Liberty

The Gellert Global Group, a New Jersey-based importer of Canadian cheese, has filed suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade challenging President Trump's use of Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion in Canadian goods. The dormant, Depression-era statute had never before been used in a trade dispute. Trump invoked it in August over alleged Canadian discrimination against U.S. dairy, auto, and alcohol exports, triggering retaliatory tariffs from Ottawa and a later outright ban on nearly $1 billion in Canadian products. The Liberty Justice Center, representing Gellert, argues newer trade laws superseded this authority, following its earlier Supreme Court win against other Trump tariffs. The White House says it will vigorously defend the measure.

A government-funded ad campaign praising President Trump began airing on Fox News this week, labeled on-screen as "Paid for by the U.S. government." The ads feature Trump's image, a soundtrack of the song "Love Me," UFC's Dana White calling him "the toughest, most resilient person," and promises to defeat "communism, socialism and Marxism." The White House describes the spots as a nonpolitical "public service announcement." Singer JMSN says he never authorized use of his song for political purposes.

The campaign has drawn bipartisan criticism. Republican Senator Thom Tillis said the use of taxpayer money "feels like Viktor Orbán," and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) said he doesn't like seeing public money fund what looks like campaign advertising. Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin called the ads "blatantly unethical," citing potential violations of the Hatch Act, which bars using government resources for political purposes.

The ads follow other instances of Trump's name and image appearing on government property, currency, and buildings, prompting comparisons to state-run propaganda in authoritarian countries. No congressional investigation or Justice Department action has been announced.

Utah GOP Sen. John Curtis has called for a Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into Donald Trump Jr. following reports that Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, a Putin ally, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars toward Trump Jr.'s Bahamas wedding afterparty, including renting a private island and a fireworks display. Curtis sent a letter to Sens. Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin urging subpoenas for both Trump Jr. and Hunter Biden to examine "use of presidential family relationships for private financial benefit."

Curtis's letter also cited the Trump family's cryptocurrency venture World Liberty Financial, Trump Jr.'s defense-sector investments, and his board seat at prediction market company Kalshi as areas raising conflict-of-interest concerns. He linked the scrutiny to a separate $500 million UAE investment in World Liberty Financial ahead of Trump's inauguration, after which chip-export restrictions to UAE-linked firms were loosened. Curtis argued that congressional oversight standards should apply consistently regardless of which party controls the White House.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court heard nearly eight hours of arguments this week on two lawsuits seeking to redraw the state's congressional map before the 2028 elections. Republicans currently hold six of Wisconsin's eight U.S. House seats under the existing map.

One lawsuit claims the map is a partisan gerrymander favoring one party, while the other alleges it is an anti-competitive gerrymander designed to shield incumbents. Two three-judge panels appointed last year to hear the cases both dismissed the challenges, and the state's high court—which holds a 5-2 liberal majority—must now decide whether to send the cases back to lower courts for trial.

Luke Berg, an attorney with the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, defended the current map in an interview, arguing against redrawing it. The outcome could reshape Wisconsin's congressional districts and affect the partisan balance of the state's U.S. House delegation ahead of future elections.

Los Angeles is weighing whether to acquire Liberty Park, a privately owned green space on Wilshire Boulevard in Koreatown, and convert it into public parkland. Councilmember Heather Hutt, who represents Council District 10, is pushing for a private sale with property owner Jamison Properties, which separately plans to convert the adjacent 11-story office building into apartments through adaptive reuse. The proposal goes before the Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners, which will decide whether to authorize acquisition efforts for Liberty Park and several other properties in the district.

Liberty Park and neighboring Beneficial Plaza were designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2018 after residents fought off a proposed high-rise tower on the site. Any future changes would need to preserve its historic features, including its lawn, pine grove, and Liberty Bell replica. The effort responds to a documented park shortage in Koreatown, where over a third of residents live more than a 10-minute walk from green space. Funding for the acquisitions remains unresolved, with officials citing Quimby fees as a possible source.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) has filed a lawsuit against the state's Minority Teacher Loan (MTL) Program, arguing its race-based eligibility criteria violate the Equal Protection Clause. The program offers up to $30,000 in forgivable loans to students pursuing teaching licenses in shortage areas, such as special education, math, science, and foreign languages, but restricts eligibility to specific racial and ethnic groups, excluding otherwise qualified applicants based solely on race.

The suit, filed on behalf of Citizens Defending Liberty against the Higher Educational Aids Board and its executive secretary, follows a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling earlier this year in Rabiebna v. Higher Educational Aids Board, which struck down a similar race-based minority grant program. WILL contends the MTL Program lacks a compelling government interest to justify racial classifications and worsens the state's teacher shortage by narrowing the pool of eligible applicants. The case adds to a broader wave of legal challenges targeting race-conscious government programs nationwide.

Businessmen James "Jeb" Balise and Dinesh Patel, whose competing proposals to replace Springfield's Roderick Ireland Courthouse were passed over, have expanded their lawsuit challenging the selection of developer Liberty Junction for the $1.94 billion project. The amended suit, filed in Hampden Superior Court, now names the Massachusetts Asset Management Board, DCAMM Commissioner Adam Baacke, and Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowski as defendants, alleging conflicts of interest and an unlawful procurement process dating back to the board's original decision to fast-track the courthouse through a private developer.

Judge David M. Hodge previously denied the pair's request for an emergency injunction to block a contract with Liberty Junction, a ruling now under appeal, though the broader lawsuit continues. Liberty Junction called the amended claims a rehash aimed at delaying construction, noting its bid was hundreds of millions of dollars cheaper than Balise's proposal. DCAMM says it intends to finalize a contract with Liberty Junction this fall despite continued opposition from local officials, including the Hampden district attorney, clerk of courts, and Springfield's mayor.