News Roundup

After 43 days, the government shutdown has ended. President Trump signed the spending bill late Wednesday night, funding the federal government through January 2026. Along with resuming funding for food stamps and federal worker salaries, the bill includes provisions allowing senators to sue the Justice Department as well as broader criminalization of hemp derived products. Retroactive to January of 2022, senators who have had phone records obtained without notification by the Justice Department would be permitted to sue for up to $500,000. While it does not mention special counsel Jack Smith’s probe of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, the provision would apply to eight senators who had their phone records obtained as part of the probe in 2023. The spending bill also changes the lawful THC content threshold for hemp derived products from 0.3% Delta 9 THC to 0.4mg of any variant of THC. Farmers and legislators from around the country have voiced concern that this could effectively eliminate over 95% of products currently sold lawfully. Read on for more criminal law news. Charlotte named in U.S. Border Patrol operation expansion. The New York Times reported this week that, according to a government document and a federal official with knowledge of the plan, the next expansion of immigration agents into domestic cities includes Charlotte and New Orleans. In response to questions on Tuesday, Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said she could not discuss “future or potential operations.” McLaughlin added, “Every day, [...]