Lawsuit Filed
New Jersey is suing the Trump administration over a proposed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. The lawsuit challenges the administration's authority to establish the facility.
Harvard Targeted
The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against Harvard University alleging the institution violated the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli people. Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Harvard has allowed anti-Semitism to flourish on campus since October 7th, 2023. The Justice Department accuses Harvard of being "deliberately indifferent" to harassment of Jewish and Israeli students. Harvard has rejected the complaint, calling it "another pretextual and retaliatory action" from the Trump White House. The lawsuit seeks to recover billions in federal funds.
Transit Funding Dispute
The Chicago Transit Authority sued the Trump administration over its freezing of billions of dollars in federal funds. The funds were intended to modernize and expand the city's elevated trains and subways. New York City's transit system also sued the Trump administration to unpause federal funds tied to a $7 billion project that would extend the Second Avenue subway to Harlem, according to Bloomberg.
FBI Agents Allege Unlawful Firings
Two former FBI special agents are suing FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi. They allege their "unlawful" firings violate the U.S. Constitution. The agents claim they played minimal roles in the investigation that led to criminal charges against President Donald Trump, according to NBC News. FBI Director Kash Patel has routinely fired FBI special agents who were tied to investigations into Trump, according to NBC News.
"Arctic Frost" Investigation
The lawsuit states the two former FBI special agents "fully adhered to FBI and DOJ policies and procedures" and "executed their law-enforcement duties without bias or political motive." "Arctic Frost" was the code name given to the probe into the alleged criminal conspiracy to overturn Trump's 2020 election loss. It was opened in early 2022, and was overseen by former special counsel Jack Smith. Trump was indicted on four charges in August 2023.
Agents' Concerns
One of the former special agents "has already been the subject of threatening social media posts" after operational records containing his name were released. John Doe 1's "contributions to Arctic Frost were largely administrative and ministerial," the lawsuit says. He was preparing to go trick-or-treating with his two children on Halloween when he got a call telling him to report to the main Washington Field Office location in D.C. John Doe 2, who graduated from the FBI Academy in 2018, was "never one of the primary or lead agents on Arctic Frost" and instead "played a supporting role" in the investigation, according to the lawsuit.
Energy Policy Amid Iran War
With gas closing in on $4 a gallon, the Trump administration is pulling multiple levers to tame energy prices. The most effective measure for bringing down oil prices would be to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital Persian Gulf waterway that handles some 20% of the world's oil and natural gas supplies. President Trump ordered the release of 172 million barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) on March 11, when Brent crude had reached $92 a barrel. The oil release began this week and will roll out over 120 days.
Jones Act Waiver
Mr. Trump on Wednesday ordered a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act. The waiver is "too little, too late" to help keep a lid on oil and gas prices, Harvard's Willy Shih told CBS News. The Trump administration is considering taking additional steps to tamp down energy prices, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent telling Fox Business on Thursday that it may "unsanction" Iranian oil that's already on the water, roughly 140 million barrels.
While the administration contends its actions are mitigating the impact of the Iran war on energy prices, experts like Clayton Allen of Eurasia Group say the duration of the conflict will ultimately determine the true impact on consumers' wallets.
