Good morning, it's Monday, Sept. 28. The White House is now paying for a copy of a Trump campaign ad with federal money, and the rule meant to stop that has a weak spot.

Also in today's issue: Iran talks back on, a plot near a U.S. bomber base, looser mileage rules for cars.

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If you watched cable news this weekend, you may have helped pay for one of the ads.

The Trump administration is airing a near-copy of a 2024 Trump campaign ad with government money, the Associated Press reported Sunday. The black-and-white spot shows President Trump walking down a hallway while his voice promises a "final battle" against his enemies. This version ends with a different line: "Paid for by the U.S. Government."

Here's the thing: that money comes from taxpayers. Spending on this one spot has already topped $319,000, according to AdImpact, a firm that tracks ad buys. It is the third government-paid ad promoting the president since Wednesday. So the next time a commercial break ends with that government tag, you are looking at a line in the federal budget you help fund, running five weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

And there is a rule meant to stop exactly this. We'll come back to why it may not.

Since the 1950s, every yearly spending bill Congress passes has included a ban on using federal money for "publicity or propaganda." That includes the funding bill Trump signed in February. The Government Accountability Office, Congress's nonpartisan watchdog, has said the ban covers messages that are purely partisan or meant to help a party or candidate, according to The Washington Post.

Now look, the White House has an argument worth hearing. It calls the ads public service announcements that remind Americans to love their country. Trump is not on the ballot, it notes, and the ads never tell anyone how to vote. It also points out that past presidents ran government ads: George W. Bush on a Medicare law, Joe Biden on COVID-19 vaccines.

But those campaigns promoted a program people could use. These ads promote the man in office. Trump has also told supporters to vote as if he were on the ballot. Lawmakers from both parties have objected. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has raised the Hatch Act, a law that bars federal workers from using government resources for political campaigns.

This is where things get complicated. A ban only works if someone enforces it. In 2004, the GAO found that Bush-era videos promoting the Medicare law broke the propaganda rule. But a GAO finding is a legal opinion, not a court order. It hands the problem to Congress, and the House has left town until after the election.

The honest truth is that this is less about one ad than about precedent. If a sitting president can run his own campaign spot under a government label, the next president of either party can point to this weekend and do the same.

This week, watch two things: whether AdImpact's spending totals keep climbing, and whether the GAO reviews them. A formal finding would give Congress a clear record when it returns. If no one weighs in, the question becomes whether taxpayer-funded ads for presidents turn into a normal part of campaign season.

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One day after rejecting Iran's offer, President Trump said Sunday he expects more talks with Tehran this week. He added that he is always thinking about resuming strikes. Qatari mediators sent both sides a compromise text and may meet each as early as Monday. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said his country is ready for either talks or war. The gap is still wide: Iran wants to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. naval blockade, while Washington wants nuclear promises first. For drivers, the talks matter more than the tough words. A U.S. defense official said 22 million barrels of oil moved through the strait Friday night, the most since the war began, yet oil prices still rose and gas averaged $4.47.

Britain's counterterrorism police arrested five men early Sunday near RAF Fairford, an air base in western England that U.S. B-1 and B-52 bombers have used to strike Iran since February. Officers acted on a 12:45 a.m. tip about three vehicles heading toward the base. The men are held on suspicion of explosives offenses and preparing a terrorist act. President Trump said U.S. and British officials had watched the men for a long time. Police have not named a motive or confirmed any link to Iran. The arrests are a reminder that a war fought mostly from the air still puts American troops and their families at risk far from the fighting. The U.S. Embassy urged Americans in Britain to stay careful.

New cars will face looser mileage rules under standards the Trump administration plans to release Monday. Trump, who approved them Saturday, says they will save families thousands on a new car. Federal regulators projected the new rules would set a fleetwide average of about 34.5 miles per gallon by 2031, down from 50.4 under Biden-era rules. Supporters note that the average new car now tops $50,000 and argue strict rules push prices higher. Environmental groups argue that less efficient cars burn more gas, and the Sierra Club vowed to fight the rule. The trade-off is simple: a lower price at the dealership against higher costs at the pump for years. That math lands as gas averages $4.47, up from $4.09 a month ago.

That's the average miles per gallon new cars and light trucks would need to reach by 2031 under the new rules, according to federal regulators' projection. Under Biden-era rules, the target was 50.4. At $4.47 a gallon, the gap will show up at the pump.

P.S. Should presidents ever run TV ads with tax money? Hit Reply — one word is enough.