $1.4 trillion utility investment for AI power demand: CBS News cited a nonpartisan nonprofit report finding U.S. utilities plan to invest $1.4 trillion over five years to strengthen the grid for AI — a structural economic story receiving comparatively little attention.
- Tariff refund portal launch: CBS News reported a federal agency will open a portal April 20 for businesses to seek refunds on Trump tariffs struck down by the Supreme Court.
- State gas tax debate amid Iran war: CBS News reported that states are hesitant to suspend gas and diesel taxes even as the Iran conflict raises fuel prices.
Sources
- CBS News (lean left): https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-war-powers-vote-iran-tammy-duckworth/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/prosecutors-turned-away-federal-reserve-unannounced-visit/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fifa-gianni-infantino-iran-world-cup-war/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/041526-cbs-evening-news/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/systems-sustain-life-sudan-functionally-collapsed-3-years-civil-war/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/live-nation-ticketmaster-anticompetitive-monopoly-ticketing-industry/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/courtroom-interpreter-detained-by-ice-meenu-batra/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brian-hooker-leaves-bahamas-amid-search-missing-wife-to-be-with-ailing-mother/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/turkey-school-shooting-kahramanmaras/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-weigh-restrictions-peptides-rfk-jr/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/041526-the-takeout-with-major-garrett/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/details-justice-department-trying-vacate-jan-6-rioters-convictions/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/what-we-know-trump-says-china-agreed-not-send-weapons-iran/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/breaking-down-what-happened-influencer-clavicular-looksmaxxing/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/utility-companies-planning-invest-trillions-power-grids-ai/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/why-prince-harry-meghan-markle-facing-backlash-australia/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/mother-of-17-year-old-fatally-shot-by-st-louis-police-speaks-out-they-just-treated-him-so-badly/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/emeshyon-wilkins-mother-shaina-wilkins-wants-justice/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gabbard-criminal-referrals-doj-whistleblower-watchdog-trump-first-impeachment/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/3-killed-latest-us-strike-alleged-drug-boat-eastern-pacific/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sotomayor-apologizes-kavanaugh-ice-arrests-supreme-court/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-birth-rate-pregnancy-contraception-title-x/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-to-file-for-tariff-refund/
- CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gas-taxes-states-iran-war/
- National Review (right): https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/jd-vances-post-liberal-populism-reaches-the-point-of-diminishing-returns/
- National Review: https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/reauthorize-fisa-section-702-again/
- National Review: https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/the-good-the-awful-the-non-art-and-the-motherly-at-the-whitney-biennial/
- National Review: https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/the-trump-dojs-farcical-powell-probe-continues/
- National Review: https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/canadas-anti-american-defense-industrial-strategy/
- National Review: https://www.nationalreview.com/2026/04/the-male-feminism-con-job/
Sources
