SUMMARY The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 today that IEEPA, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977, does not authorize the President to impose tariffs. The decision in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, 607 U.S. __ (2026), invalidates roughly half of all tariff revenue the government has collected over the past year. Trump responded within hours by … Read more
SUMMARY The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE Act, would require documentary proof of United States citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The House passed the latest version (now called the SAVE America Act) on February 11, 2026 by a vote of 218-213, with Republicans unanimously voting in favor and all … Read more
SUMMARY Federal law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, lack absolute immunity from criminal prosecution or civil lawsuits. While qualified immunity may protect agents from some civil liability, it doesn’t apply to criminal cases. Supreme Court precedent consistently limits absolute immunity to specific officials like judges and prosecutors performing core duties, not law enforcement personnel. The short … Read more
SUMMARY President Trump’s December 11, 2025 executive order attempts to override state AI laws by creating a Justice Department task force to sue states and threatening to withhold federal funding. Legal experts say the order is unconstitutional since only Congress can preempt state laws. The move has united an unusual coalition of MAGA Republicans and … Read more
SUMMARY This legal analysis examines whether Thanksgiving could be banned in the U.S. Arguments for prohibition include Establishment Clause violations via presidential turkey pardons, Commerce Clause issues from nationwide traffic disruptions and Eighth Amendment concerns about forced family gatherings. Defenses cite First Amendment assembly rights, pursuit of happiness principles and Ninth Amendment protections for unenumerated … Read more
This post has been updated here. SUMMARY If the Supreme Court rules against Trump’s tariff authority under IEEPA, he retains multiple alternatives. These include Section 232 for national security tariffs, Section 301 for unfair trade practices, other statutory provisions and non-tariff barriers. However, these options require more process, justification and targeted application than IEEPA’s sweeping … Read more
SUMMARY The Trump administration has begun demolishing the White House East Wing for a privately funded ballroom without required federal reviews, violating property and historic preservation laws. Congressional and agency enforcement mechanisms are ineffective because the president controls the agencies that would normally stop illegal work. Litigation offers the only realistic enforcement option, but faces … Read more
SUMMARY Former Congressman George Santos served just 84 days of his seven-year federal prison sentence for wire fraud and identity theft before President Trump commuted it in October 2025. Santos, who lied about virtually everything to get elected and stole from donors and family members, walked free based on political loyalty rather than justice, highlighting … Read more
SUMMARY Jawboning refers to government actors using informal threats or regulatory pressure to influence private speech, raising significant First Amendment concerns. The temporary, but very real, suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s show following his remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination exemplifies how such pressure creates a chilling effect, effectively silencing speech without direct censorship. Landmark court cases … Read more
SUMMARY Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, during the opening event of his American Comeback Tour. The assailant, Tyler James Robinson, fired from a rooftop and surrendered the next day. The incident sparked national outrage and a political backlash, with President Trump blaming the … Read more
The Supreme Court upheld Texas’s H.B. 1181, a law requiring commercial websites that distribute sexually explicit content to verify that users are at least 18 years old. The law targets material considered obscene for minors but not necessarily for adults. Petitioners representing the pornography industry challenged the statute as a violation of the First Amendment, … Read more
As a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for New York State who defended against habeas corpus petitions, I’ve witnessed firsthand how this ancient writ serves as the last line of defense for those challenging potentially unconstitutional imprisonment. What began as technical work evolved into a profound appreciation for habeas corpus as a cornerstone of American … Read more