Tom Hals

President Trump’s post‑election litigation strategy is prompting legal battles over whether his own immunity arguments should limit his ability to sue critics while in office reut.rs/4auZoLX 1/5

...but also took the opportunity to quietly slip in a "fewer than" to replace a "less than." That one always gets me.

The chief judge on Delaware's corporate court issued a corrected opinion that business reporters and grammarians can appreciate. She dropped a "million" from original ruling (been there), vastly undervaluing a merger break-up fee...

'Where is Mr. Musk in all of this?' Judges question secrecy of DOGE's activities On social media and at political rallies, Elon Musk has taken credit for leading the team that is cutting allegedly wasteful U.S. government spending, even waving a chainsaw on stage at a conference. In court, it's a different story.

Elon Musk attended President Trump's first cabinet meeting as the face of the DOGE cost-cutting campaign. But in legal filings, the administration says Musk is a mere consultant without any authority. www.reuters.com/legal/where-...

Trump tightens grip on independent agencies to test limits of presidential power Testing the limits of presidential power, Donald Trump this week tightened his grip on U.S. government agencies that for years have taken pride in their independence overseeing such matters as elections, stock markets and labor unrest.

It's been settled law for 90 years that Congress can create independent agencies like those that regulate elections and the stock market and put them beyond the president's reach. That may soon change. www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

Delaware bill would limit investor lawsuits as companies threaten to leave the state Delaware lawmakers on Monday proposed changes to the U.S. state's widely used corporate law that would limit shareholder lawsuits after several high-profile companies said they might move their legal home to another state.

Few people win against Elon Musk - but one who did was Richard Tornetta, an investor with 9 Tesla shares who stripped Musk of $56 bln pay. Delaware lawmakers are planning to change the state's corporate law -- making it much harder for a repeat of Tornetta v Musk. www.reuters.com/legal/delawa...

Musk cuts based more on political ideology than real cost savings so far Elon Musk's cost-cutting is targeting agencies disliked by conservatives, not major budget contributors.

One person's trash is another person's treasure and it turns out "waste, fraud and abuse" in government might just be reasonable programs that Musk doesn't like. We don't know. www.reuters.com/world/us/mus...

Musk and Trump allies ratchet up rhetoric against the judiciary @tomhals.bsky.social reut.rs/41abN4t

More expensive than a gallon of gas in Philly! Gotta start drinking unleaded.

As Trump pushes legal boundaries, judges hold the line U.S. President Donald Trump's furious pace of orders slashing foreign aid, sending troops to the border and pardoning violent criminals has met little resistance in Congress. Federal judges are delivering the strongest signal yet of a looming showdown -- with the rule of law.

President Trump's policy blast is starting to hit its first serious resistance -- from the law. But as cases challenging his executive orders work their way through appeals courts, Trump could emerge a more powerful president. www.reuters.com/legal/trump-...

US government sues Illinois and Chicago for impeding immigration efforts The U.S. government sued Illinois and the city of Chicago on Thursday, accusing them of impeding the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies.

In addition to going after immigrants, the Trump administration is pursuing officials who don't support the crackdown. Trump's administration to trying to sweep aside sanctuary laws -- most people in the U.S. illegally live in a sanctuary jurisdiction. www.reuters.com/legal/us-gov...

Is Elon Musk's government efficiency drive legal? Elon Musk is testing the limits of legal and ethical restrictions on the role of special advisers in U.S. presidential administrations, according to some legal experts and lawmakers who oppose the billionaire's mission against what he deems wasteful government spending.

Elon Musk's DOGE efficiency agency is sweeping through the federal government hunting for wasteful spending. It's possibly violating laws on transparency, privacy and record keeping, but who's enforcing them? www.reuters.com/world/us/is-...

Quakers sue to keep US immigration agents out of houses of worship. Reporting by @tomhals.bsky.social. Source:

Quakers sue to keep US immigration agents out of houses of worship Quaker groups sued on Monday to prevent U.S. immigration agents from carrying arrests and searches in houses of worship, after the Trump Administration rescinded guidance that protected churches and schools from his mass deportation campaign.

Quakers were central to the sanctuary movement. They're suing after the Trump administration freed ICE agents to target churches www.reuters.com/legal/quaker...

Immigrant group sues to block Trump's fast-track deportations @tomhals.bsky.social reut.rs/3E7DGRO

Meta ex-COO Sandberg sanctioned in investor lawsuit for deleting emails @tomhals.bsky.social reut.rs/3PJRW5P

California utility faces billions in claims for fire damage even if it did nothing wrong Victims of the Los Angeles wildfires, likely the costliest in U.S. history, are seizing upon a unique California legal doctrine that allows them to collect from their power utility if its equipment caused the blaze -- even if the company did nothing wrong.

Victims of the Eaton fire in Los Angeles are rushing to sue Southern California Edison. A quirk of the state's law could put the utility on the hook for billions of dollars, even if it wasn't negligent www.reuters.com/business/ene....

FBI, White House find no evidence of security threat in New Jersey drone sightings The White House, FBI and Homeland Security said on Thursday they had no evidence that drone sightings reported in New Jersey posed national security or safety threats, despite concerns raised by lawmakers.

What appeared to be drones were clearly visible over my suburban Philly home on Thursday. White House response to drones feels weirdly dismissive. www.reuters.com/world/us/no-...

Two US states sue Glock over machine gun conversion Attorneys general in Minnesota and New Jersey sued Glock on Thursday, accusing the company of making handguns that are easily modified to fire as illegal machine guns through a cheap add-on known as a “Glock switch.”

Glock sued over a product it doesn’t make or control that renders its firearms into illegal machine guns. Interesting start for a new effort by attorneys general, who may be following a blueprint from opioid litigation to go after guns www.reuters.com/legal/two-us...

What is next for Musk after judge rules against him in Tesla pay case? @tomhals.bsky.social reut.rs/4iiNbNB

Delaware judge rejects request to restore Musk's $56 billion Tesla pay A Delaware judge ruled on Monday that Tesla CEO Elon Musk still is not entitled to receive a $56 billion compensation package despite shareholders of the electric vehicle company voting to reinstate it.

Elon Musk and Tesla come up short again in Delaware. Judge declines to reinstate Musk's Tesla pay package - which is now worth $101 billion. That probably makes it the biggest judgment ever (arguably). www.reuters.com/legal/delawa...

What is the legal effect of President Biden's pardon of his son Hunter? reut.rs/3ZejBAk @tomhals.bsky.social

Trump plan to use military in deportations should stand up in court President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to use the U.S. military to help deport millions of undocumented migrants, a plan that breaks from U.S. tradition against deploying troops domestically but which legal experts said would still be hard to successfully challenge in court.

www.reuters.com/legal/trump-...