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…
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…
Reflecting on the Supreme Court’s ICE Raids Decision
On Monday, the Supreme Court delivered a 6–3 decision through its emergency docket, striking down limits that had been placed on immigration raids in Los Angeles and across parts of Southern California. A lower court had put those restrictions in place to keep Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from relying too heavily on things like…
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…
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…
A Tangled Ruling with Real-World Stakes
Yesterday, the Supreme Court handed down a razor-thin 5–4 decision that allows the Trump administration to move forward with its plan to pause—or even fully terminate—roughly $783 million in NIH grants. These aren’t small, obscure projects either. We’re talking about research on women’s health, HIV prevention, suicide and mental health interventions, real-world studies that deal…
An Analysis of the Supreme Court’s Ruling on DOE Layoffs
In a major 6–3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court gave President Trump the green light to move forward with a massive layoff of 1,400 employees at the Department of Education, about 40% of its staff. This is no small move; it’s a critical step toward fulfilling President Trump’s longstanding promise to dismantle the federal education…
An Analysis of the SCOTUS Ruling on Third-Country Removals
On July 3, in a 7–2 decision, the Supreme Court lifted a Massachusetts court injunction that had required at least 15 days' notice and an opportunity to contest deportation to a third country. This injunction, issued by Judge Brian Murphy, was specifically designed to prevent hasty or potentially dangerous removals. The unsigned high court order…