Today’s edition of quick hits.
* The White House might need a Plan B: “President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs appear to be on shaky legal ground, with Supreme Court justices on Wednesday indicating he may not have the authority to impose them under a law designed for use during a national emergency.”
* Strike #16: “The U.S. military killed two people Tuesday in another strike on boats suspected of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced. It was the 16th announced strike in the offensive that began in early September, and raised the death toll to at least 67 people in attacks in both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific.”
* The real-world effects of the shutdown: “The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday that it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 ‘high-volume’ markets beginning Friday morning to maintain safety during the ongoing government shutdown. The agency is confronting staffing shortages caused by air traffic controllers, who are working unpaid, with some calling out of work during the shutdown, resulting in delays across the country.”
* A closely watched ballot measure: “Voters in Maine approved a ‘red flag’ law on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, giving families the option to petition a judge to order weapons removed temporarily from a troubled relative. The ballot measure, known as Question 2, passed two years after a gunman in Lewiston used an assault rifle to kill 18 people at a bar and a bowling alley.”
* The latest in a series of TPS reversals: “The Trump administration will end temporary deportation protections for migrants from South Sudan, according to a notice posted by the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday. Around 230 South Sudanese nationals are currently approved to live and work in the United States through the program, known as Temporary Protected Status, according to a department estimate.”
* The fate of “sandwich guy” is now in the hands of a jury: “A federal jury on Wednesday began deliberating a verdict in the case against a man dubbed ‘sandwich guy’ after he tossed a Subway footlong at a federal officer who was patrolling city streets on President Donald Trump’s orders.”
* Eyebrow-raising rhetoric: “Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder called on Democrats to reform the Supreme Court should they win a ‘trifecta in 2028’ on Monday, calling it ‘a broken institution’ that was causing ‘an untold amount of damage to the fabric’ of the country.”
See you tomorrow.