Today's Headlines and Commentary

Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Adam Smith (D-Wa.) denied a Defense Department request to reprogram $1 billion towards border fence construction, though the Pentagon has indicated it could move the funds unilaterally as it is acting on orders from President Donald Trump, Politico reports.

India announced that it successfully tested an anti-satellite weapon for the first time, according to the New York Times.

Following Trump’s recognition of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights as Israeli territory, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that land occupied in a “defensive war” becomes sovereign territory, the Times reports.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) signalled his support of a proposal to investigate alleged anti-Trump bias in the Department of Justice and FBI made by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Politico details.

The Chinese official and former head of Interpol, who disappeared in China last September, was officially expelled from the Chinese Communist Party on corruption allegations, the Washington Post reports.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Paul Rosenzweig unpacked the obstruction of justice issues raised in Attorney General Bill Barr’s letter summarizing the Mueller report.

David Pozen analyzed Edward Snowden’s actions in the context of civil disobedience theory.

Lev Sugarman shared a habeas petition filed by a man in indefinite immigration detention in New York.

Sugarman also posted a transcript of George Papadopoulos’s interview with the House Judiciary and House Oversight committees.