Category: Judicial Watch
Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump administration to extend pause in SNAP funding
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration’s request to extend the pause of an order to fully fund food aid benefits for a few days.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson previously granted the emergency pause on an order from U.S. District Judge John McConnell from Rhode Island for the government to fully fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Many on the left excoriated her for what they perceived as a pro-Trump order.
‘The only way to end this crisis — which the executive is adamant to end — is for Congress to reopen the government.’
Solicitor General John Sauer argued in the emergency appeal on behalf of the government.
“The core power of Congress is that of the purse, while the executive is tasked with allocating limited resources across competing priorities,” he said.
“But here, the court below took the current shutdown as effective license to declare a federal bankruptcy and appoint itself the trustee,” Sauer contined, “charged with picking winners and losers among those seeking some part of the limited pool of remaining federal funds.”
While the Trump administration had agreed to partially fund the program by about 65%, McConnell’s order called the government to use a separate pool of funding to fully support the program.
“The only way to end this crisis — which the executive is adamant to end — is for Congress to reopen the government,” Sauer said.
That effort to end the government shutdown appeared to be successful after Democrats caved to Republicans demands.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi thanked the court for the ruling.
“Our @TheJusticeDept attorneys just secured a further administrative stay through Thursday at midnight at the Supreme Court to prevent further judicial upheaval for the SNAP and Child Nutrition programs,” she wrote. “Thank you to the Court for allowing Congress to continue its swift progress to end the shutdown WITHOUT last-ditch disruption from lower courts. We will continue fighting and winning to protect President Trump’s agenda from meritless judicial activism.”
RELATED: Woman goes viral after admitting to being on SNAP benefits for 3 decades
Critics of the SNAP program point to examples on social media of recipients proudly admitting to abusing the program. In on case, a woman said she had been on SNAP for nearly three decades, though that report did not indicate whether she was suffering from disabilities.
“The first thing I did was grab my phone and call, and when I heard ‘zero dollars,’ my chest went into my throat!” said Maggie Aragon of New Mexico to KOAT-TV. “I have depended on those benefits since the 1990s, and it’s detrimental to my life if I don’t get them.”
About 42 million people rely on SNAP benefits.
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Trump reveals what’s at stake if Supreme Court rules against his tariffs: ‘Devastating’
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday regarding President Donald Trump’s authority to impose reciprocal and fentanyl-related tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Given the skepticism expressed by liberal and conservative justices alike, there is cause to suspect that things may not go in the president’s favor.
Trump has since underscored in a series of posts on Truth Social that a loss for his administration in this case would prove to be a “catastrophe” for the economy and national security.
Skepticism on the high court
One day prior to the Supreme Court hearing oral arguments in the consolidated cases Trump v. V.O.S. Selections and Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, the president noted that the outcome of the case could mean “LIFE OR DEATH for our Country. With a Victory, we have tremendous, but fair, Financial and National Security. Without it, we are virtually defenseless against other Countries who have, for years, taken advantage of us.”
‘The US Supreme Court was given the wrong numbers.’
While Justice Samuel Alito appeared sympathetic to some of the government’s arguments, his conservative colleagues didn’t come across as entirely convinced.
Justice Neil Gorsuch, for instance, joined his liberal colleagues last week in trying to poke holes in U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer’s defense of Trump’s tariffs, suggesting that the danger of too liberal a reading of the IEEPA in the president’s favor risks creating “a one-way ratchet toward the gradual but continual accretion of power in the executive branch and away from the people’s elected representatives.”
RELATED: Trump’s SHOCKING 25% truck tariff: A matter of national security?
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Chief Justice John Roberts, like some of the other justices on the high court, took issue with the absence of the word “tariffs” in the IEEPA, which empowers the president to regulate imports of “property in which any foreign country or a national thereof has any interest” during a declared national emergency.
“You have a claimed source in IEEPA that had never before been used to justify tariffs. No one has argued that it does until this — this particular case,” said Robert.
Roberts, whose note on the unprecedented nature of the interpretation was also raised by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, added that tariffs amount to an “imposition of taxes on Americans, and that has always been the core power of Congress.”
Concern in the White House
Trump, no doubt aware of how the oral arguments went, has emphasized in the days since what is at risk.
Hours after indicating that any money left over from his proposed $2,000 tariff dividend for American citizens “will be used to SUBSTANTIALLY PAY DOWN NATIONAL DEBT,” Trump suggested on Monday that the cost of the Supreme Court’s invalidation of his tariffs — which Barrett said would likely be “a mess” — could be far higher than previously suggested.
Trump noted in a Truth Social post on Monday, “The ‘Pay Back’ Numbers being quoted by the Radical Left Lunatics, who would love to see us lose on Tariffs because of how bad it would be for our Country, are much higher than those being stated by our Fake Opposition — Opposition mainly from Foreign Countries that would do anything to be allowed to charge us Tariffs without retribution.”
‘Possibly non-sustainable!’
“The actual Number we would have to pay back in Tariff Revenue and Investments would be in excess of $2 Trillion Dollars, and that, in itself, would be a National Security catastrophe,” added the president.
In a subsequent post, Trump wrote, “The U.S. Supreme Court was given the wrong numbers. The ‘unwind’ in the event of a negative decision on Tariffs, would be, including investments made, to be made, and return of funds, in excess of 3 Trillion Dollars.”
As all revenues from tariffs, including new and pre-existing ones, through September of this year had raised between $174 and $195 billion, Trump’s allusion to a figure over $3 trillion appears to refer to the potential tariff revenue lost over the next decade.
According to a recent Tax Foundation report, Trump’s tariffs “will raise $2.4 trillion in revenue over the next decade on a conventional basis and reduce US GDP by 0.6 percent, all before foreign retaliation.” Other estimates put potential revenue as high as $3 trillion.
The Congressional Budget Office released an estimate in August indicating that “increases in tariffs implemented during the period from January 6, 2025, to August 19 will decrease primary deficits (which exclude net outlays for interest) by $3.3 trillion if the higher tariffs persist for the 2025-2035 period.”
Trump suggested further that the loss of tariff revenue and return of funds “would truly become an insurmountable National Security Event, and devastating to the future of our Country — Possibly non-sustainable!”
U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer told “Mornings with Maria” last week that the reciprocal tariffs at issue have netted over $100 billion but less than $200 billion and noted further that if they are invalidated, specific plaintiffs might receive a refund, but it remains unclear what will happen to the remainder.
“As for the rest of it … I’ll hand that file to the secretary of the treasury,” said Greer.
“You’ll have all these importers and importing interests who are going to want that money back, and so, you know, we’ll have to figure out — probably with the court — what kind of a schedule might look like and what the rights are of these parties and what rights the government has to that money.”
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Judicial Watch Statement: Supreme Court to Hear Mississippi Ballot Deadline Case
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton announced today that the Supreme Court of the United States has granted review in a landmark election integrity case brought on behalf of the Libertarian Party of Mississippi. The case seeks to uphold a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which struck […]
The post Judicial Watch Statement: Supreme Court to Hear Mississippi Ballot Deadline Case appeared first on Judicial Watch.
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Border Patrol agents dodge bullets and bricks from leftist rioters in sanctuary city: DHS
Leftist activists in Chicago engaged in a series of violent attacks against federal agents who were conducting immigration enforcement operations over the weekend, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday in a neighborhood of Little Village, a “hostile crowd” allegedly boxed Border Patrol agents into a street and alleyway.
‘This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of violence and obstruction.’
An individual driving a black Jeep Wrangler fired multiple rounds at the agents while they were apprehending a suspect, the DHS reported. The shooter fled the scene.
Some in the crowd reportedly hurled objects, including bricks, at the officers’ vehicles.
The DHS credited the Chicago Police Department for helping agents evacuate the area.
As agents left the scene, another driver allegedly attempted to ram into the agents’ convoy, but the attack was thwarted when federal officials deployed a controlled tire deflation device.
RELATED: Masked anti-ICE agitators are in for a rude awakening as new DHS policy goes into effect
Image source: Department of Homeland Security
The DHS explained that the convoy proceeded to an FBI facility, where agents encountered two additional drivers who tried to “impede operations.” When agents issued a warning, one of the drivers allegedly attempted to ram the convoy. That driver was arrested.
“Border Patrol reached the FBI facility when rioters attempted to breach security there. Chicago Police responded to help secure the perimeter,” the DHS stated.
Border Patrol agents left the FBI facility but again encountered a group of protesters who were attempting to obstruct traffic by lying in the street. Agents deployed crowd-control measures after the activists began throwing objects, the DHS said.
Once the road was cleared, agents proceeded to a Sam’s Club parking lot where they were allegedly “stalked and followed” by protesters. Another driver allegedly rammed a federal vehicle. Officials arrested three individuals for assault.
A fourth vehicle ramming occurred when agents attempted to leave the grocery store parking lot. The suspect driving the vehicle fled the scene and remains at large.
While no Border Patrol agents were harmed, photographs shared by the DHS show damage to two federal vehicles.
The series of attacks resulted in the arrest of eight U.S. citizens and one illegal alien.
Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
The DHS blamed the incidents on “sanctuary politicians and the media.”
“A criminal illegal alien from Mexico has been arrested in relation to Saturday’s shooting targeting Border Patrol agents in Chicago. The suspect has previously been convicted for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon/vehicle, felony possession of a weapon, and illegal entry,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement provided to Blaze News. “He is currently marked as a violator of the Laken Riley Act, pending charges related to assaulting officers.”
“This incident is not isolated and reflects a growing and dangerous trend of violence and obstruction,” she continued. “Over the past two months, we’ve seen an increase in assaults and obstruction targeting federal law enforcement during operations. These confrontations highlight the dangers our agents face daily and the escalating aggression toward law enforcement.”
The Latin Kings allegedly issued a “shoot on sight” order targeting federal agents, NewsNation reported. It is currently unclear whether Saturday’s shooting is tied to the street gang.
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Mother chaperoned junior high dance — then had a baby with her daughter’s teen date: Court docs
An Illinois mother has been charged with criminal sexual assault and possession of child porn after she allegedly had a baby with her daughter’s teen friend, according to multiple reports.
The Washington Police Department arrested Robyn Polston, 43, on Nov. 3. Polston is being detained without bail while her case is pending, according to the New York Post.
‘Officers were able to get search warrants for the boy’s phone and found several images, allegedly showing him and Polston engaged in sexual activity.’
Polston was charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault with a victim between the ages of 13 and 17 and two counts of possession of child pornography, according to a court filing People magazine obtained. If convicted on all charges, Polston faces up to 60 years in prison.
Local law enforcement said officers launched an investigation in February after Polston gave birth to a baby in January, WMBD-TV reported.
A probable cause affidavit stated that Polston told investigators that the father was a man in his 20s, who she claimed hadn’t seen the baby since the child was born.
However, investigators noticed that the baby’s middle and last name on the birth certificate and other records matched the name of a teen, according to court documents filed last week in Tazewell County Circuit Court.
Investigators said the 14-year-old victim attended a junior high dance with Polston’s daughter in May 2023, according to the affidavit. Polston served as a chaperone at the dance, court documents said.
The probable cause affidavit also said the boy moved out of state but returned to the Central Illinois area for a visit in April 2024 — approximately 40 weeks before Polston gave birth to the baby.
In August 2024, the teen moved back to live with the family of a “friend,” according to the affidavit.
Citing the affidavit, WKRC-TV reported that law enforcement officers discovered “a large number of sexually explicit images and videos depicting [the alleged victim] and Polston.”
WMBD reported, “Officers were able to get search warrants for the boy’s phone and found several images, allegedly showing him and Polston engaged in sexual activity. Some of the pictures were clearly taken by her, the affidavit stated.”
Citing prosecutors, WEEK-TV reported that Polston and the alleged victim “used burner phones under fake names to protect their identities, and she allegedly tried to get the minor to participate in a cover-up.”
A DNA test confirmed that Polston and the alleged victim are the parents of the newborn baby, according to the affidavit.
Polston is scheduled to appear in court Dec. 4.
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‘Just crazy’: Thug throws frozen water balloon through car windshield, hits driver in face while he travels down highway
A motorist was seriously injured after someone threw a frozen water balloon through his windshield, hitting him in the face Thursday night while he was traveling down a highway in Northern California.
The incident occurred on Highway 20 near Hallwood Boulevard in Marysville in Yuba County, KCRA-TV reported. Marysville is about an hour north of Sacramento.
‘Somebody went through all of that for just a random act of violence.’
“It came through the window and hit me in the face,” the victim, Alex Plant, told the station. “Forced a lot of this glass into my face, in my eyes.”
Plant told KCRA he was driving home from work around 9:30 p.m. and traveling about 45 miles per hour when he said something from a car traveling in the opposite direction was thrown out its window.
“I barely saw it for a quarter of a second before it just came straight through,” Plant told KCRA.
The victim added to the station that while he was able to pull off the two-lane highway, he had to ask Siri to call 911, as he had no idea what hit him after it crashed through his windshield.
“My eyes were already starting to close up, so I couldn’t even look at the phone if I wanted to,” Plant noted to KCRA.
Turns out that a piece of white balloon was stuck in the shattered glass as first responders arrived, the station said.
Plant told KCRA he was taken to a hospital where medical staff spent hours removing shards of glass from his face and eyes.
RELATED: Husband of Woman Severely Injured by Rock Thrown From Highway Overpass Commits Suicide
“I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to see my family, to be honest with you,” he added to the station. “It was really stressful.”
Plant’s eyes were open as he spoke to KCRA, but small cuts were visible on his face — and he told the station his vision has been compromised.
“Out of this right eye, if I were to close the left one right now, you know, everything’s a little bit blurry. It’s hard to focus a little bit. And like I said, just the sensitivity to light,” Plant explained to the station.
In the end, the victim has been left wondering why someone would do such a dangerous and destructive thing to anyone.
“I was a random victim, but somebody didn’t randomly do this act, right?” Plant noted to KCRA. “Somebody went through all that trouble to, like, freeze it, tie it off, you know what I mean? And then throw it through the windshield before it defrosted. That’s just crazy. Somebody went through all of that for just a random act of violence.”
The station said California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident, but officials have limited information and no witnesses. Officers are working to identify the suspect and the suspect vehicle, KCRA reported.
In addition, Plant and his family are asking anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to contact the California Highway Patrol, the station said.
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