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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opinion
Is Trump’s DOJ Being Set Up to Lose?
Update: The Justice Department announced Saturday it would allow the Hewlett Packard Enterprise merger with Juniper Networks to go forward after a settlement was reached. The Trump administration has made revitalizing American industry and taking on the Chinese Communist Party top priorities. But those efforts are being jeopardized by a misguided antitrust lawsuit that threatens… -
news
Maine House Restores Laurel Libby’s Speaking Privileges Just Before Adjournment
After months of persecution, Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby, a Republican, had her legislative rights fully restored at the end of the state’s legislative session. In a 115-16 vote, the Maine House, in which Democrats hold a slim majority, voted to restore Libby’s voting and speaking privileges, but not to revoke the resolution of censure against her. Maine House… -
opinion
Keeping States From Governing AI Helps Big Tech and Harms Kids
Today’s push for a 10-year artificial intelligence moratorium has been framed in legislation as a “temporary pause” on state AI and algorithmic regulation. Proponents claim this is necessary to prevent “an unworkable patchwork of disparate and conflicting state AI laws” and preserve America’s lead over China in AI. But this ignores a more immediate and… -
news
Supreme Court Upholds Texas Age-Verification Law for Porn Sites
The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 Friday regarding a Texas law that makes it more difficult for children to access pornography. The ruling in the case of Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton could have a larger reach beyond the Lone Star State. Texas joined 19 other states to require pornographic websites to verify their users are… -
opinion
Libraries Can Remove Obscene Books, Says Fifth Circuit
Can public libraries get rid of children’s books featuring sex, masturbation, and gender ideology? That question sparked a lawsuit between Llano County, Texas, and a handful of adult library patrons who claimed that when the Llano library removed explicit books, it violated their right to free speech. The patrons sued on First Amendment grounds, arguing… -
opinion
Supreme Court Ruling Means Parents Can Follow Their Faith in Raising Children
In one of its final decisions this term, the Supreme Court has affirmed the right of religious parents to follow their faith in making decisions about their children’s public school education. In Mahmoud v. Taylor, the court sided with parents who asked that they be notified and given the chance to opt their children out… -
news
Trump Reacts to Supreme Court Clearing Obstacle to His Agenda
President Donald Trump is looking forward to proceeding with his agenda after the Supreme Court on Friday granted the administration’s request to narrow the scope of nationwide injunctions by federal judges. “We can now promptly file, proceed with numerous policies that have been wrongly enjoined on a nationwide,” Trump said at a press briefing Friday…. -
opinion
Supreme Court Lets South Carolina Ban Abortion Clinics from Medicaid
On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic to uphold South Carolina’s strategy for protecting taxpayers from subsidizing abortion through Medicaid. This case reveals how abortion advocates try to force taxpayers to subsidize their agenda—and how pro-life states can respond. Congress’ power to “provide for the… general welfare” is often… -
news
Supreme Court Rules on Parents’ Religious Freedom in LGBTQ School Book Opt-Out Case
The Supreme Court upheld the religious freedom of Maryland parents who challenged a school district policy that prevented them from opting their children out of lessons involving LGBTQ+ books. The court ruled, 6-3, that the Maryland parents were entitled to a preliminary injunction. The case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, involved Maryland parents of various faith backgrounds—Protestant, Catholic, Jewish,… -
news
BREAKING: Supreme Court Strikes Down Courts Applying Universal Injunctions
The Supreme Court struck down a lower court injunction blocking the Trump administration’s executive order on birthright citizenship, laying out clear rules for courts utilizing universal injunctions going forward. The case, Trump v. CASA, concerns universal injunctions that lower court judges have ordered pausing President Donald Trump’s order interpreting the 14th Amendment as not guaranteeing… -
opinion
How This Term’s Supreme Court Cases Are Reshaping America
The decisions of the Supreme Court reverberate throughout the nation, defining the limits of government power and often directing our culture. The 2024-2025 term of the Supreme Court is now coming to a close, bringing with it a wide range of cases. I spoke with Hans von Spakovsky, senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s… -
opinion
Senate’s Rebranded AI Moratorium Is Fatally Flawed
On Saturday, the U.S. Senate parliamentarian cleared a proposed measure discouraging states from placing safeguards on artificial intelligence and Big Tech for the next decade. It could be included in the reconciliation package that the Senate is expected to consider as early as this week. To overcome the Senate’s arcane rules, the Commerce Committee rewrote… -
opinion
Trump Didn’t Need Congressional Approval for Iran Strike
President Donald Trump was on solid legal ground in the military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Not only did he not need congressional approval to carry out the mission, but his actions were consistent with presidential practice going back decades. Presidents of both parties have authorized the use of the armed forces for military actions,… -
opinion
Midnight Judges Aren’t New—Here’s What Jefferson Did
No other American president has faced as much hostile, ideologically driven judicial warfare as has President Donald Trump. But there was a president who also faced a slew of new, hostile judges appointed by his predecessor—and his example provides an interesting historical lesson. That prior president was Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United… -
news
Supreme Court Rules Whether States Can Block Planned Parenthood From Receiving Medicaid Funding
The Supreme Court ruled against Planned Parenthood Thursday, handing a significant win to the pro-life movement. In the case Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, the justices ruled, 6-3, that South Carolina can legally block Planned Parenthood facilities from receiving Medicaid funding. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, in which Chief Justice… -
opinion
In New Role at Airbnb, Biden Chief of Staff Continues Gaslighting Conservatives
Ron Klain is the eye of the storm. Again. Klain, who served as chief of staff to former President Joe Biden, moved to the private sector and now serves as chief legal officer at Airbnb, the real estate rental tech giant. Unfortunately, Klain’s gone from managing a White House accused of concealing the severity of… -
news
Mass Shooting Prevented Because of Second Amendment, Expert Says
A children’s church service in Wayne, Michigan, Sunday nearly became the scene of a mass shooting after a gunman opened fire outside CrossPointe Community Church. A parishioner hit the suspect with his vehicle and at least two church staff members fatally shot him before anyone was killed, The Associated Press reported. In a media… -
news
Records Reveal How Democrat AGs Collaborated on Anti-Trump Legal Strategy Before Inauguration
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—As early as July of last year, during the heat of a presidential race, a group of Democrat state attorneys general coordinated on challenging the White House on environmental policy. Fast forward to 10 days after Republican Donald Trump was elected to another term as president, and Democrat attorneys general from… -
news
Trump Admin Sues Democrat State Forcing Priests to Divulge Confessions
A newly enacted law forcing priests to reveal the details of their members’ private confessions under penalty of fine or imprisonment is illegal and violates the core rights guaranteed to every American, says the Justice Department, as it joined a lawsuit to overturn the measure and restore religious liberty. SB 5375, passed by the overwhelmingly… -
opinion
Judicial Insurrection Breaks New Ground as Judge Defies Supreme Court Itself
District court judges aren’t just striking down President Donald Trump’s orders, arguably taking presidential power on themselves. In at least one case, a district judge appears to have openly defied the Supreme Court itself. The Supreme Court Monday issued a stay on an April 18 injunction in the case D.V.D. v. Department of Homeland Security….