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President Donald Trump told Congress in a letter sent “consistent with the War Powers Resolution” on Friday that hostilities with Iran “have terminated” following the April 7 ceasefire. The WPR’s 60-day deadline to end the conflict or seek congressional authorization was set to fall Friday. (Letter.) (NYT.) Andrew McCarthy argued that the 60-day clock “cannot be suspended by pretending there is a ‘cease-fire’ even as our forces impose a blockade on the enemy.” (National Review.) Jack Goldsmith argued that the administration’s interpretation of the WPR was “wrong but not crazy.” (Executive Functions.)
President Trump on Sunday announced “Project Freedom,” a plan for the U.S. military to “guide” stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that any “interference” with the process “will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully.” (Truth Social.) (TIME.) U.S. Central Command stated that 15,000 service members will support the operation, which began today. (X.)
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro suggested in an interview on Sunday that if an ongoing probe by the Federal Reserve’s inspector general uncovers malfeasance related to Fed building renovations, her office may again pursue a case against Fed Chair Jerome Powell. (NYT.) (CNN.)
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department will not broadly prosecute people who post the “86 47” message despite charging former FBI Firector James Comey over a photo containing the phrase. He stated that Comey’s case is different because of additional, undisclosed evidence gathered during an 11-month investigation. (NYT.) Bill Shipley argued that the new indictment against Comey “is likely to survive pretrial attempts to get it dismissed on the merits.” (Shipwreckedcrew.)
An Associated Press review of court records found a “pattern of defiance of lower court decisions” in President Trump’s second term, with federal judges citing violations in at least 31 cases spanning immigration, spending, and policy changes. (AP.)
The Defense Department announced on Friday that it will withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany following a clash between Germany’s chancellor and President Trump regarding the war in Iran. (NYT.)
A federal grand jury in California indicted Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, a Salvadorian national shot multiple times by ICE agents during a traffic stop on April 7, on assault charges. Prosecutors allege Hernandez rammed his vehicle into two officers during an attempted arrest. (Press Release.) (NYT.)
President Trump on Friday signed an executive order imposing new sanctions on Cuban officials. (Fact Sheet.)
William Baude wrote about abuse of power in the second Trump administration. (SSRN.)
Quinta Jurecic argued that the Department of Justice under Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche “is entering a hyperaggressive new era.” (The Atlantic.)
Cullen O’Keefe, Alan Rozenshtein, and Christoph Winter presented a research agenda to examine “risks to the rule of law from the use of frontier AI systems in the executive branch.” (Lawfare.)
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.