News & Current Events

The Fourth Circuit heard oral arguments on September 15, 2026, in the Justice Department's bid to reinstate indictments against James Comey and Letitia James, both dismissed by a district judge who found that interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan's appointment exceeded the Attorney General's 120-day authority under 28 U.S.C. § 546. Judges pressed DOJ counsel on whether its reading of the statute would allow the executive to make successive interim appointments indefinitely, while also questioning the government's fallback arguments based on ratification and harmless error. No ruling or ruling date has been issued, and the outcome will determine both the fate of the two cases and the legal boundaries of the Attorney General's interim appointment power.

Jonathan Hunter Kramer, 21, of Valencia, Pennsylvania, faces one federal count under 18 U.S.C. § 924(h) after FBI agents seized a semiautomatic rifle, five magazines, and approximately 190 rounds of ammunition on September 12, 2026. The charge is a firearm-terrorism offense, with ISIS support allegations serving as the terrorism context rather than a separate material-support count, and the complaint identifies no specific attack target or scheduled date. Kramer, who was adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile in 2023 for related offenses, was detained pending a preliminary examination hearing scheduled for September 16, 2026.

A September 10 drone attack originating from Iraq shut down Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, which can carry up to 7 million barrels of oil per day, with anonymous regional officials estimating repairs will take three to six weeks and Saudi Arabia already canceling some oil deliveries to Europe. Separately, Houthi forces captured the Hanish Islands near the Bab al-Mandab Strait and launched attacks on southern Saudi cities, placing simultaneous pressure on the kingdom's two primary oil export routes. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has requested U.S. military assistance, though no confirmed American commitment or operational response has been established.