U.S.
Eighth Circuit Orders Preliminary Injunction Shielding Minnesota Voters Alliance From State Election-Falsehood Law
A three-judge federal appeals panel ruled on August 20, 2026 that Minnesota likely cannot enforce its 60-day ban on knowingly false voting-eligibility statements against the conservative group, while leaving the law in force for everyone else.
Senate Passes Stopgap Funding Bill 90-6 to Run Through Dec. 11; House-Passed Version Ends Dec. 4
Both chambers have now passed short-term funding bills ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline, but the two versions differ on the end date and on a White House rule governing federal grants.
DOJ and FBI Assign Rotating Personnel to 11 Field Offices Under Operation Not Forgotten, Announced April 2; FBI Adds $25,000 Cold-Case Reward Floor on Aug. 18
The fourth annual surge of FBI investigators and victim-services staff into Indian Country was announced in April 2026, and a separate FBI cold-case rewards page for tribal lands launched this week.
San Diego County Supervisors Vote 3-2 to End ICE and CBP Firearms-Range Agreements; Sheriff Says CBP Can Keep Training There
The Aug. 18 vote directs the county to cancel license agreements at two firing ranges, but Sheriff Kelly Martinez says she will keep letting Customs and Border Protection use the Otay Mesa range, and it is unresolved who has the final say.
Disney and ABC Sue FCC in Federal Court, Seeking to Halt Early Review of Eight Station Licenses
The complaint, filed August 18 in Washington, D.C., asks a judge to stop an FCC proceeding the companies call retaliation; FCC Chairman Brendan Carr calls the suit meritless and says the review concerns hiring practices and broadcast conduct.
ICE Memo Bars Employees From Wearing Meta Smart Glasses in Federal Workspaces
Acting ICE Director David Venturella told all agency staff the Ray-Ban Meta glasses count as personally owned body cameras, while DHS says the rule is a restatement of existing policy.
CBP Pauses Border Barrier Construction in Big Bend National Park During Commissioner's Site Review
Commissioner Rodney Scott halted work in the park on Aug. 17 and later told local officials the pause would run about two weeks, as two federal lawsuits and an emergency injunction request over the project remain pending.
U.S. Sanctions ICC President Tomoko Akane and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the designations on August 18, 2026; the court says nine of its eighteen judges are now under U.S. sanctions.
Federal Judge Lifts Stay, Clearing DHS to End Temporary Protected Status for About 5,000 Ethiopians
U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy ruled on August 18, 2026 that the termination could take effect while the underlying lawsuit — including a discrimination claim he has allowed to proceed — continues.
Justice Department Asks Sixth Circuit to Reinstate Smuggling Indictment Against Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Federal prosecutors filed an opening brief on August 17, 2026, arguing a Tennessee judge wrongly threw out the case in May as a vindictive prosecution.
Justice Department Unseals Superseding Indictment Charging 17 Iranians in Mabna Institute Hacking Case
Prosecutors in Manhattan added eight defendants to a 2018 case alleging cyber intrusions at 144 U.S. universities, 42 U.S. companies and five government agencies; all 17 are believed to be in Iran and none are in U.S. custody.