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Supreme Court to Consider Whether People Who Regularly Smoke Pot Can Legally Own Guns (Maria)

The author writes, “The Supreme Court said on Monday that it will consider whether people who regularly smoke marijuana can legally own guns, the latest firearm case to come before the court since its 2022 decision expanding gun rights. President Trump’s administration asked the justices to revive a case against a Texas man charged with a felony because he allegedly had a gun in his home and acknowledged being a regular pot user. The Justice Department appealed after a lower court largely struck down a law that bars people who use any illegal drugs from having guns.”

Trump’s Plan To Pay the Military During the Government Shutdown Should Worry Every American (Reader Steve)

From the San Francisco Chronicle: “On Wednesday, President Donald Trump purported to authorize Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to repurpose unspent Defense Department funds for military personnel salaries. While it may seem laudable to pay military personnel who otherwise would have missed this week’s paycheck due to the government shutdown, this act was a brazen repudiation of the Constitution’s construct of separated powers. It imperils one of the few practical constraints on the president’s domestic uses of the military. And it opens up a bevy of political and career government officials to future prosecution.”

Trump Posts Bizarre AI Video in Which He Airdrops Feces on ‘No Kings’ Protesters (DonkeyHotey)

The author writes, “President Donald Trump posted a bizarre AI video to Truth Social, late Saturday, in which he’s seen dropping feces on ‘No Kings’ protesters from a fighter jet. In the stunning 19-second clip, the president — donned in a king’s crown — is seen flying a fighter jet to the tune of Danger Zone, the iconic song from the soundtrack of Top Gun. The video then pans out to show the plane — which has the words ‘King Trump’ written on its side — dropping massive amounts of excrement on a target which quickly reveals itself to be New York City. The clip then cuts to a close-up of left-wing influencer Harry Sisson (incorporating real footage Sisson posted from the ‘No Kings’ protest in New York). The airdropped feces is then seen dousing Sisson, and scores of other protesters.”

Justice Barrett: Little SCOTUS Can Do if Trump Defies Court (Sean)

The author writes, “In a recent interview with The New York Times, US Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett conceded that the high court would be incapable of enforcing its own rulings if the Trump administration openly defied orders that interfered with the president’s political agenda ‘[T]he court lacks the power of the purse,’ she told columnist Ross Douthat during an interview for his podcast. ‘We lack the power of the sword. And so, we interpret the Constitution, we draw on precedents, we have these questions of structure, and we make the most with the tools that we have.’”

Trump’s Argentina Bailout Enriches One Well-Connected US Billionaire (Dana)

From Mother Jones: “Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a $20 billion package to rescue the Argentinian economy. The risky taxpayer-financed deal, which involves trading US dollars for Argentine pesos, has little upside for ordinary Americans. Argentina is not a significant US trading partner, and its economy, long in turmoil, has little impact on the United States. However, Bessent’s announcement had massive economic benefits for one American: billionaire hedge fund manager Rob Citrone, who has placed large bets on the future of the Argentine economy.”

Trump’s Politics of Urban Disgust (Reader Jim)

The author writes, “President Donald Trump launched a federal takeover of law enforcement this week in Washington, DC, opening a daunting new chapter in the city’s relationship with the federal government. On the surface, Trump signed the emergency order to crack down on crime. But threaded through his announcement of the new directive was a broader vision for the aesthetic transformation of Washington. In the same breath that he described collaring criminals and clearing homeless camps, he envisioned grandiose building projects to remake Washington in his image.”