Note: Stealth NYT edit. (Thanks to the eagle-eyed reader who saw that!)

Folks need to be reading Chris’s work & subscribing 👇👇 @lawdorknews.bsky.social

Great read.

NEW: A sharp picture of the personal nature of Trump's disregard for the rule of law. Allegations against Trump's "border czar" and DOJ, TikTok shenanigans, and Trump's Virginia federal prosecutor manipulations. Tonight, at Law Dork:

OK, Law Dork writing time. TTFN. www.lawdork.com

I’m sure someone could provide a worse three paragraphs of “analysis” in this moment, but Peter Baker really sets the bar low here — with what he opined, who he decided to rely on as a source, and why he included those absurd claims without refutation.

Night, all, and let us try to be good to one another — and ourselves.

It’s amazing the corruption speed run we’re on here this weekend, even for this administration.

Lemme spell it out. Trump's only leverage over Jimmy Kimmel and ABC came from FCC regulation. His direct power over H1-B visas gives him similar leverage over tech, higher ed, and others.

I truly don’t know that I would be alive today without theater — in the sense of what it gave to me before and as I was coming out and how it provides me with needed emotional and mental sustenance today, but also because it is out there as something I know I want to do in my life.

Huge get for Mamdani. He knows Albany has to sign off on anything like this and it means 1000x more to him than Jeffries/Schumer endorsing.

Now at 11 days, with only 10 days left until the appropriations expire.

More than that. "The FBI ***recorded*** Tom Homan taking the money "after indicating he could help the agents — who were posing as business executives — win government contracts in a second Trump administration."

Yeah, no question: Pete is right here.

Honestly, still think this is absurd, but I am so grateful for it and to all of you who support me and my work at Law Dork. Thanks. www.lawdork.com

Um, Spotify? Not that.

"twitter is not real life" has turned itself on its head

Welcome to my parade!

BREAKING: Luigi Mangione's lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss his case on constitutional grounds. Some arguments are specific to his case, involving AG Bondi's actions, while others are more generally applicable. Law Dork earlier covered the underlying conduct: www.lawdork.com/p/luigi-mang...

This morning's front page @chicagotribune.com. Photo by @staceywescott.bsky.social

I cannot overstate how remarkable it is that under GOP rule, US federal health regulations have been captured by fringe crackpots who espouse views that the vast majority of the US public—and nearly 100% of health professionals—reject. Gift link:

Just catching up on this. Has Laura Ingraham already been fired by Fox News, or is that coming tomorrow?

I was reliably told celebrating political violence was cause for government reprisal and private sector termination.

This, unfortunately, fits well with my Law Dork newsletter earlier today. www.lawdork.com/p/judge-toss...

NEW: The Pentagon told journalists it will require them to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey. @washingtonpost.com

Welp.

How Southern judges put a trans civil rights lawyer under criminal investigation for doing his job, with @chrisgeidner.bsky.social

Fuck this bullshit. @chrisgeidner.bsky.social has been on the frontline for our community for a very long time. He’s also been on the SCOTUS beat as a whole for a very long time.

Truly appreciative of the time and care that @motherjones.com and @pemalevy.bsky.social put into this. It’s important.

You can read more about the case and get Geidner's full statements in @pemalevy.bsky.social's latest:

NEW: Federal judges have levied an “ego-driven, petty” attack that targets a transgender civil rights attorney. We spoke with legal journalist, @chrisgeidner.bsky.social, to discuss the importance of this case:

I wrote about this (second item) last week, and I’m cannot believe that — 10 days later — Roberts’s impoundment case “administrative” stay remains in effect. www.lawdork.com/p/scotus-rej...

“Extraordinary” is barely adequate to describe this story. Kudos to @chrisgeidner.bsky.social for keeping track of this seeming abuse of power

“It really looks like… an extremely ego driven, petty attack on lawyers.” Over three years, multiple federal judges in Alabama have used secret proceedings and strong-arm tactics to harass Carl Charles and other lawyers who are fighting for LGBTQ rights in the South.

Grateful to @lawdorknews.bsky.social (to whom you should subscribe) for breaking this down. I live in the Middle District of Alabama and am pretty up on legal things and I’ve still struggled to understand what happened here.

Just got a great set of emails from the FBI.

This is the part that really gets me.

NEW: In tossing out Trump's NYT complaint, judge says "tedious" language violated federal rules. Also: Law Dork at GW Law — and talking with Pema Levy at Mother Jones. And: An ask for your help supporting Law Dork in this critical moment! Read on at Law Dork now:

Thanks so much, @pemalevy.bsky.social and @motherjones.com, for the time and care you all took with this important story.

BREAKING: Federal judge tosses out Trump's lawsuit against the New York Times, Penguin Random House, & journalists, finding that the complaint violated court pleading rules due to its expansive, over-the-top, "tedious" use of language. An amended complaint can be filed without all of the BS in it.

Yeah, I noted that as well on a first glance through the application. I am not quite sure it's an affirmative misrepresentation, but it absolutely is not the sort of forthright, "cards on the table," "tenth justice" argument that one expects from the Solicitor General.

BREAKING: DOJ asks SCOTUS to let the State Dep't enforce Sec. Rubio's anti-trans and anti-nonbinary passport policy during litigation. A classwide injunction currently bars enforcement, allowing trans and nonbinary people to obtain accurate passports. Background: www.lawdork.com/p/trans-nonb...

Yeah, the goalposts have moved for some of them. They're truly telling on themselves with that one, but, yeah. To some, "Federalist Society" means "squish" — mainly based on the fact that they're concerned such judges believe in the rule of law.

I honestly can't fathom reading an opinion all but accusing the gov't of lying in court about its cover-of-dark efforts to deport children with no process to a country where their parents can't be located or don't want them and where some face danger, and this is your unhinged, heartless response.

The judges in EDVA just affirmed his retention as Acting. Do you think they're going to look kindly at any indictments that get charged by SOMEONE else? And how long would it take to bring bar complaints against Ed Martin for demanding it? What kind of rebellion would this create?

One interesting thing abt Trump's threat to fire Erik Seibert, bc he won't indict Tish James for fraud when there's no evidence she committed fraud is ... what does he think he'd accomplish if this happened? abcnews.go.com/US/trump-poi...

BREAKING: The full Second Circuit will not reconsider (en banc) the Trump administration’s motions to stay the lower court orders in the Ozturk/Mahdawi cases during appeal. This means nothing changes for now and they remain out of detention.

I just spoke to NYC Comptroller Brad Lander as he left police custody following his arrest at immigration court. Here’s what he said:

it's also really important to spread the "this is illegal" message as far as you can because the majority of people are not exposed to it! most people do not even know the government is doing the illegal thing it's doing, let alone that it's illegal. when they learn about it they get mad!

Yes. As was made clear again clear on Thursday: www.lawdork.com/p/judge-crit...