How Congress Uses Funding Deadlines to Control What Federal Agencies Can Do
On or around February 13-14, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security ran out of money. Not because Congress couldn't agree on a budget number—they had one. Not because anyone disputed…
A DHS Shutdown Would Halt These Immigration Services—But Not Enforcement
When the Department of Homeland Security's money expires on February 13, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will keep investigating, detaining, and deporting people. Immigration courts will close. This imbalance…
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An Independent Team to Decode Government
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Your Money & Home
Billions Collected in Tariffs Could Be Refunded If the Supreme Court Rules Against Trump
If the Supreme Court rules these levies were illegal—a ruling that could arrive any day now—every dollar may need to…
Section 230 Protects Social Media Companies—Except When It Doesn’t
A 1996 law called Section 230 protects internet companies from lawsuits for what users post—a reasonable protection when the internet…
If Meta Loses This Case, Every Social Platform’s Business Model Changes
A jury decision that platforms are consumer products with design defects companies can be held accountable for would force every…
Your Health & Safety
When Federal Agents Kill Citizens, These Laws Determine Accountability
On January 7, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross fired three shots in less than one second at…
The Federal Program That Lets You Buy Prescription Drugs From the White House
The discounts look dramatic. But here's what the White House doesn't emphasize: for most people with insurance, using the program…
New Rules Let Your Child See Out-of-State Medicaid Doctors More Easily
About 2.8 percent of children on Medicaid get emergency or urgent care out of state nationally, but that varies wildly.…
Your Voice & Rights
Your Fourth Amendment Rights During Immigration Enforcement Operations
On January 7, 2026, federal immigration agents shot and killed Renée Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother and U.S. citizen, in…
When Government Officials Post Racist Content: What the Law Allows
On Thursday night, February 5, 2026, at 11:44 PM ET, President Donald Trump posted a 62-second video to Truth Social…
The Constitutional Provisions That Give States—Not Presidents—Election Power
The FBI seized original ballots from Georgia in January 2026. That's not how it works. That's never been how it…
Your World
Can Military Members Refuse Orders? The Law Is More Complex Than You Think
A grand jury—a group of ordinary citizens—said no. While grand juries do typically approve most prosecutorial requests, they retain the…
The Statutory Authority Behind ICE’s Mass Enforcement Operations
In December 2025, the Trump administration announced Operation Metro Surge, with initial arrests of about 12 people by December 5.…
The 1977 Law That Lets Presidents Impose Tariffs—And Its Limits
American businesses have paid approximately $130 billion in tariffs since January 2025 under President Trump's emergency orders. The Supreme Court…
When Federal Agencies Ignore Court Orders, Judges Have These Enforcement Tools
In late January 2026, U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz ordered the head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to appear in…
Trending Federal Guidance
Understanding Your Passport Costs: A Clear Guide to Fees
Getting a U.S. passport is your ticket to international travel, but understanding the associated costs can be confusing. This guide breaks down the different fees for obtaining or renewing your…
USPS Package Size Limits
Whether you're shipping products nationwide as a small business owner or sending gifts to loved…
Understanding the Social Security Earnings Limit
You can receive Social Security retirement or survivor benefits while still employed. However, if you…
USPS Media Mail Rules and Restrictions
Media Mail is an economy shipping service provided by the USPS specifically for sending media…
Exempt vs. Non-Exempt Employees: Understanding Your Rights Under the FLSA
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the cornerstone of federal wage and hour law…
Other Top Federal Guidance
Step-by-Step Guide for Applying for Social Security Benefits
Navigating Social Security benefits doesn't have to be complicated. This guide breaks down the application process for Retirement, Disability, and…
Maximizing Your IRA Contributions
Individual Retirement Arrangements, commonly known as IRAs, represent a cornerstone of personal retirement savings strategy in the United States. Established…
A Guide to Social Security Survivor Benefits
Social Security survivor benefits provide crucial financial support to eligible family members following the death of a worker who contributed…
Understanding the Biggest Problems Facing USPS
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is an essential public institution that delivers mail and packages to every address in…
How to Identify USPS Employees and Vehicles
With the rise of package deliveries and online shopping, seeing a mail carrier on your doorstep or in your neighborhood…
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Can States Block Federal Immigration Enforcement? The Anti-Commandeering Doctrine
Minnesota deployed lawyers and courts against what federal officials called Operation Metro Surge—the real question is whether states have any power to resist when the federal government sends thousands of…
Why the Supreme Court Rarely Second-Guesses Presidential Trade Decisions
The delay itself tells a story that goes beyond legal complexity. It reveals something about how American courts approach presidential power in trade—and why they almost never say no. The…
Can Congress Block Presidential Tariffs? The Legislative Tools That Exist.
The gap between what Congress can do and what Congress does tells you almost everything you need to know about how power works in Washington. Over the past century, Congress…
The Unwritten Rules That Keep DOJ Independent From the White House
On February 11, 2026, Attorney General Pam Bondi sat before the House Judiciary Committee and defended what dozens of career prosecutors say is the President taking more control over prosecutions.…
What Career Prosecutors Can Do When Political Appointees Direct Cases
Over the past year, more than six thousand Justice Department employees have left—some fired, many resigned, hundreds let go specifically because they worked on investigations the administration deemed illegitimate. Federal…
When Congress Questions the Attorney General, What Can They Compel?
Pam Bondi sat before the House Judiciary Committee on a Wednesday morning in February 2026, facing questions about whether she had turned the Justice Department into a weapon. The hearing…
Why Congress Can Fund Most of Government for a Year But DHS for Two Weeks
Congress hasn't passed all twelve spending bills on time in nearly thirty years. The government now runs on last-minute deals and manufactured crises. This wasn't an accident or a mistake.…
What Happens to Border Operations When DHS Funding Expires February 15
The Department of Homeland Security has three days of money left. On Friday, February 13, 2026, unless Congress passes another spending bill and President Trump signs it, DHS can't pay…
ICE Detained Him Legally. A Judge Ordered Release. He Waited a Week in Custody.
Since January 1, 2026, immigration attorneys in Minnesota have filed 691 requests to challenge unlawful detention using habeas corpus. In all of 2025, there were 128 total filings. When Detention…
Could Congress Ban Addictive Design Features in Apps? The Constitutional Issues
A 19-year-old identified in court documents as K.G.M. took the stand this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court to describe how Instagram consumed her teenage years. Her testimony—part of…
What the FTC Can Do About Social Media Targeting Minors
Internal company documents have been uncovered showing employees discussing the psychological effects of their platforms on teens despite knowing potential harms. Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube face claims in a…