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An ICE agent deployed to Minneapolis on Wednesday shot and killed a 37-year-old woman, prompting debate over whether the shooting was legally justified and intensifying the clash between local and federal officials. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a news conference that the woman was involved in “domestic terrorism,” while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the shooting as “an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed.” (NYT.)
U.S. forces on Wednesday seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic that the U.S. military said had violated a U.S. blockade of all ships under U.S. sanctions from entering or leaving Venezuela to transport oil. Moscow condemned the seizure, stating “no state has the right to use force against ships properly registered in the jurisdictions of other states.” (WaPo.) (NYT.)
Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced Wednesday at a Goldman Sachs energy industry conference that the U.S. intends to control Venezuelan oil sales “indefinitely.” (WaPo.) (WSJ.)
Trump spoke to American oil companies about U.S. intervention in Venezuela before the U.S. military operation in the Latin American country. (ABC News.)
Nearly two-thirds of lawyers in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York have been assigned to review the 2 million documents in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation that the Justice Department must still release. (NYT.)
President Trump announced Wednesday in a Truth Social post that he will ask Congress to pass a $1.5 trillion defense budget in 2027 to fund a “Dream Military.” The proposed budget is a $500 billion increase from this year’s Pentagon’s budget. (Politico.)
The Trump administration announced Wednesday that the U.S. will cease participating in and funding 66 international organizations and treaties that are “contrary to the interests of the United States.” Those include the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the treaty that forms the basis for countries to combat climate change. (Presidential Memorandum.) (The Associated Press.) (NYT.)
President Trump said Wednesday he plans to ask Congress to ban large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. (CNN.) Ilya Somin argued that real estate transactions and property ownership are generally governed at the state level and a federal ban may actually exacerbate the housing affordability crisis. (Volokh Conspiracy.)
Scott R. Anderson explored the Trump administration’s most likely legal justifications for its decision to remove Nicolás Maduro from power and assert control over Venezuela. (Lawfare.)
Lawfare also explored the legal arguments Maduro’s defense attorneys may make in court.
Josh Gerstein argued grand juries are experiencing a renaissance under the Trump administration. (Politico.)
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. The Court set argument for January 21, 2026, and both sides filed supplemental briefs on November 19.