Executive Branch

Judge approves releasing source documents that detail more Trump-Jan. 6 evidence

A federal judge on Thursday approved the public release of redacted source documents that helped inform special counsel Jack Smith’s explosive 165-page legal brief arguing that Donald Trump can still face prosecution for trying to subvert the results of the 2020 election, but gave the former president seven days to take steps to block the disclosure.

Oct 11, 2024 9:31 AM CDT

SCOTUS immunity decision may have protected crimes in Nixon White House, 9th Circuit judge says

White House “plumbers” who broke into the office of the psychiatrist treating the man who leaked the Pentagon Papers may have had immunity for their crimes if the U.S. Supreme Court’s July immunity decision had governed the cases, according to an op-ed by a federal appeals judge.

Oct 8, 2024 3:54 PM CDT

FBI probe of Kavanaugh was constrained by Trump White House, report finds

In September 2018, as allegations of sexual misconduct against Brett M. Kavanaugh threatened his confirmation to the Supreme Court, President Donald Trump vowed that the FBI would have “free rein” to vet the claims. But the White House never authorized the agency to independently probe the sexual misconduct allegations, which Kavanaugh staunchly denied.

Oct 8, 2024 12:34 PM CDT

Biden student loan forgiveness may proceed, federal judge says

A federal judge will allow a temporary restraining order that prevented President Joe Biden from discharging student loan debt for more than 25 million Americans to expire Thursday, clearing the way for the administration to move forward with the plan.

Oct 3, 2024 1:40 PM CDT

5 takeaways from the big new filing on Trump’s 2020 election plot

We now have the most extensive new detail in years about former President Donald Trump’s plot to overturn the 2020 election, in the form of a much-anticipated filing from special counsel Jack Smith. It features some significant revelations and quotes that could be important not just for the legal battle, but for the 2024 election.

Oct 3, 2024 1:15 PM CDT

Chief Justice Roberts steered rulings benefiting Trump, report says, citing internal information

A confidential memo and disclosures about internal deliberations show how Chief Justice John Roberts took an active role in three U.S. Supreme Court decisions that benefited former President Donald Trump, according to a story by the New York Times.

Sep 16, 2024 3:52 PM CDT

4 of 5 modern lawyer presidents graduated from T-14 law schools; Harris wouldn’t be in that group if elected

Updated: Vice President Kamala Harris would be the second modern president with a law degree from a school outside the top 14 if she is elected in November.

Aug 20, 2024 8:50 AM CDT

How term limits for Supreme Court justices—now backed by Biden—could work

U.S. Supreme Court justices should be subject to term limits and a binding ethics code, President Joe Biden has said in an op-ed for the Washington Post.

Jul 29, 2024 10:08 AM CDT

As a prosecutor, Kamala Harris ‘tried to bridge the tricky divide’

Before she became a U.S. senator, the vice president and the potential Democratic nominee for president, Kamala Harris was a prosecutor in California who opposed the death penalty but defended capital punishment on behalf of the state. After graduating from the school formerly known as the University of California Hastings…

Jul 23, 2024 3:40 PM CDT

8th Circuit blocks Biden’s student loan repayment plan

A federal appeals court on Thursday blocked President Biden’s new student loan repayment plan, leaving millions of borrowers enrolled in the cost-cutting program in the lurch.

Jul 19, 2024 10:15 AM CDT

Special counsel will appeal dismissal of classified documents case against Trump

Special counsel Jack Smith has formally filed notice that he will appeal a Florida judge’s decision to dismiss Donald Trump’s 40-count indictment for allegedly mishandling classified documents and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them.

Jul 18, 2024 2:35 PM CDT

Trump classified documents case dismissed by Florida judge

A federal judge has dismissed the criminal case against Donald Trump accusing him of mishandling classified information, finding that the appointment of Special Counsel Jack Smith was unconstitutional.

Jul 15, 2024 9:40 AM CDT

Supreme Court’s Trump immunity ruling poses risk for democracy, scholars say

In its immunity decision Monday, the Supreme Court emphasized the long-cherished ideal that no one in America is above the law, not even the president. The court’s dissenters and a chorus of critics said the majority had undercut that notion, elevating the president to a king who can easily avoid prosecution.

Jul 3, 2024 10:45 AM CDT

10th Circuit lifts ban on Biden’s student loan repayment plan

President Biden can move forward with implementing a key part of his new student loan repayment plan after a federal appeals court lifted a temporary ban on that aspect of the program.

Jul 2, 2024 2:10 PM CDT

Former presidents have ‘absolute immunity’ for official acts, says SCOTUS in 6-3 decision

Former presidents are immune from prosecution for official actions taken while in the White House, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday, but do not have immunity for unofficial acts. The 6-3 ruling along ideological lines likely means that Donald Trump’s federal trial could proceed in D.C., but only after additional delay.

Jul 1, 2024 9:35 AM CDT