Legal News
Reports on lawmaking, constitutional issues, and court cases. The Daily Signal combines news reporting with conservative commentary and legal analysis.
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- News
Code Pink Should Lose Tax-Exempt Status for 3 Key Reasons, Watchdog Group Tells IRS
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The leftist activist group Code Pink should lose its tax-exempt status for engaging in potentially illegal activity, violating tax rules against engaging in prohibited political activity and excess lobbying activity, and for supporting the interests of China without properly registering with the Department of Justice, a conservative group said in a…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Despicable: Judge Declares Accused Killer ‘Incapable’ Despite Decades of Crimes
Another day, another example of how the Left’s view of justice is toxic to a free society. A state court on Tuesday pronounced DeCarlos Brown Jr., the man accused of killing Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska in a random knife attack on a North Carolina train, “incapable to proceed” until a psychiatric evaluation is complete. From my…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
State Lawmakers Nationwide Erect Firewalls Against Sharia Law
A quiet surge is reshaping American courts in states such as Georgia and Missouri to prevent the encroach of Sharia law. State legislators are advancing “American Laws for American Courts” (ALAC) and related measures. These laws attempt to keep the U.S. and state constitutions as the sole legal authorities. The message to Americans is clear:…Peter McIlvenna -
- News
Supreme Court Clears Way for Dismissal of Case Against Trump Ally Steve Bannon
WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way on Monday for the Justice Department to move forward with dismissing a criminal case in which Steve Bannon, an influential ally of President Donald Trump, was convicted after defying a congressional subpoena. Bannon was convicted by a jury in Washington in 2022 on two counts…John Kruzel -
- Opinion
Supreme Court Breaks Transgenderism’s Cruel Stranglehold Over Therapy in Colorado
This week, the Supreme Court rightly held that Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” violated the First Amendment by dictating what counselors can say in therapy sessions. However, the therapist who sued Colorado isn’t the only winner—gender-confused kids arguably came out ahead, too. Colorado’s law didn’t just aim to force therapists to endorse transgender orthodoxy—it also…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
Justices Hear Potential Landmark Case on Birthright Citizenship
Some conservative-leaning justices had hard questions for Solicitor General John Sauer on Wednesday when he argued to reverse nearly 130 years of precedent on birthright citizenship, as President Donald Trump was in attendance. The case involves Trump’s executive order instructing agencies not to recognize citizenship for U.S.-born children without at least one parent who is…Fred Lucas -
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Daily Signal Welcomes Mehek Cooke as Senior National Security and Legal Analyst
Mehek Cooke is joining The Daily Signal today as senior national security and legal analyst, further strengthening our news outlet’s coverage of immigration, border security, and national defense. Cooke brings more than a decade of experience as an attorney, strategist, and media analyst focused on national security, immigration law, and a host of other policy…Robert B. Bluey -
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Group Behind Killing 1,000 Israelis Claims New Israel Law Amounts to ‘Disregard for All Humanitarian Norms’
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the Hamas terrorist organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and left-leaning governments are criticizing a new Israeli law that allows for the death penalty to be administered to prisoners convicted of murdering Israeli civilians. “The Israeli government is about to pass a law mandating the death penalty, only for Palestinian prisoners….Pedro Rodriguez -
- Opinion
What SCOTUS Ruled About Conversion Therapy in Chiles v. Salazar
Can the government prohibit what a therapist says to a client behind closed doors? March 31, in an 8-1 opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court answered that question with a firm “No.” But the fact of an overwhelming majority of the court—eight justices—also suggests the narrowness of the opinion itself. Indeed, Justice Neil Gorsuch’s majority opinion…Dan Mauler -
- Opinion
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: Trump Has the Law and Military Strategy on His Side in US-Iran War
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. I want to have a couple of videos on the current state of affairs in the bombing…Victor Davis Hanson -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: Heritage Action Scorecard Reveals Which Lawmakers Are Fighting for Conservative Values
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Heritage Action has released its Heritage Action Scorecard, a database that puts members of Congress’ voting records up against conservative priorities. The scorecard grades members of Congress by analyzing the members’ voting record on core issues for the conservative agenda that the American people voted for in the 2024 presidential election…Virginia Grace McKinnon -
- News
Supreme Court Rules 8-1 in Massive Free Speech Case
The Supreme Court held in an 8-1 ruling on Tuesday that a Colorado ban on “conversion therapy” for counselors unlawfully regulates speech and is viewpoint discrimination. Justice Neil Gorsuch, a President Donald Trump appointee, issued the majority opinion. Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor—both appointees of President Barack Obama—issued concurring opinions. Only Justice Ketanji Brown…Fred Lucas -
- News
4 Key Election Law Battles Hitting Court Rooms During 2026 Midterms
After arguments in a major Supreme Court case regarding mail-in ballots, the Republican National Committee is still involved in 120 election integrity lawsuits across 30 states. Going into the midterm elections, the four priority areas for the committee are voter ID, securing mail-in voting, stopping noncitizens from voting, and holding states accountable for their failures…Fred Lucas -
- News
Sharia Free America Caucus Responds to CAIR Designating It an ‘Anti-Muslim Hate Group’
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which bills itself as America’s premier Muslim civil rights group, has designated the Sharia Free America Caucus an “anti-Muslim hate group,” in what one Muslim reformer calls the “American equivalent of a blasphemy law.” “Labeling a congressional caucus that represents millions of Americans a ‘hate group’ simply for addressing the…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
NAACP’s Latest Hire Reveals the Left’s Plan to Keep Weaponizing Civil Rights Law Against Conservatives
After a yearslong legal battle, the Supreme Court vindicated a Colorado Christian baker hounded by a “Civil Rights Commission” for the sin of refusing to craft a custom cake to celebrate a same-sex wedding. A woman by the name of Kristen Clarke found that ruling “devastating.” Clarke, who would go on to lead the Justice…Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Supreme Court Could Decide If ‘Election Day’ Lasts One Day
Under our Constitution, state legislatures retain primary authority for setting the rules and procedures governing elections—even federal ones. This is true for both congressional and presidential elections. But Congress can step in and alter those default state-level rules. And it has chosen to do so in several important ways. For example, it has fixed by…Zack Smith -
- News
Even Amid Lawsuit, Democrat AG Won’t Swear Off Using Far-Left ‘Hate Map’ That Allegedly Inspired Terrorist Attack
Michigan’s Democrat attorney general cited the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “hate map” when announcing a “hate-crimes unit” in 2019, and after one of the conservative groups on the map sued, the AG’s office won’t say whether it will refuse to cite the SPLC in the future. The American Freedom Law Center, a Judeo-Christian public interest…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
Supreme Court Backs Police Immunity in Protest Case
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a Vermont police officer is entitled to qualified immunity after a protester at the state Capitol sued him for an injury in a case that stretches back more than a decade. Qualified immunity protects law enforcement officers from litigation if they are acting in the line of duty,…Fred Lucas -
- News
Justices Skeptical of Counting Late-Arriving Ballots
The Supreme Court’s conservative justices on Monday seemed particularly skeptical of arguments by the state of Mississippi that mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day should still be counted. Mississippi counts ballots that arrive up to five days after Election Day. At least 17 states and the District of Columbia count ballots that arrive late, with…Fred Lucas -
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Madness on the Hill: Lawmakers Share March Madness Brackets
As if Capitol Hill needed any more madness, the NCAA backetball tournament is upon us. While lawmakers consider the SAVE America Act, seek an end to the Department of Homeland Security shut down, and consider more war funding, they’re keeping one eye on March Madness. Possibly the most notable win so far in the tournament was…Virginia Grace McKinnon