The recent actions by Republican leadership in Texas and Florida aimed at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) deserve more than reflexive applause or predictable outrage. They require sober analysis. Whatever one thinks of CAIR’s activism, rhetoric, or policy positions, the mechanism being used against it should trouble anyone who takes constitutional limits seriously. These…
The Grijalva Mess Is a Bad Look for Washington
The State of Arizona has done something extraordinary, and not in a good way. It has sued the United States House of Representatives. The reason? Because the House, under Speaker Mike Johnson, still hasn’t sworn in Adelita Grijalva, the Democrat who won September’s special election to fill the late Raúl Grijalva’s seat. Her election is…
The Supreme Court and the Sword: A Case That Could Redefine Presidential Power
There’s a tug-of-war playing out across America right now, and it’s not between two candidates or even two political parties. It’s between the Constitution’s two halves: federal and state power. President Trump’s latest legal battle over deploying the National Guard in cities like Portland, Chicago, and San Francisco has pulled that rope tighter than it’s…
When Courts Say “No” to Troops, Should the President Invoke the Insurrection Act?
Over the past few weeks, the Trump administration’s attempt to insert federal military (or Guard) force into major American cities has triggered a cascade of courtroom pushbacks. What looked like a bold posture on law and order is increasingly turning into a legal war of attrition. The administration, frustrated by injunctions and restraining orders, is…
Whose Guard Is It Anyway?
When armored trucks and camo uniforms roll down city streets, it’s hard not to feel a twinge of unease, even for those of us who appreciate law and order. Over the past few months, National Guard convoys have appeared in a few urban battlegrounds, all under orders from Washington. Governors are suing, federal lawyers are…
The Federal Reserve Soap Opera: Supreme Court Edition
Well, folks, I called it, and I mean exactly called it. Back in my September 18 installment of The Federal Reserve Soap Opera, I said, “If I had to make an educated guess, the Supreme Court may be inclined to give Lisa Cook a short-term reprieve.” And lo and behold, that’s precisely what they did.…
IEEPA or IEEP-Ain’t? The Supreme Court to Weigh Trump’s Tariffs
Earlier this year, President Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to slap broad tariffs on imports from multiple countries. His reasoning was tied to what he declared as “emergencies”: drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and foreign nations playing unfair with U.S. trade. The logic was simple: if other countries were exploiting loopholes or…
Trump vs. The New York Times
Last week, on Monday, September 16, President Trump decided to take his long-simmering feud with The New York Times from the podium to the courtroom, filing a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the paper, several of its reporters, and even its publisher, Penguin Random House. The suit accused them of maliciously distorting his business record,…
You’re Fired: Should Presidents Have More Power to Say It?
President Trump brought his favorite Apprentice line with him to the Oval Office and he’s been tossing it around Washington like it’s confetti at a New Year’s party. In recent news, we’ve got Maurene Comey (yep, James Comey’s daughter) suing the Justice Department after losing her job. But the real headliner? The Supreme Court stepping…
The Federal Reserve Soap Opera: Appeals Court Edition
If you thought the Trump–Lisa Cook showdown at the Federal Reserve couldn’t get any more like a binge-worthy political thriller, think again. Forget Netflix; this saga is unfolding live, with more cliffhangers than a House of Cards marathon and just enough legal drama to make even Judge Judy grab some popcorn. Last week’s episode? A…