Morning Brief: Legal Battles, Court Tensions & A Congressional Loss
Good morning. Across Washington, questions of power are taking center stage. From a looming legal clash over gun rights, to rare insight into Supreme Court secrecy, to the passing of a longtime lawmaker, today’s stories reflect institutions under strain and transition. DOJ Signals New Front in Gun Rights Fight The Justice Department is drawing a […]
Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes Steps Down After $712M Loss, Interim Leader Tapped
Trump Media is changing leadership at a difficult moment. Devin Nunes, the former Republican congressman who has led the company since 2022, is stepping down as CEO after the company reported a $712 million net loss for 2025. The board has named Kevin McGurn, a longtime media and finance executive, as interim chief executive. The […]
California’s AI Plan Has Critics Sounding The Alarm
On March 30, 2026, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-5-26, a document he called a “trusted AI” initiative. The name sounds benign, even admirable. Who could oppose trusted AI? The answer, once you read past the branding, is anyone who has watched California use regulatory power as a political instrument for the past two decades. […]
Chernobyl Nuclear Shield Damaged In Drone Strike, Safety Concerns Rise
PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB): Should we be worried? Chernobyl nuclear power plant, site of world’s worst civilian nuclear accident in 1986, severely damaged and has ‘lost safety function’ of its radiation shield after drone strike. The strike — most likely Russian — set fire to the New Safe Confinement building, which was erected over site in 2016 […]
DOJ Puts Virginia On Notice Over Gun Restrictions
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is escalating its defense of gun rights, formally warning Virginia officials that it will sue if a slate of newly passed firearm restrictions becomes law — a move that underscores a broader shift in how the federal government is treating the Second Amendment. In a letter to Virginia Gov. Abigail […]
Leaked Supreme Court Memos Reveal Divide Over ‘Shadow Docket’ Power
WASHINGTON — Newly leaked internal Supreme Court memos between justices offer a rare glimpse into the court’s highly secretive decision-making process — revealing that deep divisions over emergency rulings date back years. The documents, first reported by The New York Times, center on the court’s 2016 decision to halt the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan […]
Multiple American Tourists Injured In Shooting At Mexican Pyramid
Six Americans were among those injured Monday when a gunman opened fire at Mexico’s Teotihuacán pyramids, a popular tourist destination. Mexican authorities identified the suspect as Julio César Jasso Ramírez. Officials said he had visited the site multiple times beforehand, allegedly conducting “reconnaissance of the specific locations he intended to utilize for his violent attack.” […]
Rep. David Scott Dies At 80 After Decades In Congress
Rep. David Scott, a longtime Georgia Democrat who served more than two decades in Congress and rose to lead one of the House’s most influential committees, has died at the age of 80, according to his office. Scott, who represented Georgia’s 13th Congressional District since 2003, had been seeking a 13th term in office at […]
National Intelligence Director Sued For Records On COVID-19 Origins
A conservative ethics watchdog is going back to federal court to uncover national security documents in the origins of the COVID-19 global pandemic and the United States’ federal government’s research on viruses. The nonprofit public interest law firm Judicial Watch announced in a statement that it “filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against […]