National Security

Outlook for the second session of the 119th Congress

After a first session defined by procedural friction, short-term funding measures and a record government shutdown, the second session of the 119th Congress is unfolding with fresh challenges, along with unresolved issues from the previous session.

Jan 22, 2026 8:59 AM CST

Federal appeals judge tells fellow judges ‘to get over themselves’

A federal appeals judge on Monday blasted fellow judges, claiming that too many of them "have an overinflated view of their intelligence and their abilities," and they ought "to get over themselves."

Jan 7, 2026 2:20 PM CST

How to define ‘rebellion’? ‘Black’s Law Dictionary’ enters fray in challenges to federal National Guard deployments

The definition of “rebellion” crafted by Black’s Law Dictionary editor Bryan A. Garner could play a role in challenges to the federalization and deployment of National Guard troops in several U.S. cities.

Nov 19, 2025 9:07 AM CST

What to know about John Bolton, the former Trump adviser under indictment

John Bolton, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday, accused of mishandling classified and sensitive material. The longtime Republican has been a controversial figure for decades and a thorn in Trump’s side, having written a scathing book about his time in the White House during the first Trump administration. Here’s what to know about Bolton as he finds himself in the news once again.

Oct 17, 2025 9:58 AM CDT

Will Trump’s view of rebellion prevail in suits contesting federal deployment of National Guard?

Updated: So far, three federal judges have ruled against Trump in preliminary decisions, two of which were temporarily stayed in whole or in part by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Oct 16, 2025 3:25 PM CDT

Hackers gained access to ‘small number’ of attorney emails at Williams & Connolly, firm confirms

Williams & Connolly has confirmed that hackers accessed “a small number” of its attorney emails but said there is no evidence of further access to its information technology system.

Oct 9, 2025 12:46 PM CDT

Judge deals Trump new setback in plans to deploy troops to Portland

A federal judge late Sunday dealt another blow to the Trump administration’s plans to send troops to Portland after a weekend of heated confrontations between protesters and federal agents there, temporarily blocking hundreds of California National Guard members as they were deploying to Oregon’s biggest city over objections from Democratic governors in both states.

Oct 6, 2025 10:03 AM CDT

AG Bondi cited this justification for Trump’s power to ignore TikTok ban

The U.S. Department of Justice is “irrevocably relinquishing” claims against technology companies that provided services to TikTok in violation of the law banning the Chinese-owned social media app, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in letters released to the New York Times under the Freedom of Information Act.

Jul 7, 2025 9:49 AM CDT

Trump executive order ‘cuts Susman off at the knees,’ judge says, permanently blocking it

A fourth federal judge has granted a permanent injunction blocking President Donald Trump from targeting law firms because of the clients they represent and the causes that they back.

Jun 30, 2025 10:49 AM CDT

Supreme Court maintains block on Trump’s use of Alien Enemies Act for deportations

A divided Supreme Court on Friday kept a block on the Trump administration’s use of a rarely invoked wartime power to deport migrants in Northern Texas and said administration officials had not given those targeted for removal last month sufficient time to challenge their deportations.

May 16, 2025 5:18 PM CDT

US suspends security clearances for lawyers at WilmerHale, Jenner as they challenge Trump orders

Updated: The Trump administration has suspended security clearances for two lawyers at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr and one lawyer at Jenner & Block, law firms that sued after they were targeted in punitive executive orders.

May 14, 2025 2:42 PM CDT

Justice Jackson rips ‘relentless attacks’ on judges

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson denounced what she called “relentless attacks” on the federal judiciary, saying efforts to intimidate judges were threatening the Constitution and the rule of law. “The attacks are not random,” Jackson said. “They seem designed to intimidate those of us who serve in this critical capacity.”

May 2, 2025 8:10 AM CDT

‘Is this a throwback to the McCarthy era?’ Judges consider injunction bids by firms targeted in Trump orders

Two federal judges sharply questioned a government lawyer Wednesday as they considered bids by Perkins Coie and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr to permanently enjoin executive orders that target them and their clients.

Apr 24, 2025 10:57 AM CDT

Revoking security clearances includes due process, which is not being followed, says whistleblower lawyer

Whistleblower lawyer Mark Zaid tells the ABA Journal in an interview that his security clearance has recently been revoked by the Trump administration. A registered independent, Zaid says he has never been involved in “a meaningful” way with any political party. “I am strictly a lawyer who represents clients.”

Apr 7, 2025 10:27 AM CDT

Trump administration invokes state secrets privilege for deportation flights, disputes Nazi analogy

Government lawyers are arguing that the state secrets privilege protects the Trump administration from divulging details about deportation flights to El Salvador in Central America, and that the Venezuelans aboard weren’t entitled to notice that would give them time for a hearing.

Mar 25, 2025 11:02 AM CDT