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Federal judge who drew Trump's anger picks up new case against administration

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Federal judge who drew Trump's anger picks up new case against administration

President Trump takes questions from reporters during an Ambassador Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Tuesday, where he addressed the news that Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was accidentally added to a Signal group chat of top administration officials, where highly sensitive national security information was discussed.

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Win McNamee/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

A federal judge in Washington who has caught the ire of President Trump for his role in the case involving the deportation of alleged gang members will also preside over a case involving the administration’s use of a messaging app to discuss military operations.

Chief Judge James Boasberg will oversee a new lawsuit brought against several senior national security officials after a reporter was unintentionally added to a Signal group chat where the planned bombing of Houthi targets in Yemen was discussed. Intelligence experts say the use of the chat group to discuss such operational matters is highly unusual. The White House denies that the matters discussed were classified.

While judges typically do not have control over what cases they are assigned, this latest assignment comes shortly after Boasberg has been in the spotlight while overseeing another high-profile case involving the Trump administration’s deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador.

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Boasberg imposed a temporary restraining order on the action, but the administration is in the process of appealing.

Trump has criticized Boasberg’s handling of that case, calling him a “Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge” in a post on social media and arguing that the American public elected him to curb illegal immigration.

“I’m just doing what the VOTERS wanted me to do,” Trump said. “This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!

The statement raised concern in the legal community and prompted Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to say in a rare statement that “impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”

As chief judge of the federal district court, Boasberg has dealt with legal matters involving Trump in the past. Notably, he ruled former Vice President Mike Pence had to testify in front of a grand jury in the Justice Department’s probe into Jan. 6.

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The latest legal challenge, this time over the Signal group chat, was brought by American Oversight, a watchdog group. The group alleges that the use of Signal violates federal law that covers the preservation of government records.

The lawsuit is directed toward the National Archives as well as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency John Ratcliffe, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who were all present in the Signal group chat.

That discussion was first reported in The Atlantic by Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the magazine, who was the reporter accidentally added to the chat.

NPR disclosure: Katherine Maher, the CEO of NPR, chairs the board of the Signal Foundation.

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Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

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Video: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

new video loaded: What the Texas Primary Battle Means for the Midterms

The first battle of the midterm elections will be the U.S. Senate primary in Texas. Our Texas bureau chief, David Goodman, explains why Democrats and Republicans across the U.S. are watching closely to see what happens in the state.

By J. David Goodman, Alexandra Ostasiewicz, June Kim and Luke Piotrowski

March 1, 2026

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Mass shooting at Austin, Texas bar leaves at least 3 dead, 14 wounded, authorities say

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Mass shooting at Austin, Texas bar leaves at least 3 dead, 14 wounded, authorities say

Gunfire rang out at a bar in Austin, Texas, early Sunday and at least three people were killed, the city’s police chief said.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis told reporters the shooter was killed by officers at the scene. 

Fourteen others were hospitalized and three were in critical condition, Austin-Travis County EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said.

“We received a call at 1:39 a.m. and within 57 seconds, the first paramedics and officers were on scene actively treating the patients,” Luckritz said.

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There was no initial word on the shooter’s identity or motive.

An Austin police officer guards the scene on West 6th Street at West Avenue after a shooting on Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Austin, Texas.

Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP


Davis noted how fortunate it was that there was a heavy police presence in Austin’s entertainment district at the time, enabling officers to respond quickly as bars were closing.

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“Officers immediately transitioned … and were faced with the individual with a gun,” Davis said. “Three of our officers returned fire, killing the suspect.”

She called the shooting a “tragic, tragic” incident.

Texas Bar Shooting

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis provides a briefing after a shooting on Sunday, March 1, 2026, near West Sixth Street and Nueces in downtown Austin, Texas.

Ricardo B. Brazziell/Austin American-Statesman via AP


Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said his heart goes out to the victims, and he praised the swift response of first responders.

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“They definitely saved lives,” he said.

Davis said federal law enforcement is aiding the investigation.

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A long-buried recording and the Supreme Court of old (CT+) : Consider This from NPR

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A long-buried recording and the Supreme Court of old (CT+) : Consider This from NPR
Recently, movie critic Bob Mondello brought us a story about how he found a 63-year-old recording of his father arguing a case before the Supreme Court. The next day, he bumped into Nina Totenberg, NPR’s legal affairs correspondent, in the newsroom. They were talking so animatedly that we ushered them into a studio to continue the conversation.To unlock this and other bonus content — and listen to every episode sponsor-free — sign up for NPR+ at plus.npr.org. Regular episodes haven’t changed and remain available every weekday.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
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