Military Patrols
President Donald Trump’s push for armed manpower on the streets of cities with Democratic mayors hit opposite milestones in a matter of hours:
- Deployed: His administration said 350 troops were heading to New Orleans.
- Blocked: The Supreme Court agreed with the Democrats in Illinois who said a show of force wasn’t appropriate in Chicago.
As Greg Stohr explained, the justices said that under federal law, the president can deploy the armed forces to help execute the laws only in “exceptional” circumstances.
“At this preliminary stage, the government has failed to identify a source of authority that would allow the military to execute the laws in Illinois,” the majority said in an unsigned opinion.
“While we welcome this ruling, we also are clear-eyed that the Trump Administration’s pursuit for unchecked power is continuing across the country,” responded Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.
Other cases are in the pipeline, including the appeal of a judge’s order that blocked Trump from using troops in Portland, Ore.
Now there’s New Orleans. The state’s governor, Republican Jeff Landry, asked for 1,000 National Guard troops to, as Trump put it in September, “come in and straighten out a very nice section of this country that’s become quite, you know, quite tough, quite bad.” Read More
See Also:
- Conservative Justices Split on Denying Trump Guard Deployment
- Michigan Proposal to Bar Courthouse ICE Arrests Gets Big Support
Trump’s Big Win
A federal judge is keeping Trump’s $100,000 foreign worker entry fee alive.
Trump added the extreme visa application fee with a Sept. 19 proclamation that shocked businesses and left many employers unable to bring in foreign talent for key roles. Andrew Kreighbaum reports that the Chamber of Commerce unsuccessfully argued in district court that the fee violated a federal immigration statute and exceeded the president’s authority.
The fee proclamation was issued with so little warning that federal immigration agencies had to figure out details on the fly. The Department of Homeland Security later clarified that only new petitions for H-1B workers — not current employees — would be affected. Read More
Redistricting Wars
Florida, Virginia, and the Supreme Court loom as the top battlegrounds for mid-decade redistricting in 2026.
Greg Giroux reports that Republican-led Florida could implement new lines to swing as many as five seats red in the year ahead, while Democratic-controlled Virginia is attempting a high-stakes gambit that could turn as many as four seats bluer.
Other maps could be affected by an upcoming Supreme Court ruling in a seminal redistricting case out of Louisiana. “If the redistricting wars ended in December 2025, it would basically be a draw between the two parties,” said Jason Fierman, a redistricting consultant. “The impact of the redistricting wars would be negligible compared to the effects of the blue wave year we are certainly going into in 2026.” Read More
Q&A: American Petroleum Institute’s CEO
Prediction for the new year: there will be a rider on a giant bill to ease limitations on energy regulation.
Mike Sommers, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, sat down with Kellie Lunney for a conversation about the influential trade association’s priorities and expectations. Among the topics they covered: the federal permitting process, changes to which are awaiting Senate action.
“Permitting reform is becoming a political imperative,” said Sommers. “Because as people’s power prices rise, the only thing that Congress can do is increase the speed at which we can get permits to get more electricity online. So, for both political parties, this is going to be a political liability going into the 2026 election cycle, and there’s one thing that they can do about it.”
Sommers said he anticipates a permitting compromise “and it’s going to ride along something else, whether it’s the end of January appropriations process or the surface transportation bill in the middle of the year—it’s going to be attached to something.” Read More
See Also:
- ‘All of the Above’ Is Now Democrats’ Energy Pitch
- Governor Says Wind Farm Fight Will Raise Power Bills
- Dominion Energy Sues Interior Over Offshore Wind Suspension
Eye on the Economy
Data-watchers are getting a bonus: the weekly unemployment numbers that usually come out Thursdays are instead coming out today.
But given where we are in the calendar, take the new numbers with a grain of salt. There’s a history of sharp drops and jumps around holidays. The seasonal adjustments are especially important this time of year.
Here’s a quick catch up of other economic news ahead of that release:
- US Economy Expands at Fastest Pace in Years With 4.3% GDP Gain
- Consumer Confidence Drops for Fifth Straight Month
- Bessent Sees Room for Future Revamp of Fed 2% Inflation Target
Before You Go
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Epstein Files Appease Almost No One as Delays Drag Into Holidays
The Justice Department’s long-awaited rollout of the
Trump Program Would Expand GLP-1 Coverage in Medicare, Medicaid
The Trump administration introduced Tuesday a new drug pricing model that seeks to allow Medicare Part D plans and state Medicaid agencies to cover GLP-1s, potentially expanding coverage for the medications treating obesity and diabetes.
Trump Tries Cementing Legacy Via Building, Ship Renaming Spree
President Donald Trump is engraving his legacy on Washington the same way he did in New York — putting his name on everything from savings accounts to Navy ships.
Zombie Ship Shows Trump Is Targeting Darkest Corner of Oil Fleet
A 27-year-old crude tanker that was supposedly scrapped in 2021 is due to reach Venezuela late this week, according to ship-tracking data, in the latest example of how the South American country keeps its embattled oil industry alive.
Ukraine and US Seek Land Compromise for Peace Deal With Putin
Ukraine and the US remain split primarily on territorial issues in talks on a peace plan to end Russia’s war, President
Emergency Docket Tops Year’s Highlights at Supreme Court
The Supreme Court’s emergency docket dominated 2025, with the justices considering a surge of challenges to President Donald Trump’s actions that upended its normal operations and resulted in an unusual pace of rulings largely siding with the administration.
Trump Official Pulls $5.5 Million in SBA Funds From Minnesota
The Trump administration is halting $5.5 million in annual funding to Minnesota over allegations that individuals and businesses in the state committed fraud with government loans, according to a social media post from the
Student Loan Forgiveness Poses Looming Tax Dilemma for States
States face a tough choice in the year ahead: pile onto US tax bills looming for thousands of student loan borrowers whose debts are forgiven under an income-driven repayment plan, or forgo much-needed revenue.
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