Drive through almost any American suburb now and there is a good chance a Flock Safety camera is reading your license plate before you reach the next stop sign. The cameras have spread to thousands of towns, homeowners associations and police departments, and the question residents keep asking is simple: is this legal? The honest … Read more
The data center backlash has gone national, and it is moving faster than the law that governs it. Trackers count hundreds of local pauses and prohibitions across dozens of states. San Marcos, Texas removed data centers from its list of allowed uses in June. Lysander, New York approved a six month pause. In New Jersey, East Orange introduced an ordinance barring … Read more
On July 17, 2026, a federal appeals court held that New Jersey’s ban on semi-automatic rifles and its ban on magazines holding more than ten rounds both violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The en banc Third Circuit decision came down 10 to 5, and the opinions run to roughly 192 pages. Both laws are … Read more
This insight was originally published by Slate under the title The Trump Immunity Deal Is Neither a Deal Nor Does It Provide Immunity. A single sheet of paper sits somewhere in the files of the Justice Department announcing, in capital letters, that the United States is “FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED” from pursuing any claims against … Read more
This article (with different graphics) was originally published on Slate in July 2026. The state of Alaska has spent the past 14 years trying to confiscate an 82-year-old bush pilot’s $95,000 airplane because a passenger packed a six-pack of Budweiser with her groceries. That sentence is not a simplification. It is the whole case. And … Read more
When prosecutorial authority is wielded as a political tool rather than an impartial mechanism of law enforcement, the foundations of democratic governance begin to crack. Politicized prosecution threatens impartial justice and erodes public trust in legal institutions. I draw on historical and contemporary examples, and show how selective or retaliatory prosecutions corrupt perceptions of fairness … Read more
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