Today, the justices hear arguments on a Grants Pass, Oregon, municipal ordinance that slaps heavy fines and, if unpaid, criminal penalties on the homeless.
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Posted inJonathan Alter's Trump Trial Diary
Day Four of the Hush Money Trial: The Judge Tells Donald Trump to Sit Down
Day four of the hush money trial underscored how little control Trump has as both sides get ready for their opening statements.
Posted inJonathan Alter's Trump Trial Diary
Day Three of the Trump Hush Money Trial: We Have a Jury
Voir dire on steroids, “notarizing Trump’s tongue,” finding a clean bathroom, and other adventures in Manhattan Criminal Court
Posted inRussia’s War on Ukraine
As Ukraine Struggles, Fears of Russian Aggression Soar in Poland
An eyewitness report from Poland where the author meets with members of the nation’s political elite, who, like the rest of the Western-leaning nation, is haunted by the specter of Moscow defeating Kyiv and Putin taking the war to them.
Posted inPolitics
Biden Isn’t Talking About Trump’s Hush Money Trial, For Good Reason
There could be a mistrial, or Trump could be acquitted, so why even mention Stormy Daniels?
Posted inPolitics
The Putin Republicans Have the Upper Hand
They admire the strongman as a Christian nationalist leader, and they want to see Ukraine fall. The global consequences of their besotted love affair with the Russian strongman could be cataclysmic.
Posted inJonathan Alter's Trump Trial Diary
The Steady Judge Merchan and The Desperate Trump Defense
Jonathan Alter—the journalist, historian, and Washington Monthly contributing editor—reports from the first day of Trump’s hush money trial
Posted inLaw and Justice
Protecting Biden Administration Regulations from Regime Change and Skeptical Courts
As agencies race to put new regulations into final form, careful drafting can help insulate progressive rules against a skeptical judiciary.
Posted inLaw and Justice
Abortion and the Comstock “Chastity” Law Time Bomb
The 19th-century law banning materials “producing abortion” is still on the books and is a ready tool for anti-choice forces. But there are legal arguments that can defuse it.
Posted inMagazine
Trump vs. Biden: Who Got More Done for Veterans?
Trump mocked veterans and privatized their health care. Biden honors them but hasn’t challenged Trump’s privatization policies.
