Trump promises $5,000 a person, and Republicans hesitate
Trump says he will send $5,000 to every adult American citizen if Republicans win the House and the Senate. Three Senate Republicans are not sold. Ted Cruz would back it only as a tax refund, because he does not want to pay people who can work and choose not to. Susan Collins, who chairs Appropriations, called it extraordinarily costly with no apparent income cap. Majority Leader Thune will not commit to a floor vote. Breitbart's arithmetic, not an official estimate, puts the cost above $1 trillion.
Fourth Circuit rules against detention without bond
The Fourth Circuit ruled 2 to 1 on Thursday against holding immigrants who entered illegally without bond while removal cases run. Judge Nicole Berner, a Biden appointee, wrote the majority, joined by Obama appointee Barbara Keenan. Trump appointee Allison Rushing dissented, arguing that past administrations declining to read the 1996 law broadly does not make the broader reading unlawful.
Four bills signed, including disaster tax relief
Trump signed four bills on Friday. The one that matters is the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act, which the White House says extends and codifies the deduction for qualified disaster-related personal casualty losses and keeps qualified wildfire relief payments out of gross income. The Stop Secret Spending Act adds other transaction agreements, a contracting vehicle, to federal spending transparency requirements.
More than $100 million for Micronesia, and a Peace Corps deal
The State Department says the United States intends to provide more than $100 million for disaster relief and reconstruction in the Federated States of Micronesia. Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau announced it in Chuuk State, where Typhoon Sinlaku hit. In Honiara he signed an agreement with Foreign Minister Rick Houenipwela for the Peace Corps to return after 26 years away.
Supreme Court drops its October detention case
The Supreme Court dropped Genalo v. Black, an October 13 argument on whether a man held 21 months under Section 1226(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act was owed a bond hearing. Mootness was open from the June grant, the second detainee had already left the country, and Governor Hochul's late-August pardon settled the rest. Both sides told the court he is no longer deportable. Jennings v. Rodriguez left the question open in 2018.
- The White House release carries Trump's dividend quote, conditioned on Republicans winning the House and the Senate. White House release →
- A Boston station published court records on the unnamed holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy mistrial. Governor Ron DeSantis offered Florida "asylum" if he is harassed. The Hill report →