Vox Sentences: Congress is forcing itself into Iran nuclear talks

Welcome to Vox Sentences, our news bulletin breaking down the day's biggest stories.

1. Congress could review an Iran deal

EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif announce the terms of the nuclear deal. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

• The White House is willing to sign a Senate bill that would let Congress conduct a limited review on an Iran nuclear deal before it takes effect.

  [New York Times / Jonathan Weisman and Peter Baker]

• Iran's foreign minister said talks will resume on April 21, at which point negotiators will begin to hash out a final agreement based on the preliminary terms released a couple weeks ago.

  [Reuters / Julien Toyer]

• Here are the preliminary framework terms, broken down into plain English.

  [Vox / Max Fisher]

• Of course, even if all sides come to a final agreement, it's entirely possible that Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will refuse or undermine it.

  [Vox / Max Fisher]

• And even if a deal gets through all of that, some presidential candidates are already threatening to scrap it when they get in office.

  [Washington Post / Greg Sargent]

• One alternative to the Iran deal is airstrikes against the country's nuclear facilities — but such an act of war could throw the Middle East into chaos and very likely wouldn't end Iran's nuclear program.

  [Vox / Zack Beauchamp]

2. Will Congress overhaul Medicare by midnight?

Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY). (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

• The Senate has until midnight to overhaul Medicare with a funding fix that's been decades in the making.

  [Vox / Sarah Kliff]

• The problem goes back to a spending formula established in 1997 that has left Medicare short on money in recent years, forcing Congress to step in with short-term spending increases to keep the entitlement program afloat.

• The House of Representatives already passed a funding fix, but it would add $141 billion to the deficit over 10 years — leading Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) to oppose the deal and put the whole thing in jeopardy.

  [Deseret News / Mike Lee]

• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he believes he can get a deal passed.

  [The Hill / Sarah Ferris]

• This is, of course, just one of the many ways the US health-care system is dysfunctional; here are eight others.

  [Vox / Sarah Kliff]

3. The beginning of 2016

Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)

• The 2016 campaigns are officially underway, with Hillary Clinton hitting Iowa on Tuesday to rally support in the first primary state.

  [Washington Post / Anne Gearan]

• Clinton, the first Democrat in the race, said the US might need to pass a constitutional amendment to get money out of politics.

  [Vox / Andrew Prokop]

• On a lighter note, Clinton apparently bought some food at an Ohio Chipotle without anyone noticing who she was.

  [USA Today / William Cummings]

• Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) hasn't announced yet — in large part so he can raise even more money through Super PACs without violating campaign finance laws.

  [Vox / Andrew Prokop]

• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who announced he's running on Monday, is trying to sell himself as the fresh face against the Bush and Clinton dynasties.

  [Vox / Jonathan Allen]

• Graphic designer Rick Wolff turned Hillary Clinton's hideous campaign logo into its own font — and, logically, the Washington Post used the font to let anyone make their own logos for anything.

  [Washington Post / Philip Bump]

4. Misc.

• In yet another sign of thawing US-Cuba relations, the White House proposed removing Cuba from the list of states that sponsor terrorism.

  [New York Times / Randal Archibold and Julie Hirschfeld Davis]

• It's been 150 years since Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, so here are 37 maps that explain the Civil War he fought so hard to win.

  [Vox / Timothy Lee and Matthew Yglesias]

• Volunteer law enforcement officers like the one who killed Eric Harris are actually really common.

  [Vox / Jenée Desmond-Harris]

• Here are the 20 most influential political journalists on Twitter.

  [Politico / Dylan Byers]

• It wasn't until after World War II that pink became associated with women.

  [Vox / Estelle Caswell]

5. Verbatim

• "Personality-based political analysis is always a dubious venture — in my experience, pundits are terrible judges of character."

  [New York Times / Paul Krugman]

• "I inspire myself. But I've also been inspired by James Dean, Marlon Brando, and others."

  [Tommy Wiseau to Vox / Kelsey McKinney]

• "'There ain’t nothing like a man who will still show your pics some love after y’all break up.'"

  [New York Times Magazine / Jenna Wortham]

• "But it referred only obliquely to [Jennifer] Weiner's true social-media innovation: Co-opting her haters into her personal brand."

  [Slate / Amanda Hess]

• "Having a better understanding of why we blame and what we're seeking when we do can perhaps get to a more satisfactory — and productive — end."

  [Vox / Kate Klonick]

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