Latest News
Veterans Sue to Block “Arc de Trump” Near Arlington National Cemetery
A group of Vietnam Veterans is suing to block President Donald Trump’s plans for an “Independence Arch” near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery.
Their lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., says the proposed arch is a vanity project they are calling the “Arc de Trump.” It appears to be modeled on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The veterans say it would dishonor them and the more than 400,000 veterans buried in the cemetery.
“The Arch is planned to be as tall as 250 feet – more than double the size of the Lincoln Memorial and the equivalent of a twenty-five-story office building,” the lawsuit says. “Its location on Memorial Circle would situate the monument on an axis between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, obstructing a line of sight that was designed to represent the unification of the Nation following the Civil War and that has existed for nearly a century.’
Trump says the arch could be a centerpiece for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations this year.
Judge’s Ruling Says White House Ballroom Not Controlled by Administrative Procedure Act
A U.S. District Court judge’s ruling last week allows construction of a new White House ballroom to continue but also limits how a federal law that governs agency authority can be applied to the project.
In essence, the ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Leon says the Administrative Procedure Act cannot be used to interfere with the president’s decision to build the huge addition to the White House.
The project is being overseen by the White House Office of the Executive Residence, which is not a government agency. It is a unit of the executive branch that manages operations, staff and ceremonial functions at the White House, the ruling said.
Equally important is the way the ruling demonstrates a growing tension in administrative law, namely where does the executive branch end and federal agency authority begin?
The judgment was based on a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The nonprofit organization sought a preliminary injunction that would have halted demolition and construction on the ballroom.
Congress Told More Data Centers Needed But Environmental Regulations Interfere
Technology advisors last week urged a congressional panel to move quickly to reform the permitting procedures for the energy and data center infrastructure that support artificial intelligence.
“The potential for AI to accelerate U.S. economic growth is staggering,” said Marsden Hanna, head of energy and sustainability policy for internet giant Google, LLC.
The problem is that demand for data centers among technology companies far surpasses the supply, according to witnesses at a hearing of the House Science Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight.
The issue has special significance for Virginia, whose roughly 600 data centers give it the most in the United States.
Data centers house servers, storage systems, and networking equipment for digital data that is central to artificial intelligence.
Legal Briefs
SCOTUSblog Co-Founder Goldstein Convicted in Tax Evasion and Mortgage Fraud Trial
Thomas C. Goldstein, the high-profile appellate attorney and co-founder of the influential legal website SCOTUSblog, is awaiting sentencing after a federal jury convicted him last week of tax evasion and mortgage fraud.
The verdict follows a six-week trial that pulled back the curtain on Goldstein’s private life, revealing a world of "ultra-high-stakes" poker and multimillion-dollar gambling debts that prosecutors say led the seasoned lawyer to systematically defraud the government and financial institutions.
After two days of deliberation, the jury found Goldstein, 55, guilty of one count of tax evasion, four counts of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, four counts of willful failure to pay taxes and three counts of making false statements on loan applications. He faces a possible maximum sentence of decades in prison.
Justice Department prosecutors presented evidence that between 2016 and 2022, Goldstein concealed millions of dollars in income and diverted funds from his law firm, Goldstein & Russell, P.C., to cover gambling losses.
In 2016, Goldstein reportedly won about $50 million from poker but failed to pay the required taxes on those winnings. For evidence of mortgage fraud, prosecutors said Goldstein secured a $1.98 million loan for a home in Washington, D.C., but omitted over $14 million in liabilities on the application.
Goldstein’s defense team argued the discrepancies were "innocent mistakes" rather than criminal intent. The jury instead found evidence of a "willful" scheme.
The witnesses included actor Tobey Maguire, who testified about his own interactions with Goldstein in high-stakes poker circles.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said after the verdict, "Yesterday’s verdict holds Thomas Goldstein accountable for cheating the tax system and lying to mortgage lenders. Mr. Goldstein is a sophisticated attorney who concealed millions of dollars in income... all to fund his gambling and lifestyle."
D.C. in Brief
Judge Takes Control of Seized Devices in Washington Post Reporter Case
A status hearing this week in federal court in Washington, D.C., set the timeline for procedures in a high-profile First Amendment case involving electronic devices seized from the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson.
The FBI on Jan. 14 seized her personal electronic devices after she reported on classified government information without revealing her sources. Her source was allegedly Navy veteran and Defense Department contractor Aurelio Perez-Lugones.
Federal prosecutors allege that between October 2025 and January 2026, Perez-Lugones used his Top Secret security clearance to access, screenshot, and print sensitive intelligence reports, some of it concerning Venezuela.
He is accused of sharing the data using an encrypted messaging app with Natason. The FBI seized her personal laptops, cell phone, a portable hard drive, a digital recorder, and her Garmin smartwatch from her Northern Virginia home.
The Washington Post calls the seizures "outrageous." Seizing Natanson’s electronic devices through a search "chills speech, cripples reporting, and inflicts irreparable harm every day the government keeps its hands on these materials," the Post said in a statement.
U.S. Magistrate Judge William B. Porter issued the warrant but also has blocked federal prosecutors from searching Natanson’s electronic devices. In an opinion last week, Porter ruled that the court – not the government – will conduct an independent review of the materials.
The Justice Department had requested that a "filter team" of its own lawyers be allowed to screen the devices for evidence related to a national security leak investigation.
Porter refused, writing, "Allowing the government’s filter team to search a reporter’s work product – most of which consists of unrelated information from confidential sources – is the equivalent of leaving the government’s fox in charge of the Washington Post’s henhouse."
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