July 13–19, 2026 · Sunday Edition · institutional fracture
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On July 13, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams sanctioned attorneys and voided the purported settlement of President Trump's lawsuit against the IRS — finding the $10 billion complaint was filed in bad faith to lend judicial legitimacy to a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund and sweeping tax audit immunity.
Sources: AP News — Williams order · CNN — sanctions ruling
Judge Kathleen Williams
"This lawsuit was not brought to vindicate rights; it was brought to manipulate the judicial process to pursue benefits unavailable in litigation because the parties were not adverse."
via S.D. Fla. · No. 26-cv-20176 · July 13, 2026
Rare congressional appearance · July 14, 2026
Justice Elena Kagan
Liberal wing · first Senate testimony since 2011
Kagan confirmed the Court intensified security after Chief Justice Roberts was warned in 2017 that the Court's posture was "crazy," and supported creating an enforcement mechanism for the Court's 2023 ethics code — acknowledging enforcement would be "tricky" since the Court sits at the head of the judicial branch.
370+
threats against federal judges in FY 2025, per judiciary data cited at hearing
Justice Amy Coney Barrett
Conservative wing · first House testimony since 2019
Barrett recounted a recent swatting incident at her home in an unusually personal plea for funding. She described false emergency calls to police as part of a surge in threats, harassment, and intimidation directed at federal jurists and their families.
54
new Supreme Court Police officers requested — six additional agents per justice
$0.0M
Fiscal 2027 budget request — roughly 10% increase, including $14.6M for expanded Supreme Court Police and $6.5M for exterior visitor screening facility design
Sources: CNN — Kagan & Barrett testimony · ABC News — security funding
Follow-up · dormant since 1996
Congress establishes the Alien Terrorist Removal Court under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act. Chief Justice appoints five district judges to review removal applications for noncitizens designated "alien terrorists."
Zero applications filed. The Federal Judicial Center notes the court "had never received an application" and therefore never conducted proceedings.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche submits the first-ever removal application — sealed, with classified cover sheet — seeking to deport an individual identified as an alien terrorist.
Chief Judge Joan N. Ericksen (D. Minn.) holds a closed hearing, hears attorney arguments without sworn testimony, and orders DOJ to file supplemental factual and legal analysis by July 22 — writing the government "could benefit from the opportunity for more thoughtful consideration."
Sources: POLITICO — ATRC activation · Court Watch — Ericksen order
Ass'n of N.J. Rifle & Pistol Clubs v. Att'y Gen. New Jersey · 3d Cir. · No. 24-02415 · en banc
On July 17, a 10-5 en banc Third Circuit held New Jersey's ban on semi-automatic rifles and magazines holding more than 10 rounds unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. Writing for the majority, Judge Arianna Freeman found AR-15s and large-capacity magazines are "plainly in common use" for lawful purposes — the first federal appellate court to invalidate such a state ban.
Creates a direct circuit split with the Seventh Circuit, which upheld Illinois' AR-15 ban on July 9 — just weeks after SCOTUS granted certiorari in challenges to assault-weapons bans in Illinois and Connecticut.
Sources: Bloomberg Law — Third Circuit ruling · The Reload — 192-page opinion
Third Circuit · Jul 17, 2026
Ban struck down
10-5 en banc majority holds semi-automatic rifles and LCMs are in "common use" — states cannot ban firearms merely because they perceive them as "unusually dangerous."
Seventh Circuit · Jul 9, 2026
Ban upheld
Panel majority upholds Illinois' assault-weapons and LCM restrictions, noting "every circuit to have confronted the issue" had reached the same conclusion — before the Third Circuit broke ranks.
$0M
largest HSR Act penalty ever
On July 13, the FTC and DOJ filed a complaint and proposed final judgment in D.D.C. against Edwards Lifesciences and Genesis MedTech, alleging the parties intentionally structured Edwards' 2024 acquisition of JC Medical to stay below the $119.5M Hart-Scott-Rodino reporting threshold — while a separate $25M equity investment pushed total consideration above the line.
The agencies alleged the parties were in violation for 721 days. Edwards must also provide 30 days' advance notice for future aortic-regurgitation device acquisitions and implement a formal antitrust compliance program.
$10M
Edwards Lifesciences
$2M
Genesis MedTech
721
days in violation
Sources: MedTech Dive — HSR settlement · Davis Polk — enforcement analysis
United States v. Apple Inc. · D.N.J. · No. 24-4055 · Special Master Linares · Jul 15, 2026
Special Discovery Master Jose Linares overruled the DOJ's motion to quash Apple's Rule 45 subpoenas, finding all document requests relevant to the government's iPhone monopolization claims and rejecting broad national-security objections as unsubstantiated. Agencies may still withhold specific privileged records via privilege logs.
Sources: 9to5Mac — Linares ruling · CourtListener — ECF No. 471
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas)
"What happened to the Todd Blanche who was a prosecutor in the Southern District of New York?"
Acting AG Todd Blanche
"We are not moving forward with the fund, period." — on the $1.776 billion anti-weaponization fund, though he declined to commit to rescinding the May 18 memo in writing.
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)
Pressed Blanche on Epstein file handling, the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger review, and whether his prior role as Trump's personal criminal defense attorney creates structural conflicts at the helm of the Justice Department.
Blanche testified July 15 before the Senate Judiciary Committee and faced outside witnesses July 16. With all Democrats expected to oppose and Sen. Cornyn undecided, the nominee needs unanimous Republican support to advance from committee.
Sources: AP News — confirmation hearing · NPR — Blanche testimony
"Even the Fund amount — $1.776 billion — speaks of a 'branding' effort rather than a deliberate and thoughtful calculation of damages."
Judge Kathleen Williams · S.D. Fla. · July 13, 2026
Sworn affidavit · filed July 15, 2026 · E.D.N.Y.
Follow-up: Under Judge Nicholas Garaufis's July 8 order, Gautam Adani filed a sworn statement denying any promise, offer, or agreement connected to the Justice Department's motion to dismiss the Biden-era FCPA indictment. Adani stated the Adani Group's interest in a $10 billion U.S. investment "had no role" in DOJ's decision, and he was "not aware of any agreement exchanging anything for the dismissal."
Principal Associate Deputy AG R. Trent McCotter maintained he would have sought dismissal "regardless of any mentions of investments." Garaufis has not yet ruled on the Rule 48(a) motion.
Sources: NBC News — Adani affidavit · Bar & Bench — sworn statement
Jackler v. Department of Justice · Fed. Cir. · No. 2026-1575 · en banc
Whether the Civil Service Reform Act's procedural and substantive protections for federal workers conflict with the President's Article II removal power.
Follow-up: Fired immigration judges Megan Jackler and Brandon Jaroch filed their en banc opening brief on July 14, as scheduled. The MSPB had held in March that as inferior officers exercising significant adjudicative authority, the judges could be removed at will — abrogating 5 U.S.C. § 7513 protections. The government's response brief is due within 45 days.
Sources: Fed Circuit Blog — en banc grant · Mindful Federal Employee — briefing schedule
July 17
Follow-up: Under Judge Leonie Brinkema's June 24 order in Fund for an Open Government v. Trump (E.D. Va.), the Justice Department's responsive pleading was due Friday — after Brinkema declined to dismiss the challenge despite Blanche's verbal assurances the $1.776 billion fund would not proceed. Williams's July 13 sanctions order in the parallel IRS case now separately bars parties from citing the purported settlement in any official proceeding.
Sources: CNBC — Brinkema order · DocumentCloud — Brinkema scheduling order
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Follow-up: The foreign-surveillance authority that lapsed June 12 has now been expired for 38 days. Bipartisan negotiations remain stalled over Bill Pulte's interim appointment as acting director of national intelligence. Existing FISC certifications approved in March may permit continued collection through March 17, 2027, but the government cannot issue new targeting directives during the lapse.
Sources: CBS News — 702 lapse · The Dispatch — lapse analysis
State highlight · New Jersey
New Jersey Attorney General officials are reviewing the Third Circuit's 10-5 decision striking the state's assault-firearms and large-capacity magazine bans — the first federal appellate invalidation of such restrictions. The case was remanded to the District of New Jersey to determine whether other banned firearm categories also fall under the majority's "common use" holding, while the state evaluates emergency appellate options.
Sources: Fox News — NJ reaction · Bloomberg Law — remand order
DOJ must submit supplemental factual and legal analysis to Chief Judge Ericksen in the Alien Terrorist Removal Court's first-ever proceeding.
Last day to register to testify at virtual hearings on proposed MY 2027 heavy-duty engine amendments — EPA-HQ-OAR-2026-0728.
DOJ's en banc response brief due at the Federal Circuit — 45 days after petitioners' July 14 opening brief in the CSRA removal-power dispute.
Virtual hearings on proposed heavy-duty engine warranty and DEF inducement amendments.
Comment deadline on the FTC's proposed policy statement on suppression of accuracy in AI systems under Section 5 — Matter No. P264200.
Bench trial scheduled in E.D. Va. on the FTC's challenge to the Zillow-Redfin $100M exclusive multifamily listings partnership.
Written comments due on proposed MY 2027 heavy-duty engine amendments.