Today’s Headlines and Commentary

Trump Organization attorneys met with New York prosecutors on Monday to argue that the company should not face charges, according to the New York Times. Charges have not yet been announced in the case by the office of the Manhattan District Attorney or by a grand jury impaneled as part of the investigation. An attorney for former President Trump stated that potential charges could focus on whether taxes were sufficiently paid on benefits given to Trump Organization executives.

Eight months after Ethiopian forces attacked the northern region of Tigray, Tigrayan fighters took back control of the regional capital, Mekelle, according to the New York Times. The Ethiopian army originally launched the offensive in November in cooperation with Eritrean and militia forces, sparking a civil war and reportedly committing atrocities against civilians. The Tigray Defense Forces counterattack began last week, and they hope to regain full control of the region soon.

The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that certain immigrants who say they will be persecuted or tortured upon being deported to their countries of origin can be detained indefinitely, reports the Associated Press. The court was faced with deciding whether the detainees had a right to appear before an immigration judge while their claims are evaluated. The majority opinion, authored by Justice Samuel Alito, affirms that “those aliens are not entitled to a bond hearing.”

United Nations peacekeeping missions may come to a halt if the U.N. General Assembly cannot agree on a $6 billion budget to continue financing them, writes The Hill. Catherine Pollard, the U.N.’s under-secretary-general for management strategy, policy and compliance, expressed optimism that member states would be able to conclude negotiations before Tuesday’s budgetary deadline, though she had also recommended that the U.N.’s 12 peacekeeping missions develop contingency plans.

The top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan warned that the country could fall into civil war after the withdrawal of American troops, reports the Washington Post. Gen. Austin “Scott” Miller said the civilian leadership must unite and control the various anti-Taliban militias across the country. The assessment comes after the Taliban continued to advance across the northern regions of the nation and move closer to Kabul. Miller said the withdrawal is successful “from a military standpoint” but that the “security situation is not good.”

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Jen Patja Howell shared an episode of the Lawfare Podcast which includes the second half of David Kris’s conversation with FBI historian John Fox.

Bruce Riedel remembered the Khobar Towers bombing on the 25th anniversary of the attack.

Rohini Kurup and Alan Rozenshtein discussed the potentials of the proposed coronavirus commission.

Christiana Wayne announced this week’s Lawfare Live in which Lawfare senior editor Quinta Jurecic and Lawfare Foreign Policy Editor Dan Byman will join Lawfare Editor in Chief Benjamin Wittes to discuss the formation of the House of Representatives’ select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which Speaker Pelosi announced last week.

Ajay Sarma shared Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s memorandum reiterating the Justice Department’s commitment to prosecuting threats against election officials.

Kurup and Wayne posted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s resolution to form a select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

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