Historian1661

OK, seriously. This is wild.

Judge Jay Bybee (1) raises a new issue — the Domestic Violence Clause of the Constitution — to consider in the troop deployment cases; (2) extensively details its historical application;

AI Slop Is Spurring Record Requests for Imaginary Journals The International Committee of the Red Cross warned that artificial intelligence models are making up research papers, journals and archives

www.scientificamerican.com/article/ai-s...

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JUST IN: Famous 9th Cir Judge Jay Bybee (GWBush) pens 64-page opinion on how Constitution's 'domestic violence' clause may block Trump deployment of National Guard in OR. Judge Eric Tung's (Trump) insulting response: 'A great labor producing a mouse.' Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

JUST IN: A federal magistrate judge has turned down Tina Peters' habeas petition, saying it must work its way through state courts before federal courts get involved. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

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JUST IN: 1st Circuit grants administrative stay blocking judge's order halting Trump budget bill's ban on Planned Parenthood funding. Ban to remain in effect for now. Judges Barron (Obama) Gelpi & Montecalvo (Biden) Doc: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26... Earlier: www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

Landmark case up for argument at SCOTUS at 10am on the power of presidents to fire independent agency heads.

Here’s my quick preview in Espresso, @economist.com’s daily app.

I’ll be posting live analysis during the oral argument in this thread

Gion Matsuri, the festival of the Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto

Gion Matsuri, the festival of the Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto, Japan. This historic festival has roots stretching back over a thousand years to the Heian period.

Putting 'spirit in the conduct of the war': the November 1775 government reshuffle - The History of Parliament In his last post for the Georgian Lords, From bills to bullets: Spring 1775 and the approach to war in America, on the advent of the American War of

In case you missed it, last week the Georgian Lords posted the latest online article by Charles Littleton about the November 1775 government reshuffle that attempted to reset Britain's response to the American crisis:
historyofparliament.com/2025/12/04/t...

Water leak in Louvre damages hundreds of books The leak in the Egyptian department comes just weeks after a jewellery heist that put the museum's security infrastructure under scrutiny.

Louvre leaks again: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Repeal of anti-union bill, redistricting on special session agenda The Utah State Legislature is planning to repeal a controversial bill that bans public employee unions from collective bargaining.

BREAKING NEWS: The Utah legislature will REPEAL the anti-union law they passed earlier this year in Tuesday's special session: www.fox13now.com/news/politic... #utpol #Utah

I wish he was known for more things than Teapot Dome and having affairs.

Coolest thing- releasing Eugene Debs and other WW1 objectors from prison. Another cool thing- chairing the 1922 Washington naval conference.

King, Parliament, and taxation in English constitutional history This paper traces the history of the English constitutional principle that the crown cannot impose taxation without the consent of Parliament.

works.hcommons.org/records/5bs2...

The principle that the executive cannot impose taxes without the consent of the legislature dates back to medieval England. I revised and expanded this paper to be read in accompaniment with the SC tariffs decision.

#history #lawsky #skystorians

"You never had it so good" worked for PM Harold Macmillan in the 50s, but as I understand it in that case it was actually true.

Roman statue found after rainfall in Shahat Shahat - Researcher Essam Al-Manfi found a small statue believed to be from the Roman era. The discovery was made inside an ancient water channel after rainfall

Roman statue found after rainfall in Shahat
libyaupdate.com/roman-statue...

Happy birthday, Tom.
One.

A television screenshot shows a group of Beninese soldiers standing behind a news desk, wearing military uniforms, tactical vests, helmets, and face coverings. One soldier at the center appears to be reading from a statement, while others stand at attention on either side. This scene reflects the ongoing instability in Benin following reports of a military-led announcement. Below the screenshot is a political map of West Africa highlighting Benin in beige. Surrounding countries—Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria—form Benin’s borders to the north and east; all three currently face significant jihadist insurgencies, underscoring the regional security risks linked to Benin’s unfolding crisis.

1. BREAKING

A coup is underway in the West African nation of Benin.

A group of soldiers appeared on state television and declared the dissolution of the government, the removal of President Patrice Talon (an ally of the United States), and the dismantling of state institutions.

I doubt that many ships will even be started by the time Trump is out of office (however he leaves office).

Three-year-old child forced to serve as her own attorney in Tucson immigration court More than a dozen undocumented minors were forced to make their case in front of an immigration judge as the Trump administration ramps up removal proceedings.

There is no sight that more efficiently puts the lie to immigration “court” than the common sight of children “representing themselves.” Children too small to climb into the chair, children in pajamas who don’t know where they are, children not yet old enough to speak.

Order on Motion for TRO – #10 in RICHMAN v. United States (D.D.C., 1:25-mc-00170) – CourtListener.com ORDER granting in part and deferring in part the Petitioner's 9 Motion for Temporary Restraining Order. Signed by Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on 12/06/2025. (lcckk1) (Entered: 12/06/2025)

BREAKING: Judge orders key evidence in (dismissed) Comey case put off limits to prosecutors. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly (Clinton) grants TRO requested by Comey lawyer/adviser Dan Richman re his data. Doc: storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

I think they mean that the video era began when bands started making videos, not when MTV went on the air.

I was told everyone was leaving.

@fortune.com #NYC
@wutangforchildren.bsky.social
fortune.com/2025/12/04/m...

DECLARATION OF SECRETARY NOEM I, Kristi Noem, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746, declare under penalty of perjury as follows: 1. As Secretary of Homeland Security, I made the decision to continue the transfer of custody of the Alien Enemies Act detainees who had been removed from the United States before this Court issued its temporary restraining order in the evening of March 15, 2025. 2. Before making that decision, I received privileged legal advice from the Acting General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security, Joseph N. Mazzara, and through him from the senior leadership of the Department of Justice. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed this 4th day of December 2025. Kristi Noem Secretary of Homeland Security

DECLARATION OF DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL BLANCHE I, Todd Blanche, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746, declare under penalty of perjury as follows: I am the Deputy Attorney General of the United States. In the evening of March 15, 2025, after analyzing this Court's oral statements at the TRO hearing and subsequent written order, then-Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove and I provided privileged legal advice to the Secretary of Homeland Security, through Acting DHS General Counsel Joseph N. Mazzara, regarding the decision whether to continue the transfer of custody of the Alien Enemies Act detainees who had been removed from the United States before this Court issued those pronouncements. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed this Sth day of December 2025. Your Stand Todd Blanche Deputy Attorney General U.S. Department of Justice

DECLARATION OF JOSEPH N. MAZZARA 1, Joseph N. Mazzara, pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1746, declare under penalty of perjury as follows: 1. I have served as Acting General Counsel of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) since January 2025. On March 15, 2025, I analyzed what the Court said at the TRO hearing and in its subsequent written order. After my review, I then gave Secretary Noem legal advice —prior to her decision—-about the legality of continuing with the transfer of custody to El Salvador of certain terrorist aliens detained under the Alien Enemies Act. DHS had removed these terrorists from the United States before this Court issued any order (or oral statement) regarding their removal. 2. That same evening, I also gave Secretary Noem—prior to her decision-legal advice on the same topic that I received from senior Department of Justice leaders. I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed this 5th day of December 2025. Joseph N. Mazzara Department of Homeland Security

NEW: Kristi Noem, Todd Blanche, and Joseph Mazzara identify themselves (and now-judge Emil Bove) as the decision-makers involved in directing deportation flights to El Salvador despite Judge Boasberg's order. Their declarations are otherwise substance-free. www.courtlistener.com/docket/69741...

(ORDER LIST: 607 U.S.) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2025 24-621 ORDER IN PENDING CASE NRSC, ET AL. V. FEC, ET AL. The motion of Court-appointed amicus curiae in support of the judgment below for leave to file a supplemental brief is granted. 25-83 25-197 25-365 25-5146 CERTIORARI GRANTED JULES, ADRIAN V. ANDRE BALAZS PROP., ET AL. T. M. V. UNIV. OF MD MEDICAL SYS., ET AL. The petitions for writs of certiorari are granted. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF U.S., ET AL. V. BARBARA, ET AL. The petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment is granted. ABOUAMMO, AHMAD V. UNITED STATES The motion of petitioner for leave to proceed in forma pauperis is granted. The petition for a writ of certiorari is granted limited to Question 1 presented by the petition.

QUESTION PRESENTED The Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment provides that those "born ** * in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof," are U.S. citizens. U.S. Const. Amend. XIV, § 1. The Clause was adopted to confer citizenship on the newly freed slaves and their children, not on the children of aliens temporarily visiting the United States or of illegal aliens. On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order No. 14,160, Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship, which restores the original meaning of the Citizenship Clause and provides, on a prospective basis only, that children of temporary visitors and illegal aliens are not U.S. citizens by birth. The Citizenship Order directs federal agencies not to issue or accept citizenship documents for such children born more than 30 days after the Order's effective date. The question presented is whether the Executive Order complies on its face with the Citizenship Clause and with 8 U.S.C. 1401(a), which codifies that Clause.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court agrees to take up a challenge to President Trump's January 20 birthright citizenship executive order.

The court will hear DOJ's appeal of a loss below in a class-action challenge brought in the wake of June's decision limiting universal injunctions.

JUST IN: Judge Sooknanan has rejected DOJ's effort to dismiss a lawsuit brought by immigration detainees at Guanatanamo Bay, saying the plaintiffs made a plausible claim that the policy is illegal and punitive. ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...

FYI: I’m listening to Judge Charles Breyer’s arguments over continued National Guard deployment in Los Angeles.

TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF U.S., ET AL. V. BARBARA, ET AL. The petition for a writ of certiorari before judgment is granted.

NEW: The Supreme Court will once again consider the legality of Trump's attack on birthright citizenship, this time (likely) on the merits.

JUST IN: A 2-1 panel of the D.C. Circuit rules that Trump may remove members of the NLRB or MSPB regardless of laws meant to shield them from removal without cause.

Majority: Rao (Trump), Katsas (Trump)
Dissent: Pan (Biden)
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Huge stash of WWII resistance documents found under floorboards in Warsaw

A large stash of documents from WWII, many relating to Poland’s underground resistance, has been discovered under the floor in a historic tenement house in Warsaw.

The collection also includes the diary of a young woman living under the Nazi-German occupation.

Rubbish Mountain A gigantic pile of rubbish was dumped in a field in Oxfordshire. The response sums up everything wrong with British bureaucracy.

My latest, exploring the singular inability of the British state to deal with a gigantic pile of waste illegally dumped in the heart of Oxfordshire - and other piles like it. martinrobbins.substack.com/p/rubbish-mo...