SCOTUS Rejects Second Amendment Challenges To Maryland AR-15 Ban, Rhode Island Magazine Cap

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-10.29.52 AM-e1748878266146-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-02-at-10.29.52%5Cu202fAM-e1748878266146-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]‘Our Constitution allows the American people — not the government — to decide which weapons are useful for self defense,’ Thomas dissented.

Complaint: Judge Who Barred Trump’s DEI Funding Freeze Had ‘Plain Conflict Of Interest’

McConnell didn’t mention he is a board member at the $31 million nonprofit Crossroads Rhode Island, which is largely funded by federal dollars.

Plagiarism Accusations Threaten To Upend Democrats' Climate Lawsuit Against Oil Companies

A federal judge in Puerto Rico issued a scathing order last week accusing Democratic prosecutors on the island of plagiarizing nearly their entire 241-page complaint that blamed oil companies for causing global warming. In the order Wednesday, district court judge Aida Delgado-Colon outlined how David Efron, the lead attorney representing Puerto Rico's capital city San Juan, appears to have plagiarized a similar but separate complaint that 16 Puerto Rican municipalities filed a year earlier. A side-by-side comparison of the two complaints shows large blocks of text are copied word-for-word.

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Appeals court blocks DOGE records-grab ordered by lower court



A federal appeals court on Wednesday blocked a lower court's order seeking records from the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency regarding its plans to significantly reduce the size of the federal government.

Earlier this month, United States District Judge Tanya Chutkan directed the DOGE to turn over the documents in response to a lawsuit filed by 14 Democratic-led states, headed by New Mexico. Additional plaintiffs included Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

'That should be the end of this ill-conceived challenge.'

The states' lawsuit claimed that the DOGE and Elon Musk violated the U.S. Constitution's Appointments Clause and separation of powers, arguing that Musk was not confirmed by the Senate. The states aimed to block the DOGE from accessing several government systems and terminating federal employees.

The complaint requested records from the department as part of the discovery process.

"Defendants argue that the 'inner workings of government' are immaterial to an Appointments Clause claim," Chutkan wrote in her decision. "The court is not convinced, but that is a legal issue appropriate for resolution after fulsome briefing. At this stage, it is sufficient that Plaintiffs' discovery requests intend to reveal the scope of DOGE's and Musk's authority."

She noted that the plaintiffs' requested materials "seek to identify DOGE personnel and the parameters of DOGE's and Musk's authority—a question central to Plaintiffs' claims."

Chutkan ordered the DOGE to produce recordings concerning "agencies, employees, legal agreements, or data management systems" pertaining to the states. The judge gave Musk and the DOGE until April 2 to comply.

On Wednesday, a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit temporarily blocked Chutkan's order, suggesting she first rule on the Trump administration's motion to dismiss before moving to discovery.

Chutkan canceled a Thursday status hearing following the appeals court's ruling.

The administration's motion to dismiss argued, "By the Complaint's own terms, the States agree that Elon Musk 'does not occupy an office of the United States'; they allege only that he wields 'de facto power.'"

"That should be the end of this ill-conceived challenge," it read. "The States' contrary view rests on conflating influence and authority."

The White House has insisted that Musk is not the head of the DOGE but a senior adviser to President Donald Trump.

Despite facing an onslaught of litigation, the DOGE has not slowed its cost-cutting efforts. On Wednesday, the DOGE applauded the Department of Labor for terminating $557 million in "America Last" grants, totaling $237 million in savings.

According to the department, the wasteful awards included $10 million for "gender equity in the Mexican workplace," over $12 million for "worker empowerment in South America," $5 million for "elevating women's participation in the workplace" in West Africa, more than $4 million for "assisting foreign migrant workers" in Malaysia, $3 million for "enhanc[ing] social security access and worker protections for internal migrant workers" in Bangladesh, another $3 million for "safe and inclusive work environments" in Lesotho, and $6.25 million for "improving respect for Worker's rights in agricultural supply chains" in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

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EXCLUSIVE: ‘Clear Violation’ — GOP Rep. Andrew Clyde Touts Move To Impeach Anti-Trump Federal Judge

'High crimes and misdemeanors'

Exclusive: At Least 32 Rhode Island School Districts Lie To Parents About Children’s Gender Dysphoria

Allowing children to 'socially transition' at school pushes many of them toward seeking medical interventions like genital mutilation.

Trans-identifying city council official arrested at Trump Tower protest



A trans-identifying city council official who prefers they/them pronouns was arrested during a protest at Trump Tower last week, and some of his leftist colleagues on the council are coming to his defense.

On Thursday, June Rose, chief of staff of the Providence City Council, joined a raucous group that stormed into Trump Tower in New York City to protest the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil, an apparent terrorist sympathizer accused of orchestrating violent, destructive demonstrations at Columbia University last year.

Wearing shirts emblazoned with anti-Israel slogans, a mob of about 150 members of Jewish Voice for Peace burst into a dining area of the Trump building and refused to leave. Nearly 100 of them, apparently including Rose, were arrested as a result.

"Those arrests are for trespassing, obstructing government administration, and resisting arrest by virtue of us having to carry some of the people out of the escalator," said NYPD Chief of Department John Chell.

"We gave warnings on our pager system, and once we did that warning three times, the NYPD with its professionalism, as you saw, went in and made the arrests. There were no injuries. There were no incidents. There was no damaged property."

'We’re making decisions on revenue, where are they? They’re in jail.'

Rose, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family and community and who still considers himself culturally Jewish, was arrested during the incident. He was released the same day and was back in Providence by Friday, Council President Rachel Miller claimed.

According to her bio, Miller has a long history of "economic, racial, and social justice" activism. In her statement about the arrest, Miller implied that Rose had done nothing wrong.

"This is a perilous moment for our democracy, and taking action is not something to be scorned. June was using vacation time today and chose to use their time to defend constitutional freedoms," she stated, according to GoLocalProv.

City Councilor Miguel Sanchez, whose X posts reveal a deep animus toward President Donald Trump's agenda and who was even fired from far-left Democrat Gov. Dan McKee’s Office of Constituent Services for his anti-Israel activism, likewise stands by Rose.

"I’m so proud that we have staff members who not only do so much for our city but also use their voice to fight for a better world," Sanchez wrote. "As the majority whip of the @pvdcitycouncil, June has my full support."

Other council members took a different view. Councilman James Taylor even called on Rose, the highest-paid council staffer, to resign for leaving the city "on the busiest council day of the year."

According to Taylor, last Thursday was "was a big day for the City Council" since the Finance Committee was set to consider a tax-hike proposal from Mayor Brett Smiley.

"All eyes were on the council with the administration, the budget — the most important day, when they’re chief of staff, supposed to be running the council, making sure they get everything they need — the biggest day, we’re making decisions on revenue, where are they? They’re in jail," Taylor said.

City Council spokesperson Roxie Richner confirmed that Rose makes more than $136,000 per year.

Rose came out as bisexual more than a decade ago and as transgender last year. "I always say that my bullies knew I was queer long before I did," he previously stated.

This arrest is the second for Rose in less than a year. He was arrested in Washington, D.C., last June in connection with a protest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s appearance before Congress.

Rose also served as Rhode Island delegate to the Democratic National Convention last summer, and he tried to use his vote as leverage for the Palestinian cause.

"My job has always been about outcomes, about winning," he said in the weeks leading up to the convention in Chicago. "Here, winning means fewer Palestinian children are killed. There would be no greater victory than helping save the lives of Palestinian children living under occupation."

H/T: Libs of TikTok

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20 Democrat AGs sue Trump's Education Department over 'massive' staff cuts



A coalition of attorneys general from 20 states and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit on Thursday against the Trump administration over its move to lay off nearly 50% of the Department of Education's workforce.

Earlier this week, the Education Department terminated over 1,300 employees. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the action the "first step" in President Donald Trump's "mandate" to shut down the department.

'Elected with a mandate from the American public to return education authority to the states.'

"What we did today was to take the first step of eliminating what I think is bureaucratic bloat," McMahon stated.

In February, the Education Department fired 63 probationary workers. Another 600 staffers voluntarily quit as part of the Trump administration buyout offer.

Earlier this week, a DOE spokesperson stated that the layoffs were meant to cut the department's workforce "roughly in half," adding that 131 teams would be eliminated.

"We are focusing on eliminating full teams whose operations are either redundant or not necessary for the functioning of the department," the spokesperson said.

"We're going to have these folks roll over their responsibilities by Friday, March 21. They will then go on paid administrative leave until the reduction in force is complete," the DOE official continued. "They will be teleworking from tomorrow until March 21. Then all of that is being done for safety reasons to protect the 2,183 employees that are going to remain after the [reduction in force] is complete."

The states suing the administration, the department, and McMahon included New York, Massachusetts, Hawaii, California, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The Democratic attorneys general wrote in their lawsuit that the layoffs were "an effective dismantling of the Department." They argued that the Trump administration lacks the authority to eradicate the Education Department.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell stated, "Neither President Trump nor his secretary have the power to demolish a congressionally created department."

New York Attorney General Letitia James said, "This outrageous effort to leave students behind and deprive them of a quality education is reckless and illegal."

The complaint contended that the department is "essential."

"The dismantling of the Department will also result in the termination of afterschool programs," the lawsuit read. "Regardless of what alternative resources are put in the place of the Department of Education, the process of the Department's dismantling will create and has created chaos, disruption, uncertainty, delays and confusion for Plaintiff States and their residents."

Madi Biedermann, an Education Department spokesperson, declared that Trump was "elected with a mandate from the American public to return education authority to the states."

She noted that the layoffs were "strategic, internal-facing" and "will not directly impact students and families."

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Judge’s Failure To Recuse Himself From Trump Spending Freeze Case Shows How Court Is Rigged

A nonprofit board member himself, Judge McConnell has a motive to keep federal funding flowing to nonprofits.

Immigration attorney — once illegally in the US — resigns as judge following FBI raid



Judge Joseph Molina Flynn for the Central Falls Municipal Court in Providence County, Rhode Island, abruptly resigned on Thursday after the FBI conducted a raid on his law offices.

Molina Flynn, an immigration attorney in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, was appointed as a judge in January 2021.

'I was deeply concerned to see the reports of an FBI search.'

According to his law office's website, Molina Flynn was "the first gay person to hold that seat and the first formerly undocumented Judge in Rhode Island."

Molina Flynn was born in Medellin, Colombia, and arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa at 9 years old. He remained in the country illegally for another 15 years before he obtained lawful permanent residency, the law office website states. Molina Flynn obtained his U.S. citizenship in September 2014.

His law practice, founded in 2015, specializes in immigration, family, and criminal cases.

"These three areas of law have been the focus of Joseph's legal career beginning with his time in law school. He often works with other practitioners as a 'crimmigration' consultant," the website read.

As a judge for the Municipal Court, Molina Flynn hears "various cases," including "traffic and parking offenses, violations of the minimum housing code statute, and the violation of any ordinance," according to the city's website. His court has the authority to impose a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail and a maximum fine of $500.

Upon his appointment in 2021, Molina Flynn told the Providence Journal, "I'm just extremely overwhelmed with gratitude that I live in a world where I can live my truth and still be able to achieve something like being appointed to the Municipal Court."

"It wasn't that long ago that all of this would have been unheard of," he added.

On Thursday morning, FBI agents raided his law offices on Dorrance Street in downtown Providence, according to the Providence Journal.

Jim Martin, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha's office, told the news outlet, "There is court authorized activity at that location."

A spokesperson for the FBI repeated a similar statement to the Providence Journal.

Sources told the news outlet that the office was the focus of the FBI's investigation. The reason for the raid is not immediately clear.

Footage of the raid captured by WJAR showed FBI agents carrying several boxes of files out of the law office.

Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera announced Molina Flynn's resignation following the agency's search.

"I was deeply concerned to see the reports of an FBI search at the law office of Joseph Molina Flynn," Rivera stated. "As the Central Falls community knows, transparency and accountability are priorities of mine. In an effort to uphold the integrity and focus of the Municipal Court, Judge Molina Flynn has officially resigned his position."

Rivera, elected in 2021, appointed Molina Flynn, who was responsible for overseeing the city's traffic calendar.

Sources reportedly told WPRI that the FBI's investigation began under the former Biden administration and was not tied to President Donald Trump's immigration-related executive orders.

According to the sources, the FBI is investigating allegations that Molina Flynn defrauded individuals seeking his counsel on immigration matters.

Molina Flynn is not currently facing any charges. He did not respond to a request for comment from WPRI.

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