What the 2024 Section 702 Renewal Actually Changed About US Surveillance
The RISAA extended the warrantless program for two years — and quietly narrowed the FBI's rules while widening who can be searched.
Devon Clarke
NATO's 5 Percent Pledge Rewrites the Alliance's Spending Math
The Hague summit communique commits allies to 5 percent of GDP by 2035 — but the split between core defense and infrastructure does the real work.
Petra VogelHow a Continuing Resolution Actually Keeps the Government Open
The CR is a stopgap that freezes last year's budget in place — and its fine print, not the headline date, decides what agencies can and cannot do.
Nathan BrooksMiller, Montgomery, Jones: How the Supreme Court Rewrote Juvenile Life Sentences
Mandatory life without parole for minors has been unconstitutional since 2012, retroactive since 2016, and discretionary since 2021 — three cases that drew today's sentencing map.
Devon ClarkeThe briefing
What changed, what the primary record says, and what remains uncertain.
What a Continuing Resolution Actually Does to Pentagon Spending
Petra VogelWhat the ADA's Web Accessibility Rule Actually Requires, and Why the Deadline Moved
Devon ClarkeHow a Federal Government Shutdown Actually Works
Naomi BergmanHow Congress Kills a Federal Rule Without Writing New Law
Naomi BergmanWho Gets Body Camera Footage, and When: The Disclosure Rules Explained
Devon ClarkeHow the Congressional Review Act Makes a Repeal Permanent
Nathan BrooksPolicy
Getting a Federal Disaster Declaration
Federal disaster aid begins with a governor's request under the Stafford Act, passes through joint damage assessment, and ends with the president's signature — a pipeline with published thresholds and political variables.
Naomi BergmanHow Medicare Drug Negotiation Works
Naomi BergmanHow Long a Federal Permit Takes
Naomi BergmanSNAP Work Requirements, Explained
Naomi BergmanWhat a CBO Score Decides for a Bill
Naomi BergmanSecurity
Authorized vs Appropriated: Two Budgets
Petra VogelHow DHS Security Grants Reach Cities
Petra VogelSpace Force and the Orbital Traffic Jam
Petra VogelHow US Chip Export Controls Work
Petra VogelGuam Defense: The Plans and the Price
Petra VogelRights
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act After Callais: What Still Works
August 7 · Devon Clarke
When Is a Politician's Social Media Account a Government Act? Lindke Explained
July 30 · Devon Clarke
Due Process in Immigration Detention: The Time Limits and Safeguards That Apply
July 22 · Devon Clarke
RLUIPA: The Federal Law Churches Use to Fight Local Zoning Boards
July 14 · Devon ClarkeElections
Risk-Limiting Audits: The Statistical Check on Election Results
A risk-limiting audit hand-examines a random sample of ballots large enough that, if the reported outcome is wrong, the audit has a known maximum chance of failing to catch it — the only post-election audit with a statistical guarantee attached.
Nathan BrooksRedistricting After the Census: Who Draws the Lines and When
Nathan BrooksProvisional Ballots: When They Count and How They Are Verified
Nathan BrooksPoll Worker Recruitment: The Staffing Math Behind Election Day
Nathan BrooksThe Certification Calendar: When Election Results Become Official
Nathan BrooksNational News
Senate Confirms Todd Blanche as Attorney General 50-49
Naomi BergmanNew Order Tightens Pentagon Rules on Foreign Critical Materials
Naomi BergmanSenate Passes $70 Billion Immigration Enforcement Package
Naomi BergmanGAO's Annual Report Counts $132 Billion in Unclaimed Savings
Naomi BergmanSupreme Court Takes Up Colorado Preschool Exclusion Case
Naomi BergmanGovernment News
What Actually Happens When CFIUS Reviews a Foreign Deal
August 10 · Nathan Brooks
Metals Tariff Rejig Takes Effect August 6: Who Wins, Who Pays
August 4 · Nathan Brooks
The 10 Percent Global Tariff Expires July 24 Unless Congress Acts
July 10 · Nathan Brooks