Supreme Court Questions Trump’s Emergency Powers in Tariff Case
The nine Supreme Court justices heard arguments Wednesday on whether former President Donald Trump can use emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Several justices expressed skepticism about the breadth of the president’s authority.
Justice Neil Gorsuch warned that the interpretation of IEEPA advocated by U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer could lead to a “one-way ratchet toward the gradual but continual accretion of power in the executive branch.” Chief Justice John Roberts also highlighted concerns tied to the “major questions doctrine,” a legal principle requiring Congress to be explicit in delegating power to the executive for significant economic or political decisions.
To learn more, check out today’s The Morning Dispatch and Amy Howe’s detailed breakdown of the oral arguments at SCOTUSblog.
House Democrats Hold Firm Amid Record Government Shutdown
Thirty-six days into the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, House Democrats are urging Senate colleagues not to join Republicans in supporting a temporary funding bill. They argue that Tuesday’s election results reinforce the need to remain firm on healthcare demands.
At a breakfast with GOP senators, President Trump urged abolishing the filibuster to pass a funding bill without Democratic support. However, Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged insufficient backing within the GOP to eliminate the filibuster.
With military service members facing missed paychecks on November 15, the U.S. Army provided guidance for soldiers stationed in Germany, including locations of nearby food banks and emergency social services.
NYC Mayor-Elect Appoints Lina Khan to Transition Team
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced yesterday that Lina Khan, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission under President Joe Biden, will co-lead his transition team.
More than 2 million New Yorkers voted in Tuesday’s election—the highest turnout since 1969 and nearly double the 2021 participation. Mamdani, 34, became the first NYC mayoral candidate since 1969 to receive over 1 million votes. He won four of the city’s five boroughs, buoyed by strong support from minority and new-resident voters, though he polled poorly among Jewish voters.
Hours after his victory, several Jewish institutions in Brooklyn were vandalized with spray-painted swastikas. Mamdani condemned the acts as “disgusting and heartbreaking” and pledged to “always stand steadfast with our Jewish neighbors to root the scourge of antisemitism out of our city.”
Updates From Israel and Gaza
Israeli authorities confirmed that the body returned by Hamas Wednesday night is Joshua Loitu Mollel, a 21-year-old Tanzanian agricultural intern at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, who was murdered by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Six hostage bodies remain in Gaza.
CNN reported, citing Israeli intelligence, that the remains of Lt. Hadar Goldin, an IDF soldier killed by Hamas in 2014, were found in tunnels beneath southern Gaza’s Rafah. The IDF has disputed this claim, stating it has “no information” confirming Goldin’s location.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 13, Rom Braslavski, an Israeli who was recently freed after being held hostage in Gaza, recounted being sexually abused, tortured, and starved by his captors. “I came back from meeting the devil,” he said.
Ukraine Launches Drone Attacks on Russia
Ukraine conducted drone strikes deep into Russia Wednesday night, targeting locations including Volgograd, home to a large oil refinery. Russian state media reported temporary suspension of flights at 13 airports during the attacks.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa disclosed that 17 South African nationals fighting as mercenaries in the Ukraine-Russia war are now stranded in the Donbas region, primarily under Russian control. Their motivations and affiliations remain unclear.
Tariff Trade-Offs: The Implications of Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump
President Trump took to Truth Social Tuesday to call the upcoming Supreme Court case “literally, LIFE OR DEATH for our Country.” At a White House event in mid-October, he described it as one of the most important cases in U.S. history, warning that a loss could result in a “weakened, troubled financial mess” for years to come, while a win would make America “the most powerful economic country in the world.”
The case, Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump, poses a direct challenge to Trump’s use of executive authority under IEEPA to impose broad tariffs. The plaintiffs consist of a coalition of businesses and 12 states, led by Oregon, seeking to invalidate the tariffs.
If the plaintiffs prevail, the legal basis for Trump’s tariff strategy will collapse. Conversely, a loss could vastly expand White House powers more than previously thought. The case was among the most highly anticipated of the Supreme Court’s term, with oral arguments held yesterday.
Though Trump did not attend, prominent political figures including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and several senators were present. Comedian John Mulaney also appeared to support a friend involved as one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs.
Across the country, thousands of business owners anxiously follow the case, many focused on its potential impact on their bottom lines.
From the Archives: Dick Cheney’s 2006 Speech
On May 27, 2006, Vice President Dick Cheney delivered a memorable speech to the 340 graduates of Natrona County High School in Wyoming, his alma mater and that of his wife, Lynne. The speech, written aboard Air Force Two, emphasized focus and dedication:
“Stay focused on the job you have, not the next job you might want. Do the work in front of you. Try to find ways to make yourself indispensable. And I can almost guarantee that recognition, advancement, and other good things will follow.”
Cheney lived this mantra through nearly four decades in public service at the highest levels of government.
About the Authors
James P. Sutton is a Morning Dispatch Reporter based in Washington, D.C. He joined The Dispatch in 2024 after earning a master’s degree in history from the University of Oxford. Prior to that, James taught high school history and interned with National Review and the Foreign Policy Research Institute. When he’s not reporting, James enjoys racquet sports, reading history books, and rooting for Bay Area sports teams.
Peter Gattuso covers Washington, D.C. as a Morning Dispatch reporter. Joining the company in 2024, Peter has interned at The Dispatch, National Review, the Cato Institute, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Outside of fact-checking, he enjoys watching baseball, listening to vinyl records, and discussing maritime law.
Ross Anderson is Editor of The Morning Dispatch based in London. Before joining The Dispatch in 2025, Ross was an editor at The Spectator, a columnist at The New York Sun, and a fellow at Tablet. When not working, he likes testing new tech, lifting weights, or spending time with his cat, Teddy.
https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/morning/trumps-tariffs-land-in-the-supreme-court/