The Week That Was – Lawfare
Quinta Jurecic discussed former President Trumps consistent pattern of attempting to stymie the Mueller investigation, the work of the House select committee to investigate Jan. 6 and the Justice Departments Mar-a-Lago investigation, and the legal implications for the ongoing investigations now that Trump is no longer president.
Hyemin Han shared the Justice Department's opening brief in the Eleventh Circuit for an appeal of U.S. District Court Judge Aileen Cannon's Sept. 5 order appointing a special master to oversee privilege claims of documents seized during the Aug. 8 search of former President Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence. It asked the Eleventh Circuit to vacate Cannons order in its entirety with instructions to dismiss the case.
Han also shared the Justice Departments Oct. 11 response in opposition to former President Trumps Oct. 4 application to the Supreme Court for a partial vacatur of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuits Sept. 21 order allowing the Justice Department to resume use of materials it has been previously enjoined from using in a Sept. 5 order by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.
William Appleton shared a livestream of the Jan. 6 Select Committees Oct. 13 hearing, announced as the final one. The Lawfare team also hosted a Twitter Spaces on the hearing at 5 p.m. ET.
Hadley Baker shared an episode of Lawfare No Bull which featured audio from the Jan. 6 committees ninth public hearing:
Benjamin Wittes sat down for a conversation with Jurecic, Alan Rozenshtein, and Molly Reynolds on Twitter Spaces to discuss the ninth Jan. 6 select committee hearing, the subpoena of Donald Trump, how this all could impact the upcoming midterm elections, and the performance of the committee given the constraints it faced:
Katherine Pompilio shared former President Donald Trumps letter in response to the House select committees decision to issue him a subpoena seeking information about his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Han also shared the Biden-Harris administrations first National Security Strategy which details the administrations enduring vision for the U.S. in the coming decade, its views on investment priorities, the administrations global priorities, and a breakdown of the administration's national security strategy by region.
Stewart Baker, Nick Weaver, Matthew Heiman, and Brian Fleming sat down to discuss the White House Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights, the criminal conviction of Ubers CSO Joe Sullivan, new export restrictions on U.S. technology and its implications for U.S.-China trade relations, a Russian hack and leak operation, and more:
Henry Farrell and Bruce Schneier discussed the U.S. Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Controls sanctions of Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency and money-laundering platform, and the implications for cryptocurrency regulation if decentralized autonomous organizations like Tornado Cash are afforded First Amendment protections.Jordan Schneider sat down for a conversation with Kevin Wolf, partner at Akin Gump, to discuss the U.S. Commerce Department's new export control regulations, what the regulations mean for the global semiconductor industry, and if the regulations are even enforceable:
Chenny Zhang discussed the possibility of the American drug industry experiencing a similar manufacturing crisis as the semiconductor industry due to the increasing likelihood of industry consolidation, the difficulties of the regulatory approval process and its impacts on innovation, and the importance of the U.S. bioeconomy for national security.
Russell Buchan and Joe Devanny responded to a recent Lawfare article on the U.K.s cyber strategy and emphasized the need for a nuanced and incremental development of that strategy to achieve the responsible and democratic use of cyber power.
Han sat down for a conversation with Alexander Downes, professor of political science and international affairs at The George Washington University, to discuss the history of foreign-imposed regime change, what lessons can be learned from past foreign-imposed regime changes, and why, when it actually works, its success doesnt last very long:
Tyler McBrien sat down with Beln Carrasco Rodrguez and Tom Southern of the Center for Information Resilience to discuss their research into how Russia establishes and strengthens occupational rule, the Russian playbook for control, and the ways that forced assimilation may or may not be working:
Benjamin Wittes sat down for a conversation with Svitlana Khytrenko, a Ukrainian student who escaped Kyiv in March, to talk about her experiences as a refugee, her life in Poland, and her feelings about the Russian invasion:
Jordan Schneider sat down for a conversation with Kamil Galeev to discuss the prospects of nuclear war, the stability of the Russian state, Moscows grip on annexed regions, Putins future viability, and more:
Katherine Yon Ebright discussed an obscure counterterrorism authority used to create and control proxy forces across Africa and Asia, its intersection with the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), and argued that the executive branchs current interpretation may have gone beyond its previous representations to Congress and the public.
Caleb Johnson and Yang Liu provided a summary of President Joe Bidens Oct. 7 executive order which laid out a framework in which the government can conduct signals intelligence activities; establishes a three-layer redress mechanism to address potential violations of privacy, civil liberties, or law; and also fulfills prior commitments to provide higher privacy protections and a more durable basis for future trans-Atlantic data flows.
Renee DiResta and John Perrino discussed the new history of U.S. military information campaigns, how it illustrates the challenges of reaching and influencing online audiences, and argued for a U.S. policy of radical transparency in the information ecosystem in contrast to the opaque policies and disinformation campaigns of authoritarian adversaries such as Russia.
David Priess sat down for a chat with Jordan Taylor, historian and author of Misinformation Nation: Foreign News and the Politics of Truth in Revolutionary America. They discussed the persistence of misinformation, the origins and limits of newspapers in colonial America, the Illuminati scare of 1798-99, and more:
McBrien also reviewed Sierra Pettengills documentary Riotsville, U.S.A. (2022) which illustrates the history of police militarization in the United States, the legacies of the Kerner Commission, and the importance of investigating the origins of repressive social forces.
Wittes also sat down with Jurecic, Rozenshtein, and Scott R. Anderson to discuss the current state of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the two cases recently taken up by the Supreme Court relating to Section 230, and what the correct interpretation of 230if there is onemight look like:
Rozenshtein, Jurecic, and Anderson also sat down with Ashley Deeks, professor of law at the University of Virginia Law School, to discuss some of the weeks big national security news including: developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Saudi Arabias decision to cut oil production, and the Supreme Court's decision to take up two cases related to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act:
And that was the week that was.
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The Week That Was - Lawfare
- Trump Sued for Selling Early Access to Truth Social Posts: First Amendment Analysis - Freedom Forum - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Students, ACLU argue FIU violated First Amendment rights after doling out punishments for ICE protests - WSVN - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Did this field trip to a mosque violate the First Amendment? A group of Palo Alto parents think so. - The Forward - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Second Circuit Says You Have a First Amendment Right to Film Police in Public - Fstoppers - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Column: Lets celebrate ALL of the First Amendment, not part - The Daily Tar Heel - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Jury Says The New York Times Defamed Alabama Basketball Player With Incorrect Story About Shooting - First Amendment Watch - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Disney and ABC filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the FCC - Morning Brew - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Five Standout Claims In ABCs First Amendment Lawsuit Against The FCC - Deadline - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Judge weighs First Amendment case involving FIU student protest - CBS News - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- ABC sues FCC claiming first amendment violation - WBKO - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- ABC sues FCC over license reviews, citing First Amendment rights - WRTV - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Rich Lenkov on murder trials, cocaine trafficking, and a First Amendment showdown - WGN Radio 720 - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- FCC Boss Brendan Carr Says Disneys First Amendment Lawsuit Is Without Merit - Media Play News - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Judge Plans October Hearing In ABCs First Amendment Lawsuit Against FCC, Says It Will Be Sooner If Agency Takes Action On Licenses - Yahoo - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Antithesis of Our First Amendment: Families Ask Supreme Court to Toss Texas Ten Commandments Law - Alaska Native News - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- ABC Has Filed a First Amendment Lawsuit Against the FCC After Trump Admin Goes After Network - IMDb - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- ABC Has Filed a First Amendment Lawsuit Against the FCC After Trump Admin Goes After Network - Just Jared - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- Disney Takes on Trump: Can ABC Win Its First Amendment Suit Against the FCC? | Analysis - IMDb - August 22nd, 2026 [August 22nd, 2026]
- First Amendment group rebukes San Joaquin RTD director over threat to sue public critics - Stocktonia - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Does the First Amendment Protect Freedom From Religion? - First Liberty Institute - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Opinion | Trumps attack on a think tank is an affront to the First Amendment - The Washington Post - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Dining hall workers union sues ASU, alleging First Amendment violations - The State Press - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- ACLU-SC to SC Arts Commission: Respect the First Amendment - ACLU of South Carolina - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- How does the First Amendment govern liability for AI? - Free Speech Center - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Judge Orders Massachusetts Sheriff To Hand ICE Detainee Records to ACLU - First Amendment Watch - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Masked men practicing First Amendment right to video in public antagonize residents at post office in Pleasanton - Pleasanton Weekly - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- How the First Amendment protects our 5 freedoms and why its in danger - The Seattle Times - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Dining hall workers suing ASU over First Amendment right to protest working conditions - KTAR News 92.3 FM - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Lawsuit Seeks To Ban Trump Media From Charging for Early Access to Presidents Posts on US Policy - First Amendment Watch - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Judge Dismisses Trump Administration Lawsuit Alleging Antisemitism at Harvard University - First Amendment Watch - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Meta To SCOTUS: Addiction Suits Barred By First Amendment, Section 230 - Yahoo - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Another Colorado Attack on the First Amendment Goes to the Supreme Court - Independence Institute - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Masked ICE Agent Pulls Gun on Virginia Driver Who Says She Was Exercising First Amendment Rights - National Enquirer - August 14th, 2026 [August 14th, 2026]
- Flag on the play: First Amendment problems with NIL regulation - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - July 21st, 2026 [July 21st, 2026]
- Removal of CLARITY Acts Section 604 Could Spark First Amendment Battle, Industry Executives Warn - Cryptonews.net - July 21st, 2026 [July 21st, 2026]
- The Forever War and the First Amendment - | Knight First Amendment Institute - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- Judge dismisses Chelan County deputies' claim that Morrison violated their First Amendment rights - The Wenatchee World - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS7th Cir.: Former Chicago firefighter cannot revive First Amendment claims involving racist Facebook posts - VitalLaw.com - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- AI Chatbots Are at Risk of Spreading Government Restrictions on Online Speech, a New Study Says - First Amendment Watch - July 18th, 2026 [July 18th, 2026]
- Viral video at Pride protest prompts Fort Worth police to review First Amendment rights training - WFAA - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- A New Jersey Judge Defies the First Amendment by Censoring News Coverage of a High School Lockdown - Yahoo - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- 'They're Violating My First Amendment Right': A Video of a Man Being Removed From a Public Park During Arab Fest Is Dividing X - The Daily Dot - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- DOJ weighs civil rights probe into Fort Worth police over alleged First Amendment violations - Fox News - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Human Rights Groups Sue Over Trump Administrations Sanctions on ICC for Investigations Into Israel - First Amendment Watch - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- First Amendment Discussion with Journalists and Legal Experts Set for July 21 at National Press Club - PR Newswire - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- When Speech or Association Undercuts the Mission: A First Amendment Guide for Law Enforcement Agencies - States United Democracy Center - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Elon professors join FCC filing on First Amendment, broadcast journalism - Elon University - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Letter to the Editor: SCC School Board must respect the First Amendment - baldwin-bulletin.com - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Subpoenas Issued to NY Times Reporters Seen as Unprecedented Threat To Press Freedom - First Amendment Watch - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Florida Government Weekly Roundup: Crossing The First Amendment - NorthEscambia.com - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- David Schwartz invokes First Amendment to defend XRP sports ads - Cryptonews.net - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- First Amendment Protects Universities From Florida's Stop WOKE Act - Reason Magazine - July 16th, 2026 [July 16th, 2026]
- Warwick tries to bar critic from disclosing information obtained in First Amendment suit - The Boston Globe - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- South Milwaukee Orders Residents to Take Down Whimsical Skeleton Display, a Violation of Their First Amendment Rights - The Institute for Justice - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- ABC Fights Back Against FCC Regulators in Dispute Over The View and Equal Time Rules - First Amendment Watch - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- How does the First Amendment apply to AI regulation in hiring and health care? - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- Judge Orders E. Jean Carroll Be Paid $5.8M in Trump Sex Abuse and Defamation Case; Trump Appeals - First Amendment Watch - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- First Amendment wins at Supreme Court to the horror of liberal justices - Washington Examiner - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- Florida Tried to Stop Woke. The First Amendment Stopped Florida. - Cloaking Inequity - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- ABC fires back at FCC investigation of 'The View' in new comments calling it a First Amendment violation - Fox News - July 9th, 2026 [July 9th, 2026]
- The Equal Rights Amendment and the First Amendment: A Roadmap for a Feminist Future - Ms. Magazine - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Expressive Governance Is a First Amendment Threat Hiding in Plain Sight - Tech Policy Press - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Supreme Court Strikes Down Limits on Party Spending in Federal Elections, Backing Republican Appeal - First Amendment Watch - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Another New York Resident Says He Was Warned by Officers After Criticizing ICE - First Amendment Watch - July 1st, 2026 [July 1st, 2026]
- Gateway Church wins tithing lawsuit dismissal as federal judge cites First Amendment - The Roys Report - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- ACLU raises First Amendment concerns over Hartland library boards decision to reshelve LGBTQ+ books - News From The States - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- Weakening Government Coercion by Strengthening Government Regulation - | Knight First Amendment Institute - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- Former Executive Sues Meta Over Attempts To Silence Her Memoir, Careless People - First Amendment Watch - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- ACLU raises First Amendment concerns over Hartland library boards decision to reshelve LGBTQ+ books - Iosco County News Herald - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- New York City Council Candidate Is Accused of Forgery Over AI-Generated Posts - First Amendment Watch - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- Why the Prairieland case is more about disproportionate justice than it is the First Amendment - Media Nation - June 28th, 2026 [June 28th, 2026]
- Reflecting on Americas 250th anniversary: The First Amendment - Princeton University Press - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- How does the First Amendment apply to AI? - FIRE | Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- 8 Convicted in Texas Immigration Center Shooting and Protest Are Sentenced to Decades in Prison - First Amendment Watch - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Justice Department Withdraws Subpoenas That Sought Reporters Grand Jury Testimony, Sources Say - First Amendment Watch - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Fence surrounding Eugene Federal Building to be removed within 48 hours, judge rules violation of First Amendment rights - Daily Emerald - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Addressing Power Concentration: What to Do About the Office of Management and Budget? - | Knight First Amendment Institute - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Pro-life non-profit to stand trial in first of its kind First Amendment lawsuit - Pregnancy Help News - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- 'Relentless, UN-AMERICAN': Trump escalates attacks on the First Amendment to STARTLING new level - Yahoo - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]
- Judge orders release of Palestinian rights advocate, citing likely First Amendment violation - Muslim Network TV - June 24th, 2026 [June 24th, 2026]