Barb McQuade

Behind The Curtains (at Mar-A-Lago) #SistersInLaw Sidebar answers your questions on current legal topics spanning judicial powers, the #Sisters’ hopes for Supreme Court reform, Epstein files allegations, the rights of minors, Governors’...

Here is this week’s #SistersSidebar, where we answer more of your questions.
www.politicon.com/podcast-epis...

Temple Israel attacker dead, guard injured, kids safe: Latest updates An attacker is dead after ramming a truck into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. A guard was injured and kids evacuated safely; motive still unclear.

Grateful for the good work and bravery of security guards on scene.
www.freep.com/story/news/l...

I’m just here to heckle the keynoter.

Looking forward to joining the conversation about DOJ independence at today’s symposium at @northwesternlaw.bsky.social, and hearing keynote speaker @jillwine-banks.bsky.social.

UFC Fighters to Train FBI Agents in ‘Historic Seminar’ This Week: We’ll ‘Be Even Better Prepared to Protect the American People,’ Kash Patel Says UFC fighters will head to Quantico, Va. this week to train FBI agents and students in what FBI director Kash Patel is calling a "historic seminar."

What a joke. FBI agents are not street brawlers. They interview witnesses, uncover documents, analyze intelligence, and testify in court, usually while wearing a suit and tie. Just one more frolic for Kash at taxpayer expense.
variety.com/2026/politic...

The Scale of Billionaires’ Campaign Donations is Overwhelming U.S. Politics

Congress should take another stab at campaign finance limits. If SCOTUS has any integrity, it would find that preventing billionaires from stealing democracy is a compelling governmental interest that is narrowly tailored to satisfy First Amendment concerns.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/u...

Senators Propose Federal AI Commission Days After Anthropic Ban Bipartisan body would address national security and ethics questions, like a similar cybersecurity panel that helped set U.S. policy, lawmakers say.

Better that wisdom come late than not at all
www.wsj.com/articles/sen...

I’ll be launching my new book, The Fix, on May 31 with @preetbharara.bsky.social at the 92nd St Y in New York. Please join us for a live recording of the Stay Tuned podcast and book signing. Details here.
www.92ny.org/event/barbar...

Exclusive | Trump Ordered Justice Department Reversal on Law Firm Sanctions ‘I never signed off on that,’ the president told aides in the Oval Office, expressing displeasure with Justice Department leadership.

DOJ is now just another political lackey for the president, with no respect for the rule of law. We will have a lot of work to do to restore its independence.
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Bondi Testimony Questions Congress Must Ask Trial lawyer tips to force real answers

Here are some tips for members of Congress when AG Pam Bondi appears for her deposition to discuss her botched release of the Epstein files. Survivors deserve the facts. substack.com/@barbmcquade...

Imagine the progress could be making as a country if we didn’t have to spend so much time, energy, and resources fighting Trump’s wars and defending our freedom from his power grabs.

The Demon of Unrest with Erik Larson and Barbara McQuade | Schuler Books Grand Rapids  l  Okemos  l  Ann Arbor  l  West Bloomfield

Looking forward to moderating Erik Larson’s talk about his fabulous book, “Demon of Unrest,” at Schuler’s Books in West Bloomfield, Tuesday evening. Details here.
www.schulerbooks.com/event/demon-...

Happy International Women’s Day. Forward.

Regardless of the wisdom of war in Iran, Chicago archbishop reminds us of the harm to our own humanity when we revel in the suffering of others.

Kristi Noem Survived Many Crises. Then She Crossed a Trump Red Line.

Report says Trump fired Noem
because she blamed him for her $200 million ad campaign. I look forward to the day when we sweep out Trump’s self-promoting profiteers and choose leaders who seek only the honor of serving their country.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/06/u...

New episode of #SistersInLaw is here. www.politicon.com/podcast-epis...

Justice Dept. Releases Missing Interviews With Woman Who Made Claims Against Trump

What else is hiding under those black redaction bars?
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/u...

Trump Administration Live Updates: President Ousts Noem as Homeland Security Secretary

Kristi Noem becomes the latest MAGA sycophant to learn that with Trump, loyalty is a one-way street. She did his bidding and now he is throwing her under the bus. Good riddance.
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/03...

‘A subversion of the justice system’: DoJ shifts into Trump’s ‘political wing’ as criminal investigations accelerate President has ‘succeeded in completely politicizing’ justice department, experts say, using it to punish his enemies

As I told @theguardian.com, Trump‘s destruction of DOJ independence will require a complete overhaul to restore the rule of law to the American people.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Trump Administration Live Updates: Bondi is Subpoenaed to Testify About Handling of Epstein Case

Let’s go through those redactions, one by one.
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/03...

Justice Dept., Under Pressure From Trump, Fails to Build Autopen Case Against Biden

I take comfort in DOJ’s failure to fabricate crimes, but the effort alone is a disgusting abuse of power.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/u...

Trump DOJ Pushes to Sideline State Bar Ethics Investigations (1) The Justice Department has proposed a regulation seeking to authorize Attorney General Pam Bondi to suspend state bar ethics investigations into current and former DOJ lawyers—a step outside attorneys...

All DOJ lawyers are members of a state or DC bar, and subject to its ethics rules and penalties, up to disbarment. Subverting state bar authorities would give DOJ lawyers carte blanche to violate ethics rules. news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/...

A Pirate’s Life For Us

It’s Wednesday. That means a new episode of #SistersSide is here. We answer your questions about the law.
www.politicon.com/podcast-epis...

My new book announcement: Liar's Kingdom How We Move Forward

Looking forward to @andrewweissmann5.bsky.social’s new book, Liar’s Kingdom
open.substack.com/pub/weissman...

Justice Department Seeks to Reverse Course and Defend Law Firm Sanctions The turnabout comes less than a day after the Trump administration told a court it was dropping appeals of four lower-court losses.

The lawless chaos continues.
www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...

Exclusive | Trump Administration to Drop Defense of Law Firm Sanctions The Justice Department is expected to drop its appeals of four trial-court rulings that struck down the president’s actions against Jenner & Block, WilmerHale, Perkins Coie, and Susman Godfrey.

Trump administration realizes it cannot defend the indefensible extortion orders against law firms.
www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...

Important piece by @timothysnyder.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

Exactly!

Marc Elias on why Trump attacked Venezuela and Iran. He needs a villain to blame for his fabricated claims of election fraud.
newsletters.democracydocket.com/democracy-wi...

I asked ChatGPT to make me a calendar for March ‘26. Came out perfect! I then asked for an identical calendar for April ‘26. It, too, looked perfect at first. But a closer look revealed it had replicated the dates and days of the week from March!😳 AI is a useful tool, but requires human oversight.