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…

Trump, Lisa Cook, and the Federal Reserve Soap Opera

Episode I: As the Fed Turns Last month, I wrote a piece about President Trump, the Federal Reserve, and their messy custody battle over “independence.” Well, the plot has thickened, and we’ve officially entered soap opera territory. Welcome to this week’s episode of “As the Fed Turns.” Here’s the recap: President Trump tried to fire…

When Authority Meets Autonomy

President Trump recently pulled a pretty big lever of authority—the emergency powers tucked into the Home Rule Act—and with that, he temporarily took control of Washington, D.C.’s police force for up to 30 days. His reasoning? He says the city is facing a “crime emergency” and needs swift action. Alongside that, he brought in some…

The Courtroom Drama Over Rebecca Slaughter’s Job

On Tuesday, September 2, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a narrow 2–1 decision ordering that Rebecca Kelly Slaughter—a Democratic commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) whom President Trump had dismissed earlier this year—be reinstated without delay. Now, the judges didn’t pluck this out of thin air. They leaned on a bedrock case…

The Court, the Constitution, and Trump’s Los Angeles Deployment

The summer of 2025 was already simmering when Los Angeles became the epicenter of a political and constitutional storm. After a series of high-profile immigration raids swept through Southern California, the streets filled with demonstrators. Some were peaceful, gathering in large numbers to voice opposition to federal policy. Others grew heated, with scuffles breaking out…

When Due Process and National Security Collide

Last Friday, Judge Jia M. Cobb, who serves on the bench in D.C., handed down a ruling that essentially hit the brakes on President Trump’s expanded expedited removal policy. For years, expedited removal has been on the books as a kind of fast-track deportation system. It was limited in scope: if someone was caught within…

Tariffs, Courts, and the Constitution

Last Friday, President Trump’s trade agenda ran into a major hurdle when a federal appeals court stepped in with a big ruling on his tariffs. Now, before we start celebrating, panicking, or running out to hoard beans and rice, let’s all take a breath. These things are rarely as simple as they first appear. What…

An Analysis of the Recent Trump Asylum Ruling

On July 2, a major legal ruling shook the immigration debate when U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss struck down one of President Trump’s most aggressive attempts to rein in the chaos at the southern border. The case centered on a sweeping executive proclamation issued by the president on January 20—his first day back in office—declaring…

An Analysis of the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Firing Federal Workers

On July 8, 2025, the Supreme Court handed President Trump a major procedural victory by issuing an unsigned emergency order that lifted a lower court’s injunction. That injunction—issued by a federal judge in San Francisco—had blocked Trump’s executive order authorizing mass layoffs across 19 federal agencies. This ruling doesn’t declare the executive order fully legal…