Weeks after the end of a historic term, Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett are making a rare appearance before Congress, and facing wide-ranging questions as the high court amid a rise in threats to the judiciary.
Down the street, U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House after strongly backing the political novice鈥檚 bid for office. Iraq has been under pressure to disarm Iran-backed militias that attacked U.S. bases and diplomatic facilities after .
The early Tuesday after Trump vowed to blockade Iranian ports and charge 20% of their cargo for ships transiting the . Later Tuesday, he said he was backing away from the tolls and pursuing another arrangement following discussions with Gulf allies.
And in Maine, protesters are raising unanswered questions about the ninth fatal shooting by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents since Trump’s immigration crackdown began.
The Latest:
Fears of burnout for Supreme Court鈥檚 security staff
Kagan says that when she joined the court in 2010, the need for security was vastly different. She drove herself to work, and security personnel only came along for high-profile speeches.
That started to change after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016, and the need ramped up after the leak of the opinion overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Today, each justice has a security team of four to eight people, and they鈥檙e having to work overtime to provide the level of security needed, raising fears of burnout, Barrett said.
Vance tapes an episode of Joe Rogan鈥檚 podcast
The vice president was taping the show on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Vance鈥檚 appearance on the show comes as Rogan has become a vocal critic of the Trump administration, particularly over the Iran war. Vance has been skeptical of military interventions abroad and seen as a reluctant defender of Trump鈥檚 war. He worked to negotiate a ceasefire agreement with Iran that Trump has said is over
Vance appeared on Rogan鈥檚 show in 2024 when he was the vice-presidential nominee.
Supreme Court now requires NDAs for employees, Justice Barrett says
She said the move and others are aimed at controlling leaks of internal deliberations.
She said the court has long required confidentiality agreements, but recently upgraded to non-disclosure agreements with carveouts for whistleblowers.
The documents serve as an 鈥渁dditional check鈥� on inappropriate or illegal information sharing.
They come after the 2022 leak of the draft opinion overturning abortion as a constitutional right, a major breach for the nation鈥檚 highest court.
The new NDA requirement was previously reported by the New York Times.
Collins calls attacks on judiciary 鈥榓ppalling鈥�
Republican Sen. Susan Collins said rhetoric from public figures attacking judges is 鈥渁ppalling.鈥�
The Maine senator said officials on both sides of the aisle have gone after the judiciary. Collins, who is up for reelection this year, pointed to examples of criticism of the conservative-majority court from the left.
Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, meanwhile, highlighted Trump鈥檚 targeting of justices who ruled against him and struck down his wide-ranging tariffs.
Trump administration orders ICE to suspend most vehicle stops after two deadly shootings
Administration officials issued the order after two deadly shootings in little over a week, a person familiar with the matter told the AP.
The order Tuesday came a day after an ICE officer shot and killed a Colombian man in Maine, renewing criticism of the agency鈥檚 tactics during enforcement operations. The suspension is not absolute and there鈥檚 room for exceptions when executing a criminal warrant or working with partner agencies, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive law enforcement operations.
The Department of Homeland Security said an ICE officer, 鈥渇earing for public safety,鈥� shot and killed the man Monday in the city of Biddeford.
New York City鈥檚 mayor calls for abolishment of ICE
Zohran Mamdani made the demand in a post Tuesday on X in response to the fatal shooting of a man in Biddeford, Maine.
鈥淚CE is killing our neighbors,鈥� Mamdani wrote. 鈥淚CE cannot be reformed. Abolish ICE.鈥�
Outgoing Colombian president slams fatal shooting of citizen in Maine
In a scathing post on X, Gustavo Petro of Colombia described the fatal shooting of a Colombian citizen in Biddeford as a targeted killing 鈥渁t the hands of the U.S. government.鈥�
Petro, who has openly quarreled with Trump, called on him to provide Colombia with an explanation for the killing. He accused ICE officers of shooting the Colombian national 鈥渇or believing him to be an inferior being without rights.鈥�
Petro, who will leave office in less than a month, said he expects Colombia鈥檚 foreign service to pursue legal action against those responsible for the shooting.
Abelardo de la Espriella, Colombia鈥檚 Trump-backed president-elect, has not commented publicly on the case.
Official vying for Pentagon budget job skirts questions about Iran war costs
Prime Minister al-Zaidi noted that it鈥檚 鈥渕y first visit to the United States of America鈥� and it鈥檚 鈥渘ot just like any visit.鈥�
He said from the Oval Office that the visit is about announcing an 鈥渆conomic partnership鈥� with the United States. Al-Zaidi said all remaining U.S. forces will be out of Iraq come Sept. 30 鈥渨hile U.S. companies will be inside Iraq鈥� and investing in the country.
He also thanked Trump for extending a 鈥渨arm welcome,鈥� which included a last-minute offer of lunch.
鈥淚 have no idea what we鈥檙e going to be eating, but it will be fine,鈥� Trump said before ending the joint press availability.
Iraqi leader al-Zaidi says his first US visit is about 鈥榚conomic partnership鈥�
Prime Minister al-Zaidi noted that it鈥檚 鈥渕y first visit to the United States of America鈥� and it鈥檚 鈥渘ot just like any visit.鈥�
He said from the Oval Office that the visit is about announcing an 鈥渆conomic partnership鈥� with the United States. Al-Zaidi said all remaining U.S. forces will be out of Iraq come Sept. 30 鈥渨hile U.S. companies will be inside Iraq鈥� and investing in the country.
He also thanked Trump for extending a 鈥渨arm welcome,鈥� which included a last-minute offer of lunch.
鈥淚 have no idea what we鈥檙e going to be eating, but it will be fine,鈥� Trump said before ending the joint press availability.
Trump says his Thursday address will touch on 鈥榝ree and fair elections鈥� but reveals little else
Asked for a sneak peek of his scheduled national address, the president said it will be 鈥渞eally, really big news鈥� but added he鈥檇 鈥渞ather save it.鈥�
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 get bigger, because without free and fair elections you don鈥檛 have a country,鈥� Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday. 鈥淲e鈥檒l be discussing other things too. But it鈥檚 going to be a very big announcement.鈥�
The Republican president has said little else about the address, which he announced on social media on Monday. His post said only that he will be 鈥渕aking a Speech to the Nation on Thursday evening鈥� at 9 p.m. Eastern.
Asked about it on Monday, Trump quickly pivoted to discussing what he called a 鈥渂usy news day,鈥� talking about the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham and other topics.
Trump hails report showing inflation declining
The president blamed his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, for the rate of inflation having spiked to three-year high just last month. Biden, Trump said, 鈥渃ould create inflation like anybody.鈥�
But Trump cheered a report Tuesday showing that prices dropped 0.4% from May to June, the largest monthly drop in four year and way down from a year-over-year gain of .
Trump added of inflation, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not my fault. We are putting it to sleep.鈥�
鈥淭he report was incredible. Inflation is way down,鈥� Trump said, before urging voters, 鈥淩emember that for the midterms.鈥�
鈥淣obody else could do it,鈥� Trump said.
Trump says FBI is 鈥榳asting their time鈥� on Sen. Graham鈥檚 death
Trump said he doesn鈥檛 know why the FBI is looking into Graham鈥檚 death.
The president said the late South Carolina senator had 鈥渁 problem鈥� and that what ultimately took his life 鈥渋s actually something that鈥檚 very hard to detect.鈥�
A preliminary medical examiner鈥檚 report said Graham suffered a tear in his aorta.
Trump said he鈥檚 watched medical reports about Graham鈥檚 case and had White House doctors explain to him what happened. 鈥淎nd this is something that is very almost undetectable,鈥� Trump said, adding that there鈥檚 not much that can be done about a torn aorta.
鈥淪o I don鈥檛 see a lot of evil there. I know there鈥檚 all sorts of conspiracy theories going along, and I don鈥檛 think the FBI, I think the FBI is wasting their time if they鈥檙e doing it,鈥� Trump said of an investigation.
Trump says Gulf allies asked him to move from tolls to trade deals in Strait of Hormuz
The president explained his thinking in backing away from a 20% toll on cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz, saying he was called by 鈥渒ings and emirs鈥� and other leaders who suggested an alternate arrangement.
鈥淭hey said we鈥檇 love to do it a different way. We鈥檇 love to invest in the United States with billions and billions of dollars,鈥� Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
Trump said he prefers that arrangement to the tolls he previously said the U.S. would impose. 鈥淚 like that actually, because I don鈥檛 think anybody should be able to charge a fee for the strait,鈥� Trump said.
Trump praises Iraqi PM, says he鈥檚 a 鈥榞reat leader鈥� who will hold office for a 鈥榣ong time鈥�
Trump said he and Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had a 鈥済reat meeting鈥� in the Oval Office and will now have lunch together because of their 鈥渢remendous chemistry.鈥� Lunch wasn鈥檛 on the original schedule.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do it on the fly,鈥� Trump told reporters about the meal.
Trump heaped praise on al-Zaidi in front of reporters, calling him a 鈥済reat fan of America.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 a great leader. I think he鈥檚 going to be there for a long period of time,鈥� Trump said, emphasizing 鈥渓ong.鈥�
鈥淗e鈥檚 changed that country so much, especially toward their thinking about the United States,鈥� the president said.
Trump also commented on the prime minister鈥檚 youth and looks.
鈥淗e鈥檚 young and he鈥檚 handsome, which I don鈥檛 like. I鈥檓 not happy about that,鈥� Trump joked.
Justices Kagan, Barrett split on enforcement mechanism for Supreme Court鈥檚 new code of ethics
All nine justices agreed to the code in 2023 amid a storm of criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices.
Kagan and Barrett both said the court is taking the code seriously, but Kagan also supported creating a way to enforce it. The liberal-leaning justice acknowledged it could be tricky since any enforcement would have to come from the judicial branch and the Supreme Court sits at its head.
Barrett, who is part of the court鈥檚 conservative majority, said she wasn鈥檛 so sure. There are significant questions over who would do the enforcing and how, and it鈥檚 not clear whether there is a way to address them effectively, she said.
How does the court decide emergency appeals?
The relatively quick process of deciding emergency docket cases centers on whether the petitioner will eventually win, and how they could be legally harmed if the court doesn鈥檛 step in, Barrett said.
The justices declined to talk about specific cases, including suits where the court sided with the Trump administration and allowed cuts to the federal workforce to proceed.
The court often begins by considering the case from the petitioner鈥檚 point of view, Barrett said, though Kagan pointed out the court can also consider how the other side might be affected if the court intervenes.
Supreme Court justices address rise in 鈥榮hadow docket鈥� appeals
Kagan and Barrett address the rise in appeals on the Supreme Court鈥檚 emergency docket.
While the court can鈥檛 control how many are filed, Kagan points out that some high-profile decisions may have encouraged attorneys to file more appeals. Those appeals are decided without full briefing or arguments, Kagan said, and 鈥渨e should consider those downsides.鈥�
Iraqi PM arrives for White House meeting with Trump
Trump was waiting outside the entrance to the West Wing to greet the prime minister when he arrived. They shook hands and exchanged small talk before entering the White House with their arms around each other鈥檚 backs.
鈥淟ove Iraq,鈥� Trump replied to a reporter鈥檚 question about his message to the people of Iraq.
The leaked Dobbs opinion鈥檚 shadow on the Supreme Court鈥檚 security concerns
Kagan said threats against the Supreme Court increased after the leak of a draft of the opinion that later overturned the Roe v. Wade abortion decision, and have continued to grow since then.
In 2022, shortly after the leak, a would-be assassin near the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh with weapons and zip ties. Chief Justice John Roberts the threats to all U.S. judges, saying during a speech in March that criticism of judicial opinions is understandable, but personally directed hostility is 鈥渄angerous, and it鈥檚 got to stop.鈥�
Supreme Court justices testify before Congress on increasing security funding in rare appearance
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett said Tuesday that a sharp increase in threats targeting her and other justices has increasingly encroached on their personal and family lives.
During a rare appearance before Congress, Barrett said she had to wear a bulletproof vest home a few years ago, something she struggled to explain to her 12-year-old son.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 expect that performing this service would put me in the position of explaining to my children what a bulletproof vest was, why I had to wear one,鈥� she said. The hearing marks the first time justices have testified before Congress since 2019.
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Warsh vows to crush inflation but offers no hint on the Fed鈥檚 next move
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh鈥檚 written testimony to Congress says the Fed will make 鈥渁 thing of the past,鈥� but provides no signal about the central bank鈥檚 next steps.
Fed policymakers 鈥渉ave no tolerance for persistently elevated inflation,鈥� Warsh will say when he testifies Tuesday before a House committee. 鈥淎nd we share a resolute commitment to restoring price stability.鈥�
Yet of the 19 members of the Fed鈥檚 interest rate-setting committee expect they will have to raise the central bank鈥檚 key rate by the end of the year to defeat inflation, while nearly half have penciled in no change or even a rate cut. Warsh faces a stiff challenge in reconciling the divided committee while navigating a rapidly-changing economic outlook.
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Lindsey Graham鈥檚 sister prepares for her Senate swearing-in
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said sister, Darline Graham, will be sworn in Tuesday afternoon as his temporary replacement after his unexpected death over the weekend, and will serve out the rest of his term ending in January.
Graham earned a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and has worked as an optician and at various state agencies. She鈥檒l be the first woman to represent South Carolina in the Senate.
鈥淚t is such an honor,鈥� she said, as dozens of Graham staffers and campaign advisers stood behind her during a statehouse news conference. 鈥淟indsey has always been there for me. And now, I will be there for him.鈥�
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Trump to welcome Iraq鈥檚 new prime minister to the White House
Al-Zaidi has been under pressure to disarm a network of Iran-backed militias operating in the country, some of which launched attacks on U.S. bases and diplomatic facilities after against Iran.
Trump is scheduled to greet the Iraqi leader Zaidi at 11 a.m., followed by an Oval Office meeting.
Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at the Chatham House think tank, expects that 鈥渢he U.S. will put significant pressure on al-Zaidi鈥� to move ahead with disarmament 鈥渁nd Zaidi will respond by saying, 鈥楤ut I need support 鈥� intelligence support, technical support, armed support.鈥欌��
鈥淭here is a scenario in which, if the Iraqi government starts going after these groups, they will also go after the government,鈥� Mansour said. 鈥淎nd this is a scenario that I think that the Iraqi government is apprehensive about.鈥�
鈥楧angerous.鈥� 鈥楤razen.鈥� 鈥楿nprecedented.鈥� 鈥楿ncharted territory鈥�
Reaction has been swift and severe to the issue of subpoenas to five New York Times journalists who reported on security questions involving Trump鈥檚 new .
鈥淭he subpoenas are an extraordinary escalation in President Trump鈥檚 efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations and have a chilling effect on the work of journalists across the country,鈥� said Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
The White House Correspondents Association holds its rescheduled dinner celebrating the First Amendment in less than two weeks, with Trump planning to attend. The first was scuttled when in what prosecutors say was .
鈥淭he WHCA condemns any act of intimidation against journalists, including attempts to pressure them into revealing sources,鈥� said a statement from the group鈥檚 president, Weijia Jiang.
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What does the Supreme Court want from Congress?
Security is central to the court鈥檚 budget request of $228 million 鈥� roughly 10% more than the last fiscal year.
Nearly $15 million of that would go to expanding personal protection for justices, with six more agents for each.
Another $2 million would fund more Supreme Court police officers and an off-site residential security post to speed emergency responses.
The U.S. Marshals Service reported 564 threats to the hundreds of federal judges around the country during the last fiscal year, and justices have not been immune: Barrett鈥檚 security detail had to defuse a fake 911 call at her house, and her sister was the victim of a bomb threat. A would-be assassin near the home of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Chief Justice John Roberts the threats, saying it鈥檚 鈥渄angerous, and it鈥檚 got to stop.鈥�
June inflation report shows complicated outlook for Trump on economy
The White House will have reasons to rejoice in the June release of the consumer price index, as prices fell 0.4% on a monthly basis in large part because of tumbling oil prices tied to the now deteriorated ceasefire with Iran.
But prices still rose 3.5% over the past 12 months, well above the Federal Reserve鈥檚 inflation target of 2%.
And the monthly decline could be short-lived, with oil prices jumping again as fighting intensifies in the Middle East.
Prices for the global benchmark of Brent crude oil have risen nearly 8% in the past five days of trading to about $81 a barrel on Tuesday, a sign that inflation could soon pick up again as the American public begins to focus on the November midterm elections.
Attacks resume across the Mideast
The U.S. military鈥檚 Central Command said it struck several areas in Iran, targeting 鈥渃oastal defense systems, missile and drone sites and maritime capabilities.鈥� Iran acknowledged the strikes, but provided no immediate casualty or damage assessments.
鈥淭hese strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,鈥� the U.S. military said.
Moments after the military announced the new strikes, Trump called it 鈥渁nother major attack鈥� and said the U.S. was 鈥減utting the blockade back.鈥�
with attacks targeting Bahrain, Jordan and three tankers that traveled through the strait.
Here’s Trump’s rationale for charging tolls in the strait
U.S. Central Command said on social media that it 鈥渨ill enforce the blockade against vessels transiting to or from Iranian ports and coastal areas鈥� beginning Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT, and will 鈥渟upport traffic flow through regional waters for all vessels not violating the blockade.鈥�
A notice to mariners released Monday by the U.S. military warned of using force if ships don鈥檛 comply. It also said the military will let through humanitarian shipments.
The statement follows Trump declaring that the U.S. would be reinstating the naval blockade and charging a 20% toll on eligible cargo.
鈥淲e鈥檙e protecting a very rich portion of the world,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e spending money. And so, what we鈥檝e done is, we are going to be reimbursed for protection.鈥�
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, would not say whether the military would be collecting tolls, and referred questions to the White House.
Trump to address the nation on Thursday
The president posted on social media that he would be 鈥渕aking a Speech to the Nation鈥� at 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday.
Trump appeared to refer to himself in the third person in the post.
He did not disclose the details of his planned speech, but the announcement comes after Trump said he would block Iran-related ships from traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and that the U.S. would charge a 20% fee on all cargo going through the waterway.
Asked in an interview with Hugh Hewitt what his Thursday address will be about, Trump made it sound like nothing out of the ordinary.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just going to be a speech like a lot of my speeches,鈥� he said, without offering any more detail.
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