Last weekend, Anna Bower started to receive Signal messages from the U.S. attorney who is leading the prosecution of Letitia James. Throughout the exchange, Lindsay Halligan complained about Bower’s tweets and reporting on the indictment–but never once asked to be off the record.
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“Anna, Lindsey Halligan Here.”
My Signal exchange with the interim U.S. attorney about the Letitia James grand jury.
The U.S. government has shut down. The Trump admin made clear its intention to use this as an opportunity to permanently reduce the size of the federal workforce. Nick Bednar looks at the legal challenges it will face if it tries to implement sweeping reductions in force.
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Reductions in Force During Shutdowns: Easier Said Than Done
Even if a lapse in appropriations justifies RIFs, the administration will struggle to lawfully carry out such RIFs.
In November the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the challenge to President Trump's tariffs. Paul Stephan explores how the major questions doctrine limits the judiciary's ability to allow the president to implement tariffs without clear congressional buy-in.
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IEEPA Authorizes Asset Freezing, Not Seizing
Treating a tax or tariff as different from a confiscation is an interpretive issue that should be decided by Congress, not the judiciary.
"If you dismantle the infrastructure that is responsible for dealing with violent extremist groups and investigating individuals who may be plotting something, that also affects your ability to notice people who may be planning to kill the Charlie Kirks of the world," writes Benjamin Wittes.
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The Situation: A Less Effective FBI
If we’re not already seeing that in the Charlie Kirk investigation, we will soon.
"Accused of debasing the military by having it commit crimes and then boasting of it, Vance does not bother to deny the premise." In the Situation, Benjamin Wittes considers the vice president's tweets defending the targeting killing of civilian drug traffickers.
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The Situation: “The Highest and Best Use of Our Military”
According to the vice president, it’s killing civilian drug traffickers.
Today, Judge Sooknanan held an emergency hearing in a lawsuit filed to challenge the Trump administration's removal of unaccompanied minors to Guatemala. Read Anna Bower's live blog from the hearing:
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Emergency Hearing over the Removal of Unaccompanied Minors to Guatemala
A play-by-play of Judge Sooknanan’s hearing where she blocked the Trump administration's plans to send hundreds of unaccompanied children to Guat...
This morning, Judge Jia Cobb held a hearing in Cook v. Trump, a lawsuit in which Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook is challenging President Donald Trump's attempt to fire her from the Board of Governors. Anna Bower covered the hearing as it happened. Read her report:
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What Happened During Fed Governor Cook’s Hearing?
A play-by-play of Judge Cobb’s hearing in Cook v. Trump, a lawsuit challenging Trump’s attempt to fire a member of the Fed’s Board of Governors
ICYMI: Watch this week’s Trials of the Trump Administration where Benjamin Wittes, Anna Bower, Roger Parloff, and James Pearce discuss the FBI’s search of John Bolton’s house, a ruling in the civil fraud case against President Trump, updates in Rep. LaMonica McIver’s case, and more. https://www.youtube.com/live/vR7SQ-tb-4g
The Syrian government is consolidating power and excluding important groups. It’s time for the United States and Europe to use their leverage, writes Haddon Barth.
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The West Is Helping Syria Build a Government No Minority Wants to Join
Until it demands inclusive governance, the West’s vision of a unified and stable Syria will remain out of reach.
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