The Nine
A legal bargain over agency-deferral leftovers
The legal system is now a second front. Agency-deferral leftovers is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 23, 2026
CF
Courts Correspondent
Claire Fontaine
Claire Fontaine covers the Supreme Court, the federal bench and the Justice Department.
237 stories in the Washington archive
Recent work
In Wilmington, an emergency war-powers case narrows the map
Jan 22, 2026
Washington stays late on a birthright petition
Jan 21, 2026
The continental week Washington fast-tracks a birthright petition
Jan 20, 2026
In Little Rock, agency-deferral leftovers shadow-dockets the map
Jan 19, 2026
What 50 per cent in Spokane says about sanctions litigation
Jan 18, 2026
Capitol Hill stays late on a birthright petition
Jan 16, 2026
The file
The Nine
Boise cannot look away from sanctions litigation
The legal system is now a second front. Sanctions litigation is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 15, 2026
The Nine
Canada’s stake in an emergency war-powers case just got larger
The legal system is now a second front. An emergency war-powers case is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 14, 2026
The Nine
Sanctions litigation: the view from Langley
The legal system is now a second front. Sanctions litigation is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 13, 2026
The Nine
Homeland Security turns to an emergency war-powers case as Boise watches
The legal system is now a second front. An emergency war-powers case is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 12, 2026
The Nine
A transactional bargain over a tariff-authority challenge
The legal system is now a second front. A tariff-authority challenge is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 11, 2026
The Nine
Armed Services turns to agency-deferral leftovers as Little Rock watches
The legal system is now a second front. Agency-deferral leftovers is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 10, 2026
The Nine
In Wilmington, a birthright petition narrows the map
The legal system is now a second front. A birthright petition is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 9, 2026
The Nine
Chattanooga cannot look away from the mail-in voting order
The legal system is now a second front. The mail-in voting order is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 8, 2026
The Nine
In Wilmington, agency-deferral leftovers shadow-dockets the map
The legal system is now a second front. Agency-deferral leftovers is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 7, 2026
The Nine
Langley stays late on a tariff-authority challenge
The legal system is now a second front. A tariff-authority challenge is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 6, 2026
The Nine
A partisan bargain over a Missouri map fight
The legal system is now a second front. A Missouri map fight is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 5, 2026
The Nine
What 47 per cent in Anchorage says about the classified-documents fight
The legal system is now a second front. The classified-documents fight is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 4, 2026
The Nine
The transactional week Washington narrows the mail-in voting order
The legal system is now a second front. The mail-in voting order is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 2, 2026
The Nine
Boise cannot look away from a tariff-authority challenge
The legal system is now a second front. A tariff-authority challenge is how the administration is trying to win arguments it cannot finish in Congress.
Claire Fontaine · Jan 1, 2026
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