Author: James Caldwell
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Defense Secretary Hegseth Initiates Proceedings to Demote Senator Mark Kelly Over “Illegal Orders” Video
The conflict between the Trump administration and its critics has moved from the campaign trail to the court-martial docket – or at least, the administrative equivalent. In a move that legal scholars are calling “novel” and political opponents are calling “retribution,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has formally initiated proceedings to demote U.S. Senator Mark Kelly…
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“I Am Here, Kidnapped”: Maduro’s Courtroom Outburst
The image is surreal, yet historic: Nicolas Maduro, the man who ruled Venezuela with an iron fist for over a decade, sitting in a Manhattan courtroom in tan jail garb, complaining to a federal judge that he has been kidnapped. On Monday, the dethroned dictator and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arraigned in the Southern…
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The “Vouching” Loophole: Why the DOJ is Opening a New Front in the War on Same-Day Registration
The Department of Justice has formally targeted the state of Minnesota, demanding a trove of records related to its unique “vouching” system. The move signals that the DOJ is shifting its attention from the counting of ballots to the verification of the voters themselves, specifically challenging laws that prioritize access over strict identification. Assistant Attorney…
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A Scorecard of Court Wins, Losses, and the “Big One” After Trump’s First Year
Trump’s Legal Year in Review The first year of Donald Trump’s second term was not a transition; it was a blitz. From the moment the oath was administered, the 47th President unleashed a torrent of executive orders designed to test the absolute limits of Article II authority. The result has been a constitutional stress test…
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The “Truckload” Defense: Why the DOJ Says It Can’t Release the Epstein Files Yet – and Why Congress Isn’t Buying It
The most explosive secret in Washington is currently sitting in a loading dock at the Department of Justice. Or at least, that is the government’s story. More than a week after the congressionally mandated deadline to release “all” files related to Jeffrey Epstein, the Department of Justice has released only a fraction of the archive.…
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“Something Just Snapped”: Pipe Bomb Suspect Confesses, Revealing a Motive That Targets the Entire System
For five years, the “Jan. 6 Pipe Bomber” was a silent specter—a grainy figure in a grey hoodie who represented the unknown threat lurking at the edges of American politics. Now, with the confession of Brian Cole Jr., the ghost has a voice, and what he is saying is perhaps more disturbing than any partisan…
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Mamdani Taps Lawyer Who Defended Al Qaeda Terrorist for Top NYC Legal Post
The incoming administration of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has made its first definitive statement on the rule of law, not through a policy speech, but through personnel. In a move that has immediately electrified the city’s political ecosystem, Mamdani announced the appointment of Ramzi Kassem – a law professor known for defending detainees at Guantánamo Bay…
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DOJ Reverses Biden-Era Rule, Barring Veterans Affairs from Funding Most Abortion Procedures
In a move that dismantles a key pillar of the previous administration’s post-Dobbs strategy, the Department of Justice has issued a binding legal opinion barring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from funding abortion services. The decision, handed down by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), reverses a 2022 Biden-era directive, arguing that the agency…
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Maryland Democrats Defy Their Own Leader to Launch Reparations Commission
In a rare display of intra-party defiance, the Maryland General Assembly has bulldozed the objections of its own Democratic governor to force the state into a contentious debate over slavery reparations. By overriding Governor Wes Moore’s veto with supermajorities in both chambers, lawmakers have cleared the path for a new commission tasked with determining how…
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Federal Judge Declines to Halt White House Ballroom Construction But Issues Strict Warning on Future Work
In a federal courtroom just blocks from where the historic East Wing of the White House once stood, a judge delivered a warning that cuts through the noise of Washington partisanship. While declining to immediately halt construction on President Trump’s massive new ballroom project, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon issued a stark ultimatum to the…