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Judge Darrin P. Gayles (S.D. Fla.) on Monday dismissed without prejudice President Trump’s defamation suit against the Wall Street Journal publisher Dow Jones. Judge Gayles ruled that President Trump failed to plausibly allege “actual malice” in the paper’s reporting about a birthday letter that Trump purportedly wrote to Jeffrey Epstein. (Order.) (WSJ.)
Judge Paul L. Friedman (D.D.C.) on Monday granted the Department of Defense a 14-day administrative stay of prior orders enjoining enforcement of press access restrictions at the Pentagon, but otherwise denied its request to stay the rulings pending appeal. (Order.) For background, see a previous Roundup.
U.S. Southern Command on Monday conducted a strike on an alleged drug vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing two. According to the New York Times, at least 170 people have so far been killed in the United States’ boat striking campaign. (X.) (NYT.)
The Interior Department reversed course and agreed on Monday to allow the rainbow Pride flag to fly at Stonewall National Monument, settling a lawsuit seeking to reinstate the flag after it was removed under new federal guidance in February. (WSJ.)
Jack Goldsmith spoke with Sarah Isgur about her new book, Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today’s Supreme Court. (Executive Functions.)
The Washington Post Editorial Board criticized the Trump administration’s continued push to cut federal research spending despite its legal defeat in slashing research funding from the National Institutes of Health. (WaPo.)
Quinta Jurecic discussed the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division under the leadership of Harmeet Dhillon. (The Atlantic.)
Michael Mattler presented questions for Congress to consider in light of the Trump administration’s requests for funding to be provided to the Board of Peace. (Just Security.)
Pending Interim Order Applications Involving the U.S. Government in the Supreme Court
Blanche v. Perlmutter: The government filed an emergency application on October 27 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a district court interlocutory injunction that temporarily reinstated Shira Perlmutter to her role as Register of Copyrights while litigation over her removal continues. Chief Justice Roberts formally set a deadline of November 10 for a response to the application. Perlmutter submitted a response on November 10. Blanche submitted a reply on November 12. The Court deferred the application for stay on November 28 pending the Court’s decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook.
Trump v. Cook: The government filed an emergency application on September 18 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a preliminary injunction issued by a district court that blocked President Trump from removing Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Cook filed an opposition to the request on the same day. The Chief Justice formally set a deadline of September 25 for a response to the application. Cook filed a response on September 25. On October 1, the Court deferred action on the stay application pending oral argument in January 2026 and established a supplemental briefing schedule. Additional amicus briefs were filed on October 29. Both sides filed supplemental briefs on November 19 and the Court heard oral argument on Jan. 21, 2026.
Mullin v. Doe: The government filed an application on February 26 requesting the Supreme Court stay pending appeal of a preliminary injunction issued by a district court preliminarily enjoining then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem from terminating temporary protected status designation for Syria. The government asked the Court to construe the application as a petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment and grant the petition. On March 16, the Court consolidated the case with a challenge to the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status designations for Haiti and granted certiorari before judgment of the consolidated cases while deferring action on the government’s request for a stay.
Trump v. Miot: The government filed an application on March 11 requesting the Supreme Court to stay a lower court order postponing then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s decision to terminate temporary protected status designation for Haiti. The government also asked the Court to treat the application as a petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment and grant the petition. On March 16, the Court consolidated the case with Mullin v. Doe.