News & Current Events

A divided Second Circuit panel ruled 2-1 that former Interim U.S. Attorney John Sarcone lacked lawful authority to issue grand-jury subpoenas seeking records from the New York Attorney General's office related to cases involving the NRA and Donald Trump. The majority held that the Federal Vacancies Reform Act permits only a First Assistant already serving at the time of a vacancy to assume acting authority, not one installed afterward, and the court upheld Sarcone's disqualification. The DOJ has stated it intends to petition the Supreme Court, though no filing appeared on the public docket as of August 22, 2026.

Chief Justice John Roberts issued an administrative stay on August 21, 2026, allowing aboveground construction on a White House ballroom and national-security complex to continue while the full Supreme Court considers the government's emergency request. A divided D.C. Circuit panel had affirmed a district court injunction finding the executive branch highly unlikely to hold statutory authority for the project, which carries cost estimates ranging from $250 million to a reported $600 million contractor figure, with no enacted congressional authorization on record. The stay carries no merits reasoning, leaving unresolved questions about congressional authority under the Property Clause, the National Trust for Historic Preservation's standing, and the project's final cost and completion timeline.

Jessica Bowie, 35, was arrested on August 19, 2026, after allegedly accepting an inert explosive device from an FBI confidential source and paying $150 toward a firearm, as part of an undercover operation spanning roughly five weeks. Federal prosecutors charged her with one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison; she was detained without bail after waiving her detention hearing. The complaint specifies that the explosive device was inert and supplied by an FBI source, not independently assembled by Bowie, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The Bald Range wildfire in British Columbia's South Okanagan remains classified as out of control at 24,536 hectares, with 382 firefighters, 15 helicopters, and 77 pieces of heavy equipment conducting round-the-clock operations as of August 21. Most Summerland residents have been permitted to return, but 32 properties in Summerland and the majority in Electoral Area F remain under evacuation order, and approximately 150 structures across both areas have been confirmed damaged or destroyed. Returning residents face additional constraints including a Boil Water Notice, partial road closures west of Highway 97, and an unresolved power restoration status, while forecasted gusts up to 60 km/h and isolated thunderstorms this weekend could affect fire behaviour.