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Welcome to logoff: Today, I focus on strong private institutions towards Donald Trump's demands. And the law firm shows us another way.
What's the latest? Donald Trump has regained an executive order attacking Weiss (one of the nation's largest law firms) after agreeing to do free legal work worth $40 million on causes that the Trump administration supports. Trump's orders attempted to terminate the federal contract as his former partner was working on the Trump prosecutor's case, as he retracted the company's security clearance and sued the Jan. 6 mob.
Is this normal? No – But that's part of the trends of powerful private sector institutions succumbing to Trump's threat to their businesses. Columbia University succumbed to Trump's demands after threatening $400 million with federal funds. And universities across the country are taking similar steps to protect their funds.
What other options are there? To fight. Perkins Koy, another company whose security clearance targeted Trump, sued. And last week, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from enforcing Trump's orders, determining that it was likely to violate the company's first, fifth and sixth amendment rights. (In response, today the Trump administration tried to launch a lawsuit against a judge.)
What is the overall picture? These are powerful institutions with enormous resources. Yes, they are not yet stronger than the federal government, and yes, they have a lot to lose. (The Times reports that Paul, Weiss, considered his own legal challenges, but considered the financial risks to be too high.) But if the rule of law is replaced by a system in which the federal government can use the federal government to pursue personal property and enforce compliance with his agenda, we all need to lose more.
And so, it's time to log off… I really enjoy the (very short) work on the Dutch initiative. This helps people enjoy something soothing online, and in this case, they also play a part in the small act of environmentalism by watching fish swim. You can read about “Fish Doorbell” here. Thank you for all the book recommendations, and I will be back here on Monday. Have a great weekend!
