From the start, the administration has been going by the motto of ‘act first and ask questions later.’ Some of what they’re doing is blatently illegal and they tell lies in attempt to make people think it’s acceptable. It is not. The courts have been fighting them from all sides with state and federal lawsuits. It’s appeal after appeal. At what point can they be held in contempt of court? We are fighting and the news has been easing up a little, but what feels like the lack of action against them can be disheartening.

We have something that they don’t though. We are united in our cause and in our resolve. We protest in the streets, we encourage each other in person and online in the moments we feel disheartened. We are not alone. You are not alone.

One small way we can fight is to correct the misinformation that Americans are being told. It may be difficult, as the shift in legacy media has subtly been going on for several decades. We are in this together though. Any brief conversation can cause a ripple effect. Please consider subscribing to join me in this mission.

Trump’s big plans on trade and more run up against laws of political gravity, separation of powers

Donald Trump encountered major legal challenges when a New York court rejected the basis for his extensive tariffs, ruling that he could not use a 1977 law to declare a national emergency related to trade imbalances and fentanyl smuggling. The court found this to be an unconstitutional overreach of executive power, reflecting ongoing challenges to Trump's broad interpretation of presidential authority. Additionally, federal courts have criticized his deportation policies for lacking due process, and his proposed income tax cuts face restrictions in Congress. His efforts to influence institutions like Harvard and reduce the federal workforce have also faced legal obstacles, while his commitments to quickly resolve conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have proven more complicated than expected.

In response to the court's ruling, Trump expressed concerns that it undermines presidential power. While a federal appeals court allowed the government to continue collecting tariffs temporarily, the legal landscape remains uncertain. Trump's administration has been criticized for bypassing Congress and public opinion in its policy decisions, leading to a fragile foundation for many of his initiatives.

Experts argue that Trump's approach reflects a misunderstanding of the presidency and the constitutional system, with some suggesting that his reliance on unilateral actions could lead to a constitutional crisis. The White House has attributed its challenges to judicial interference, claiming that courts are obstructing Trump's efforts to fulfill his campaign promises.

Supreme Court limits environmental reviews of infrastrusture projects

The U.S. Supreme Court significantly narrowed the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in a recent ruling, making it easier to gain approval for infrastructure projects like highways, bridges, and pipelines. The case involved a proposed 88-mile railroad connecting Utah's oil-rich Uinta Basin to the national freight rail network, which would facilitate crude oil transportation to refineries in Texas and Louisiana.

The U.S. Surface Transportation Board had approved the project after a comprehensive review, but a lower court ruled that the Board violated NEPA by not considering the environmental impacts of upstream oil drilling and downstream refining. The Supreme Court reversed this decision, limiting NEPA's application by establishing a new rule that excludes consideration of these upstream and downstream effects.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority, argued that courts should defer to agency determinations regarding environmental impacts, framing NEPA as a procedural statute rather than a barrier to projects. This perspective was met with criticism from some legal experts, who viewed it as a policy initiative rather than a judicial correction.

While some environmental groups expressed concern that the ruling would allow the Trump administration to overlook environmental issues, various industry groups welcomed the decision, believing it would streamline NEPA reviews for numerous projects. The ruling reflects ongoing tensions between environmental protections and the push for infrastructure development.

White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report

The White House plans to correct errors in a controversial report titled "Make America Healthy Again," led by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The report, which criticized America's food supply, pesticides, and prescription drugs, cited hundreds of studies, but an investigation by NOTUS revealed that some of these studies do not exist.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged formatting issues in the report and stated it would be updated, although she emphasized that the report's substance remains significant. Kennedy has promised "radical transparency" and high-quality science in public health, but he has not disclosed the authors of the 72-page report, which calls for more scrutiny of childhood vaccines and claims that children are overmedicated and undernourished.

NOTUS found that seven of the over 500 studies cited in the report were never published, and some were misinterpreted. The report has raised concerns among Trump supporters, particularly farmers, regarding its portrayal of agricultural chemicals. The White House is seeking a $500 million funding increase from Congress to support Kennedy's initiative, which aims to develop policy recommendations later this year.

In other news…

• The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) has filed a federal lawsuit against the White House over a lack of American Sign Language interpreters at media briefings. It asks the court to require ASL interpreters be present at these events and that video of them be available for viewers.

• A federal judge heard arguments Thursday on whether Florida’s attorney general should be held in contempt or sanctioned for not following her order prohibiting the enforcement of a new state law making it a misdemeanor for people in the U.S. illegally to enter Florida.

• Doctors have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can predict which men with prostate cancer will benefit from a drug that halves the risk of dying.

• Chloe Samaha and her partner quickly developed a functional online productivity manager called "Donna" using AI tools, completing the project in less than a day through a process they termed "vibe coding." This approach highlights the transformative potential of AI in software development, allowing non-coders to create applications rapidly.