Today’s Headlines and Commentary

Following reports last week of new interference efforts ahead of the 2020 elections, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Senate Democrats on Monday called on the Treasury and State departments to impose sanctions on Russian individuals meddling in U.S. elections, reports The Hill.

U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson has scheduled hearings today in former Trump advisor Roger Stone’s criminal case. The judge will consider a motion from Stone’s defense team seeking a new trial based on alleged misconduct by one of the jurors in the case, reports Politico.

Syrian rebels backed by the Turkish military made advances yesterday, seizing the town of Nairab in northwest Syria, according to Reuters. This is the first area to be taken back from Syrian government forces since Assad regime forces began their campaign in Idlib province last month.

Yesterday, the Trump administration sent Congress a $2.5 billion supplemental budget request for additional money to fight the coronavirus, which House Democrats decried as insufficient, reports Politico. The administration’s request would require Congress giving it enhanced authority to move around federal funds, which Democrats are unlikely to grant in light of criticism over White House moves to reshuffle existing federal funds for the border wall.

President Trump criticized Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in tweets and at a news conference on Tuesday. He tweeted that Sotomayor and Ginsburg should recuse themselves in “all Trump, or Trump-related, matters,” according to the Washington Post.

Hosni Mubarak, the former autocratic president of Egypt, died today. He was 91, writes the New York Times.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Robert Chesney and Steve Vladeck shared an episode of the National Security Law Podcast, discussing the legal rationale for the Soleimani strike, the pardon power and judicial clerkships.

Lester Munson shared an episode of Fault Lines on policy dilemmas in the Arctic.

Elliot Setzer shared the House Judiciary Committee’s draft legislation which would reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Nathaniel Sobel analyzed a fourth amendment challenge to geofence warrants.

Galip Dalay discussed Turkey’s unpalatable choices in Syria.

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