What New START’s Expiration Means for Nuclear War Risk
On February 5, 2026, the last treaty constraining the nuclear arsenals of the world's two largest nuclear powers expired at midnight. For the first time since the early 1970s, the…
Can a President Let a Senate-Ratified Treaty Expire Without Congressional Approval?
At midnight on February 5, 2026, the world's last remaining major arms control pact expired. No replacement exists. What makes this moment matter for how our government works isn't the…
Latest
An Independent Team to Decode Government
Our articles are referenced by trusted think tanks and publications including Brookings, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, Pew Research, Snopes, The Hill, and USA Today.
Your Money & Home
How CFIUS Reviews Dual-Use Technology Mergers for National Security
A small federal committee called CFIUS has the power to reshape, delay, or kill Elon Musk's $1.25 trillion merger between…
FCC Spectrum Limits Were Designed for Dozens of Operators. One Wants Millions of Satellites.
SpaceX operates over 9,400 satellites. When Elon Musk announced the company's acquisition of xAI in a deal valued at $1.25…
Can the FTC Block Private Company Mergers? The Authority Is Murky.
Elon Musk announced a $1.25 trillion deal in early February 2026: SpaceX would acquire xAI. The deal raised a question…
Your Health & Safety
How State Criminal Cases Can Jump to Federal Court—And Why It Rarely Happens
A federal judge in Manhattan heard arguments about something that almost never happens in American criminal law: whether to move…
The Supreme Court Immunity Ruling Now Complicating Trump’s Hush Money Case
On January 10, 2025, a New York judge sentenced Donald Trump to an unconditional discharge—a sentence with no punishment at…
What Happens to a Conviction If a Case Moves to Federal Court After Trial
A former president sits convicted in New York state court while a federal judge decides whether that conviction should be…
Your Voice & Rights
The Constitutional Limits on Federal Control of State Elections
But there's a problem. The Constitution might not allow it. The question isn't whether these policies are good or bad—though…
Voter Roll Purges: What Due Process Protections the Law Requires
The Make Elections Great Again Act, introduced by House Republicans in late January 2026 under the leadership of Rep. Bryan…
If MEGA Act Passes, These Voting Rights Act Protections Could Vanish
This bill doesn't repeal the Voting Rights Act. It creates rules that directly conflict with the VRA—you can't follow both…
Your World
Trump Exits 66 International Bodies: What the U.S. Loses in Global Influence
In January 2026 (announced January 7-8, 2026), President Donald Trump signed a memorandum directing the United States to withdraw from…
Export Controls Meet Commercial Space: The Regulatory Gray Zone
On February 2, 2026, Elon Musk announced a $1.25 trillion merger between SpaceX and his artificial intelligence firm xAI. The…
3,000 Federal Agents Just Arrived. Who Pays for the Local Impact?
Minneapolis police logged $3 million in overtime costs in twelve days. That's for one city. Factor in lost tax revenue…
Congress Funds NASA and SpaceX Differently. Here’s Why That Matters.
While both missions are scheduled for February 2026, the timing is more complex than a simple five-day gap. The two…
Trending Federal Guidance
USPS Package Size Limits
Whether you're shipping products nationwide as a small business owner or sending gifts to loved ones, choosing the right packaging and mailing option can save you time, money, and stress.…
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…
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…
USPS Careers: Find and Apply for Postal Service Jobs
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is one of the nation's largest employers, offering diverse career paths. From mail carriers…
Home Office Tax Deductions and Requirements
Working from home has become increasingly common, making home office tax deductions more relevant than ever. Whether you're self-employed or…
Passports and Visas: Understanding the Key U.S. Travel Documents
Navigating the requirements for international travel can seem complex, especially when it comes to understanding the necessary documents. Passports and…
Challenges and Opportunities for the USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is a sprawling agency with a mission that ranges from feeding vulnerable families…
You May Also Like
DOJ Probes Fed Chair Powell: What’s at Risk When Criminal Law Meets Central Banking
In January 2026, the Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over his congressional testimony about a building renovation. Nearly every mainstream economist and…
No Fed Chair Has Faced Criminal Investigation Before. Why This Is Unprecedented.
Federal prosecutors issued legal orders demanding Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell appear before a grand jury on Friday, January 10, 2026, threatening to formally charge him with a crime. The…
What Congress Can Do If DOJ Investigations Threaten Fed Independence
In January 2026, the Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for statements he made to the Senate Banking Committee about a building renovation.…
Can State Prosecutors Charge a President? The Constitutional Question at Stake
The Second Circuit's November 2025 order doesn't cancel Trump's 34-count felony conviction for falsifying business records. But it does something that could matter more: it forces a federal judge to…
Can a President Unilaterally Exit Treaties? The Constitutional Answer Is Murky.
But a fundamental constitutional question remained unresolved: Does the President have the legal power to terminate treaties without congressional approval? The Constitution is strikingly clear about one thing: making treaties…
What Happens to U.S. Funding After Withdrawing from International Organizations
The United States owes the United Nations over $4 billion in unpaid bills. Now the administration is moving to withdraw from dozens of international organizations entirely, setting off a tangled…
Does Congress Have Power to Block Treaty Withdrawals? The Legal Battle Ahead
On February 4, 2026, President Trump signed a directive ordering the United States to exit sixty-six international organizations and treaties simultaneously—the largest mass withdrawal from global commitments in American history.…
How Criminal Contempt of Congress Works—And When It’s Actually Enforced
On February 3, 2026, something unusual happened: Bill and Hillary Clinton agreed to testify before Congress about what they knew about Jeffrey Epstein. They'd spent months resisting. Their lawyers had…
Do Former Presidents Have Special Privileges to Refuse Congressional Testimony?
The agreement to provide private testimony sessions later this month represents a dramatic collision between two fundamentally different views of executive power: whether former officials can claim constitutional protections that…
What Happens When Federal Agents Kill a U.S. Citizen During Enforcement
On January 7, 2026, federal immigration agents shot Renée Good while she sat in her Honda Pilot in Minneapolis. Seventeen days later, agents shot ICU nurse Alex Pretti while he…
From Motor Voter to MEGA Act: 30 Years of Federal Election Law Battles
Over thirty years later, Republicans in Congress have introduced what amounts to a dramatic shift in federal election policy. A new bill doesn't reverse the philosophy of making registration convenient—it…