Plain-language answers to common legal and civic questions, with links to authoritative sources. Not legal advice.
Yes. On Monday, September 21, 2026, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., asking a judge to restore their reporters’ White House access after President Donald Trump barred the three outlets from the complex. The outlets argue the ban is viewpoint discrimination that violates the First Amendment and due process, … Read more
Yes. ABA Model Rule 1.15 requires lawyers to keep client and third-party funds in a separate attorney trust account, with advance fees withdrawn only as earned.
No. Inalienable rights cannot be transferred or taken away; many other legal rights can be sold, transferred, or waived.
Yes. On September 16, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a sweeping sanctions and tariff bill intended to increase economic pressure on Russia over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Republican-majority House voted 262 to 159 in favor of the measure, nearly 1½ years after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and dozens of … Read more
Yes. On September 16, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to find Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black in contempt of Congress and refer the case to the Justice Department after he declined to comply with subpoenas tied to a House Oversight Committee probe into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Contempt of Congress is … Read more
Yes. On September 16, 2026, Reuters reported that the U.S. Department of Justice charged five people in connection with alleged Russian plots involving surveillance, recruitment, and targeted killings, according to an indictment unsealed on Tuesday. The defendants — Russian nationals Yuri Khrameev, 63, and Kirill Khrameev, 27; Cuban nationals Oemis Romagoza Durruthy, 35, and Yaidel … Read more
Yes. Late on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a war powers resolution 220–204 that would halt President Donald Trump’s ability to continue military action against Iran without congressional approval. It was the House’s third such vote; seven Republicans joined all Democrats, including three Republicans voting yes for the first time. … Read more
Yes. On September 14, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court declined the Justice Department’s emergency request to lift a lower-court injunction that blocked a U.S. Postal Service rule targeting mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterms. In a brief order, the court said the government was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge. Justice … Read more
Yes. On September 11, 2026, U.S. District Judge George O’Toole in Boston stayed the Office of Personnel Management’s Merit Hiring Plan requirement that civil-service applicants answer a free-response essay asking how they would advance the president’s executive orders and policy priorities, and which orders or initiatives were significant to them. Unions including AFGE argued the … Read more
Yes. Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress controls federal spending, so a nationwide $5,000 payment to adult citizens would need lawmakers to authorize the money—not a unilateral presidential order alone. Reuters reported that sending checks to about 240 million adult U.S. citizens would cost roughly $1.2 trillion. Tariff revenue cited by the White House so far … Read more